My 2002 GMC 1500 with the 5.3 gets 10-12mpg towing my camper, which weighs 5600-6000 pounds, has more frontal area, and more protruberances (all kinds of stuff sticking out of the roof). That's regardless of flat land or mountains, highway or country driving, etc.

It may be necessary to raise the tire pressure a lot even if you're not worried about fuel economy. Get on a scale and check axle weights, then compare to load-inflation charts. If it's even close, pump them up...leave yourself a lot of room. Tires failing from underinflation while towing can be a huge disaster.

Look into a trailer nose cone, too. While not cheap, they are not that expensive, either. The bonus is they are very lightweight. I believe Wells Cargo brand trailers sources their optional nose cones from these guys: https://www.nosecone.com/ .

Nose Cone has fitments for all sorts of different sized trailers including cargo trailers like yours. I looked into them once for my former trailer but decided that I didn't pull it often enough to make it cost effective for me.

Also don't even think about towing a trailer that heavy in overdrive. The transmission will hunt gears and rapidly overheat. Plus you probably won't be in the powerband and that will hurt your economy, too.

Bob

I wonder if lowering the truck would help - get more of the truck into the air flow of the low trailer. Definately need to check the trailer tires air pressure and maybe an alignment check and brake drag - check for things getting hot when just going on level road at a steady speed - this would indicate drag and friction - tire and rim / brake temps is a good indicator of something not right.

Check what lube you are using in the engine and gear boxes in the truck at the next service - upgrade there could save a lot of gas.

In the process of talking the owner into putting the biggest tranny cooler we can find on it. It has already had one transmission in it under warranty.

Yeah I knew it was wrong. I cant spell anything. I think I will look into trying to get some of the weight into the back of the truck, but it is already pretty full of stuff like our luggage.

Its a 5.4 and only gets 16 without the trailer. When I drive I try to keep it a little slower but the people I am with get antsy if I go much less then 65 on the interstate. I have tried to tell them that we only save like 5-10 min over the entire drive going faster. I have also noticed that drafting helps a little too.

Yeah but all they gave me was this Ford. I think that this 5 speed pos automatic tranny might have something to do with it or maybe that it is turning around 3.5k on the highway bc it wont pull it in overdrive.

And who knows it could weigh a lot more. I just guessed around 7000lb bc when it is behind the company f350 you can hardly notice it. We have never had it on the scales, I think that next time we stop at a truck stop ill get our rig weighed.

Its already got load range d tires. Ill check to make sure that the pressure is close to the max on them today.

I think ill try to come up with something to attach to the back of the trailer that could be easily removed for rear door access.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Michael

I think in addition to the tire pressures if you could convince the company to change the tonneau cover to a smooth canopy you will see an increase in towing milage. The gap created when the trailer is behind makes a big hole for turbulence to form. less of a gap less drag.

Are the tires bias ply or steel belted radials?
At one of the last company's I worked for we had a similar trailer with a single axle. We always had it loaded heavy, and kept burning through the bias ply tires. We had radial tires installed and it solved that problem. My thought is the radials would have less rolling resistance because the inner part of the tread contact patch isn't caving in.

Dont know, Ill check it out.

Do you guys think that a shell could help much? The trailer sticks up quite a bit more then the back of the truck does. A shell could be nice though for more storage in the truck. That could help convince the owner, or if anyone has data on mileage gain from adding a shell.

Jetta90GL Is that your truck in your avatar? How much did you gain from the extended air dam?

Thanks

:eek: That's a lot of RPM for that gear. I guess that could be the problem. You would think that with an extra gear it could run closer to the most appropriate ratio. In my truck, 70 in 3rd (1:1) is 2900, or 2000 in overdrive (.7:1).

Remember, load range just means maximum pressure; for a given size, a load range D tire at 44psi is rated for the same load as a P-series or LT-series standard load tire...load range D is good for 65psi.

I run 80psi in load range E tires, except when empty I run the rears closer to 70psi.

I think so.

You would think but it doesnt make enough power to pull it in overdrive, unless we are going down hill. And 3500 might be a little high more like 3200 at 70.

I just hope that the other crew is done with the big truck soon so we can use it instead.

Thanks