I currently have a chevy 1500, 4.8 looking to upgrade to a bigger truck but I don't want to loose too much fuel mileage. Currently getting about 15mpg U.S gal, 18mpg Imperial gal, wondering what the fuel mileage on the bigger trucks are, I have a 1993 Northern Lite camper, pretty lite at 1450LBS dry, when loaded I'm about 800Lbs over in the box but dot in Canada says it's ok because I've done the springs, shocks, brakes and tires, said to keep records in the truck, also insurance says ok cannot find too much info on camper hauling mileage, lots on towing mileage though but that's a different animal, thanks for any info you guys can supply

I have a 2007 2500hd 4x4 with the 6liter and 6spd 3:73 gears.With my old but light 8ft camper (1300 lbs) I get about 19 to 20 liters per hundred kilometers in mountains Hope Princeton highway BCEmpty with a canopy I get 15.3 to 14.8 per hundred depending on time of year.Driving around the limit and not slowing down on hills.

2003 Ford F-250 4x4 6.0l Diesel with an automatic.Driving 65 MPH on the highway empty I get 18-19 MPG. Towing 7500 pounds 60 mph I get 15-16.With a 9.5' cabover and towing 7500 pounds at 60 mph I get 10.5.Mileage has been consistent for as long as I have owned the truck, not pinning the throttle to the floor every time I hit a hill. Other people driving my truck get ~2 mpg less than I do but are more aggressive.

ajcal225 wrote:2003 Ford F-250 4x4 6.0l Diesel with an automatic.Driving 65 MPG on the highway empty I get 18-19 MPG. Towing 7500 pounds 60 mph I get 15-16.With a 9.5' cabover and towing 7500 pounds at 60 mph I get 10.5.Mileage has been consistent for as long as I have owned the truck, not pinning the throttle to the floor every time I hit a hill. Other people driving my truck get ~2 mpg less than I do but are more aggressive.I would bet that this is going to be, within a 1mpg, what the average is. I get 15-16 with my camper without towing is the only thing I could add. I get the same ajcal is posting empty and towing my tractor which weighs about 7500lbs.

To answer your question...lite 18-19 mpg diesel all up at 17800# with boat 11 to 11.7 mpg and I am running down the road too.To be a little more specific...Are you buying new? The new trucks have loads of power but that takes fuel so shouldn't be too hyped up on getting better or equal for a bigger truck...Buying used? now that takes on a different look...some trucks have done better from year to year with in the brand and across the big 3. So I think what you need to look at is...what are you considering and re-ask the question. Plus find out about what the issues are for that truck, some of us will tell you. Good luck!

With a 2008 6.0 ltr. 2500HD crew cab long bed (6300 lbs. with me in it)and 4.10 gears we get:14 mpg empty(best ever was 15 mpg and only on 1 trip)11 - 12 mpg with 10K lb. 5th wheel (2200 lbs. tongue weight)11 - 12 mpg with 4500 lb. AF in the back (3800-3900 empty).(not accurate, tires are 2 in. dia. over stock size so displays 61 when doing 65). So it's actually doing a bit better than 11 - 12 with the AF.

mpg on 3/4 or 1 ton trucks | Good Sam Community

46 Replies

pjay9
Explorer
Oct 24, 2014
I rememeber my '94 2500 TCD 12v had to be driven like an old diesel...give yourself run up room if your going to pass someone on a two lane road...that took timimg and practice, but the MPG was great loaded I got 16 to 19 lite was close to 23, but that was the days on 160 HP and 400ftlb, that was a good engine.
sljohnson1938
Explorer
Oct 24, 2014
i have a 99 Dodge b3500 CTD Dually - best i ever got was 24.5 MPG on interstate driving about 65 MPH. Then i got a Banks diesel tuner put on it. Dropped to 20 MPG. Took it off but never could get back to 24 MPG. I get about 21 hauling/ pulling nothing.
Now driving pulling the 5th wheel i get about 12 MPG.
Driving with the TC - Outfitter 9.5 popup I get 16 MPG.

Moral to the above post "STAY AWAY FROM BANKS".
Bob__B
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
When I have the TC on, the wind seems to make the biggest difference. The speed I am driving makes the most difference when I am empty.

I can be getting 14.5 with the TC with a tailwind and get 11 with a stiff head wind. Doesn't seem to matter whether I am going 55 or 75.

I can get 20 driving empty with the AC off.

The older diesels definitely got better mileage ...... I looked for one for quite a while, but couldn't find what I wanted.
AidenJ
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
pjay9 wrote:
AJ if you are keeping your speed down then you will raise your MPG! But I still think you need to do the math, then let us know!

Have only been on one trip with the camper and used interstates so the 50-60 mph has been on rural roads. These trips were also just weekend jaunts so I've not been fully loaded. I have pretty much put the truck and camper up for the winter, so any trips with the truck will be short hops to town. Once we get back into the traveling mode I will see what it can do.
Last year on our trip to AK, with my 04 Chev Duramax/Allison I averaged 12 using the computer and we were way overloaded.
deltabravo
Nomad
Oct 23, 2014
My MPG varies greatly with speed driven.... so I've taken a liking to slowing down to save money.

I have two Diesel trucks.
06 2500HD
09 3500HD Dually

On the 09 last week, I got 18.5 ish empty mpg at 60mph
On the 06 I can get 21-22 empty, 60 mph
pjay9
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
AJ if you are keeping your speed down then you will raise your MPG! But I still think you need to do the math, then let us know!
trailgranny50
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
We have 2004 Chevy 3500 crew cab, long bed, 4x4 Duramax dually with 1990 Shadow Cruiser 9.5' hard side TC that weighs 2250 dry, lord knows how much when I'm done loading everything iall too often drag along. Ole Whitey gets 20 empty with a tail wind, 18 in wind, 15.5 pulling any work trailer, tractor,etc., and 15-15.2 with fully loaded camper. Hope it never dies cause in our mostly fixed income lifestyle and us being antiques already, the ability to purchase a new or new used truck of like durability and quality is nil.
Buzzcut1
Nomad II
Oct 23, 2014
Another reason the delivery guys are using cng they get to use the hov lanes and get tax credits for non polluting vehicles. HOV use speeds delivery times.
sky_free
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
twodownzero wrote:

Commercial vehicles that are as heavy as our trucks are with campers attached are almost universally diesel. I have seen UPS and FedEx employ some gas trucks recently, but those are the exception rather than the rule. If there was any superiority--in maintenance cost, fuel cost, purchase cost, etc., I would think that commercial vehicles would use gasoline. But they don't. This is true even for vehicles used only for local delivery or use (think tow trucks or couriers) or long haul. All use diesel.

This is changing as more fleet operators are specifying gas engines in new vehicles. Also, UPS is converting more of its long-haul fleet to LNG (liquid natural gas) and the medium-duty local delivery trucks to CNG (compressed natural gas). This is probably mostly driven by relentlessly higher diesel fuel prices and the DEF requirement.
djg
Explorer
Oct 22, 2014
wintersun wrote:
It depends on the speed of the truck and the height of the camper above the cab of the truck. I get 10-12 MPG with pricy diesel fuel and the 10 MPG is when there is a 15 MPH headwind.

Fuel is the least expensive part of owning a camper and you should think in terms of the actual difference between driving 3000 miles each year and paying for $5 a gallon and the cost at 15 MPG with 200 gallons of fuel or 10 MPG and having to buy an extra 100 gallons of fuel. $500 a year difference is not that much and also no reason to pay the $10,000 premium for a diesel truck.

Go with a gas powered 2500/3500 truck and 3.73 or 4.10 gears and you will get the best overall combination of performance and economy.

With a 1/2 ton truck a popup camper is an option as they will weigh a great deal less and as they stick up less there is a lot less air drag to overcome.

Like I said at the beginning I have a 1500, 4.8 motor with a northern lite at 1450LBS dry weight and I get 16mpg which makes me wonder why I am getting such good fuel mileage maybe because its a small truck, regular cab and I don't push it on the highway 60 MPH so switching to a bigger truck looks like I will get worse fuel mileage but I don't know how long this truck will last being light