Towing Mileage

[gbeyer]

3.5" exhaust does make a difference when towing. Power didn't seem to change, but I think that is because I have a pump that isn't operating properly. Mileage was up from 7.5 to 8.06 mpg while towing my 12k lb fifth wheel camper. I am running JK chip & downpipe. Custom fabricated 3.5" exhaust with no muffler or cat. Non inter cooled at 12 psi boost. and 3.73 rear gears. That is running 65-70 mph. It won't hold that speed on any kind of an incline, but it doesn't drop that fast.

[SFD]

Are you towing a little overweight for that truck?
I did the exhaust and also added larger Heath Fan and Fan clutch and that helped alot. I am leery of using chip without guages etc. How did the chip do for you?

[gbeyer]

I'm probably a little overweight, but what the hell did they build the damn thing for, if not to do too much! ;)The chip didn't really do anything other than increase boost pressure. Permformance did not change at all. I don't think it is the chip. Ever since I put this last pump on the truck has been a real dog. I think it is pump problems, not chip problems. Everyone else rants and raves about his chip.

[cruzer]

"didn't do anything other than increase boost pressure". Get gauges. They will also help in diagnosis.

When I added exhaust and boost and GAUGES, I had more power but it would loose speed pulling hills. The loss was dependant on the length and severity of incline. I Pulled aprox 8000lbs+ truck w/4:11s. I definitley had more than stk. Granted it was mech inj. Now w/the current mods it doesn't lose much if any at all.

[SFD]

Have you ever weighed your truck and trailer with the normal weight of people usually in your tow vehicle? My trailer /truck combo is a little over weight by less than 300 lbs. This rigs will tow a house however very dangerously! If you trailer brake fails- Hold On tight! While most trucks I feel are underated for pulling power; I do not think the same for Stopping power! Then again people do this everyday! Hitch something up to truck closer to Trucks weight/tow rating and see how it does then!

[gbeyer]

I do have boost and egt guages. Total weight of people in the truck is about 400 lbs, truck is about 6200, trailer is running anout 12,600 lbs. I guess my GCVW is about 19,200. I monitor my boost and is stays pretty well pegged at 12 while on the highway. EGT's I can't even make get over 1100*. I beleive the pump is not delivering the fuel that it is supposed to. Running a heavy load like I am I should be able to get up around 1200-1250*. Like I said I think it is the pump not the chip, that won't deliver the fuel. I agree about braking, but if I only towed something the truck would safely stop, I would be limited to about 6,000 lbs. That would never be enough room for a family of 5 to comfortably stay in. You just can't plan for everything that could go wrong. If we did, we would just sit in the house looking at each other in the dark.