Pulling a trailer with gas engine truck

Ok I know this may not be the place for it but I have a 32 foot trailer and loaded weights in around 11,000 lbs. I have pulled it with a diesel duramax truck. Problem is when something breaks or goes wrong is always a 500-1000 fix. Not to mention injectors will set you back 3500. My real question is I'm sick of this POS truck! Has anyone had any luck with pulling with a gas engine. With gas 1 dollar cheapier than diesel and fixing gas engines is cheaper in a sense. I know I'll have some mileage loss with gas engine but can it be done. With all the super charger kits today and everyone is building wild engines with LS engines , would it pull a trailer of that weight? Isn't 500lb of torque the same in both engines? Not all of us can afford a renegade, so that's not an option! Thanks for input

 

Diesel

 

I think THE most important question is ----------how far are your race plans going to take you ?

How many mountain ranges will you have to climb and come down----- coming downward is the most important in my opinion ---

more gears the trans has the better in this regard -

The diesel pickups can be downright expensive to maintain, no doubt ------ A properly equipped gas engine rig may work just fine for you-

 

The 500lb torque? the difference is at what RPM that's made. Example, the diesel may see that at 1700 rpm and a gas engine at 3800 rpm+. That being said, I pull about 10,000 lbs with a gas rig. 454GM gen6 with a carb and HEI that I've done all the tricks to for mileage and pulling power. I'd love to have a good diesel engine in it but can't justify the cost to switch with the limited racing I currently do. It always gets me there and back home and is low maintenance and expense.

Blessings.........Ron Clevenger

 

No mountains, furthest from home is 6-8 hours. My diesel at 70mph is 2200 rpms. If it was 1700 I wouldn't complain. But why not a supercharger. Gm 2500 6.0 with nice heads cam and supercharger. Also I drive the truck everyday. In the winter with warming up it gets 12 mpg. Sucks!

 

hi!
what tricks are you using for milage and pulling power?
i'm going to have a 440 mopar wedge built for towing,so any advice is greatly appreciated(what CR for low rpm/hi torque tow engine on gas?)
thanks
cyril

 

What year Duramax do you have? Has it been modded? I hope not. The Duramax Fifth Generation (LML) in the 2011+ trucks seems to me has been pretty reliable if you take care of them.

I just bought a 2015 Duramax a few months ago and have been from L.A. to Portland and back twice with it already. The tag trailer I was towing was just shy of 11,000 pounds. My truck is a 2500HD LTZ crew with a 6'6" bed. That thing flew over the Ridge Route like it wasn't even there. I got it with the exhaust brake option that uses the turbo to help slow you down. Going down the pass from top to bottom heading north on the 5 near Grapevine, 6 miles of 6% down grade, and I never touched the brake pedal at 55-60 mph. Pulling the hill at the speed limit I got after it once and it shot up to 75-80 immediately towing the 11,000# trailer, 6% grade.

15-20 years ago I owned two different Silverado 454 dually's that I towed the 42' Chararrell trailer I used to have. Compared to my new truck today those things suck and they suck gas. My new truck towing gets 11-12 mpg at 60-65 MPH and with no trailer gets as high as 22 mpg on the freeway at 70-75 MPH. Pretty good for 765 foot pounds of torque in a full size pick-up.

Best truck I ever owned was the Columbia Freightliner I sold to Duane Shields a few years ago. He still has it. Twin screw, 17' NRC Conversion, 505 HP Detroit, a bazillion foot pounds of torque, Freedom 12 speed, 5 MPG towing no matter how you drove it. LOL.

If you can swing it, there are some rumblings from GM that the HP and torque numbers for the Duramax will be higher possible by next year. I would work some overtime and scrape up the $$ to get the new one. I would NEVER go back to a gas truck unless the EPA banned diesel outright. Gas trucks for towing suck when compared to the new generation turbo diesel pick-up trucks.

Randy G.

 

I have a 2002 Chevy 8.1 (496 ci) with an Allison 5 speed auto transmission. I own an Auto Repair shop and see allot of trucks that tow, most being diesels. My truck will flat out run and tow the diesels even the ones with mods, like programmers and exhaust. I put headers, free flowing exhaust, air intake, throttle body spacer and a custom tune in it. Gas mileage went from 8-9 to 12-15 mpg. Paid 1/3 as much as a diesel would have cost and they really don't have any major problems. The big gas engine is a blast to drive and you can't beat the Allison for durability and function, the engine breaking is great. Regular maintenance costs are a fraction of a diesel. No diel smoke and stink for me!

 

My box stock 2008 Chevrolet 2500 (2w/d) 6.0 with over 100k on it hauls our 36' (built in the 80's) gooseneck while knocking down 12.5 last trip out. And It is also my daily driver.

 

We race in the Kansas area and so no real big hills to pull. We use an old 96 chevy duallie with a 454 in it and pull an old 32 foot Chapparal trailer. It weighs about 16,000 loaded and we get about 8 to 10 mpg, depending on the wind and such. Mostly it runs down the road with the cruise set on 65 and gives us no problems. We have pulled a trailer to Rhode Island to get a car and to California to deliver a car and it stayed right there on mileage. And no injector pump to worry about and no stinky diesel to smell or buy. Just my two cents.

 

One thing I've learned when discussing gas mileage with people is take most numbers with a grain of salt. My experience with pulling very heavy (say maybe 7,000+ lbs) with a pick-up is 5-8 mpg with a gas burning big block Chevy and 7-ll mpg with the modern diesel pick-ups.

 

I pulled my 48 ft haulmark trailer with one car an all tools an a 4 wheeler an it would get 7 to 8 mpg at best.an that was with a 2000 chevy 4 door 454 .i sold it an got a 2001 duramax with 4 doors.almost the same truck an it will pull same trailer with two cars an everything an get 10.5. Only thing it has is a edge programmer .that truck pulls like a beast.yes iv put injectors in it myself.they are not bad to do.i run mine hard an it has 235000 miles on it.

 

235,000 miles. Wow. About time for some new spark plugs, plug wires, cap and rotor, don't you think? LOL

 

amen !!!!!!!!!!

 

The old 454 was ok but that's all she would do.the 01 duramax I love an it has the 235000 on it an is going strong.sec set of injectors in it now.other that that no problems really