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GM 6.0 owners - let's compare mileage

Coldfinger

Coldfinger

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Ok, after reading the 8.1 thread I started to wonder what others have experienced with their 6.0 gassers for mpg and towing capability.

My details:
2002 GMC 2500 HD Crew 4x4 6.0 w/4.10 gears, automatic 4L80e, 265 BFG A/T's & topper shell which is flush with roofline.

General around town mileage - 10-11 in winter, 11-12 summer

Towing 2 place open sled trailer, 65-75mph, mostly interstate - 9-10mpg running in OD/tow-haul on.

Towing 9,000# (loaded w/o water) bumper pull 24' toy hauler which is wide & tall - 6-8mpg generall running 65mph which is about all it can do unless downhill or with the wind. Running in 3rd gear.

Empty highway, 60-70 mph, got 14.xx once when new, with 245's & tonneau cover.
 
2005 Chevy 2500 Crew cab short box with 4.10s as well, 285-70-17 tires, torsion bars jacked up to make it sit more level, straight piped. Last year going out west with 4 place open trailer, averaged about 8, one tank with the cruise set at 80 going into the wind, shifting like crazy through the hills, about 6.1 mpg (hitting 2nd gear kills the mileage, lol). Its my daily driver, and my driving consists of starting up in the morning to let warm up, driving across town to class, gravel roads, and interstate at 80. I have gotten about 9.5-10 last 3 tanks. Kinda makes me miss the old cummins
 
ok

08 gmc 3500 hd 6.0 work truck with service box. allison 6spd auto. just rolling over to 17,000 miles getting 14 highway was getting around 11 in oct when it was new.

Kev
 
2002 Chevy 1500HD, 3.73 gears, 245 BFG tires, topper flush with top of cab, Gibson exhaust, AEM Brute Force intake, Nelson mild tune, Mobile 1 oil, 140,000 miles.
8-8.5 mpg towing 35' travel trailer (8300lbs) 3rd gear, 65mph.
9-10 mpg towing loaded 3 place enclosed in OD at 75mph.
15.2 mpg highway driving at 70mph.(best)
11-13 mpg mixed driving highway / city.
 
I'm getting around 12 mpg just running around in my 2500 Suburban.

7-8 mpg pulling the 4-place enclosed with 4 sleds.
7-8 mpg pulling the 29' travel trailer.

I usually pull at least +5 mph on the speed limit. It's sure fun passing going up hill when I'm pulling a trailer!

OH, I'm sorry I have a 8.1L, I didn't notice this was for 6.0L. :D
 
Coldfinger said:
Ok, after reading the 8.1 thread I started to wonder what others have experienced with their 6.0 gassers for mpg and towing capability.

My details:
2002 GMC 2500 HD Crew 4x4 6.0 w/4.10 gears, automatic 4L80e, 265 BFG A/T's & topper shell which is flush with roofline.

General around town mileage - 10-11 in winter, 11-12 summer

Towing 2 place open sled trailer, 65-75mph, mostly interstate - 9-10mpg running in OD/tow-haul on.

Towing 9,000# (loaded w/o water) bumper pull 24' toy hauler which is wide & tall - 6-8mpg generall running 65mph which is about all it can do unless downhill or with the wind. Running in 3rd gear.

Empty highway, 60-70 mph, got 14.xx once when new, with 245's & tonneau cover.
Click to expand...

My personal truck is a 2005 2500 HD 8.1L/Allison, 3.73 gears, 285/75/16 tires ... I get about ~11 around town, ~15 on the highway, and ~9-10 towing an enclosed snowmobile trailer around

My work truck is a 2009 2500 HD 6.0L/6spd, 4.10 gears, 245/75/16 tires ... I get ~13 around town and ~16 on the highway with it, I've never towed a trailer with it ...

My dad's 1500 (1/2 ton) Vortec Max gets about 14 around town, 17 on the highway, and 9 mpg towing the same enclosed snowmobile trailer my 8.1L gets ...
 
My 2500 burb was getting 7-8 at 65 or so towing TT and barely 6 running 75downhill with a tailwind and the AC off, otherwise it wouldn't pull it. Around town 10 or 11 was the best I ever got.:mad:

It's gone away now and replaced by an Excursion (Powerstroke :D:beer;)
 
take this for what it is.
6.0 psd with 50K and 3,73 and 275s in an 07 empty at 70 18 mpg and with 5k ball mount about town 13 the sad part is with my open 2 place i only get 14 and 3 place enclosed 13, not trying to say anything just giving perspective on a 6.0 gas V 6.0 PSD
 
76FOMOCO said:
take this for what it is.
6.0 psd with 50K and 3,73 and 275s in an 07 empty at 70 18 mpg and with 5k ball mount about town 13 the sad part is with my open 2 place i only get 14 and 3 place enclosed 13, not trying to say anything just giving perspective on a 6.0 gas V 6.0 PSD
Click to expand...

Mines a 7.3 PSD, so not to get off subject, but the 6.0 PSD, 7.3 PSD, and the GM 6.0 gas are three totally separate animals. I'm getting about 20 in town and it just depends on what I'm pulling and how fast on the highway. I always have plenty of power now though :beer;:D:beer;
 
Chitty...12-14 empty on the freeway. 10-11 around town. 6-8.5 towing depending on how heavy my foot is. I still love the truck though.

2008 Chevy Crewcab 4X4 6.0. Stock 265 tires.
 
nothin against the 6.0 gasser or anything but hearing how the 6.0 mileage is sure makes me glad i decided to go with the 8.1, atleast you get the extra power for the crappy mileage on the 8.1.
 
Vern said:
nothin against the 6.0 gasser or anything but hearing how the 6.0 mileage is sure makes me glad i decided to go with the 8.1, atleast you get the extra power for the crappy mileage on the 8.1.
Click to expand...

That was exactly my logic for buying the 8.1L ... I knew the 6.0 wasn't going to get significantly better miledge under working conditions than the 8.1, but I did know that the 8.1 was gonna have a lot more usable power to tow with than the 6.0, albeit getting worse gas miledge .... I have no qualms whatsoever about trading the miledge I lost for the power I gained :)

Personally I wish GM was still putting the 8.1L into the 2500HD/3500 series trucks ... I'd buy one over again.
 
'01 2500 HD crewcab shortbox (don't know the gearing) 4L80E 265 Goodyear Wrangler SA
10-13 around town
14-16 Highway empty @ 70 mph
7-9 towing a 27' 4 place enclosed 65-70 mph
10 towing a 14x7x2 hydrolic dump trailer (around town hauling gravel)
 
Dogmeat said:
That was exactly my logic for buying the 8.1L ... I knew the 6.0 wasn't going to get significantly better miledge under working conditions than the 8.1, but I did know that the 8.1 was gonna have a lot more usable power to tow with than the 6.0, albeit getting worse gas miledge .... I have no qualms whatsoever about trading the miledge I lost for the power I gained :)

Personally I wish GM was still putting the 8.1L into the 2500HD/3500 series trucks ... I'd buy one over again.
Click to expand...

i feel the same, i like the 8.1 alot.
 
Little off subject but I have an 85 Chevy k20 with 94k miles on a stock 350 and a 4 speed with 3.73 gears and 33" tires and I get 8-10 towing a two place @ 65 mph. I wish it got better mpg but it's paid for. I want an hd with the 6.0 cause there fairly cheap now but hoped they got better mpg huh.....
 
Yeah, after seeing other numbers it looks like my truck is par for the course. I was beginning to think I my truck mileage was worse than normal from the 6.0.

Anyone had any luck with Sea Foam for improving their mpg?
 
05 2500H.D 6.0 Crewcab 4.10's with a Hypertech programmer too.
11-13 in the winter, only pulls 2 place alum. trailer+ 1 in bed at times.
14-16 in summer, unless hooked on to camper. All are kinda estimated off of the truck digital tracker, and how much one's foot is in the toilet......... haha ..........:beer; :beer;
 
dougdiggler said:
Little off subject but I have an 85 Chevy k20 with 94k miles on a stock 350 and a 4 speed with 3.73 gears and 33" tires and I get 8-10 towing a two place @ 65 mph. I wish it got better mpg but it's paid for. I want an hd with the 6.0 cause there fairly cheap now but hoped they got better mpg huh.....
Click to expand...

IMO, I wouldn't buy a 6.0 unless it was a 2008 or newer, due to the fact that you can get them with a 6 speed auto ...

Actually, if I was going to buy a 6.0 to tow with that was older than 2008 I would highly recommend getting one with the 6-speed manual transmission. That would assuredly be better than the ones mated to a 4 speed auto.

The 6.0 is a good motor, don't get me wrong, but the power band on that motor definatley needs more than 4 gears to work with, especially when towing a load ... that's the biggest problem with my dad's 1/2 ton 08' 6.0, the spread between gears on that 4 speed is way too big for that motor ... it's either in 4th gear lugging down or in 3rd gear wrapping 4800 rpm @ 70 mph. There's really no middle ground.

The 6.0's do get better miledge than the 8.1's do, but once you throw a trailer behind either they are pretty comparable. I've never towed more than a 5,000-lb trailer with either, but those enclosed trailers pick up enough wind to make up for the lack of weight ... the 8.1 definatley excells when you put a trailer behind it.

I would say your best bet if you want a gasser is to find a slightly used 2007 2500HD or 3500 with the 8.1L/Allison combo ;)
 
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