So I see a lot of posts regarding fuel mileage. Many of which are difficult to believe, such as "I get the same mileage towing my 20,000 lb. fifth wheel as I do not towing it". Personally I don't believe this and if you do I have some ocean front property in western Kansas I'd like to sell you. My "real" data is below.I drive mostly 55+ mph to and from work each day, 62 miles round trip.Each way = 4 miles at 30 mph on gravel roads, 12 miles at 65 mph, 15 miles at 70 mph.I drive 65 or under while towing my 5ver.2013 GMC 2500HD, long bed, regular cab, 4X4, 6.6L Diesel, purchased new.2010 Jayco 31.5 RLDS, weighed 10,500 at grain truck scale a year ago coming home from the lake.2,170 miles mostly towing - 11.29 mpg (75% or more towing)2,763 miles some towing - 15.18 mpg (less than 25% towing)27,499 miles no towing - 17.10 mpgThese numbers are based on actual numbers from 65 tanks of fuel between 10/19/13 and 5/28/15.I don't have the exact numbers but in May 2012 my 2009 gas engine GMC averaged about 7-9 mpg towing to California and back, 3000 miles round trip, and averaged about 15-16 mpg when not towing.

And I never get tired of "I don't even know it's back there."

What has surprised me is that my truck without tow was getting about 16 mpg when I had less than 50k miles on it. Now with over 100k miles, I am getting just over 20 mpg (level highway - cruise control - flat). Pleasantly surprised.And as a matter of fact, I don't even know it's back there.

LMAO!!! I've seen it go ever way.... Either the pissing March is how great my mileage is or how bad it is/or I don't even know it's back there or the wind/grades/rain/snow/traffic/whatever made it the journey from hell!!! But seriously, One time driving up and down mountain roads in 75 mile an hour winds with freezing rain, snow, sleet and hail, in dense fog in the black of night with white out conditions I did get 30mpg and it tracked so straight and true I forgot it was back there!!! Still LMAO!

korbe wrote:What has surprised me is that my truck without tow was getting about 16 mpg when I had less than 50k miles on it. Now with over 100k miles, I am getting just over 20 mpg (level highway - cruise control - flat). Pleasantly surprised.And as a matter of fact, I don't even know it's back there.It could just be my mind playing tricks on me, but I think my 2007 silverado with the 5.3 gas engine with 130k miles on it has more power and better fuel economy now then it did when I first bought it in 2008. On a separate note, I pull a 9,500 lb TT with my 2001 cummins. I get just over 10 mpg pulling the camper and around 21 without the camper. I'm with the OP, NO WAY anyone is getting the same mpg pulling a big camper. Pulling a tiny 4,000 lb camper with a diesel....maybe not a big mpg difference but any good size trailer will dramatically decrease mpg.

I had my first experience towing an RV over the memorial day weekend. I don't have a lot of data and what I have comes from the dashboard computer. I have a 2014 Silverado with 5.3 EcoTec + tow package. The truck has 15k miles on it and usually averages 19-21mpg on varied surfaces when not towing. I hooked up the camper, which is about 31 feet long and probably weighed close to 8000lbs and got an average 8.5 MPG heading into higher terrain and about 10mpg on the way home, going back towards lower terrain. The 1-ways distance was about 80 miles, so that's a pretty good sample. On some hills I was getting as low as 5mpg, so I am thinking that I won't be traveling far into the mountains.

My Fuel Mileage | Good Sam Community

34 Replies

oakbowery
Explorer
May 28, 2015
korbe wrote:
What has surprised me is that my truck without tow was getting about 16 mpg when I had less than 50k miles on it. Now with over 100k miles, I am getting just over 20 mpg (level highway - cruise control - flat). Pleasantly surprised.

And as a matter of fact, I don't even know it's back there.

It could just be my mind playing tricks on me, but I think my 2007 silverado with the 5.3 gas engine with 130k miles on it has more power and better fuel economy now then it did when I first bought it in 2008.

On a separate note, I pull a 9,500 lb TT with my 2001 cummins. I get just over 10 mpg pulling the camper and around 21 without the camper. I'm with the OP, NO WAY anyone is getting the same mpg pulling a big camper. Pulling a tiny 4,000 lb camper with a diesel....maybe not a big mpg difference but any good size trailer will dramatically decrease mpg.
Anmacc2
Explorer
May 28, 2015
LMAO!!! I've seen it go ever way.... Either the pissing March is how great my mileage is or how bad it is/or I don't even know it's back there or the wind/grades/rain/snow/traffic/whatever made it the journey from hell!!! But seriously, One time driving up and down mountain roads in 75 mile an hour winds with freezing rain, snow, sleet and hail, in dense fog in the black of night with white out conditions I did get 30mpg and it tracked so straight and true I forgot it was back there!!! Still LMAO!
korbe
Explorer
May 28, 2015
What has surprised me is that my truck without tow was getting about 16 mpg when I had less than 50k miles on it. Now with over 100k miles, I am getting just over 20 mpg (level highway - cruise control - flat). Pleasantly surprised.

And as a matter of fact, I don't even know it's back there.
2oldman
Explorer II
May 28, 2015
And I never get tired of "I don't even know it's back there."

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My Fuel Mileage

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