Fuel mileage while towing?

[Colderweather86]

My pickup is a 2017 Silverado, Z71. Crew Cab, standard bed. I have 33" tires on it, and a camper shell. Gear ratio is 3.42.

 

I towed with it for the first time ever last weekend. (I usually use my F550.) I pulled a 20' car hauler, with my 2020 Mahindra Roxor on it. Total weight is under 5,000 lbs. Speed 65 and 75 mph. Fuel mileage was 8.2 MPH. Is this normal? This is actually the first half ton pickup I have ever owned. Everything before was 3/4 ton and up, and all but 1 was diesel. 

 

My engine was replaced under warranty in July of this year at 46,212 miles. Current mileage is right at 55,000.

 

I'm about to move to Alaska, and tow my Roxor and my toolbox on the trailer with it. I want to make sure this is normal mileage before I head out. I don't want this piece of crap to break down in the middle of Canada.

[HoosierZ]

That seems a little low for mileage unless you were towing through the mountains. I’ve got a double cab 5.3, 6 spd with 3.08 gears and 33s. Last winter I pulled my 18’ car trailer 90 miles to haul a 3k lb tractor, 5k lb total weight ( 90 mi empty, 90 loaded). On mostly flat ground at 60-65 mph I averaged 12-13 mpg round trip running in 5th gear. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by HoosierZ

[m3n00b]

My pickup is a 2017 Silverado, Z71. Crew Cab, standard bed. I have 33" tires on it, and a camper shell. Gear ratio is 3.42.
 
I towed with it for the first time ever last weekend. (I usually use my F550.) I pulled a 20' car hauler, with my 2020 Mahindra Roxor on it. Total weight is under 5,000 lbs. Speed 65 and 75 mph. Fuel mileage was 8.2 MPH. Is this normal? This is actually the first half ton pickup I have ever owned. Everything before was 3/4 ton and up, and all but 1 was diesel. 
 
My engine was replaced under warranty in July of this year at 46,212 miles. Current mileage is right at 55,000.
 
I'm about to move to Alaska, and tow my Roxor and my toolbox on the trailer with it. I want to make sure this is normal mileage before I head out. I don't want this piece of crap to break down in the middle of Canada.

If my piece of crap could only tow at 8.2mph I sure as hell wouldn't drive very far.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[CamGTP]

Heavier tires and if there are hills will drop fuel mileage a lot. I'd expect 10-13 towing that weight.

[JimCost2014]

I guess the question once again is, what do you think the MPG should be on a 5000 pound truck pulling over 5000 pounds behind it at 75 MPH? 

 

Think there is a reason why you do not see tests or rating of MPG for trucks towing, just too many variables to get anywhere near exact numbers.

[Colderweather86]

41 minutes ago, HoosierZ said:

That seems a little low for mileage unless you were towing through the mountains. I’ve got a double cab 5.3, 6 spd with 3.08 gears and 33s. Last winter I pulled my 18’ car trailer 90 miles to haul a 3k lb tractor, 5k lb total weight ( 90 mi empty, 90 loaded). On mostly flat ground at 60-65 mph I averaged 12-13 mpg round trip running in 5th gear. 

I live in Northern Arizona, towing between 4400' and 6,000' elevation, all hills. Didn't drive any mountains. 

[Colderweather86]

7 minutes ago, JimCost2014 said:

I guess the question once again is, what do you think the MPG should be on a 5000 pound truck pulling over 5000 pounds behind it at 75 MPH? 

 

Think there is a reason why you do not see tests or rating of MPG for trucks towing, just too many variables to get anywhere near exact numbers.

Hense the reason for the question. I don't know what to expect, that's why I'm asking. I was very descriptive in my post. 

[m3n00b]

Hense the reason for the question. I don't know what to expect, that's why I'm asking. I was very descriptive in my post. 

Honestly it sounds about right. Try slowing down and you could do a lot better. I bet you could get 11 at 60

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Colderweather86]

1 minute ago, m3n00b said:

Honestly it sounds about right. Try slowing down and you could do a lot better. I bet you could get 11 at 60

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 

I'll try that in 2 weeks when I tow it across the state. I'm close to my powertrain warranty to be up. If something is wrong with the transmission, I need to get it figured out within the next 4,000 miles.

[Colderweather86]

53 minutes ago, HoosierZ said:

That seems a little low for mileage unless you were towing through the mountains. I’ve got a double cab 5.3, 6 spd with 3.08 gears and 33s. Last winter I pulled my 18’ car trailer 90 miles to haul a 3k lb tractor, 5k lb total weight ( 90 mi empty, 90 loaded). On mostly flat ground at 60-65 mph I averaged 12-13 mpg round trip running in 5th gear. 

That's what I was halfway expecting. I have a set of stock size snow tires and extra wheels to put on before we make the move. Hopefully that will help. Unfortunately it's ALL mountains except for Alberta. 

[Colderweather86]

52 minutes ago, m3n00b said:

 

 

If my piece of crap could only tow at 8.2mph I sure as hell wouldn't drive very far.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 

 

This truck has been a problem since the day I bought it with 7 miles on it. Several warranty problems every step of the way. 

[JimCost2014]

9 minutes ago, Colderweather86 said:

Hense the reason for the question. I don't know what to expect, that's why I'm asking. I was very descriptive in my post. 

So, you will take the average of guesses and go with that, do not forget to factor in you will be using winter blend gas soon and that will also effect your MPG.

 

If you are getting roughly half of what you get without a trailer hooked up, you are in in the ballpark of where you should be.

Slow down to around 60, use tow/haul to get going and take your time going to Alaska, only real world way to stretch out the mileage. 

[m3n00b]

This truck has been a problem since the day I bought it with 7 miles on it. Several warranty problems every step of the way. 

Got a list? Just curious. I've had a few as well

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Colderweather86]

4 minutes ago, JimCost2014 said:

So, you will take the average of guesses and go with that, do not forget to factor in you will be using winter blend gas soon and that will also effect your MPG.

 

If you are getting roughly half of what you get without a trailer hooked up, you are in in the ballpark of where you should be.

Slow down to around 60, use tow/haul to get going and take your time going to Alaska, only real world way to stretch out the mileage. 

That's the shitty thing. At 65 we see 23 mpg between SW Colorado and home, about a 6 hour trip. At 75-80 going up to Flagstaff and back, averaging 19. I guess slow and steady wins the race

[Colderweather86]

6 minutes ago, m3n00b said:

Got a list? Just curious. I've had a few as well

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 

For the first 20,000ish miles I was in and out of 2 different dealerships for a hard right pull, that never got fixed by either dealer. I took it to a place called Jims Alignment in Prescott. $50 and an hour and it was fixed.

 

Had a rear driveline vibration that the dealership "could not duplicate," that I fixed myself by taking the driveshaft into my local 4x4 driveshaft shop and had rebalanced.

 

Right rear door doesn't like to close without slamming. Dealership said its fine. 

 

OE tires wore funny, even after rebalancing, I chocked that up to the right pull. 

 

Rear end bangs around a lot. And I mean a lot. Limited slip engages very hard. Same story, dealer says its normal. This is my 3rd brand new truck, the others didn't bang like this, but the others were also 3/4 tons.

 

Pretty much all driveline issues. This past June, I had an AFM lifter fail and wipe out a cam lobe. Engine was replaced.