2005 lly mpg towing [Archive] - TheDieselPage.com Forums

Dave

08-22-2005, 02:46

I took my first trip in my 05 Crew Cab Dooley duramax / Allison; to say I am disappointed would be an understatement. This truck just plain sucks and was a total embarrassment to me. Here are the reasons this truck is worthless and why I want my 01 Crew Cab Dooley duramax / Allison back.

We left Athens TN pulling an enclosed 3 bike trailer that has a V front and low height for less wind resistance. Total weight of loaded trailer was 3982 pounds. On the 1501 mile trip to Custer SD the truck averaged 9.6 mpg pulling at 70~72 mph. To say the least the two guys ridding with me could not believe the crappy fuel economy. To add insult to injury was the cooling fan. When the temperature was in the high 70

REDTRUCK05

08-22-2005, 06:22

Originally posted by SHOPMAN426:
At that speed I would too get that kind of milage. Depending on what you are pulling, trailer or fifth wheel you won't see good numbers until you slow down a little. Your Camper as you call it, is like dragging a big brick down the road. If you drive 55 to 60 you will see a big increase in your milage. To run 72 mph I bet your pedal was clear to the floor.

:eek: :eek: :eek:
You cant really be serious... first of all if you drive 60 on the interstate you get run over. second, I have pulled this same camper over 30,000 miles with my 01 Ford 7.3 and gor an average of 13-14 mpg. Last year pulled it with my ford to the black hills averaging 75-80 and was getting 10-11 mpg. not to mention the bleepin cooling fan never came on once until we were in the mountains! My chevy (2005) fan runs way too much costing full sucking power and just plain noisy! I'm with dave, my truck is a huge dissapointment ( $49,000 ) so far can I have my ford back Shopman426,
Mike.

SHOPMAN426

08-22-2005, 13:46

You may have a point. Here in Oregon the speed limit is only 65 mph. On most highways it's 55 mph. For some reason the officials don't think we can handle the higher speeds. Most of the highways west of the cascades you couldn't drive over 55 mph with a trailer, you would end up over a cliff. When I hauled my 9000 lbs. of fifth wheel down to San Diego last year I got a verbal warning from a CHP that trucks with trailers are not allowed to go over 60 mph anywhere in the state. It sounds as if there are some big differences between pulling with an LB7 and the LLY engines.

I'm sorry if I offended you, I was only comparing how the driving around here is. Our Interstates are somewhat straight but our highways curve all over the place, heaven for bid we cut a few trees down to make the road straighter. Most times while driving on the hwy my truck never sees fifth gear.

Shopman426, ;)

Mike.

REDTRUCK05

08-22-2005, 16:39

Originally posted by SHOPMAN426:
You may have a point. Here in Oregon the speed limit is only 65 mph. On most highways it's 55 mph. For some reason the officials don't think we can handle the higher speeds. Most of the highways west of the cascades you couldn't drive over 55 mph with a trailer, you would end up over a cliff. When I hauled my 9000 lbs. of fifth wheel down to San Diego last year I got a verbal warning from a CHP that trucks with trailers are not allowed to go over 60 mph anywhere in the state. It sounds as if there are some big differences between pulling with an LB7 and the LLY engines.

I'm sorry if I offended you, I was only comparing how the driving around here is. Our Interstates are somewhat straight but our highways curve all over the place, heaven for bid we cut a few trees down to make the road straighter. Most times while driving on the hwy my truck never sees fifth gear.

Shopman426, ;)

Mike. None taken, takes alot more than that! Were all just giving our opinions! Just venting :) I am just bumbed so far about the results in power and mileage. Maybe it will get better :-( have a good one!

Dave

08-22-2005, 17:00

[/QUOTE]None taken, takes alot more than that! Were all just giving our opinions! Just venting :) I am just bumbed so far about the results in power and mileage. Maybe it will get better :-( have a good one! [/QUOTE]

The milage is very sorry to say the least! :( My friends big block chevy gets better mpg pulling 5000 pounds than my diesel gets pulling less than 4000 pounds. The constant noise of the fan is very bad also. It is obviously a very poorly designed cooling system on the LLY trucks. Pulling much more weight my old LB7 fan rarely ran and got much better mpg.

I have had seven 1 ton crew cab dooley trucks. My 01 LB7 was the best truck I ever owned in terms of power, performance, and mpg. My 05 LLY is the worst truck I have ever owned in terms of power, performance and mpg. :eek:

The two guys that rode with me to Stugis SD and back will never buy a GM diesel due to the 3000 miles they spent in mine. My brother just cancled his 06 order due to my truck, he has an 02 LB7 he decided to keep cause it performes better than my new and improved truck.

Kennedy

08-22-2005, 18:42

Hmmm, I kinda like the power and mpg of my 2005. I've made the trip to Sturgis and seen the 10 mpg and often less in my 2002!

I ran Loyal to DP Pull Off in MT and back with my 2002 on the trailer behind and got around 11mpg near as I could figure. Speeds were at or over posted limits with 72-73 being most common.

Oh, and wedges suck IMHO for pulling. I think the cross winds can hit them and they'dbe better off with squared shoulders rather than letting the wind cut in after the truck. Best trailer that I ever pulled was We-Haul glass body with traditional front, and I was in the trailer business. I intend to buy one for my own use soon.

sluggerjoe

08-22-2005, 18:56

My 05 lly got lousy mileage pulling my boat when it was new. I'd only get 10 mpg and that was going 65. It now has 5k miles on it and I've noticed an improvement. I now get 10 mpg pulling my 27' 5th wheel and my boat at the same time. I get 13-14 pulling the boat and 18 empty (all hiway).

I noticed that when new, my pickup would push the boat through the gutter and up my steep driveway in reverse without stepping on the gas pedal. Now you have to give it some gas to get it thru the gutter and up the driveway. The tranny has "loosened up" that much.
I don't care for the noisy fan either but mine does not run as much as you describe. It seems like using the pedal and not the cruise helps with the situation. After being disappointed when new, I am liking the truck more and more every day.

Dave

08-23-2005, 01:27

Originally posted by kennedy:
Hmmm, I kinda like the power and mpg of my 2005. I've made the trip to Sturgis and seen the 10 mpg and often less in my 2002!

I ran Loyal to DP Pull Off in MT and back with my 2002 on the trailer behind and got around 11mpg near as I could figure. Speeds were at or over posted limits with 72-73 being most common.

Oh, and wedges suck IMHO for pulling. I think the cross winds can hit them and they'dbe better off with squared shoulders rather than letting the wind cut in after the truck. Best trailer that I ever pulled was We-Haul glass body with traditional front, and I was in the trailer business. I intend to buy one for my own use soon. I figured I like my 01 so much that the added torque would make me like the 05 even more. My 05 may be a lemon, or my 01 may have been the cream of the crop. Either way the 05 can not hold a candle to the 01 in terms of mpg, power, performance or noise.

I put 125,000 plus miles on the 01. Lots pulling a 12,500 pound RV. Never got less then 11mpg, even at 72mph. RV had been FL to MI and back, FL to Sturgis and back, FL to Maine and back and all through the Apalation mountains. Fan almost never ran. I have pulled 3 and 4 palace bike tralers with the 01 and never got less than 14mpg. The 01 would get 17 to 18 mpg on the interstate at 75 empty.

The 05 struggles to pull just under 4000 pounds. 9.8 was the best tank pulling just 4000 pounds with 9.6 being the average for a 3003 mile trip. Empty it gets 13 to 14 on the interstate at 70, 5 mph slower than the 01. Fan runs constantly if the temp is over 90 and 50% of the time when the temp is over 80.

There has to be something major wrong with this truck.

Maybe a wedge is no good for pulling but 9.6 mpg with less than 4000 pound load? I pulled a square 4 place trailer for 200 miles on the way back just to make sure it was not the trailer. The 4 place was a little heavier, 700 pounds or so and I got 9.4 mpg pulling it. It just does not add up when the 01 would average 11.5 mpg pulling 12,500 with a Harley in the bed.

The 05 truck feels like it is working harder to pull 4000 pounds than the 01 felt pulling 12,500. I am scared to hook my RV to the 05. I do not think it can pull it, especially not up Jellico or Mount Eagle.

The truck is going back to the Dealer after my Dad gets out of the Hospital from having double by pass this thursday. I am afraid my dealer will just tell me this is all normal. I might believe it had I never had a diesel before and especially if I never had a Duramax before.

fourtenposi

08-23-2005, 04:24

Are you saying that your truck struggles to 4000 pounds? I would have to think there would have to be something is wrong with the truck and with your cooling fan. My truck 2005 gmc d/a 2500HD, pulls my 28 foot enclosed trailer (8500 pounds) with ease. I average 11.5-12 running 70 down the road. The only time I notice my fan running at stoplights when the mirror is reading 95+ outside. Even then it only runs for about 30 seconds and quiets right down. I have notice that the fuel economy has gotten better. With 1000 miles on the truck I started at 9.5 mpg, now I am over 3000 it is getting 11.5-12.

Hope this helps

markrinker

08-23-2005, 04:50

There must be another variable in these '05 trucks that aren't getting the mileage and power as others.

Timing perhaps? Could a incorrectly degreed/installed camshaft be to blame?

Dave

08-23-2005, 05:16

Originally posted by fourtenposi:
Are you saying that your truck struggles to 4000 pounds? I would have to think there would have to be something is wrong with the truck and with your cooling fan. My truck 2005 gmc d/a 2500HD, pulls my 28 foot enclosed trailer (8500 pounds) with ease. I average 11.5-12 running 70 down the road. The only time I notice my fan running at stoplights when the mirror is reading 95+ outside. Even then it only runs for about 30 seconds and quiets right down. I have notice that the fuel economy has gotten better. With 1000 miles on the truck I started at 9.5 mpg, now I am over 3000 it is getting 11.5-12.

Hope this helps Yep, I am saying it struggles to pull 4000 pounds. Fan runs 50% of the time if temp out side is over 80 and if over 90 it runs almost 100% of the time. Truck has 7000 miles on it. 9.6 is average mpg over 3003 miles pulling just under 4000 pounds.

The truck has something wrong, that is for sure.

mdadgar

08-23-2005, 13:01

We left Athens TN pulling an enclosed 3 bike trailer that has a V front and low height for less wind resistance. I have a V-nose trailer and I've come to the conclusion that it's not much of an improvement. I noticed while towing in the rain that the air that comes off the sides of the truck bed curls around the rear of the truck and runs smack into the sides of the V. Not very aerodynamic, unfortunately.

- Mark

markrinker

08-23-2005, 18:17

Does it blow black smoke? What are the water temps when the fan kicks on? Off?

If it were my truck, I'd look for air intake and/or exhaust restrictions first. If none, I'd lift the truck and check all wheels for free rotation.

Another random thought - are you guys towing in tow/haul mode, and/or 5th gear lockout mode?

My '05 now has nearly 9,000 miles under tow. There is always 4500lbs of trailer behind the truck, and average loads of ~6000lbs for a total of ~10,500.

The overall fuel average is ~14mpg and the cooling fan rarely comes on.

Lets figure this one out together. The answer is probably a simple one - I am willing to bet there is something mechanically different about these two trucks from the factory than the other '05s on here, or something very different about the way they are being driven. I don't think the trailer is enough difference, and temps are summer averages for the midwest.

JimEd

08-25-2005, 04:52

I have a 2006 2500 CC short bed. I just took it on a 152 mile trip towing my 12,000# 5th wheel.
I averaged 11.2 MPG and I only have about 1700 miles on it.
I was very impress with how it pulled my 5th and I was pulling on some hills in Pa, one hill on I-70 that is 5% for two miles (by the big Cabelas store) I maintained 58 MPG without going over 3000 RPM. Most of my driving was 60 / 65 MPH.

SF Jakey

08-25-2005, 06:48

Don't feel bad. I've got a 2002and have yet to see over 16mpg unloaded and towing, ha, 7-8mpg on a 10k fishing boat. 53000 miles, no change. This truck is powerful, tows nice, but SUCKS as far as economy goes. I'll be going Ford next time, and I hate Fords!

dmax lover

08-25-2005, 09:28

Did you take your brake controller from your '01 and put it in your '05?

What year did the pigtail change for the brake controller. I know that if you pull the brake controller from an older truck (not sure which year) without switching to the new pigtail - your trailer brakes will drag.

jeff

DmaxMaverick

08-25-2005, 09:34

The brake controller harness was changed for M/Y 2003.

Although a possibility, I think it would be very noticeable. For brake drag to effect the mileage that much, power would be down considerably, and you should smell the brakes and cooking grease, as well as the hubs being very hot all the time.

Brandon

08-25-2005, 20:56

All of the new trucks suck in terms of mileage. I get 14.2 mpg around town and 14.0 mpg on the highway. You can thank the great and wonderfull EPA for the poor mileage. There are alot of restrictions that have gone into effect since the first Duramax trucks came out and by 2010 there will be many more. I know every one likes to complain so write your congressman and complain to him. The people that don't like the Black diesel smoke are on a first name basis with theirs. One thing to remember is that there are two different emissions standards on vehicles California and Federal. California emission vehicles have always gotten worst mileage gas or diesel.

NUCLEARFROG

08-28-2005, 12:14

I have an 05 swb cc LLY/Allison, and a 36ft 10,000lb bumper pull camper. When the truck had 600 miles on it we left for vacation. The onboard trip computer said it was getting 6.9 mpg. I was not pleased, but realized that the truck wasn't broke in. We covered 1900 miles on this trip and the milage increased a couple tenths per tank. It got 7.8 mpg on the last tank. I reset the average economy on every fillup, and double checked them on paper. The computer is very accurate. The truck now has 5000 miles and averages 17.5 around town empty. We are going somewhere for Labor Day so I'll check it again hopefully it will be better.
By comparison My 03 swb cc LB7/Allison with 48,000 miles got 11.5 pulling the same camper, but I had a juice on it. Even though the 05 has 10 more hp and 85 more ft lbs, It's a PIG! The 03 would run circles around the "improved" 05.

REDTRUCK05

08-28-2005, 18:11

Originally posted by Dave:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by kennedy:
Hmmm, I kinda like the power and mpg of my 2005. I've made the trip to Sturgis and seen the 10 mpg and often less in my 2002!

I ran Loyal to DP Pull Off in MT and back with my 2002 on the trailer behind and got around 11mpg near as I could figure. Speeds were at or over posted limits with 72-73 being most common.

Oh, and wedges suck IMHO for pulling. I think the cross winds can hit them and they'dbe better off with squared shoulders rather than letting the wind cut in after the truck. Best trailer that I ever pulled was We-Haul glass body with traditional front, and I was in the trailer business. I intend to buy one for my own use soon. I figured I like my 01 so much that the added torque would make me like the 05 even more. My 05 may be a lemon, or my 01 may have been the cream of the crop. Either way the 05 can not hold a candle to the 01 in terms of mpg, power, performance or noise.

I put 125,000 plus miles on the 01. Lots pulling a 12,500 pound RV. Never got less then 11mpg, even at 72mph. RV had been FL to MI and back, FL to Sturgis and back, FL to Maine and back and all through the Apalation mountains. Fan almost never ran. I have pulled 3 and 4 palace bike tralers with the 01 and never got less than 14mpg. The 01 would get 17 to 18 mpg on the interstate at 75 empty.

The 05 struggles to pull just under 4000 pounds. 9.8 was the best tank pulling just 4000 pounds with 9.6 being the average for a 3003 mile trip. Empty it gets 13 to 14 on the interstate at 70, 5 mph slower than the 01. Fan runs constantly if the temp is over 90 and 50% of the time when the temp is over 80.

There has to be something major wrong with this truck.

Maybe a wedge is no good for pulling but 9.6 mpg with less than 4000 pound load? I pulled a square 4 place trailer for 200 miles on the way back just to make sure it was not the trailer. The 4 place was a little heavier, 700 pounds or so and I got 9.4 mpg pulling it. It just does not add up when the 01 would average 11.5 mpg pulling 12,500 with a Harley in the bed.

The 05 truck feels like it is working harder to pull 4000 pounds than the 01 felt pulling 12,500. I am scared to hook my RV to the 05. I do not think it can pull it, especially not up Jellico or Mount Eagle.

The truck is going back to the Dealer after my Dad gets out of the Hospital from having double by pass this thursday. I am afraid my dealer will just tell me this is all normal. I might believe it had I never had a diesel before and especially if I never had a Duramax before. [/QUOTE]Lets start gathering info on everyones trucks (LLY only) and confront GM and our dealers all at once. I am not good with computer stuff but during this last 10 day trip, on the last stop, I started asking every dura in the campground about MPG, whats being pulled, length and weight, year truck and average speed. At one campgroung I got info on nine GM 6.6 trucks. I know my 2005 2500HD getting (last tank) 7.9 MPG at 72MPH and 7500# is an alltime low. My email address is HEYPAPA2@yahoo.com. Lets get going on this!

REDTRUCK05

08-28-2005, 19:05

Mark, it would seem Dave and I have the same exact problems going on. It would be great we could all work together to figure this out. I am bumbed because I let this problem make me an unhappy camper while towing with my family on our vacation. My last stint of about 80 miles from Canyon Falls Mn to Forest Lake Mn I set the cruise at 72 MPG pulling a 7500# travel trailer. The computer said 7.3 MPG. I have 265 tires, and do the math every time. I calculated 7.7, as allways it is within 1 MPG. The outside temp was 72 and my fan ran about every 10-12 min, and after every stop. My father told me to have them reflash the computer, but I am finding out that my situation is common with 2005 LLYS!

markrinker

08-30-2005, 19:25

I feel fortunate - mine is tugging around a 4,500 lb trailer (empty weight) and loads averaging 10K and getting 14's.

Long trip tomorrow with only ~500lbs in the bed, no trailer. Told the driver to try to set a new record, and he's paid by the hour, so I am expecting over 20.

What this should say is ITS POSSIBLE. I do know one big variable: My new driver is a retiree and a very cautious driver. I have had him follow me on errands, and I leave him in the dust around town. He gets the mileage out of this truck. I towed the 6K boat up north and hauled butt, got only 10. My lesson if I want the mileage.

I think alot of it is in your right foot. Another thing is don't listen to everyones rediculous mileage claims. Some can't even do the math.

Ford/Dodge guys aren't that smart to begin with, or they'd be driving a Duramax, right?

Dave

08-31-2005, 01:20

Originally posted by dmax lover:
Did you take your brake controller from your '01 and put it in your '05?

What year did the pigtail change for the brake controller. I know that if you pull the brake controller from an older truck (not sure which year) without switching to the new pigtail - your trailer brakes will drag.

jeff I used the old brake controller, however I switched the pig tail. I also checked for brake drag, and even pulled one tank with the brakes un pluged. I also pulled a different trailer to make sure it was nothing with the trailer.

Dave

08-31-2005, 01:30

Originally posted by Mark Rinker:
I feel fortunate - mine is tugging around a 4,500 lb trailer (empty weight) and loads averaging 10K and getting 14's.

I think alot of it is in your right foot. Another thing is don't listen to everyones rediculous mileage claims. Some can't even do the math.

Ford/Dodge guys aren't that smart to begin with, or they'd be driving a Duramax, right? I am compairing the mpg to the mpg I got in the 01 Duramax. I am pulling at the same speeds, infact I have been driving easier with the 05 trying to get better mpg. If I did not see it with my own eyes I would never have believed that you would only get 9.6 mpg average pulling 4000 pounds at 70mph.

This 05 cant hold a candle to the old 01 in terms of MPG, Power or interior noise level.

Truck is at the dealer today. :( I have very little confidence they will find or do anything. The service writter was and is clueless. I did leave a 1 page typed discription of the problems for the diesel mechanic and to go with the warrenty claim.

This truck is making me sick to my stomach. Knowing I have a 50,000 dollar truck that is not half the truck my 01 was. I should not have to pay money or redesign the cooling sytem to fix GM's screw up.

Black95TD

08-31-2005, 04:09

FYI

I have kept track of every single tank of fuel and mileage since new. I have been relatively gentle on truck since fuel is so expensive. Recently have been jumping on it occasionally to get it ready to do some real work. Boy does that sucker GO! 2625 total miles. 142 gallons. Do your own arithmetic = 18.48 mpg. Worst was all short trips of local. Most of the time it was not fully warmed up = 16.67 Best was 20.8 mpg trip unloaded, no ladder rack, 60 - 65 on highway and up and down around the lake. Recent trip w/2500 #, ladder rack with 20ft. 2 X 10's on top, 65 mph on highway, up and down around lake, hot with AC on = 19.4 mpg.

I usually go easy and let it shift at around 2K - going up the hills around the lake it will go up to 2200 - 2300. DIC usually about 1 to 1.2 mpg high.

Next time I to up to Adirondacks I will set cruise at 70 and see what happens. My fan has yet to come on even going up the long hills loaded at 85-90 degrees.

It seems to be getting broken in. The "tick" or erratic clack is mostly gone. It has not used a drop of oil (15W40 Shell).

okeehandyman

08-31-2005, 06:18

I bought two 2500HD D/A's in Nov 04. One is ext cab/8' other is c cab/6'. Wife uses cc mostly, I use ext cab mostly. When driving them from Kenosha, WI. I drove very slow (55-60/65) all the way home. About 1350 miles. To my amazement, I avg. 22 mpg for the trip. Now that the ext cab has 23K mi. it has not improved - so much for the breaking in idea! But on the other hand, it hasn't gotten worse. Last month we took a 3600 mi. trip with a Lance 915 truck camper onboard - talk about a heavy, unstreamlined box to push thru the air! My avg mpg was 15 for the whole trip fl to cleveland to williamsport pa to lake senaca ny, to hamburg & gettysburg pa to skyline dr/ parkway to FL. As you see, this included lots of hills. I don't seem to hear all that fan noise that some speak of. Perhaps I just don't know what to listen for, but I think that D/A is really quiet. Around town driving, we both seem to get 17 to 18 mpg. I had considered changing the exhaust and air intake, but now I'm afraid to touch anything!

rob@rone.ca

08-31-2005, 06:20

Black95 - what is the net weight of your truck - take the GVW less the listed load capacity?

I have a K3500 SRW long box extended cab, and the net weight with driver and fuel is around 7150 lbs out of a GVW of 9900.

My calculated mileage results are slightly less than yours ie 17-18 highway empty, 16-17 local empty, and 13-14 mpg with a 3000 lb camper on in mixed highway and local driving, like you - going easy for maximum mileage. I now have around 3000 miles on it, so am still hoping for some improvement.

I have recorded as high as 19.6 on the DIC, but it never seems to bear out on a fillup.

My old K2500 6.5TD reg cab standard trans 8600 GVW did about 2-3 mpg better in similar driving in all cases, I'm sure partly because of weight, and partly because of the standard shift.

It certainly seems to relate to the dead weight of the truck.

Dave

08-31-2005, 06:30

Just got the dreaded call from the service advisor on my truck.

They stated nothing is wrong with it. The fan should run all the time. 9 mpg is also normal. Engine temp above 210 is also normal. The service manager is suspose to call me back. They want to test the power and mpg with the truck empty. I explained the problem is when it is being used as a truck pulling a light 4000 pound trailer, not as a family car.

I really regret trading my 01 duramax in on this truck.

DmaxMaverick

08-31-2005, 07:15

Dave

Your S/M is an idiot, for lack of a better term. Ask him for the documentation that confirms all this is normal. Get his diagnostic in writing, stating all this is normal. Then, take it to another dealer. A little "peer pressure" may encourage another dealer to actually do something.

I understand your remorse. I won't give up my '01. It's just too good to let go. I had considered trading up, but at this point, no way. No smog. No fan. Lots of power. Excellent mileage. Life is good.

Dave

08-31-2005, 07:46

Originally posted by DmaxMaverick:
Dave

Your S/M is an idiot, for lack of a better term. Ask him for the documentation that confirms all this is normal. Get his diagnostic in writing, stating all this is normal. Then, take it to another dealer. A little "peer pressure" may encourage another dealer to actually do something.

I understand your remorse. I won't give up my '01. It's just too good to let go. I had considered trading up, but at this point, no way. No smog. No fan. Lots of power. Excellent mileage. Life is good. I just talked to the service manager again. He states there is nothing wrong with my truck. He sugested I call GM if I am that dissatisfied with my truck and the MPG, power and fan always running. He stated fuel pressures were normal and so was injector flow. He said he would test the truck on the road with a trailer if I provide the trailer, fuel and ride along. Means I have to miss a days work for that.

I really did not figure I would get help. I even explained that I have over 120000 miles expeariance with a duramax truck and know mine is not right. He says it performs just as it should

50+

08-31-2005, 14:49

My 05 lly is getting 17-18 driving back and forth to work, with a fair amount of starts and stops. I have yet to put it on the highway without my trailer for any distance. Its got 5800 miles on it, and my mileage seems to have improved a bit. When I pull my 20' GN fully loaded it will weigh between 10,000 and 11,000 lbs. Worst has been 9.8 and my best is 11.4. I dont baby it, I run 70-75. I have tons of power. I've been amazed quite a few times when the truck maintained 5th gear and I was sure it would go to 4th. I'm quite impressed, and happy with mine. 100% stock except for 265's.

Black95TD

08-31-2005, 16:06

Rob,

The net weight of my truck with me and fuel is right around 6000 lb. Usually empty but with a ladder rack. My one trip loaded was probably around 8000 - 8500 lb with ladder rack and 20 ft. boards on top. I still got 19.4 mpg. In all fairness, I accelerate gently - up to around 2000 rpm and let it shift. Overall, quite a bit better than my old 95 (Thankfully - diesel just went over $3.00 today)

No doubt about it, go easy for better mileage. It does sound like something isn't right with Dave's truck though. My old 95 pulled a 6K box trailer with no sweat and my new one would do it much easier - can't imagine my fan would be on much.

larryd1

09-01-2005, 05:48

i HAVE A 2002 2500, ext. cab Dur/Alli. 55,000 miles getting about 18.5 hwy 15 city and 10 towing my 7,000 lb 5er. I don,t hesr the fan comming on as much as you guys have but on another forum someone said they increased there mileage by taking off the grill and closing off all the opening around the rad area so that the air can only come in through the rad, this is supposed to cool better without the fan comming on and increase the mileage. He has pictures and everything, Iwill try and find it again and let you,s know where it is.

rob@rone.ca

09-01-2005, 18:42

So, black95 reporting high mileage, weighs 6000 lbs empty

Mine K3500 SRW ext cab long box at 7150 lbs empty (20%) more dead weight, seems to get about 10-15% lower mileage

The duallys probaly weigh yet a bit more, and definitely would have more wind resistance at high speeds.

So, I think to compare mileage, it's important to compare with very similar trucks.

Rocinante

09-04-2005, 15:56

Here is my hat thrown into the fuel economy ring. I am very conscious of the MPG I get with my vehicles. My last tow vehicle was a 1987 GMC Suburban 2500, 2WD, with a 454 cid fuel injected engine, turbo 400 HD trans, headers and flowmaster exhaust, Amsoil oil with dual remote filters and a oil/foam air filter. I pulled a 1997 Holiday Rambler 36

unclechevy66ss

09-04-2005, 22:59

Here is my 2 cent's(sorry about my grammer!). Owned a 2003 duramax 4dr LongBed auto 4wd 2500hd GMC bought with 18000 miles for $32000.00(not including taxes) In Salt Lake off ebay. Drove her home and got 17-18 and checked the actual milage to computer and she was right on. Drove her for about a month or so and put on 265's to get the old ugly 245's OFF! Loaded her up with a 9 1/2' camper shower the whole nine yards and a 6x12 trailer with three utility quads. Scales in Oregon said 14800. My Father with the same trailer and quads only an 11' camper in his 2003 dodge 6spd man. cummins 4wd 4dr lbed but dont know the scale wieght! We both left Las Vegas Heading to Medford OR, I made it to Reno on fumes getting 12 mpg and father did not make it getting 9.5-10! I drove my 2003 GMC till a month or so ago and really beat her up towing! I have a 39' Flat bed bumper pull that i have put two full size Blazers on and a bronco 2 all at the same time and the old lb7 did great! Usually getting between 9.5 and 12 depending on the grade, conditions, and load.
Then along came GM PRICING!!!!!!!!! And i really wanted a white truck with the tow mirrors!The 2003 had 41000 mi at trade in. So i bought a 2005 4dr LB 4x4 d/a from Nampa ID $34380.00 OUT THE DOOR!(FROM GARY LAMING THE BEST TRANSACTION IVE EVER HAD. TOOK MY TRADE($27500.00) SITE UNSEEN AND DID IT ALL IN LESS THAN A HALF AN HOUR) By the way i got 20.8 mpg on the way up to trade the 03 in with the tail gate down. I also took the 03 to Mike at silver state motor sports a few days before and put it on the dyno to see the differance between the two. The 03 with no mods but a drop in the stock box K+N filter made 275 horse at the rear wheels! I was SHOCKED !!!!!!!!!!!!
Then i got my new on jumped in and floored it and it took off like my brothers old 1985 Chevy Blazer with a 305!!!! I sad to my buddy that was with me what the Hell this thing is a pig! I called Gary and said what is up with my new truck it sucks its slow! He told me it had to break in. OOKK!!! And yes i got 14.7 on the way home from nampa ID!! And yes just like all the rest of you i wanted my old 03 back! But a month or so has gone by the power has greatly increased and now im getting 15 in town. I havent taken her any where far yet on the highway empty, but hauling the same 39' trailer with the same load the new 05 has more power she holds overdrive alot farther up he grade than the 03 did. The milage is a little less but not anything mayjor. The cooler turns on at the EXACT I MEAN EXACT same time as the old one (Remember i live in LAS VEGAS SO WE KNOW HEAT) so that hasnt bothered me any I just hope that she keeps getting alittle better mpg with time like my old one did. But dont falter my fellow GM lovers REMEBER my new one has a CAT so my first change is going to be exaust and an intake and 265's! And i think the 265's really helped my 03. My brother in law just bought an 06 with the 6spd and his truck is 2000 rpms at 78-80mph which is alot less than my 05 so i think the 265's help because they lowred my 03 a couple hundred rpm. KEEP THE PSI on those tires UP TOO!!! THANKS

REDTRUCK05

09-06-2005, 20:27

Originally posted by Dave:
Just got the dreaded call from the service advisor on my truck.

They stated nothing is wrong with it. The fan should run all the time. 9 mpg is also normal. Engine temp above 210 is also normal. The service manager is suspose to call me back. They want to test the power and mpg with the truck empty. I explained the problem is when it is being used as a truck pulling a light 4000 pound trailer, not as a family car.

I really regret trading my 01 duramax in on this truck. Same year truck, same MPG but SLIGHTLY more load. Please call me 651-308-3348 651-276-8936. My Dealer told me the same thing. It is fine... Wrong! I have a case # with GM and it would be great to have another contact.

Paul Montalbano
Heypapa2@Yahoo.com

Dave

09-07-2005, 14:41

Originally posted by REDTRUCK05:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Dave:
Just got the dreaded call from the service advisor on my truck.

They stated nothing is wrong with it. The fan should run all the time. 9 mpg is also normal. Engine temp above 210 is also normal. The service manager is suspose to call me back. They want to test the power and mpg with the truck empty. I explained the problem is when it is being used as a truck pulling a light 4000 pound trailer, not as a family car.

I really regret trading my 01 duramax in on this truck. Same year truck, same MPG but SLIGHTLY more load. Please call me 651-308-3348 651-276-8936. My Dealer told me the same thing. It is fine... Wrong! I have a case # with GM and it would be great to have another contact.

Paul Montalbano
Heypapa2@Yahoo.com [/QUOTE]I too have a file number with GM. Next week they are replacing the clutch fan in the truck as it is to slow to react to both increasing temperatures and decreasing temperatures. They will also take a ride in my truck pulling a Case skid steer and equipment on a trailer for a trailer total weight of just over 8000 pounds. I am not prepaired to try to pull the 12500 pound RV with this weak truck. MPG was 9.6 pulling just under 4000 pounds so I bet it will be 8 or less with 8000 pounds.

nlp

09-07-2005, 15:38

I pull a 5000 lb boat, ~70 and get 13-14.5 mpg.
That's with a good deal of wind resistance and the A/C on.
2002 D/A Crew Cab 4x4.

Dave

09-08-2005, 01:45

Originally posted by nlp:
I pull a 5000 lb boat, ~70 and get 13-14.5 mpg.
That's with a good deal of wind resistance and the A/C on.
2002 D/A Crew Cab 4x4. My point and why this 05 is a poor excuse for a truck. My 01 pulled 12500 RV at 70 mph and 12 mpg. 05 cant even get that mpg with a 4000 wedge trailer.

Dave

09-14-2005, 01:08

Monday the dealer installed the clutch fan. Then they hooked up the tech 2 and we went for a ride pulling a flatbed trailer with a Case 1849 skid steer for a total trailer weigh of just uunder 7000 pounds. Out side temperature was 88 degrees, new fan came on with in 12 minutes of leaving the dealer on the interstate. Every little hill the truck down shifted out of OD. In total 135 miles was put on the truck towing 7000 pounds. The mpg was 9.1 at 70 mph. Clutch fan ran 40% of the time. Engine temp got to 225. :( Could not maintain OD on the slightest of hill. Service tech said every thing looked good with the tech 2, fuel pressure and such. He did understand why I am dis satisfied with the truck. He took several snap shots to send to GMC. He also stated he has got lots of complaints about the LLY with poor mpg, fan always running and low power. :eek:

The 135 mile test loop we took I have pulled my 12500 pound RV on many times with my 01 LB7 truck. It averaged 12 mpg at the same speed. Cooling fan never came on. It also did not shift out of OD but for 1 hill.

I hate this 05 truck :mad: . I am scard to pull my RV with it, especially up into the mountains. It heats up to 225 with 7000 pounds on a hill, what will it do with 12500 pounds going up a 7% grade? I do not have much faith in GM fixing this truck. I have sent two cetified, return recept letters to GM customer service. :mad:

Kennedy

09-14-2005, 08:52

Guess I must have got a good one...

dinoace

09-15-2005, 14:01

Just to add to the conversation I have a 2004.5 C/C 2500 4x2 with the lly and all by itself at 70 miles per hour the truck gets between 19.5 to 20.5, at 65 mph the best I ever got was 22.8(no lie). Now pulling my 2005 Wildcat 27RL Fifth wheel weighing 8500 pounds at 65 mph I average 13-14, If I take the speed to 70-75 and the rpm's are above 2000 all bets are off it drops to 10 or so. I used to have a 2000 chevy 3500 c/c dually with a 454, pulling the same trailer I got 7mph so I feel I'm ahead of the game, by the way this 2500hd pulls beter in all aspects than the 2000 3500 dually did.

LanduytG

09-15-2005, 14:34

Have 45K on my 04.5 LLY and economy sucked for the first 5-10K. Now it gets 19.5 hiway doing 70mph empty. Towing my 26 foot fifth wheel to Colorado this past summer my best was 13.4 and worst was 10.2. I had and overall 3600 mile trip average of 11.8. Fan came on but not that much. Things pulls hard and I love it.

Greg

guerrero

09-17-2005, 10:01

Just finished 4500 miles through NWT to Great Slave Lake and back on a lot of dirt and gravel surfaces (converter frequently not locked) with a 9.0 camper in the bed (2200#). 2005 D/A 4X4 Extended cab SB with E/A version 1.2 returned ( manual calc) 15.6 mpg for the 4500 miles. Empty interstate running at 70 routinely produces 20.6 and city empty avergages 17.5-18. I am satisfied with these numbers - truck has 10,900 miles showing and stock tires.

rob@rone.ca

09-17-2005, 19:11

Guerero, would those be miles per Imperial or US Gallon???

guerrero

09-18-2005, 18:21

Units were statute miles and US gallons.

Dave

09-20-2005, 01:04

Originally posted by kennedy:
Guess I must have got a good one... Or I just happened to get one of the few crappy ones.

My 01 was a great truck. In 125,000 plus miles the only problem was a ground wire came loose causing funny gage readings and no pilot injection. I really wish I could get my 01 back.

My dealer Service Technition really feels there is something wrong with my truck. It just will not show up on the tech II. He could see why I hate this truck when we went on the test ride with a 7000 pound trailer Engine temps at 230, trans at 210, 4th gear on little hills, struggling to keep 70mph. Cooling fan never shutting off.

Yesterday the Service technition got told by GM their is nothing wrong with my truck. He was also told not to do any more work on it for my complaints of High engine and Trans temp, cooling fan always on, getting only 9 mpg, and not being able to hold 5th on the hwy with a 4000 pound trailer. :mad:

My 01 did not have a problem keeping 5th on this streatch of road pulling 12,000, engine temp never ever went over 210, and trans never went over 200 on the 01, pulling 12000 on a 3 mile 7% grade in 98 degree weather.

My 05 is a POS :mad: I am pretty sure I got one of the few troubled trucks but that does nothing to fix my problems or make me feel better.

Steve Rapp

09-22-2005, 07:29

There is something seriously wrong with that truck! I towed 7000 lbs clear across the country and got 16.5 mpg and never saw the trans or engine temp go more than 10 degrees above normal. The fan would kick on on the serious hills and it came out of 5th ONCE when I had to slow down on a hill.

rob@rone.ca

09-22-2005, 08:39

Steve

What is your year and model ie 2500, 3500, extended cab? etc, LB7 or LLY engine, allison or standard,

What was your average speed on the flats?

What was the size and shape of the 7000 lb load?

Any mods ie exhaust, EGR?

All these can significantly affect mileage

If indeed you have a stock LLY/Allison and got an average of 16.5 USMPG towing, you did very well, all the rest of us gonna want YOUR truck!!!

tanker

09-22-2005, 16:36

To add my 3 cents to the issue. :rolleyes: Just rolled in after towing 5800 miles, with a combined weight of 20,360lbs (Cat Scale) out to Salt Lake City (The Diesel Page Rendezvous) and back, but not straight out and back. We did some visiting and covered 19 States. I averaged 10.6 mpg. over the trip. I did a little comparison along the way. At 60 mph we got 11.3 mpg. at 65 mph we got 10.6 mph and at 70 mph we got 9.8 mpg. So as you can see speed plays a big part in mpg issues. Yes weight and frontal area of the towed unit also play a big part, along with some hills we encountered, the biggest was 12,183 ft. and this was not on an interstate highway. So who wants to roll down the big road at 60mph? :rolleyes: well with cars and trucks passing at 75+mph you fell left out until you pull in to fuel up, then reality sets in! :D
Just my 3 cents! ;)

Dave

09-23-2005, 02:43

Originally posted by Steve Rapp:
There is something seriously wrong with that truck! I towed 7000 lbs clear across the country and got 16.5 mpg and never saw the trans or engine temp go more than 10 degrees above normal. The fan would kick on on the serious hills and it came out of 5th ONCE when I had to slow down on a hill. That is exactly how I see it! I know what a good Duramax truck performs like, my 01 was great. My 05 is a POS but GMC says it is 100% normal.

GMC customer assistance center just closed my file on my truck. They state it is performing as designed, and closed my case with the note of dissatisfied customer. Megan the CRM for my file at GMC customer assistance center went on to explain to me that my 01 with the LB7 was a more powerfull truck and was rated to do more work than my 05 LLY. I asked her for that in writting but said she could not do that. Then I talked to her boss. Her boss also stated that the LB7 was a stronger more powerfull motor and I was wrong to expect my LLY to perform as good as the LB7. He also refused to send that to me in writting. Both said my dealer ship service manger would give it to me in writting. I am waiting for a call back from my service manager.

GMC customer service is also sending me the stuff I need to send my case to the better business bureau.

GMC knows they have a problem with some of the LLY's and overheating. They just refuse to fix it. Even though it apears they did correct it with a the cooling system design changes on the 06 and the air intake design change.

Steve Rapp

09-23-2005, 07:48

Originally posted by rob from bc canada:
Steve

What is your year and model ie 2500, 3500, extended cab? etc, LB7 or LLY engine, allison or standard,

What was your average speed on the flats?

What was the size and shape of the 7000 lb load?

Any mods ie exhaust, EGR?

All these can significantly affect mileage

If indeed you have a stock LLY/Allison and got an average of 16.5 USMPG towing, you did very well, all the rest of us gonna want YOUR truck!!!

Steve Rapp

09-23-2005, 08:04

OOPs, hit the button to quick!
My truck is an 04.5 lly 2500 extended cab long box. Bone stock, no mods. I had 10,000 miles on it when I started the trip. I towed a loaded car trailer. I stayed at 2000-2200 rpm most of the time to maximize MPG. When getting back on the freeway I would ease up to speed and have the AC off until it hit 5th gear. I found this to be the weird part, the car I towed east was a 57 Chevy with no engine or trans. The car I towed west was a complete 70 GTO and it did better towing that than the engine less car. This convinced me that aerodynamics plays a big part in fuel MPG. The truck only got 21 MPG once during a 500 mile unloaded round trip between Mass. and Pa. I also went a trip with a friend of mine to pick up two complete cars and he has the same truck I do and when we stopped for fuel we were matching amounts within a gallon.

Steve Rapp

09-23-2005, 08:13

Has the 5 speed Allison.

REDTRUCK05

09-25-2005, 19:45

Originally posted by tanker:
To add my 3 cents to the issue. :rolleyes: Just rolled in after towing 5800 miles, with a combined weight of 20,360lbs (Cat Scale) out to Salt Lake City (The Diesel Page Rendezvous) and back, but not straight out and back. We did some visiting and covered 19 States. I averaged 10.6 mpg. over the trip. I did a little comparison along the way. At 60 mph we got 11.3 mpg. at 65 mph we got 10.6 mph and at 70 mph we got 9.8 mpg. So as you can see speed plays a big part in mpg issues. Yes weight and frontal area of the towed unit also play a big part, along with some hills we encountered, the biggest was 12,183 ft. and this was not on an interstate highway. So who wants to roll down the big road at 60mph? :rolleyes: well with cars and trucks passing at 75+mph you fell left out until you pull in to fuel up, then reality sets in! :D
Just my 3 cents! ;) How much of the 20,360# was trailer?

More Power

09-26-2005, 08:47

Every so often I get an email or phone call from someone who claims his or her truck delivers unbelievably low fuel economy or perceived power. I would really like to get my hands on their truck for a couple of days. I use a stretch of highway near here for fuel economy runs (I-90), and we have a local hill near here that we have lots of experience with. I'd like to confirm some of the low power/economy reports. If indeed they are low (well below normal), I'd dig till I found out why.

Bring your truck to Montana. smile.gif

Jim

tanker

09-26-2005, 15:26

To; REDTRUCK05, I'm not real sure about the actual trailer weight. It says its a 11,500lb. GVW, empty weight 8590lbs.
The truck had 132 gallons total fuel, plus the weight of the 98 gallon transfer-Flow tank, two 2000EU Honda generators, a tool box with tools, oil, filters etc. Plus my wife and I. The trailer was loaded by my wife, like we were going to Etheopia! :D
When I weighed I had the following: Front axle 4380lbs. rear axle 6020lbs. trailer tandem 9960lbs.
I'm allowed front axle 4800lbs. rear axle 6500lbs. and trailer tandem 12000lbs.
I'll need to weigh the truck loaded by it self. ;)

rob@rone.ca

09-26-2005, 18:19

That brings up a thought.

For someone who is experiencing what they believe to be poor mileage or overheating, it might make sense to rent or borrow an exactly comparable truck, and drive it the same way they usually do for a couple of hundred miles, and see if it's dramatically different.

I imagine some variability would be considered normal, but certainly a consistently lower mileage by 10% or more or cooling fan coming on 20% more of the time should be cause for warranty repairs.

I wonder what percentage of variability GM would say we have to accept.

Dave

09-27-2005, 01:10

Originally posted by More Power:
Every so often I get an email or phone call from someone who claims his or her truck delivers unbelievably low fuel economy or perceived power. I would really like to get my hands on their truck for a couple of days. I use a stretch of highway near here for fuel economy runs (I-90), and we have a local hill near here that we have lots of experience with. I'd like to confirm some of the low power/economy reports. If indeed they are low (well below normal), I'd dig till I found out why.

Bring your truck to Montana. smile.gif

Jim I sure wish I could bring it up there. I would love to have some one look at it and figure out what is wrong. My unloaded mpg has been decreasing since I bought the truck. I am only getting 13.8 mpg on my daily commute, all rual hwy, 1 stop sign and no trafic. My 01 same configuration truck got 18.2 on the exact same commute.

Pulling a slightly under 4000 pound loaded motorcycle trailer to Sturgis SD and back I got 9.6 mpg, hand computed and DIC. Pulling 7000 pounds of trailer and skid steer to the dealer and on a test ride with the dealer I got 9 mpg. Engine coolant temp hit 230 and trans temp hit 210. It was only 88 degrees out and fan ran more than 60% of the time.

My 01 would get 12 to 12.5 mpg pulling my 12500 pound RV, more weight and frontal area. Fan almost never ran. Engine temp never went over 210 and trans never went over 190.

GMC Customer Assistance Center says my truck is fine, no problems. I have a file with them but they closed it with a note, dissatisfied customer. Now the better business Bureau is involvled and I got a call from another person in GMC Customer Service and are looking into my complaints with the truck.

Dave

09-27-2005, 01:20

Originally posted by rob from bc canada:
That brings up a thought.

For someone who is experiencing what they believe to be poor mileage or overheating, it might make sense to rent or borrow an exactly comparable truck, and drive it the same way they usually do for a couple of hundred miles, and see if it's dramatically different.

I imagine some variability would be considered normal, but certainly a consistently lower mileage by 10% or more or cooling fan coming on 20% more of the time should be cause for warranty repairs.

I wonder what percentage of variability GM would say we have to accept. I went to Myrtle Beach Laborday week end in a 05 GMC Crew Cab SRW 3500 4x4. The truck was pulling the same 4000 pound 3 bike trailer I pulled to Sturgis SD. At 70 mph he got 13.7 mpg average round trip. Cooling fan only came on a couple of times. Only down shifted on a mountain grade. Engine temp stayed rock steady at 210. I also drove the truck some of the way out with the trailer and empty while there. Only differce between the two trucks is mine is a DRW vs a SRW.
It performed much better in every catagory, power, mpg, holding 5th gear and fan not running.

My dealer refuses to compair the trucks side by side. My dealer sold both trucks, 2 weeks apart. I know a SRW will get better MPG than a DRW, but it sould not be the SRW getting the same mpg pulling a trailer that the DRW gets empty.

The differeance in drive between the two trucks empty is not much other than MPG. However with a very light trailer 4000 pounds the differance is night and day. It like compairing a 4000 pound trailer behind a 2500 with a 5.0L and 2500 with a 8.0L.

GMC Customer Assitance Center also refuses to have the dealer do a side by side comparison. They also told me 13.8 mpg is all I should expect out of the truck empty. They also said 9 mpg was real good seeing I was towing heavy trailer? When is 4000 pounds heavy for a diesel or a 1 ton?

I am well beyond mad about my truck and GMC not being willing to even try to figure out what is wrong with it. :mad: Here is a 50K truck designed to pull just over 16,000 pounds yet gets hot pulling a measly 7000 pounds, not even on a Mountain grade.

[ 09-27-2005, 01:33 AM: Message edited by: Dave ]

LeroyR

09-27-2005, 05:48

Well, this weekend, we pulled our 30ft. TT out of camp and pulled it 180 miles home. I don't know the exact weight of the TT, but it is rated up to 11,000 pounds. The way my wife loads up stuff, it could've been that, but was more likely in the 9.5K lb range. (It's ship weight is 7970 lbs with no options and this one has lot's of options.) The first 80 miles was mostly uphill (at least a lot more uphill than down) heading South down I-93 from Vermont to The Notch (Franconia Notch). Going against the wind, which varied from a head-wind to a crosswind (at times) and one long ~5 mile(?) grade, the truck got 8.0 mpg (DIC). It's lower than what I had hoped for at the time, but considering everything might not actually be that bad. (This being the first time pulling with it and me pulling this particular TT.) This is the heaviest I've pulled so far. The truck pulled fine and the engine temp never moved from [around the first mark below] 210. Just once (going up the long grade) did the trans temp get close to 160 (about 157 - about 1 mark and 1/2 above the 150 mark). All other times, it stayed around 148 - 150. I pretty much travelled at the speed limit (65 mph) with +/- 5 mph deviation. (Didn't use the cruise.) Exception is the Notch which is 45 mph.

Coming down out of The Notch, I didn't reset the DIC mpg because I wanted to get an idea of the overall mileage. At the end of the trip (at home), I was showing 10.9 mpg after parking the TT. (It actually squeaked up to 11.0 right before I started to park the TT, but I'm not counting that - due to round off, etc.) If my calculations are correct, the "downhill" side of The Notch gave me a rating of 13.2 mpg.

I was very pleased with the truck's performance and how easily it pulled the TT. Initially, I had to pull the TT out of our site w/o the weight distribution hitch. Just sat it on the ball, chained 'er up and pulled 'er out. Hardly any squat in the truck back-end. In fact, the TT only has a 750 lb. hitch weight. I was actually moving things forward to put more weight on the hitch. I also put the Reese Dual Cam stablizers on the WDH to help prevent swaying, etc. When those crosswinds hit, I was very glad I did.

This truck with only 1200 miles on it right now gets a thumbs-up so far.

More Power

09-27-2005, 08:22

Keep me in mind that if anyone fits the low fuel economy/low power category, try to make it to Montana - now or in the future. I'll buy all the fuel used for the tests we do, and if your truck is a GMC, I have a very good working relationship with the local dealership and their excellent diesel tech. I also have a good relationship with the local Chevy dealership, but haven't spent a lot of time in their service department.

Jim

James T. Little

09-28-2005, 08:40

Traded my 02 crew 2wd for 05 crew 4wd and LLY. I at first was very unhappy with power and milage. Now 6000 miles down the road my LLY pulls better than my LB7 and gets slightly better towing mileage but 18.9 unloaded compared to 20.1 LB7. Engine temps run higher and tranny temps higher but it performs better towing. Seat of the pants the powerband on the LB7 feels stronger but in actuality may not be accurate.

Dave

09-29-2005, 01:30

Originally posted by James T. Little:
Traded my 02 crew 2wd for 05 crew 4wd and LLY. I at first was very unhappy with power and milage. Now 6000 miles down the road my LLY pulls better than my LB7 and gets slightly better towing mileage but 18.9 unloaded compared to 20.1 LB7. Engine temps run higher and tranny temps higher but it performs better towing. Seat of the pants the powerband on the LB7 feels stronger but in actuality may not be accurate. Not my findings. My LLY now has 8612 miles on it. The empty mpg has been decreasing. Still has less power for pulling than the LB7 I traded. The LB7 truck the mpg went up as I put miles on it, the LLY mpg is going down.