Towing MPG

[BlancoSilverado]

Hello everyone,

 

Lets get a small thread going on towing MPG. Please show what you towed, rough weight,and maybe a small map of your route. 

Please also add what you have

 

On a 268.7 mile trip to the lake, i was able to get 13.4MPG. 3/4 highway doing 60-68mph and 1/4 city. 

Towed just fine for roughly 3500Lbs.

TRIM: LT

MOTOR: 5.3L DFM

TRANS:8-speed

4x4?: 4x4

 

Edited June 17, 2019 by BlancoSilverado

[Aramos(SS)]

On my 1st trip pulling anything with my new (new to me) truck to Lake Fork, I got 13.7MPG. 3/4 highway doing 65-70 mphish and the rest 2 lane back roads. 

Towed about 2500 lbs boat and trailer, bed loaded down, and 4 adults. Smooth ride, picks up and slows down with ease! We rented a cabin on the lake with a private boat ramp that was pretty steep, the 1st attempt I was too far over and had to come all the way out to get strait but the rears kept breaking lose because of some gravel so I put it in 4X4, no spin at all came right out.

TRIM: LT Z71

MOTOR: 5.3L (no mods)

[Leevon]

TRIM: LT Trail Boss 

MOTOR: 5.3 DFM

TRANS: 8 Speed

MODS: BFG's AT's and level kit

 

Sorry no pics, I'll update with pics on my next haul trip. 

 

My first tow with the '19.  It doesn't get great mileage to begin with (about 15mpg) but I towed an 1800lb utility trailer about 500 miles into Kansas and back (relatively flat) and netted a whopping 9.9mpg.  I used the haul mode one way just to see how it ran.  I was very surprised how poor the mileage was.  I didn't buy it for mileage but sheesh I had an 8.1L 2500hd that did better and towed like a dream.  The real kicker is the small gas tank.  With 24 gallons at sub 10 mpg I'm looking for a gas station at 180-190 miles, and I had to stretch that in Kansas to about 220 miles which became very white knuckle.    I'm hauling a car on the same route (about 6k total) next week any takers on how bad that's going to be? 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Leevon

[ShamrockShooter]

19 Trail boss
5.3
3.23
Leer cap
17 ft clipper travel trailer weighs about 3500 lbs

Truck fully loaded with coolers and camping stuff

500 miles round-trip into the mountains and back going about 62 mph cruise.

Avg mpg over 3 tanks was about 11.5 mpg.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[The Tos]

19 RST z71 Crew Cab

5.3

8 speed

3.23 rear end

 

Towed my Travel Trailer roughly 500 miles, majority highway. Camper weighs 6600lbs empty, loaded and gear in the bed of my truck probably close to 8000lbs total.

 

averaged 8.5 mpg

[bshort]

19 Sierra SLT 4x4 6.2 3.42 rear

 

Travel trailer is 6K loaded and travels 50 miles to the lake.  Gets 9.5 - 10.  Flat ground and maybe 65 top speed on rural roads with several stop signs along the way.  

[arcstarter]

2019 GMC Sierra AT4
5.3l DFM
8 speed
100miles

Got 9mpg towing approx. 4000lb pontoon boat

[mistaare]

2020 AT4 5.3/10 spd. Just after break in (about 1000 miles on odo), towed 1500 lb military trailer 80 miles mainly interstate, going 65 mph, computer read 14.5? I'm interested to see if this was accurate or not. 
 

Empty the trailer is 1500 lb, guessing another 1000-1200 lbs of firewood 

Edited November 26, 2019 by mistaare

[Bobv07662]

19 RST 2wd 5.3 8 speed, Allentown PA to Millville NJ,  200 mi round trip , 1500 lb open trailer dual axle w 2500lb race car, truck bed fully loaded as well. 50- 70 mph over all mileage was 15.7 mpg all in "trailer mode".

[Cooley.cars]

Sorry no pics.

 

Both trucks pulled same camper. 27 ft. Roughly 6,000-7,000 lbs. 350 miles into the smokey mountains.

 

2018 sierra 1500 denali z71 4x4 crew cab 6.5ft bed. 5.3 8 speed. Stock.   4mpg

 

2018 silverado 2500 4x4 crew cab 8ft long bed.

L5p diesel. Stock with 35's.   10mpg

 

[Ezekiel2517]

2019 6.2 4x4 NHT with 33s.  I do great unloaded.  Can average over 20 if I keep it under 70.  But with my 6000lb camper I only get about 8.  It pulls like a dream but I could get 10mpg with my old 2014 5.3 z71.   Maybe it will get better as i get more miles on it.  I've done as bad as 7 in high winds.  Wind is the killer with these rvs.  I think it's worse than the weight. 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Ezekiel2517

[duke3k]

 

Quote

Wind is the killer with these rvs.  I think it's worse than the weight. 

@ Ezekiel2517  above is correct when he says this.   A high profile travel trailer or any trailer being towed that sticks up above the cab is basically a giant wind brake - it kills your mpg.

 

 

Last October ,  We did a 2000  mile round trip  from Colorado to Texas to pick up our new lance travel trailer.

Truck:  2019 Sierra 1500 AT4   6.2L  - 10 Speed transmission  w/ 18'' Goodyear Duratracks.   Stock Air filter & Exhaust

Trailer:   2019 Lance 1985 Travel Trailer  19'  trailer - tow weight   on return trip was right @ 5000lb

 

Trip out (no trailer)  :  mileage average between  17- 20 mpg  @ 75mph - 80mph

Return Trip:

     (a) Day 1 - Heavy  cross winds/head winds (gusting to 30mph) :   5- 7mpg    @ 70mph

     (b) Day 2 -   8 mpg  @ 70mph less wind /   at end of Day we dropped to 50 -  60 mph (due to road traffic)  and got 10mpg

 

duke3k

Edited January 19, 2020 by duke3k

[redwngr]

Weight is a factor when accelerating and when climbing.

 

Aero (frontal area, and wind) is the factor all the time -- and this THE factor when on level cruise.

Aero is also the reason speed is a big factor.

[zeon]

When and what weight should you use tow haul mode in.6.2 10 speed at4

[mistaare]

On 1/19/2020 at 12:29 PM, duke3k said:

 

@ Ezekiel2517  above is correct when he says this.   A high profile travel trailer or any trailer being towed that sticks up above the cab is basically a giant wind brake - it kills your mpg.

 

 

Last October ,  We did a 2000  mile round trip  from Colorado to Texas to pick up our new lance travel trailer.

Truck:  2019 Sierra 1500 AT4   6.2L  - 10 Speed transmission  w/ 18'' Goodyear Duratracks.   Stock Air filter & Exhaust

Trailer:   2019 Lance 1985 Travel Trailer  19'  trailer - tow weight   on return trip was right @ 5000lb

 

Trip out (no trailer)  :  mileage average between  17- 20 mpg  @ 75mph - 80mph

Return Trip:

     (a) Day 1 - Heavy  cross winds/head winds (gusting to 30mph) :   5- 7mpg    @ 70mph

     (b) Day 2 -   8 mpg  @ 70mph less wind /   at end of Day we dropped to 50 -  60 mph (due to road traffic)  and got 10mpg

 

duke3k

You also forgot, going from Colorado to Texas you are dropping in elevation (depending where, this could be considerable). 

 

And vis'versa, heading back u are climbing.