Towing for the first time with my 3.0 Duramax - what would you want to see in a video?

DemonWorks · October 15, 2020

I'm about to leave on a 1500ish mile trip towing my car from Utah to California and back. My 3.0 duramax has just about 1000 miles on it and this will be my first tow with it. i have done this trip in my nearly identical 5.3 and I was pleased with that.

I will be recording some footage along the way to hopefully give some insight to people on the fence about buying a mini duramax, what the towing mileage is as well as DEF consumption.

I am bringing the GM scan tool and laptop with me so I can check on data at any time if I see fit.

My question to you is, What would you like to see?

# of regens?

Def usage?

MPG?

how it feels when driving?

...

shout it out and I will see what I can include.\\\

Edited October 28, 2020 by Carbon

f8l vnm · October 16, 2020

I think MPG would be most important/and how much load your moving/towing , thanks!

LowCountryDenali · October 16, 2020

Hitch setup. Thanks.

Duramax3oh · October 17, 2020

I think the list you have, namely MPG and DEF usage, along with hitch setup would be great. Then give your opinion on the handling and include some shots of the scenery. Utah is beautiful country!!

Rubyralph · October 17, 2020

If you encounter any down hill grades while towing please try the exhaust brake with TH and cruise control and no cruise control.

TFL had poor results with this test and I would like to see if other driving techniques would help engage the exhaust brake sooner?

Thanks.

SkiDooNick700 · October 17, 2020

Show us the "passing power" like a 60 to 75 or 80mph pull.

DemonWorks · October 21, 2020

thanks for the inputs. I did not see any of these before I towed but I think I hit them all. Will put the video together most likely on sunday

mileage was about 17mpg towing over 1300 miles and def usage was just over 3.5 gallons

def display was quite interesting during the tow and I will show that in the video.

pulling up hills was amazing. no problem doing 80 (where the speed limit permits)

DemonWorks · October 26, 2020

added video 1 to the original post

SkiDooNick700 · October 26, 2020

21 hours ago, Carbon said:

added video 1 to the original post

I woke up with morning to my phone having a suggested YouTube video notification. It was yours, how weird lol crazy how "they" (I'm guessing) used this thread to determine to push that notification to my phone via YouTube.

Anyway great vid - when you were going up that grade were you going wide open throttle ?

Edited October 26, 2020 by SkiDooNick700

DemonWorks · October 26, 2020

8 minutes ago, SkiDooNick700 said:

I woke up with morning to my phone having a suggested YouTube video notification. It was yours, how weird lol crazy how "they" (I'm guessing) used this thread to determine to push that notification to my phone via YouTube.

Anyway great vid - when you were going up that grade were you going wide open throttle ?

Awesome ! Glad youtube did that for us, lol.

I was not on the pedal very much at all. Rolling into it just a little like normal driving. I know the way my commentary was, it may have come off as if I was pushing the truck hard. I wasn't, it was just getting the job done.

Sadly, I lost a lot of video / it wasn't recording when I thought it was and most of that was hill climb. Flying up the hills in Utah going 80mph (speed limit) took it like a champ, the 5.3 had to run high up in the rpm's to match.

Video 2 has a couple more hill climbs to show, but nothing like I had on day 1 that didn't make it

NE18 · October 27, 2020

Hmm let’s talk about that ZL1... wife and I are looking at getting one next year. How do you like it? Is yours a manual or 10-speed?

DemonWorks · October 27, 2020

15 hours ago, NE18 said:

Hmm let’s talk about that ZL1... wife and I are looking at getting one next year. How do you like it? Is yours a manual or 10-speed?

I love it ! it's a manual and it's the 1LE package so it is quite stiff. Love the power, you can be in any gear and it moves out no problem. All of the creature comforts are extremely nice. I'm coming from a 2015 Z/28 with no features so everything is nice to me

DemonWorks · October 28, 2020

Video 2 is up. I will work on the production quality in the future but these give a good assessment on how well the duramax tows and mileage while towing through some hills.