hey 6.0 Gm guys

[Mud Slayer 2.0]

what are you pulling down for mileage ??

I've come to the realization that a new or newer Diesel truck is not gonna happen for me.

and the hemi i have now sucks

[Ricks72ntx]

Pulling a lowboy and my light buggy 14mpg's just a bit better without the weight. But it pulls like theres nothing back there

03 double cab with about 140k on it

[jeepplr]

I have a 2002 2500HD extended cab short bed 4X4 with a supercharged 6.0. Empty doing under 80mph I get 14-15 if I stay between 60-65 I can see 16mpg. Combined city and freeway I get 12 but that is with a lot of stopping and starting.
I pull a 12,000lbs horse/Jeep trailer with living quraters, if I stay at 65 on level ground staying out of boost I can do 11mpg going west out of Denver with the trailer I got 5.6mpg going up to Empire, Colorado. I have a Black Bear tune and 8.1 injectors so I can go through gas fast but I still get better milage than before the supercharger. Before I got 12 empty and 8 towing no matter what I did.

[Mud Slayer 2.0]

So opening it up to let it breath more might help the MPG..
im not worried about it towing the loads i wana tow.. i know it will do that.. Hell my Hemi would prob do it.. but pulling 2 quads on a single axle utility trailer and only getting 10-12 mpg doing it is getting a little silly

[jeepplr]

Originally Posted by Mud Slayer 2.0

So opening it up to let it breath more might help the MPG..
im not worried about it towing the loads i wana tow.. i know it will do that.. Hell my Hemi would prob do it.. but pulling 2 quads on a single axle utility trailer and only getting 10-12 mpg doing it is getting a little silly

I think a 6.0 with a Black Bear tune will get high teens for mileage. I have not driven any distance without the trailer since I had the tune done but I know I am getting better mileage than before the tune. I got a small increase in mileage after the supercharger. I did the supercharger last year and did the tune this past July.

[inthefield]

When I had my 03 CC 2wd, I was commuting 40 miles one way, highway mileage was 12.2 to 13.5. The best I ever saw was 13.8 at 72 with a tailwind the whole tank. The only load I ever had behind it was a 22ft bay boat, and it made no difference concerning the mileage.

The truck was all stock, but I think it had some pretty deep gears from the factory, at 70 I was turning 2500 RPM, my buddy had the exact same truck in an 02 version, he was at 2250 @ 70, and could consistantly get 1 MPG better than me.

[oldjeep]

Originally Posted by Mud Slayer 2.0

and the hemi i have now sucks

The Hemi in the 09 Ram gets 20 MPG highway. 390 HP 407 ft torque. Better motor than in the past. I got 13-15 MPG pulling my kids car on a car dolly about 2000 miles.

[yager]

2004 G3500 w6.0 17mpg highway @ 65-75mph empty. Towing 7k# I get 11mpg @ 65-70mph.

[southern k5]

The one I had got a best of 13.8mpg and that was babying it.

[montecarlo31]

are you talking 07+ w/ the 6.0 w/ 6L90E and 3.73/4.10 gears? If so I'd expect about 11 to 16 unloaded depending on speed and gears. Towing anywhere from 8.5 to 10.

[Ghetto Fab.]

I've got a 99 silverado, 4wd, Xcab, SB with 3.73 gears. It'll get 18-19 on the highway, but as soon as you hit stop and go traffic it drops down to 11-12. I believe I get 15-16 on my daily 1/2 hour commute which is mostly highway. Towing, I'm lucky to get 10mpg.

Keep in mind its got 3.73s which may have been fine with the stock tires, but its now got 285s on it(bought it that way). So in reality its just geared to tall. I believe going back to the stock size tires might drop my highway mileage a tad, but help overall.

Kevo

[montecarlo31]

Originally Posted by Ghetto Fab.

I've got a 99 silverado, 4wd, Xcab, SB with 3.73 gears. It'll get 18-19 on the highway, but as soon as you hit stop and go traffic it drops down to 11-12. I believe I get 15-16 on my daily 1/2 hour commute which is mostly highway. Towing, I'm lucky to get 10mpg.

Keep in mind its got 3.73s which may have been fine with the stock tires, but its now got 285s on it(bought it that way). So in reality its just geared to tall. I believe going back to the stock size tires might drop my highway mileage a tad, but help overall.

Kevo

I've got a 06 K1500 Z71 CC/SB 5.3 w/ 4L60E and 3.42 gears. It used to get 18 to 20 MPG @ 68 to 70 MPH. 15 mpg in the city at work (that was in ATL too) Now w/ 295/70R17s it gets 15.5@ 68 to 70. 12 to 14 city. The tires killed it. I get about 9.5 to 10 towing w/ my tune and big tires. I think I would have no issues w/ towing if I had the new 6 speed auto even w/ 3.42 gears as you've got a huge spread. To the 6.0 Towing I always like to throw out this photo:

[MaXXis85]

2005 Chevy 2500HD 6.0/80e/4.10's. I have 33" MTZ's and H2 wheels.
Unloaded I see 12MPG city mixed 13.5-14.5 MPG unloaded freeway at 70 MPH
Loaded freeway towing I see 8.5-9.5 depending on speed. Seems the 6.0 will hole 8 MPG on relatively flat ground with 8-10K behind it.

[cocco_78]

I had 2 trucks with the 6.0L... a 99 ext cab short bed 2500LD, auto, 4.10's, and I never ever seen anything over 15mpg unloaded. Towing a wrangler on a 16' flatbed probably 6500lbs it got 10. At a 1000lb pop up truck camper to that and it got 8, no matter what. At work I had a 2000 2500LD, reg cab, auto, not sure on the gears never checked. Unloaded It would get as high as 15 on the highway, but pretty much averaged 13 or so. Hook anything up to it and it was 8-10mpg... Both these trucks had stock size 245/75's on them.

[665.0coupe]

I've got an 03 2500HD extended cab short bed, auto, 4.10's with a leveling lift on the front and 33's. The previous owner also replaced the stock clutch fan with an electric fan. I've never gotten better than 14mpg @ 70 and usually around 11 in town.

[BarrelRoll]

01 2500HD regular cab/ long bed, 4x4, auto, 255/85r16 tires (never calibrated the spedo), 170k, paid 2 grand for it and it's had a rough life. I got 10-15 empty between 7-9,000 feet. Towing all my tools, snow plow, and other crap on the 20' car hauler from Colorado to IL I got around 8mpg (not corrected for the bigger tires) hauling at 80mph when I could.

Towing trucks out of denver and up the passes I would drop down to about 35mph which is just enough to pass some but not all the semis. In the midwest where there's actually oxygen in the air and it's pretty flat the thing kicks butt.

For a $2000 truck I love it, if I would have paid 20 grand for it I might be a little pissed at the mileage and mountain towing power.

[Ugly Bronco]

Originally Posted by montecarlo31

To the 6.0 Towing I always like to throw out this photo:

Is that your rig? & is that truck really happy about pulling that? More info please.

I have an '03 crew with the 6.0 & was thinkin of putting a 5th wheel in it to pull a 40' trailer so I could pull a couple rigs at once. Except I'm not so sure the relatively small engine would be so happy about that.
I'll try n get some pics of the trailer soon, its built pretty heavy.

[tlott]

I have an 03 1500HD (same as the 2500LD - 6.0, 4L80E and mine has 3.73 gears). I wish I could get the #s some of you are getting. I average 10 city and around 12-13 at 70mph. This is unloaded.

Got around 8mpg last time I pulled around 8k lbs highway (all flat in Florida).

[yellowchevy]

I have an 01 2500HD 6.0 with 4:11 gears.

The absolute best i ever got was with a very strong tall wind doing 70mph with 265's was 14.5mpg on flat terrain.

I usually get 11 to 12.5 mpg depending on the wind, going 70mph.

If I'm pulling anything thats not that tall or extremely heavy I will get 9 to 10mpg at best.

When I pull my enclosed trailer it doesn't have enough power to do it in overdrive so i have to do it drive. In drive I only go 60 to 65mph and I only get 5 to 6 mpg, and it takes FOREVER to get any where you can only go 60. It really sucks when you have to go up any hills. If your in a hilly area it drops down to below 5mpg and has a tough time running up the hills.

I love the pickup overall, but I absolutely HATE the engine and tranny in the thing.

yellowchevy

[MaXXis85]

Its not like the engine is bad. Its a small block in a heavy ass truck. The 8.1L will walk away and laugh at 10k and get abotut he same mileage.

Comparison Went wheeling 275 miles from home. I have a CCSB 2005 chevy k2500HD with the 6.0/80e/4.10's. I towed a 24' Lowboy GN with my trail rig in sig, 2 38" boggers on H1 wheels, and a 4 wheeler. Averaged 8 -8.5 thoe trip.

My buddy has a 1999 CCSB OBS with the 454/80e/4.10s. With the big block he wasnt struggling like i was in the hills and he got .5 MPG better than I did.

So I think for what the 6.0L is, you cannot complain. It has got to be one of the toughest small blocks GM has made IMO.

[montecarlo31]

Originally Posted by Ugly Bronco

Is that your rig? & is that truck really happy about pulling that? More info please.

I have an '03 crew with the 6.0 & was thinkin of putting a 5th wheel in it to pull a 40' trailer so I could pull a couple rigs at once. Except I'm not so sure the relatively small engine would be so happy about that.
I'll try n get some pics of the trailer soon, its built pretty heavy.

Yes, it is a good rig. like I said, I've never pulled that load in the mountains so I can't tell you what it will do there.

It handles the load fine, you have to keep the trailer brakes adjusted up close but that's any 3/4 ton (diesel or gas).

The single biggest mod is a GOOD one off custom tune. If you can tune it with your trailer even better.

This truck has been upgraded to a 09 K2500 CC LB w/ 4.10s and 4x4. the new 6 speed is awsome and it pulls better then this one.

I'd take this truck just like this to North Carolina if I needed to, it won't win any races, it isn't a duramax but it does run well.

[BIG PERM]

Originally Posted by Mud Slayer 2.0

So opening it up to let it breath more might help the MPG..
im not worried about it towing the loads i wana tow.. i know it will do that.. Hell my Hemi would prob do it.. but pulling 2 quads on a single axle utility trailer and only getting 10-12 mpg doing it is getting a little silly

My 05 Hemi got 15-17 on the highway, 10 towing jeep and trailer.....towed the big uhaul trailer cross country full of furniture (I say big, only about 14 ft enclused I think) at about 12mpg......is yours 4x4, lifted, bigger tires???? It should get about the same as the 6.0 or better unloaded, but not sure about towing, sounds like the 6.0 might do a fraction better based on these answers.....

[yellowchevy]

Originally Posted by MaXXis85

Its not like the engine is bad. Its a small block in a heavy ass truck. The 8.1L will walk away and laugh at 10k and get abotut he same mileage.

Comparison Went wheeling 275 miles from home. I have a CCSB 2005 chevy k2500HD with the 6.0/80e/4.10's. I towed a 24' Lowboy GN with my trail rig in sig, 2 38" boggers on H1 wheels, and a 4 wheeler. Averaged 8 -8.5 thoe trip.

My buddy has a 1999 CCSB OBS with the 454/80e/4.10s. With the big block he wasnt struggling like i was in the hills and he got .5 MPG better than I did.

So I think for what the 6.0L is, you cannot complain. It has got to be one of the toughest small blocks GM has made IMO.

I agree its a dependable engine, it just doesn't have enough power if you plan on pulling something heavy/large or if plan on pulling alot.
If I don't have anything thats very tall it will do a pretty decent job.

If you are going to pulling often and anything thats fairly heavy (15k to 20k lbs) I would personally get a diesel. If you can afford it would make you much happer.

yellowchevy

[montecarlo31]

Originally Posted by BIG PERM

My 05 Hemi got 15-17 on the highway, 10 towing jeep and trailer.....towed the big uhaul trailer cross country full of furniture (I say big, only about 14 ft enclused I think) at about 12mpg......is yours 4x4, lifted, bigger tires???? It should get about the same as the 6.0 or better unloaded, but not sure about towing, sounds like the 6.0 might do a fraction better based on these answers.....

The 6.0 is a better pulling motor hands down. I've got a few buddies with Hemi trucks and they don't to seem to have that 200K+ mile life span that a 6.0 does.

[CJ5inFourWheelDrive]

An intake will bring your mileage back to some extent. I was getting 14 around town 17 highway. Started getting 12 around town, replaced intake with a Fram Boost (Re-badged AEM Bruteforce) and got it back to 14. This is in an 07' Classic ECSB 6.0L/NV4500/4.10's. You guys that are getting crappy mileage, have you checked your in tank filter? It's supposed to be a lifetime, non-serviceable unit but all that means is that it's a PITA for you to work on but not the shop. Might be worth it to run you're fuel down, drop your tank, pull the sending unit/filter and have a look. A few guys on FSC started really loosing power and found it was due to a clogged filter. Personally I think thats a shitty design that you can't do it yourself, maybe it could be converted to an inline to save the asspain. Not sure how hard it is to drop the tank though. Also remember these trucks like 55mph cruising. Anything over that and they start to drink it. As montecarlo31 said, a good tune will do a world of difference. I've talked to too many people who said it's a different truck after a tune. Just wish I had a few extra bucks to pick one up and find out for myself.