Hi all,
I am considering buying a New Suburban or Yukon XL 2500 while the GM discount program is being offered. I will be looking at one with the 6.0 engine, 3.73 rear axle ,and 2WD. I will be using this vehicle as a daily driver also. What fuel mileage could I expect solo and towing ? Also are the trailer towing mirrors worth the extra money or do they cause problems ? Thanks for the info. Davis
Thanks for the replies. But I also want to use this a daily driver 95% of the time and tow the other 5% . So I figured the 3.73 gear ratio would yield the best fuel mileage solo or would there be much difference ? Thanks Davis
Hi all,
I am considering buying a New Suburban or Yukon XL 2500 while the GM discount program is being offered. I will be looking at one with the 6.0 engine, 3.73 rear axle ,and 2WD. I will be using this vehicle as a daily driver also. What fuel mileage could I expect solo and towing ? Also are the trailer towing mirrors worth the extra money or do they cause problems ? Thanks for the info. Davis
Based on my experience with the LS1 based truck engines you'll be much better served with 4.10 gears, ESPECIALLY if you plan to tow a 34' A/S.
__________________
Steve Heywood
Ferndale, WA
2005 Ford F250 CC Powerstroke
1997 30' Excella (SOLD)
I'm only pulling a 22ft CCD with my Suburban, but I added the electric towing mirrors and think they were well worth the money. When backing into a space, I can just turn the mirrors down and keep the water, sewer and electric hookups right in my sight line. Really easy to get everything lined up right.
If I park in a public lot, with a 22' I can almost always straddle two facing spaces as long as I get the hitch directly over the line, I use the mirrors to do that painlessly. Basically I adjust my mirrors every time I'm in a tight spot - like a gas station or pulling onto a major highway from a side road. I also never have to worry about them coming loose or going out of adjustment. KISS!
My mirrors pull out manually about 8 inches for towing, and theya re oversized compared to stock mirrors because they consist of a small convex mirror on the inside and a large, flat electrically adjustable mirror on the outside. Pushing them in when not towing is mandatory - especially if you EVER want to use a drive in window.
I added mine for slightly over $500 and they are worth every penny. You can spend even more and get the signal arrows built into the mirrors, but that just seemed dumb to me.
I just bought a 2500 Yukon XL with the 6L and 4:10 gears. I've got about 2000 miles on it & getting about 13.5 mpg. I did a lot of looking before I bought - you don't have as much GVWR with the 3.73 gears, so give it some thought about what you're towing.
The discounts are very good because they also take off the rebates.
You'll have a hell of a time finding one with the 8.1L engine. I had them search - there wasn't one within 800 miles from me (live near New Orleans). I did find one in Wyoming, but that's too far.
Davis,
The 6.0 will pull your trailer just fine in most conditions. If you plan on mountain climbing the 8.1 will be better, but if you're like most of us mountains are a small part of the overall picture. The 3.73 will be more economical when used as an everyday driver. I have a friend with the same package and he reports 11-13 mpg towing a 8800# trailer and 17 mpg hwy. In most conditions you will want to lock out the overdrive. According to Chev specs the 3.73 will tow 7900# while the 4.10 will tow 9900#.
Saw your post about 'Locking out the overdrive'....why? What does that do that when if i don't do causes problems? Is this for mountainous routes or the flat middlewest with wiht the 24 Hour MEGA Wal-Mar and Open24 Hours.
The answer is actually CRITICAL to me since I am leaving a 1400 miles oneway trip. The way back is still bit open.
The towing from our 7200ft elevation down to the flat land elevations in Tx, OK, and IL and IN tossed in for good refereance.
Does the OD shorten the life of the trans???IF so why? OR is it a rolling down the highway question. What exactly caused you to say that statement.
Again, not trying to be a ButtHead but am looking for real answers that could save my Tranny from heat, overuse and/or dreakdown on this ride....
I was told by my transmission guy never to tow in overdrive unless its very flat - however as soon as it starts to hunt, take out of overdrive. He said that even thought the manual says you can tow in overdrive don't - he says all GM has to do is get the transmission past 36,000 miles after that it's not their problem. He showed me the cluches that are in that transmission - first gear is very large, overdrive is very small - he says you can burn up the clutch over time - he even suggested not using overdrive while not towing in the mountains. You may want to give them a call - its called CATS transmission in Farmington. I consider them to be pretty reliable and they are nice folks.
BTW - I have the 8.1 with 3.73 gears and I'm getting the same mileage as the 6.0 folks. Love that motor - its a rocket. Took a free (without trailer) the other day and got 18mpg.
something about the slippage that goes on in OD, heats up the tranny too hot. Trannys die with heat. I believe the 3rd gear is a direct lockup. I shift down to second when I hear it unlock on the hills.... course, this is for my Dodge Ram Van. It also says not to tow in OD in my manual.
Marc
I was towing a 28ft with a 1/2 ton Z71 & the 5.3L with 3.73 gears. Even on flat land, at highway speeds it would "hunt", ie., go from overdrive to 3rd & back again. All the shifting can't be good on the transmission. It may also be "slipping" the clutch to before it shifts, trying to maintain torque. Can't say really, but it did pop back & forth all the time. Even had tow mode on, which is supposed to keep it from shifting so frequently.
But, towed in 3rd gear no problems. Gas mileage was about 10 mpg. I had the tow package with transmission cooler though.
Quick Links
Linear Mode
