Info on Tow Vehicle

[Mike Pearson]

What kind of fuel mileage are you getting with the 8.1. Towing and empty. Just curious. The big gas motored trucks I have had were brutal on fuel.

[Lee Valentine]

Towed with a 2500 suburban for years,two years ago bought a f-350 daully with a 7.3 diesel,unbelievable. Wouldn't tow with anything less.

[GTX JOHN]

I have been very happy with the 5.7 HEMI in a 2500 for the
past 10 Years. The difference in Mileage is made up by price
of gas being so much lower out here. I have towed 36 Enclosed
and 40 open all over the Division

Ram rates them to pull 14,450 lbs.

I have a 8 month old Ram 2500 single cab with 9,000 Miles
that I would sell for $21,500.00 with all the HD towing Stuff
factory installed.

[Mike Jones]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

What kind of fuel mileage are you getting with the 8.1. Towing and empty. Just curious. The big gas motored trucks I have had were brutal on fuel.

X2

Mike A114 P/SA

[Ed Carpenter]

I have a 2001 Chevy 1500HD 6.0 with 201,000 miles. Still pulling my '24 enclosed trailer with my super stocker,scooter,tools, etc

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

What kind of fuel mileage are you getting with the 8.1. Towing and empty. Just curious. The big gas motored trucks I have had were brutal on fuel.

Mine gets around 9 towing, around 11-12 empty. It has a 4.10 gear, which I think is too much. It's an 03 loaded crew cab, highest available GVWR. It hasn't had anything done to it. Yet.

[FED 387]

Mine is a 2000 F250 extended cab---7.3 Powerstroke 2 WD auto-- Get about 15 around town just about 18 on the hiway empty --- towing a dragster and all my stuff in a 24 ft Haulmark gets about 11 1/2- 12 as long as its not hilly or windy-- 3:73 gear -- hafta keep it under 2000 RPM/62-65 MPH or the mileage goes to hell real fast--FED 387

[Alan Roehrich]

Yeah, well in my case that's 70+, and well over 2000 RPM. A 3.73:1 gear would probably help mine considerably. I hope the change to 19.5" medium truck wheels and tires takes some RPM out of it. I looked the other day, where the previous owners let the truck sit, the muffler is rusting out, so odds are it will get a complete exhaust system. That may help. I'm sure getting the ECM reprogrammed will help.

My one real complaint about the 8.1 is that it is way under cammed, so it runs out of power too early, the shift strategy holds it in gears too long under moderate throttle.

Still, the truck would have cost 1/3 more than I paid for it if it were a diesel, diesel costs 50% more per gallon than gasoline, and any repairs would be twice as high for the diesel. I love it, and I would not trade it for a diesel.

[Kenny Wigington]

I would not use a 1/2 ton truck to pull more a 24 ft, for just a sat fternoon race. I have an 06 Chevy 2500HD with the 6.0 gas burner,and it does. It does tow my 28 ft trailer fairly well, but I'm usually @ 10 mpg towing, and 12/13 empty. It got better mpg with the shell on back, and that partially kept the effects of " the windwall" of the front of the trailer, right behind the truck,to somewhat of a minimum. My truck now has 245,000 miles on it, and I still would make a 500 mile trip with it, without worry.
I have to agree, with most,from their experience and my own, to get at least a 3/4 ton truck, even it you use it as your daily driver, unless you already have something else.

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Mine gets around 9 towing, around 11-12 empty. It has a 4.10 gear, which I think is too much. It's an 03 loaded crew cab, highest available GVWR. It hasn't had anything done to it. Yet.

I get about 9-10 towing my 40 ft goose with my 1996 F350 dually w/7.3 diesel it gets about 17 empty. My toter gets about 8.5 towing. I use the dually for local races and a weekend driver. Cost to run the toter is about the same as the dually because the diesel gen in the toter uses way less fuel than the gas gen in the trailer.