Ok.. so I know fuel mileage is probably the biggest shock most RV'ers experience, shortly after they shell out the big bucks for their rig. I have a 2011 GMC Silverado, short bed, 5.3L, 3.73 gears, towing a 2014 Tracer 2640RLS, trailer loaded is 5880 lbs. I also know that weight is not the determining factor for fuel mileage, it is the huge sail we are all pulling behind us.So, I was hoping to get 10 MPG, but realized I probably wouldn't. My first trip out was quasi-hilly, and I managed just under 9MPG. Folks.. don't pay attention to the computer when it tells you the gas mileage. It lies! It said just about 10, and as I say, it was just under 9.Last two times out, and much more level roads, I couldn't break 8MPG. This last trip I did a combination of towing and just regular driving, and managed a whopping 8.25MPG in combo driving.The truck doesn't really struggle with the trailer, and everything is set up right in terms of weight distribution etc... Again, I know it's the sail/parachute Im hauling behind me. But, now I can't help but wonder if I ought to consider either (a) a diesel, or (b) a larger gas truck. Maybe a 3/4 ton gas or diesel. Friends of ours have a larger trailer, and with their F250 diesel, they are getting 12 MPG. Realizing diesel is higher cost than gas, I figured on my recent trips, diesel would have cost me 20 cents a mile, and gas 25 cents a mile (cost for a tank divided by the miles).I just don't want to make a plunge for a new truck and find out I can't get any better gas mileage. I would prefer to stay gas, but if I bought a 3/4 ton gas truck and still struggled to get to 8MPG, it just wouldn't be worth it to me right now.So, wondering what others are seeing gas mileage wise with 3/4 tons, pulling about a 6000 sail behind ya. And does struggling to get 8MPG sound right for a half ton?Thanks in advance for any information or thoughts.Mike

I get 8.5~mpg with my 5.4L F250 towing our 8500~lb mid profile 5th wheel. Same as with our previous Hemi powered 2500HD. With my four Cummins powered Rams, I averaged 10.5~mpg. I run about 65mph mostly with cruise set. 60mph in the hills. Your mileage sounds about right to me. I don't worry about it as I use a 53mpg Prius for my work truck now and the F250 is my wife's commuter and our 5th wheel puller six or seven times a year maybe 5k miles.

Your truck is a good combination for that trailer. (loaded at 6K lbs).Yes, a diesel will probably get better mileage, but diesel fuel generally costs more and the diesel engine option costs A LOT more...so you might not recover the difference.About all you can do is try to drive slower.8-9 mpg towing with a small block gasser sounds about right.

Similar trailer, F350 with a 6.8. 8mpg would be impressive for me most days. More like 7.5 average.

The mpg difference you will experience with a new truck would be negligible considering the cost for a new HD truck. HD gassers aren't going to get any more than what you are experiencing now. A diesel may get 11 to 12 mpg towing. unless you feel like shelling out an additional $9k I wouldn't compare the two (gas versus diesel) Now if you tow frequently or on a full time basis, a diesel would make sense.

I actually tracked real fuel mileage this last summer. I got 9.5 or so pulling our 12,000 pound fiver at the worst and almost 12 mpg at the best. I got the worse mileage, strangely, in more or less flat country but against the wind. This is with a 2012 F350 6.7L diesel. Most of the time it was 10-11 mpg.

Horrible Gas mileage | Good Sam Community

Hannibal
Explorer
Aug 31, 2015
I get 8.5~mpg with my 5.4L F250 towing our 8500~lb mid profile 5th wheel. Same as with our previous Hemi powered 2500HD. With my four Cummins powered Rams, I averaged 10.5~mpg. I run about 65mph mostly with cruise set. 60mph in the hills. Your mileage sounds about right to me. I don't worry about it as I use a 53mpg Prius for my work truck now and the F250 is my wife's commuter and our 5th wheel puller six or seven times a year maybe 5k miles.
downtheroad
Explorer
Aug 31, 2015
Your truck is a good combination for that trailer. (loaded at 6K lbs).

Yes, a diesel will probably get better mileage, but diesel fuel generally costs more and the diesel engine option costs A LOT more...so you might not recover the difference.

About all you can do is try to drive slower.
8-9 mpg towing with a small block gasser sounds about right.
moresmoke
Explorer
Aug 31, 2015
Similar trailer, F350 with a 6.8. 8mpg would be impressive for me most days. More like 7.5 average.
therink
Explorer
Aug 31, 2015
The mpg difference you will experience with a new truck would be negligible considering the cost for a new HD truck. HD gassers aren't going to get any more than what you are experiencing now.
A diesel may get 11 to 12 mpg towing. unless you feel like shelling out an additional $9k I wouldn't compare the two (gas versus diesel)
Now if you tow frequently or on a full time basis, a diesel would make sense.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Aug 31, 2015
I actually tracked real fuel mileage this last summer. I got 9.5 or so pulling our 12,000 pound fiver at the worst and almost 12 mpg at the best. I got the worse mileage, strangely, in more or less flat country but against the wind. This is with a 2012 F350 6.7L diesel. Most of the time it was 10-11 mpg.
fla-gypsy
Explorer
Aug 31, 2015
I tow with an F-250 6.8L & 4.10 rear gear and a 9k trailer loaded. 8.5-9 mpg is about normal all on flat ground down here. Your experience is normal and you will be hard pressed to lower the per cost mile with a diesel option due to high initial cost and higher fuel cost. I have found certain speeds with my vehicle yield better mileage and try to stick to it.
fitznj
Explorer
Aug 31, 2015
I would not sweat it..... Gas in now about $2.03/gallon (in NJ); the difference between 8mpg and 10mpg does not justify the pruchase of a new tow vehicle. I get 10mpg with my Chevy 6.0L when towing a 6,000lb trailer. I tow about 2000 miles per year - the math work..

Sounds like you are looking for an excuse to buy a new truck :)

gerry
TomG2
Explorer
Aug 31, 2015
You could improve your mileage appreciably if you would install one of the secret carburetors that big oil keeps us from buying. In other words, it is fictional to think that a combination like yours is going to do much better than you are getting. Turn off the cruise in the hills, air up your tires, and watch your speed. All may help you get 8.5 instead of 8.0 mpg.

You are getting about what I have been getting with two F-150's, a F-250, and Silverado 1500's and 2500HD's. All gassers.
Snowman9000
Explorer
Aug 31, 2015
Well if you get a 3/4 ton gasser, you'll get worse mileage on all the non towing miles than you get now. At least that was always true in my trucks.
Need-A-Vacation
Explorer
Aug 31, 2015
Sounds about right for a gas truck! Chances are you have the 3.42 gears though with the tow pkg. Only the 3.73 was available with the Max Tow 6.2L models. And the diesels are not getting the huge mileage they used to get pre-DEF. So the gap is closer, but the diesel as mentioned costs about $8k more.

What gear do you drive in? When we had our '10 Chevy 1500 CCSB 5.3/6spd/3.42 4x4 I drove in M5, and at times due to wind, trans liked 4th better so I would drop it into M4. This was towing both a ~6500lb and ~7200lb loaded trailer. It seems some trailers (not counting Airstream!) will allow a truck to get a little better mileage. This was the case with our '87 Yellowstone vs the '01 Dutchmen (same truck, same road, same time of year). Dutchmen had a flat rear wall, but the Yellowstone had a rear wall that was angled from the top down part of the way, then angled back towards the front of the trailer the rest of the way. BUT maybe the difference was no a/c vs a/c???

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