Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

2013 6.2 silverado 1500 crew cab towing


onewake09

Recommended Posts

Just looking for a little info or guidance from the crew. I tow my 2017 a20 with a 2013 6.2 silverado 1500. Friday I left Delaware and drive to Raleigh NC to pick my boat up from the dealer. I got 15.9 mpg heading down there. Empty truck, no gear, just me. On the way back with the boat I got 7.8 and 8.1 mpg respectably. Both drives were fairly quick, 5 1/2 hours down, 6 back, running 65-75 miles and hour. Im on the fence about a 2500 truck, and even more about a duramax. I used my buddys 17' f250 power stroke to make the same in October and only got 18 down and 11 back. Not a huge difference in my mind, considering diesel is 60 cents more a gallon. I know i dont need a diesel to tow an a20, but I also have some trailers and occasionally tow close to 10k pounds. I cant really justify the price of a duramax. Would a 2500 Silverado gas truck tow the boat much better? Would I get better fuel economy? Would a tune or some bolt ons get me better results? 80% of the time we tow 20 minutes away, but the others we tow 3 1/2-6 hours away. I know the 2500 would be a better ride, but would it be that much to justify a new(used) truck? Let me know your thoughts?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
ahopkins22LSV

Going to a 2500 gasser will be worse on mileage for sure. You could look at going to the 5.3 with max tow package. It will still be plenty of engine for your A20 but still have enough capacity to tow your larger trailers. Not sure how long you tow those for as the 5.3 will get the job done but not be as good as the 6.2 obviously. I get 21 plus/minus a few tenths driving from Detroit to Nashville with the cruise set at 79 and not feathering the gas at all going through Kentucky and Tennessee. This is in my 17 Silverado with the 5.3 and 6 speed transmission. The 19+ 1500’s have a further upgraded engine and transmission and early reports I’ve seen is that mileage is better. 

BF73060E-5A5F-4C78-B497-D7AE8CBFFDFF.jpeg

Link to comment

In answer to your second question -  would it be that much to justify a new(used) truck?

Not really.  As long as your 2013 isn't costing you big maint bucks, it would be tough to actually save any money if you compare slightly decreased fuel costs and the cost of a new truck.  If you're making payments on the 2013 and view car payments as basically rental payments rather than a means to own a truck free and clear for a period of time then, maybe it might work although even then I doubt it since the new truck is likely to have a higher payment.

Link to comment
28 minutes ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Going to a 2500 gasser will be worse on mileage for sure. You could look at going to the 5.3 with max tow package. It will still be plenty of engine for your A20 but still have enough capacity to tow your larger trailers. Not sure how long you tow those for as the 5.3 will get the job done but not be as good as the 6.2 obviously. I get 21 plus/minus a few tenths driving from Detroit to Nashville with the cruise set at 79 and not feathering the gas at all going through Kentucky and Tennessee. This is in my 17 Silverado with the 5.3 and 6 speed transmission. The 19+ 1500’s have a further upgraded engine and transmission and early reports I’ve seen is that mileage is better. 

BF73060E-5A5F-4C78-B497-D7AE8CBFFDFF.jpeg

What kinda mileage do you get towing your bu? I also tow with my wifes 5.3 tahoe. It gets about the same mpg wise, but my truck just feels better pulling it. Plus her tahoe has electric power steering which i hate. And it eats oil because of the cylinder deactivation. I keep meaning to get that turned off. 

Link to comment
ahopkins22LSV
12 minutes ago, onewake09 said:

What kinda mileage do you get towing your bu? I also tow with my wifes 5.3 tahoe. It gets about the same mpg wise, but my truck just feels better pulling it. Plus her tahoe has electric power steering which i hate. And it eats oil because of the cylinder deactivation. I keep meaning to get that turned off. 

About 10.5 but that’s in Michigan. Much flatter then your area. I got that going up north to my parents cottage where it does get hillier but not like your area. I was going 70-75. Would probably be better if I kept that around 65-70 but I wanted to get vacation started :)

Link to comment
45 minutes ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Going to a 2500 gasser will be worse on mileage for sure. You could look at going to the 5.3 with max tow package. It will still be plenty of engine for your A20 but still have enough capacity to tow your larger trailers. Not sure how long you tow those for as the 5.3 will get the job done but not be as good as the 6.2 obviously. I get 21 plus/minus a few tenths driving from Detroit to Nashville with the cruise set at 79 and not feathering the gas at all going through Kentucky and Tennessee. This is in my 17 Silverado with the 5.3 and 6 speed transmission. The 19+ 1500’s have a further upgraded engine and transmission and early reports I’ve seen is that mileage is better. 

Not a good comparison.  The L92 in his truck isn't a DI motor like the L83 in yours.  The L86 (the DI 6.2L) ends up getting better mileage. I averaged 23MPG in my L86 on my 6 hour drive from the dealer when I bought it.

That said, the OP's L92 is getting worse mileage than it should.  I had the same motor in my Escalade EXT.  The EXT is a heavier truck, yet I averages 18 MPG freeway.  Towing was right around 9MPG with similar weight to his A20 (with much of that through the Tennessee/Kentucky mountains and going 70-75MPH).  

Link to comment
ahopkins22LSV
Just now, Nitrousbird said:

Not a good comparison.  The L92 in his truck isn't a DI motor like the L83 in yours.  The L86 (the DI 6.2L) ends up getting better mileage. I averaged 23MPG in my L86 on my 6 hour drive from the dealer when I bought it.

That said, the OP's L92 is getting worse mileage than it should.  I had the same motor in my Escalade EXT.  The EXT is a heavier truck, yet I averages 18 MPG freeway.  Towing was right around 9MPG with similar weight to his A20 (with much of that through the Tennessee/Kentucky mountains and going 70-75MPH).  

I know it’s not a fair comparison, that’s why I said it might be worth looking into because it would be an upgrade, in terms of fuel mileage at least...

Link to comment
1 minute ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

I know it’s not a fair comparison, that’s why I said it might be worth looking into because it would be an upgrade, in terms of fuel mileage at least...

Then why not just upgrade further to the L86.  I drove several L83 trucks with the 6 and 8 speed transmission - didn't feel like nearly the power of my L86.

Link to comment
3 minutes ago, Nitrousbird said:

Then why not just upgrade further to the L86.  I drove several L83 trucks with the 6 and 8 speed transmission - didn't feel like nearly the power of my L86.

So what you are saying is that the 6.2 has more power than the 5.3?  I sure hope so, otherwise it would be a pretty silly option. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
ahopkins22LSV
3 minutes ago, Nitrousbird said:

Then why not just upgrade further to the L86.  I drove several L83 trucks with the 6 and 8 speed transmission - didn't feel like nearly the power of my L86.

Well of course not... it’s a smaller engine. And I suggested it because he said a duramax is out of the question for cost, I was trying suggest an option that will definitely improve his mileage, not break the bank, and still tow well. 

Link to comment
19 minutes ago, carguy79ta said:

I believe the 6.0 at 380hp is the gas offering.  That would be a gas hog.  My wifes 18 Dmax gets about 19 to 20 or better on a trip.  That is what the lie-o-meter says tho.

 

I'm curious how real the numbers are these days on the mpg meters.  The one on my 09 ram was always 2mpg higher that hand calculated.  My 18 is claiming 23mpg in pure flat highway driving at 70-75, but I haven't hand checked it yet. 

Mileage is one of those things that is nice to know before you buy, but not particularly relevant once you own it. 

Link to comment
8 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

I'm curious how real the numbers are these days on the mpg meters.  The one on my 09 ram was always 2mpg higher that hand calculated.  My 18 is claiming 23mpg in pure flat highway driving at 70-75, but I haven't hand checked it yet. 

Mileage is one of those things that is nice to know before you buy, but not particularly relevant once you own it. 

The bottom line IMO, is that these modern cars and trucks are getting great gas mileage as a whole. I have an 04 yukon, and the mileage for the life of the vehicle is 13.2.🙁

Link to comment

I wouldn't even consider a 3/4 ton gas, unless you just absolutely hate diesel the gas version is a waste of money considering how much you can tow with on the newer 1/2 ton trucks. I don't know why but the power strokes do not get the fuel economy that you will get out of the duramax or the cummins, even after deleting one. My real world numbers for my duramax are listed below. Once a week I pull a 15k trailer 300 miles, I do not drive like an old lady, my daily driver will run high 12's in the 1/4 mile. My average economy is really good when you look at my idle hrs and considering how much I tow with it. I guarantee you could never get close to this with a gas truck.

Odometer-  151091

Fuel Used-  12686 gallons

Engine hrs-  7838

Idle hrs-    5201

Total average mpg- 11.91      

 

 

Link to comment

We've got a 2012 chev 6.0 and it defiantly isn't the best on gas but at the time it was needed and a diesel wasn't realistic. 

A heavy duty truck was needed to pull our 5th wheel and at the time, as the half tons weren't quite at the level they are now towing 11-12000. We also didn't want a diesel because 5 days a week the truck would only be used to drive 5km to work on a residential road and diesels definitely need to warm up and get worked a little more than that. The second reason being the diesel was a lot more money than we were willing to spend. 

Now jump forward to 2019 the truck is only really a daily driver in the summer for getting gas and towing the boat. So we have no need for a new truck, especially with the prices of new ones being 90k cad for a 3500. I would totally jump on a used half ton but with the idea of buying a camper and towing the boat that's out because of payload numbers. So for now its a great truck that hasn't had any major problems. 

Link to comment
7 minutes ago, MLBurns said:

I wouldn't even consider a 3/4 ton gas, unless you just absolutely hate diesel the gas version is a waste of money considering how much you can tow with on the newer 1/2 ton trucks. I don't know why but the power strokes do not get the fuel economy that you will get out of the duramax or the cummins, even after deleting one. My real world numbers for my duramax are listed below. Once a week I pull a 15k trailer 300 miles, I do not drive like an old lady, my daily driver will run high 12's in the 1/4 mile. My average economy is really good when you look at my idle hrs and considering how much I tow with it. I guarantee you could never get close to this with a gas truck.

Odometer-  151091

Fuel Used-  12686 gallons

Engine hrs-  7838

Idle hrs-    5201

Total average mpg- 11.91      

 

 

Disagree.  I had a diesel that was constantly in the shop, expensive to maintain and honestly got similar gas mileage as my new 3/4 ton gasser.  After the diesel I went to an F150 Eco with max tow and I can say that I hauled over 12K lbs quite a few times and right at 10K regularly and it did handle it but it wasn't enjoyable.  It pulled my A22 with no problem but the 3/4 ton does it better.  I have a truck for work so the vehicle I'm describing isn't a daily driver.  The 3/4 ton gasser is the perfect truck for me and probably a lot of other people too.  If I put 30K miles on a year, then the diesel is the way to go for resale but no way I'm dropping $12,000+ and paying $1+/gallon more.  

The only thing my truck is used for is towing 90% of the time, whether it be the boat, loaded utility trailer, 32' camper and skidsteer.  I have 37" tires and get around 8.5 towing the heavier items and over 9 towing the lighter.  I just drove it to our hunting ground the last few weekends at 250 miles each way and averaged 12.8 over the 3 trips and this was mostly at 75mph.  If the diesel's got better mpg's then I would consider, but in all my research and first hand experience, they don't because of emissions.  Before I went to the lift and bigger tires, I averaged about 2 mpg better which was right on par with my last diesel and my Ecoboost.

Link to comment

I have the same issues/concerns with my 2017 1500 crew cab 5.3.  Once this lease is up, I'm buying a 1500 crew cab with a 6.2.  I can't justify the diesel either but I do tow 100%.  Including once a year I tow from Michigan to my parents house in Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma (about 900 one way).  I feel like I get beat up with that 5.2, but it doesn't do to bad.  I get about 8-9 mpg towing my 08 VLX and that's with the family and gear.

Link to comment
On 12/9/2018 at 7:42 AM, onewake09 said:

I got 15.9 mpg heading down there. Empty truck, no gear, just me. On the way back with the boat I got 7.8 and 8.1 mpg respectably. Both drives were fairly quick, 5 1/2 hours down, 6 back, running 65-75 miles and hour.

That's really similar to what I got in my Tundra bringing my 23 LSV back from Austin. I was running 75-80 mph and averaging 7.5-7.9 mpg.  On my empty trip down to the same area recently, I ran 15.6 mpg.

Link to comment
12 minutes ago, wedge88 said:

Disagree.  I had a diesel that was constantly in the shop, expensive to maintain and honestly got similar gas mileage as my new 3/4 ton gasser.  After the diesel I went to an F150 Eco with max tow and I can say that I hauled over 12K lbs quite a few times and right at 10K regularly and it did handle it but it wasn't enjoyable.  It pulled my A22 with no problem but the 3/4 ton does it better.  I have a truck for work so the vehicle I'm describing isn't a daily driver.  The 3/4 ton gasser is the perfect truck for me and probably a lot of other people too.  If I put 30K miles on a year, then the diesel is the way to go for resale but no way I'm dropping $12,000+ and paying $1+/gallon more.  

The only thing my truck is used for is towing 90% of the time, whether it be the boat, loaded utility trailer, 32' camper and skidsteer.  I have 37" tires and get around 8.5 towing the heavier items and over 9 towing the lighter.  I just drove it to our hunting ground the last few weekends at 250 miles each way and averaged 12.8 over the 3 trips and this was mostly at 75mph.  If the diesel's got better mpg's then I would consider, but in all my research and first hand experience, they don't because of emissions.  Before I went to the lift and bigger tires, I averaged about 2 mpg better which was right on par with my last diesel and my Ecoboost.

The only repairs my truck has ever had was DEF tank heater went out at 85k miles so I deleted it and I just changed the tensioner pully and fan belt last week. The first 3 years of this trucks life were spend on the oil lease and the truck before went 300k on oil lease with basic maintenance on it. What diesel did you have? Might have been a lemon. I am running 35's on this truck, so the mileage would be better if I had factory size tires on it.

Link to comment

I have a 2018 Dodge SRW 3500 4wd diesel on stock tires. I always have about 1000 pounds of tools on board. This is my regular load. I average about 13-14 around town with a HEAVY foot. I just made a 600 mile round trip last week where I averaged 75-80 MPH.  On this trip I averaged 17.8 hand calced. And I dont have to worry if I tip the scales at 30K. I tow almost daily, but usually not far enough to check mileage. I have 3 gas rigs in the fleet and they average around 8-10 MPG. It is really hard to beat the new diesels.  

Also, I just sold a 2014 with 117K on the clock. It did not see the dealer for anything except a couple recalls. Service, fuel and tires was all she needed.

Edited by Sparky450
Link to comment
31 minutes ago, MLBurns said:

The only repairs my truck has ever had was DEF tank heater went out at 85k miles so I deleted it and I just changed the tensioner pully and fan belt last week. The first 3 years of this trucks life were spend on the oil lease and the truck before went 300k on oil lease with basic maintenance on it. What diesel did you have? Might have been a lemon. I am running 35's on this truck, so the mileage would be better if I had factory size tires on it.

I had a 2006 F250 with the notorious 6.0L.  I put over $8k into that truck to bulletproof it and then had the turbo go.  That was the last straw.  Looking back, someone got a great truck that will probably run forever but I couldn't deal with it.  At the time it was my daily driver.  I would love another diesel, if money weren't a concern, but in all honesty, my 6.2L gas has done everything I have asked and I have only done general maintenance on it.  Sure it revs high and tends to be thirsty but it's so easy to drive with a 11k  camper behind it and my 1/2 ton wasn't.  The ecoboost engine had no issues but the lighter truck was pulled around.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...