We just bought a 31 foot grey wolf travel trailer (7725 gvw) We previously had a small pop up. We were just wondering if the gas mileage we are experiencing is normal. We have a ½ ton 2015 Chevy Silverado pick up. We are getting on average 6 mpg. This seems pretty low to us, and the rpm is running about 2800-3000. Hoping someone can please tell us if this is normal. Any help would be appreciated!

I don't have a Chevy. but that IS pretty dismal mileage.You might want to post additional details of your vehicle like engine, gear ratio, weight of tow vehicle, oversized tires, lifts and other non factory mods.Also details of speeds you are running/maintaining, terrain like hills, mountains, grades and even wind condition.You do need to realize you ARE NOT going to run the "Indy 500" with this combination, it is extremely long, heavy and is like dragging several tons of cement blocks behind you without wheels.. You may be simply trying to hard to "maintain" too high of speeds and stomping on the gas pedal too hard..SLOW DOWN, lighten up on the go pedal..Jack rabbit starts also will make you guzzle fuel, you are not going to win any off the line speed records with this size of trailer..I get 9.5-10.1 MPG with 7%-8% grades in mountains with 26ft 7K trailer and have done that with 2003 F250 5.4 (lethargic 265 HP 2V), 2006 F250 with 5.4 (3V 300 HP) and 2013 F250 with 6.2 (385 HP) all of those had 3.73 axles..

Welcome to the life!Yep, Ford Ram Chevy Nissan Toyota, pretty much all of the get really sucky gas mileage. You might want to start saving for a little higher capacity truck too. Time will tell. Happy travels!

While you don't want to lug your engine, you are running more rpm than should be necessary. What speed what gear are you running in? It seems to me, that you are pushing a smaller truck engine harder, to make up for a fair sized trailer.Most late model gas trucks get 8-10 mpg, towing an average size trailer.Jerry

I just returned from trip to Florida where the trip computer reported MPG in the 7-8 range. I do drive near 70 MPH. I have the 5.7 liter Hemi and 3.90 rear end gears. RPM runs 2,000 when things are easy and runs in 5th gear(OD)and I will shift down to 4th (no OD) when going up a hill before losing too much speed and RPM will jump to 3,000-3,500. If you have a 5.3 liter engine and 3:55 gears you will spend more time in a lower gear raising the RPM and lowering gas mileage. My trailer weight is about the same as yours. The only cure if all that is true is to lower your speed so there is less air pushing on the front of the trailer. Good gas mileage and pulling a trailer are opposing goals.

That mileage for a 1/2 ton gas V8 is about right especially towing a trailer that heavy. The RPM stated is also accurate unless driving on flat level ground. I had a 1/2 ton CrewMax with the 5.7 and full tow package. Towing my 28RL I got 8 MPG if I was lucky, and the slightest grade it was 2800-3000 RPM to maintain speed.I have now graduated to a 2018 RAM 3/4 with the 6.7 Cummins. What a difference all the way around.

MPG and RPM Question for Chevy truck-New RVers | Good Sam Community

rwynkoop
Explorer
Apr 02, 2019
Ralph Cramden wrote:
Shawfamily6 wrote:
It was pretty windy and raining that day. The next day we got closer to 7.5. I have seen a few of you mention different gears. Should we be pulling in something other than automatic? I think I might be confused. I know you can take it out of automatic, is that what we should do and put it in a different gear? If so, what gear do you recommend? Sorry if that is a silly question! Thanks for all the help!

If your not in rolling hill country or stop and go traffic, with a 7500 lb trailer behind a 6.0 GM 2500 take it out of tow/haul. Don't use the tow/haul on an interstate or other 4 lane highway.

Use tow haul, tow haul keeps the line pressures up. I called a transmission shop before I ever towed with mine. Besides line pressures, up-shifts are delayed.

I have found that my 6.0 HD with 3.72 likes 55. I'm lazy and use the cruise, at this speed the RPM's stay down more. I get about 10mpg towing about 6,000 lbs.
campinia
Explorer
Apr 02, 2019
We just sold our 2017 2500 Silverado HD. It is windy here in Iowa quite often and it was normal for us to get 6 to 7 mpg while towing at 65-70 mph. That was with a 6500 lb trailer and a 4500 lb trailer. The 6.0l engine with the 4.10 gears pulled well, but, it uses the gas!
Ralph_Cramden
Explorer II
Apr 02, 2019
Shawfamily6 wrote:
It was pretty windy and raining that day. The next day we got closer to 7.5. I have seen a few of you mention different gears. Should we be pulling in something other than automatic? I think I might be confused. I know you can take it out of automatic, is that what we should do and put it in a different gear? If so, what gear do you recommend? Sorry if that is a silly question! Thanks for all the help!

If your not in rolling hill country or stop and go traffic, with a 7500 lb trailer behind a 6.0 GM 2500 take it out of tow/haul. Don't use the tow/haul on an interstate or other 4 lane highway. Its not needed and is probably what shot your mpg in the foot. Leave it in D and drive it. When you get in hill country or stop and go traffic kick in the tow /haul, take it out of D, and shift manually. Drive it like you stole it. Wind it up to 4500/5000 rpm. It really sounds good up there.

The owners manual will tell you what conditions to use the tow / haul button and trying to get the most mpg is not one of them. It won't hurt the truck whether or not you use the tow / haul button, or if you have it in D or shift it manually with the rocker switch. Those trucks are made to tow and haul. 7500 lbs behind one is an easy day for the truck.
TKW
Explorer
Apr 02, 2019
Bad weather will surely have adverse effect on milage.

I normally tow in D (4 sp) and let the tow/haul mode do the thinking. It will adjust the shift points to suit road conditions. Only on some rare occasions when the transmission hunts up & down in search of the right gear, I then manually down shift to a lower gear until the road level out again.

I am not familiar with the newer 6sp transmission whether you can lock out automatic entirely. But leave it in Drive with tow/haul mode should be fine most of the time.
Shawfamily6
Explorer
Apr 02, 2019
It was pretty windy and raining that day. The next day we got closer to 7.5. I have seen a few of you mention different gears. Should we be pulling in something other than automatic? I think I might be confused. I know you can take it out of automatic, is that what we should do and put it in a different gear? If so, what gear do you recommend? Sorry if that is a silly question! Thanks for all the help!
Ride_S40T
Explorer
Apr 02, 2019
owenssailor wrote:
In flat no high headwind conditions I get around 10 MPG (US) towing our 30 foot trailer that weighs 6800 loaded.

RPM is 2100 in 7th gear. Towhaul mode is engaged.

Truck is 2017 Silverado 5.3 8 spd 3:42 axle.

RPM can go up to 3000 on grades, occasionally higher on 6% or more with headwind.

^^^ Identical on the 2018 1500 Sierra w/5.3 and 3.42 we had.

Buddy has a 2017 Silverado (same setup) and similar weight trailer. Also gets 10 mpg.
jamesu
Explorer
Apr 01, 2019
I towed my old 32’ Trailer Bay for 10 years with my ‘03 1/2 ton Ford F-150...8.5 - 9.5mph. Never exceeded 55-60mph.

5 years ago I switched to the 3/4 ton diesel in my signature and it’s like night and day as far as towing. No comparison. Lots safer and more fun. I normally get 10.5 - 11.5 mpg towing. I don’t exceed 60 mph. Other towing guys sailing by at 70 mph...what’s the point?......that’s a lot of weight and mass behind the cab if things go south.
Lynnmor
Explorer
Apr 01, 2019
If you are towing, that is what the button is for. Keep the speed down, I drive 63 maximum when towing. Driving habits are a big factor in fuel consumption, for example there are those that think they need to increase speed considerably when passing. Anticipating downhills, traffic lights or any reason to slow, back off the gas well ahead of time.

Yes, you do have overdrive, it is the highest gear in Drive but not marked as such.
TKW
Explorer
Apr 01, 2019
Something's not right here.
I tow a 8,300# GVW TT with a Chevy 1500hd, 6.0l, 4 sp 3.73 axle. I kept a milage log on my 3,400 mile round trip to SoCal from BC last fall and avg 9.5 MPG. The MPG between fill up were mostly above 9 MPG towing and close to 13 MPG solo. There was one leg which was exceptionally low at 7.7 MPG but that was running up Siskiyou Summit on a long stretch of 6% grade with engine reving over 4k. Another low one was at a construction zone on I5 where we had to idle for more than an hour.
The GM 6.0l is known to be a gas hog. I tow between 60-65 MPH in tow haul mode when possible and at 55 MPH in Calif which is the speed limit for TT. Somehow a newer version of of the same engine with a 4.10 axle, I believe it is better for towing, only gets 6 MPG towing puzzle me.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Apr 01, 2019
6.0s will drink gas like any other truck. I do t see how you can get 6mpg going 63-65mph though. Unless maybe it's a massive head wind uphill.
Did the truck feel like it was struggling? I'd expect 8mpg maybe 9.