This month will be my second year with my GMC 3.0 Lite Diesel 1500 truck and I cannot say enough good things here for towing and mileage. I have seen 36 mpg not towing just driving to Jeffersonville on route 15 from Essex (24 miles each way). Towing to the Sandbar at 40 mph hour (canvas up) I am seeing 23-25 mpg for 17 miles each way. Niagara Bar I get 17-18 mpg instead of 10-11 mpg 2014 gas engine V8 GMC 5.3 liter at 65 mph mostly for 420 miles each way. My truck has 13,000 miles on it about 10,000 towing. The bottom photo is real time towing mileage driving across the sandbar for 2 miles.
Does it have enough power out the gate with a tow behind as far as acceleration? I’m looking for a new truck before snow comes and am thinking of this engine just because I want to tow a camper across the country a few times over the next 5 years.. I got 9 MPG with my 5.3liter on the way home with it in January. That was NOT impressive, even with a Lake Erie head wind!
DEF fluid isn't a big deal. It lasts a long time per fill. I buy 2.5 gallons at Lowes for $18.
The truck has twin turbo's which give it great acceleration and boost if you stomp it. Not a gas engine boost but decent! This truck is good for towing stuff up to 5,000 lbs. If you have a bigger camper or boat the HD 2500 is the way to go. This truck has decent torque for towing and great pull going up hills maintaining speed. My 3,000 lb boat and trailer barely feel it towing it! No issues on hills or boost needed to stay at 40-50 mph on a hill.
My brother in law has the same situation with his camper as well and 5.3 L gas engine. It sucks a lot of fuel at 65 mph. At highway speeds I get only 17 or 18 mph when I go to the Bar on I-90 and I-87. But when I got 10-11 mpg with my 5.3 gas I was stopping for fuel every 150 miles which was a pain in the ass. The 24 gallon tank will almost get me the entire trip at 430 miles! Boats sit higher on the trailer and the windshield creates a lot of drag on the towing vehicle. So if your getting 12 with your camper you might get 20 mpg at 65 mph. My 2014 5.3L never got more than 20 mpg at 65 mph not towing.
There are You Tube videos out there with 4,000 lb or 4,500 lb camper pulling tests with the diesel. There on flat terrain on some of them. Interesting!
On way back from Hubbarton yesterday after driving an hr at 50-55 on rt 7 and rt 30 this thing showed 33mpg even with less than the 400 miles on it. I was not taking it easy either…
This kind of mileage in a half ton seems unreal:)
Haven’t towed yet but seems to have as good pickup as the 5.3ltr it replaced…
Towing on Tue, will see how that goes…
Fish on!
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Towing my boat from Essex Vt. to Oswego NY where we stay this past week. 240 miles one way $48 to fill it with 12.7 gallons of Diesel. Gauge was 1/2 left coming home. Total trip was 600 miles 18 mpg towing. We towed 15 minutes each way to the ramp 4 times. 2 hours of towing there from our cabin. Very reasonable!
38 mpg driving to Jeffersonville to bike the rail trail a few days ago. And driving the wife's Hybrid Sonata to Leddy Park to inline skate the bike path (60 mpg) round trip. 15,000 miles on the truck and 12,000 miles on the Sonata (both 2 years old now).