tinner12002 wrote:
Is the new truck that much heavier than your 12 to really make any diff in fuel mileage? Not pulled my hauler in mtns but at 39' and around 15500# loaded I usually get around 11.5-12 towing so with your mtn driving in there sounds like your doing pretty good.
The 13' is heavier than the 12'...The Aisin tranny weighs more than the 68RFE by almost 200#, the frame is also heavier, and the front and rear suspension, seem to be more robust, thus I would think a little heavier. I posted the weight of the truck loaded, ready to camp with me in it at 9140# (Cat scale) , loaded ready to camp was 9420, that's full DEF, full diesel, me, wife, two boxers...less 5th wheel... 5er is loaded to 16,050 with pin weight of 3300#, it is 4 slide and 39' 8" (according to Rick, I lost an inch:))......95% of my towing is in the mountains of NC, SC, TN, VA and WV..I also have the 4:10 rear end.
You get 11.5 to 12 mpg towing...hold on to your combo...that is most excellent...I think ONE time I touched 11 mpg with the 12 and that was a 255 mile trip from Asheville NC to Pence Springs WV...(which is "mostly downhill)...coming back I get less....
So, 13' IS heavier than the 12 or 10, but in reality, with only ONE tow, the mpg is in line with what I got towing this same 5er with the 12'...and this truck is heavier with more HP, more TQ,
The one caveat is that with the 07.5 Chevy D/A dually, the 10' Ram Dually and the 12 Ram Dually...this truck is the only one that put me at 60 mph going up Sams Gap on I26 from TN into NC, (I know, because I tried with all 4)...not fair to compare from 07.5 through 13', but it was just something I wanted to see how the truck would handle ...would it heat up, would it continually downshift, would it "fade off" in speed.....All 4 could go up the mountain at the speed the limit, (which is only 50 mph), it's a very long, quite curvy and steep in several area's on the long ride up the mountain...(though not as steep as in other areas I tow in), This truck was not only able to hit 60, but dropping into 5th, I could pick up speed, but was already at 10 over speed limit and believe it or not, State Troopers DO pull people over for doing over 55 going UP that mountain, (as well as down)...Don't understand the 50 mph speed limit going up the mountain....
