What's your gas mileage?

[DDuncan51]

Mileage will vary depending on heavy the load is. But for myself, I have a 1994 GMC K2500HD w/7.6 Liter gas engine, pulling several 5th wheels and pull behinds over the years. New, it got 11mpg on a good day, if I kept it under 60 mph, dropping to 9mph at 70mph. But now, last time I checked a few years ago, I'm getting 7-9 depending on speed. I stopped looking. Trucks getting long in the tooth, but so am I. I'm hoping it lasts longer than I do.
One time coming home from the Black Hills to the Uintah Basin, driving west across Wyoming. Wind blowing like crazy. Mileage was 4mpg! There are a lot of variables effecting mpg. Years ago, I finally figured if I need to figure mileage I better just park it.

 

[rjniles]

2014 F150 with the NA 1.7L V-6. Passport 195RB. I get about 18-19 around town, 9-10 towing.

 

[Mrrobalo]

Living in Fl I have a Bullet 220RBO loaded around 6500lb And have pulled it with a
Durango RT, Yukon Denali and a Nissan Armada and they all were with in 1/2-1 mpg different. Denali had more passing power ,Durango pulled just OK but got bigger vehicles.
Overall the Armada got the best mileage with or without towing.
9 is the Majic Number. I averaged of all 3 together. All with reg gas.

 

[sourdough]

Mileage will vary depending on heavy the load is. But for myself, I have a 1994 GMC K2500HD w/7.6 Liter gas engine, pulling several 5th wheels and pull behinds over the years. New, it got 11mpg on a good day, if I kept it under 60 mph, dropping to 9mph at 70mph. But now, last time I checked a few years ago, I'm getting 7-9 depending on speed. I stopped looking. Trucks getting long in the tooth, but so am I. I'm hoping it lasts longer than I do.
One time coming home from the Black Hills to the Uintah Basin, driving west across Wyoming. Wind blowing like crazy. Mileage was 4mpg! There are a lot of variables effecting mpg. Years ago, I finally figured if I need to figure mileage I better just park it.

^^^^My feelings exactly. RVing is an expensive hobby and towing them (which is why I own one) is that much more expensive. I no longer look at the gallons or the cost.....it doesn't matter if I'm going to use the RV....that's why I have it. I do look at my little EVIC computer gas mileage estimate from time to time but only to have an idea of what the engine is doing.

 

[Peto]

Did I read that right, that your gas tank is only 20 gallons???

My 2013 F150 3.5L EB has a 36 gallon tank, and my 2020 F250 6.2L has a 34 gallon capacity.

You had the max tow tank on the 150.


My 150 had it too. It really was a great truck with th eco boost engine but I was getting too close to maxing out the payload for my liking so upgraded to a F250.



I'm happy with 9mpg given the fact I live in a valley and it's all up hill from here.

 

[Badbart56]

Mileage will vary depending on heavy the load is. But for myself, I have a 1994 GMC K2500HD w/7.6 Liter gas engine, pulling several 5th wheels and pull behinds over the years. New, it got 11mpg on a good day, if I kept it under 60 mph, dropping to 9mph at 70mph. But now, last time I checked a few years ago, I'm getting 7-9 depending on speed. I stopped looking. Trucks getting long in the tooth, but so am I. I'm hoping it lasts longer than I do.
One time coming home from the Black Hills to the Uintah Basin, driving west across Wyoming. Wind blowing like crazy. Mileage was 4mpg! There are a lot of variables effecting mpg. Years ago, I finally figured if I need to figure mileage I better just park it.

My Dad's next door neighbor is about my age and he had a 97 F-350 crew cab dually, identical to the one I had, right down to the Oxford White paint with blue interior. Except he had a 460 gas engine and I had the old 7.3 diesel. He said he got 6 mpg empty and 4 mpg towing his camper. This should make you feel better.

 

[GlasNav]

My Dad's next door neighbor is about my age and he had a 97 F-350 crew cab dually, identical to the one I had, right down to the Oxford White paint with blue interior. Except he had a 460 gas engine and I had the old 7.3 diesel. He said he got 6 mpg empty and 4 mpg towing his camper. This should make you feel better.

I've tried to pass on exactly what you mentioned to others that complain about mileage when towing a trailer now a days. I tell them that big block Chevy's in the early '90s got 5MPG when towing and they tell me I'm nuts. However, your 7.3 Powerstroke back then with wastegate turbo and zip emissions got 12MPG while towing.

 

[JRTJH]

I've found through the years, that if your rig is "reasonably matched" in weight capability and ratings, that you can expect to get about half the mileage when towing or "double the mileage when solo"... So, if you get around 20 solo, expect about 10 towing. If you get around 16 solo, expect around 8 towing.

Now, when it comes to today's "hybrid SUV's that get 40 MPG solo" who knows whether they can even tow a trailer with that Atkinson regenerative gas engine system"... ????

So, my "generally speaking" is from my "old school experience with gas and diesel engines".... Gone are the days of the old International Harvester Travelall and the Jeep Wagoneer "tank" that was built on a 3/4 ton truck chassis.

But, for "best guess purposes" I'd still believe that most rigs will get around half the mileage when towing that they do solo.

 

[Halcyon-KEY]

What’s your mileage?

I had a 2005 silverado 2500, it had 200,000 miles on it with the 6.0 L gas engine. I have a 2018 Sprinter 5th wheel, 10K lbs loaded. I thought I had plenty of truck. When it ran consistently 8.0 mpg towing, I bought a 2017 diesel duramax, I thought I could beat the gasser easily. Well, yes, it does average 11.2 day in and day out while towing. Whoopie do. As everyone says, mileage doesn’t account for as much as other things. Power going up the mountains? No contest. Safety going down the mountain? No contest. The diesel is just SO much better, but mileage? Not so much.

 

[Rhagfo]

I had a 2005 silverado 2500, it had 200,000 miles on it with the 6.0 L gas engine. I have a 2018 Sprinter 5th wheel, 10K lbs loaded. I thought I had plenty of truck. When it ran consistently 8.0 mpg towing, I bought a 2017 diesel duramax, I thought I could beat the gasser easily. Well, yes, it does average 11.2 day in and day out while towing. Whoopie do. As everyone says, mileage doesn’t account for as much as other things. Power going up the mountains? No contest. Safety going down the mountain? No contest. The diesel is just SO much better, but mileage? Not so much.

Well 8 mpg compared to 11.2 is about a 40% improvement. Stop and think about it, the difference between 8.0 and 11.2 is 3.2 almost half of 8!

 

[Notanlines]

The difference in a year with driving 15,000 miles per year is about $2100. Almost nothing when compared to a truck note over who knows how many years. I would stick with the eight.

 

[Gamma]

I average 12-13 pulling my 5ver with 6.7 powerstroke. Diesel makes so much sense, super high torque, great compression braking going down hills, speed does not have much effect on mpg numbers and the whole drivetrain is way more heavy duty than the gas ones to handle the high torque. The torque is more than double what the big gas engines have. If you’re towing a lot, go diesel.

 

[Fourbtgait]

My F350 has either a 45 or 48 gallon tank. 8’ bed.
You can easily recalibrate the mpg readout on a Ford to read within 0.2 mpg correct. My 6.2 gas varies depending on speed. One trip was about 11, last trip, 9 but higher speeds.
This is from the F150 forum but works on a 250/350. At least up to 2017, but I imagine it’s the same calculation with newer.

 

[Auto Parts Guy]

My 8.1L big block loooooooves drinking gasoline
Around 7 mpgs towing
Around 9.5 mpgs normal driving not towing

 

[glep55]

2016 Colorado V6. Keystone Springdale Mini 1700FQ. 22MPG without trailer, 10 - 11 MPG with. Mileage improves while towing at lower speeds. I am theorizing this has more to do with wind resistance than weight, as wind resistance in non linear.

 

[jfk69]

I’ve gotten as low as 9.2 and as high as 11.4 towing with the equipment in my signature. Most of the time, I’ll average right at 10.2.

 

[curtiscapk-]

This was last trip in 95* heat

usually get 17 mpg all around driving

 

[popsshopga]

36' tow behind, sweetspot on tach is about 1800RPM, Dodge RAM 2500 diesel - this combination gets me around 125 on the road. Yes, very happy.

 

[Cajun Couple]

Getting anywhere from 10.5 to 11.5 depending on speed and weather conditions.

 

[Phillbo]

Wind direction is a helper or a killer.