Real World mileage when towing big block vs small block "GAS ENGINE"

[skip68]

What kinda mileage are you guys getting with big block or small blocks when towing?  Gasoline engines only.   New and old is fine for comparison.   

[HPP]

'73 1 ton crew cab, 440, auto trans 4:10 gears 33" tall tires. Around 10 in town. 12-14 on the highway loaded with trailer, car, tools, and gear. 16-18 unloaded highway.
'09 1/2 ton crew cab, 5.7 auto, 3:91 gears 31" tall tires. Around 12 in town, 16-18 on the highway loaded with trailer, car, tools, and gear. 24 unloaded highway.

[skip68]

 . Wow, that's excellent for the one ton crew.  
I'm averaging 10-11 on highway towing.  '95 3/4 ton suburban 4x4 454 and I believe 4:10 gears.   

[Troy]

Hahahahahahaha...

My 76 Power Wagon with the 440 always got 6. Period. (It was also a lifted 4x4 with 33s.) My 84 Suburban 3/4 ton 2WD with a 454 always got about 10.5. Not much difference in either with 4,500 pounds out back. Took Bill Allphin's 5.9 Magnum (2WD?) truck to Garlits one year and mileage dropped to about 6-7 in the Tennessee mountains and I think our average was about 10. And it had the getup-and-go of a lazy tortoise. When I was looking to buy the Power Wagon everything I read said that the 360 was less powerful and didn't get any better mileage than a big block. Once you get new enough to get into a modern Hemi I think that changes. But don't expect miracles in the mileage department - just in the power/torque. When I had my 2006 Tahoe 4x4 it was getting 18-20 with a trailer and I'm pretty sure it was beating the best Ram (non diesel) by 4 mpg or more.

Troy

[Aero426]

2004 Ram 2500 2wd 5.7, 3.91 gears, pulling a 24" enclosed,  Average 8-9 mpg loaded.  

[c00nhunterjoe]

06 3/4 ton silverado. 6.0, tuner, intake, 3000 stall conveter, 4.10s, exhaust, shift kit on 33's. 13 local, 16 highway, 10-11 towing.

[HPP]

. Wow, that's excellent for the one ton crew.   

Well, it was pretty specifically built for towing at my altitude. Balanced internal assy, 11:1 compression, high lift short duration cam, a lot of runner to bowl work, thermal barrier coatings everywhere, dry film coatings everywhere, becoup work on dialing in the ignition curve and carb mixture. I had the biggest diameter, lowest stall convertor I could find in it. Took two feet to hold it at a stop light.

My towed set up is nothing spectacular though. 22' open trailer, around 1800#. Most of my cars are 3600# or less.  100# worth of tools, maybe. Plus my driving gear, meals and drinks. Certainly wasn't stressing a 1 ton at all.  The long wheelbase road real nice down the highway too. However, I ended up selling it and my daily driver Honda to pick up my new Ram. A 2 seater daily driver just wasn't working well with 3 kids, and the  1 ton was only getting used  once a month during the summer ( it was a 2wd). I was steadily improving it and it was very nice, but was not a friendly around town vehicle. Turning radius sucked and ride was a bit rough. It was a bit loud too, which was kinda cool when you could blip the idle through a parking lot and set off car alarms, but a bit annoying on a road trip of more than an hour.

My new truck does all if it without any protest and has all sorts of cool modern things to boot.

[Todd Wilson]

My old 74 Dodge extended cab 3/4 ton 2wd 440 727 4.10 Dana 60 would tow my tractor around and get 8-10mpg.  My 95 Ram 1500 360 got about 10mpg loaded with my 71 Charger. Hooking the empty trailer to it was like flipping the 13mpg switch on it.


Todd

[cdr]

i had a 2000 4 door 1ton dually 454 vortec got 12mpg empty or with 8k lbs  4.10 gear & overdrive, headers & a tuner 

[Lizey]

Roughly 9 in my 1993 GMC (long bed 305 manual 4x4) with the cattle trailer on. Got 11 when I pulled the Charger down to Wisconsin with it. Gets 15 without a trailer on it so 

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Hellcat Challenger: 22 highway.

[lukedukem]

Hellcat Challenger: 22 highway.

You tow with thing?

Luke

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Hellcat Challenger: 22 highway.

You tow with thing?

Luke

No need to tow the good car, because that is the good car. 

[Homerr]

Hellcat Challenger: 22 highway.

They are talking about a different sort of hauling here Mytur.