Avalanche/Suburban 2500 with 8.1 towing mpg
Anyone who has one or had one, please chime in as to what kind of mpg you got while towing. I hate the idea of having 496 CI, but I'm planning to sell my 03 Suburban 1500 Z71 and am looking for an Ex...
Forum Discussion
Just back from filling up my GMT400 1996 Suburban K3500/7.4L big block/4.1/4x4
Just half a tank at 20 gallons (42 gal capacity) at $3.99/gallon at Costco
10MPG pretty much whatever blasting around town or the area. Towing can go down
to 6-7MPG if on the heavy side (both trailer weight and foot weight) from sea
level up to Lake Tahoe (approx 10K feet at the highest passes). Some times 15.2 or
so MPG pure highway fully loaded, but not towing. Roof rack has a few gym bags
and ball bags...guessing at around GVWR (8.6K)
I don't really care that much about MPG, as the Sub is no longer my daily and
when it was, made money some days hauling co-workers around and that corporate
stipend
The Odyssey mini van is my daily and it ranges from 18-19 MPG all around
and sometimes pure highway 24 MPG. The 1980 C10 Silverado gets around
10-12 MPG, but it has a performance engine and is my hauler for dirt,
gravel, fertilizer, etc and no longer tow with it. The 2 seater is
pure joy and is on blocks waiting for both time and budget to finish
restoring it. The ex got the S420 and LS400
It's like trying to explain sex to a virgin (applies to so many situations and
boils down to whether they have experienced it or not)...towing with a big block
or diesel or forced fed (not many last towing heavy and being forced fed)
Gotta say still have that boy racer in me at 65....leaving Costco and getting
to the freeway, about 1.5 miles away...a GMT900 Suburban decided to 'test' or 'show'
my his stuff.
Yeah, a brand new Suburban (Chevy) vs a 17 year old GMC Suburban...
Well...bragging that he was surprised when my Sub over took him as we both
entered the freeway...he from behind and saw him in the mirrors...nailed that
17 year old 7.4L with +162K miles on it...his front bumper got to my rear wheel
well when I nailed it and ran away from him...let off of the throttle
when about 100 feet ahead of him and the 4L80E upshifted to 3rd
Tank has 4 bottle so Chevron Techron (or whatever they call it today)
as dealing with a slight miss and know the injectors need cleaning.
Might take them out and order matched injectors, change the spider
(known issues) and whatever decide to do for now, as a PERFORMANCE
crate engine is desired...
Yeah, foolish as the highway patrol office is just a few blocks away from that
Costco, so lots and lots of them around...
My point is that you the OP needs to decide which is more important to you.
Towing performance or economy of MPG....that is an oxymoron of sorts
Towing buddies trailers with my Sub and with their's has them say
mine doesn't make the engine noise their's does (a small block 'can'
but with much higher rev's and that translates to more engine noise)
The small blocks 'can do', but not as well as a big block
I am looking at an add on OD so that with splitting, can turn my 4 speed 4L80E
into an 8 speed with a final OD ratio of around 0.50 or 50% (might not go that
much, but an option with a big block and 4.1's)
Just half a tank at 20 gallons (42 gal capacity) at $3.99/gallon at Costco
10MPG pretty much whatever blasting around town or the area. Towing can go down
to 6-7MPG if on the heavy side (both trailer weight and foot weight) from sea
level up to Lake Tahoe (approx 10K feet at the highest passes). Some times 15.2 or
so MPG pure highway fully loaded, but not towing. Roof rack has a few gym bags
and ball bags...guessing at around GVWR (8.6K)
I don't really care that much about MPG, as the Sub is no longer my daily and
when it was, made money some days hauling co-workers around and that corporate
stipend
The Odyssey mini van is my daily and it ranges from 18-19 MPG all around
and sometimes pure highway 24 MPG. The 1980 C10 Silverado gets around
10-12 MPG, but it has a performance engine and is my hauler for dirt,
gravel, fertilizer, etc and no longer tow with it. The 2 seater is
pure joy and is on blocks waiting for both time and budget to finish
restoring it. The ex got the S420 and LS400
It's like trying to explain sex to a virgin (applies to so many situations and
boils down to whether they have experienced it or not)...towing with a big block
or diesel or forced fed (not many last towing heavy and being forced fed)
Gotta say still have that boy racer in me at 65....leaving Costco and getting
to the freeway, about 1.5 miles away...a GMT900 Suburban decided to 'test' or 'show'
my his stuff.
Yeah, a brand new Suburban (Chevy) vs a 17 year old GMC Suburban...
Well...bragging that he was surprised when my Sub over took him as we both
entered the freeway...he from behind and saw him in the mirrors...nailed that
17 year old 7.4L with +162K miles on it...his front bumper got to my rear wheel
well when I nailed it and ran away from him...let off of the throttle
when about 100 feet ahead of him and the 4L80E upshifted to 3rd
Tank has 4 bottle so Chevron Techron (or whatever they call it today)
as dealing with a slight miss and know the injectors need cleaning.
Might take them out and order matched injectors, change the spider
(known issues) and whatever decide to do for now, as a PERFORMANCE
crate engine is desired...
Yeah, foolish as the highway patrol office is just a few blocks away from that
Costco, so lots and lots of them around...
My point is that you the OP needs to decide which is more important to you.
Towing performance or economy of MPG....that is an oxymoron of sorts
Towing buddies trailers with my Sub and with their's has them say
mine doesn't make the engine noise their's does (a small block 'can'
but with much higher rev's and that translates to more engine noise)
The small blocks 'can do', but not as well as a big block
I am looking at an add on OD so that with splitting, can turn my 4 speed 4L80E
into an 8 speed with a final OD ratio of around 0.50 or 50% (might not go that
much, but an option with a big block and 4.1's)
