Got me a new 24' Elite aluminum stock trailer this weekend. It's pretty awesome. I'd recommend that if anyone is looking at a new livestock, horse, or enclosed trailer I'd take a look at an Elite. The are built very well, it's more trailer than I really needed. Anyways, I traded the WW off for this one and I had to take it 200 miles north to the dealer. For the round trip I averaged about 11.5 mpg. Now the trailer wasn't loaded and weighed 4200#'s empty, but I guess my question is why is it that my truck gets about the same mileage towing as unloaded? I mean on a good day I could get 14 mpg on the highway, but real world driving this thing gets about 12 mpg. Even when towing heavy it will get 10. I just don't understand it. My father-in-law got an LLY just before I got my 6.0. I debated between D-Max and 8.1, but I don't drive enough miles to justify a diesel and the 8.1's were non-existent at the time. I don't know what it is, but my father-in-law only gets 14-15 mpg highway and pulling 9-10. He just towed his enclosed trailer for about 1500 miles and only got 9. So based on what I've seen I was much better off with the 6.0 for the miles I drive a year. Granted he pulls the trailer better, but he doesn't pull heavy much anymore, just the 20' enclosed trailer and his street rod. What should an LLY get for loaded mileage? Or is my 6.0 a rare deal?

6.0L ! wrong site dude. Don't think you'll get much support for your 6.0 around here. From what you describe your father in law should get better milage with his LLY (Is it chipped?) If not he should consider it. Yes, your 6.0L is a rare deal?

My dad got 16-20 mpg pulling his 34ft. fifth wheel with his LLY and he had the Edge Juice!

Well this is the GM gasser site. Anyways the LLY isn't chipped all stock. He had two 8.1's before that. I guess my question is why does it seem like the mileage for a diesel loaded vs lunoaded drops much more dramatically than for a gasser?

I am no expert at all in this world, but my first guess would be how the diesel functions. It takes a lot more to get diesel fuel to burn rather then gas. Then when you start adding more fuel in due to heavier loads, it takes even more yet to burn that fuel.

If you have ever played with gas, you know that a little gas and a match can be fun. A lot of gas and a match can mean no eyebrows, hair, mustache, etc. :rolleyes: But a little diesel fuel and match does about the same as a whole lot of diesel fuel and a match.

But like I said, I have very little knowledge in the diesel world and I am just going by what my brain thinks is logical. So in other words, I could be full of BS. :D

My question for you is were you figuring the MPG's by hand or relying on the what the truck was telling you? I have heard that the trucks guess can be off quite a bit from what is real.

Well this is the GM gasser site. Anyways the LLY isn't chipped all stock. He had two 8.1's before that. I guess my question is why does it seem like the mileage for a diesel loaded vs lunoaded drops much more dramatically than for a gasser?

Sorry Doodle, I didn't look @ your signature, and had my mind on diesels! I though you were referring to a ford product:rolleyes: I appolagize for the unwelcoming welcome. Hope you can forgive me?

theres something not quite right with your father in laws LLY if he's only getting 15mpg highway unloaded.

I know this sounds REALLY stupid but my 8.1L gets better gas milage towing (up to 4.5K lbs) than it does empty...cant figure it out and no Im not stupid :D

No problem. I thought you were probably thinking about a Ferd. I do hand calculate my mileage, but I didn't top it off till it came pouring out so there is a chance that the figures aren't completely accurate, but it's close enough IMO. I know one thing with my work truck F-250 you can literally put 4-5 gallons in it after it shuts off. My experience with the HD is that you can't put more than 1-2 gallons in it after it shuts off. As for my father-in-law I know he isn't the best at accurate calculations, he just bases how many miles he drives a day and compares that to how often he fills up. That sounds retarded, but I guess what I'm saying is that the "fill-up" times are similar to the old 8.1 he had. As far as the mileage debate, I've found that yeah you can probably reach 20 mpg with the D-Max, but that is strictly all highway non-stop driving. Heck with my 6.0 I've gotten 15.5 on a trip once, but that was 100% interstate for 350 miles @ 70 mph. Real world everyday driving is usually around 12. I don't know what the LLY would get strictly on the interstate, I'm sure it would be better. The 14-15 number is based on "real-world" driving. I think sometimes people "inflate" their mileage numbers a little and state more of the highway mileage numbers rather than a combo. I mean honestly do you think I like telling people my pick-up gets 12 mpg?



Sorry Doodle, I didn't look @ your signature, and had my mind on diesels! I though you were referring to a ford product:rolleyes: I appolagize for the unwelcoming welcome. Hope you can forgive me?

I know more than one person with LLYs that get the same milage. One friend went from a LB7 to a LLY and claims he lost 3-4 mpg. He drives hard but said his best with the LLY has been in the 14s.

I had a 6.0 2500HD, my commute in and out of Boston (read, creap and beep) I got 12MPG. Towing my 5er ~10Klbs got 7MPG. Switched to the D/A and get 16MPG going to work and ~11MPG towing. Sounds to me you aren't doing to bad.

I drive an 2002 6.0 now and pull with it every day (~#5K ) and at best I get 9.9 mpg when I calc it all out. About 12.7 mpg unloaded. Both these figures are a mix of Hwy 60%/City 40%. This is also with the Hypertec Pwr Programmer, never noticed a difference in MPG, mostly in shift firmness.

I have a 2007.5 6.0 and I swear as soon as I hook up the trailer lights it makes the gas mileage suck. I pull a boat around and it gets about 10-11mpg, small 20 foot boat. I pull a 20 foot equipment trailer empty and get 10mpg, same trailer loaded with bobcat gets 10mpg.

My 2005 6.0 did basically the same thing.

Ok ;as long as you do it the same way every time, the top-off method is not an issue. My 8.1's showed no difference in mpg towing light. Call me a cynic, but I'm not buying 20 mpg towing a 5er w/anything. My LLY got a best mpg of 21 mpg empty, all hwy w/a tailwind. My 6.0 was disapointing in the power dept so I never really towed with it; only plowed. It only got 1-2 mpg better than the 8100 and the 8100 is a beast.