TowRig.com - Diesel Discussion and Tow Tech

Been looking at getting a 3/4 ton Suburban with an 8.1L for towing with. Unfortunately, I am a little bit leary of just "how bad" the gas mileage will be. A friend of mine has a Duramax and gets pretty good mileage, but GM doesn't put the Dmax in Suburbans yet :mad:

Also, if you have some experience with the 8.1L, are you using the 3.73 or 4.1 rear end?

I worked with a guy who had a cc lb truck with that engine and he sold it to get a diesel because the milage was so bad. I think like 6-8 mpg around town but he has a heavy foot. I think in a burb 10mpg city is possible, but again this isnt 1st hand experiance.

-Brent

My neighbor has a 2001 Chevy 3500 4x4 with the 8.1 and in town its 9mpg unloaded 12mpg on the freeway unloaded and pulling 10,000lb bumper pull he says the best was 11mpg on the interstate. The thing pulls like a freight train!

My neighbor has a 2001 Chevy 3500 4x4 with the 8.1 and in town its 9mpg unloaded 12mpg on the freeway unloaded and pulling 10,000lb bumper pull he says the best was 11mpg on the interstate. The thing pulls like a freight train!

Thats about what my 8.1L 2500HD got. I never got 11 towing though... more like 7-8mpg.

John

but GM doesn't put the Dmax in Suburbans yet :mad:

And unfortunately, they never will.

Also, if you have some experience with the 8.1L, are you using the 3.73 or 4.1 rear end? I would take 3.73's. The slightly higher ratio would promote a little better mileage on the highway and the power of the engine would be plenty to pull most loads you would find behind a Suburban.

Thanks for the feed back guys.... I have also been reading some other information that the 8.1L used to (still does?) have an oil consumption problem. Anyone else heard of this?

I've heard of it and have even heard of one guy that went through a quart every 1K.

Thanks for the feed back guys.... I have also been reading some other information that the 8.1L used to (still does?) have an oil consumption problem. Anyone else heard of this?

Mine went through only a qt in 3k-3.5k miles. I attributed this to the large displacement.. :confused:

I've got an '03 Suburban 2500 4x4 w/33s. We get 10mpg in town, 13.5 unloaded hwy (this is all sea level, 80 mph). Predator programmer boosted mpg @1.5. And yes, it pulls like crazy! It's hard to believe an aerodynamic brick will move like this thing does! Just bought an f-250 diesel for better mileage, but it's not nearly as fast in stock form. Mine burns a quart of oil every 2500-3000 miles.