The 6.0 will pull the same trailer and use 1/2 the gas, for sure it wont do it with as much ease but it will do the work nonetheless. 5 mpg is terrible its less than semis are getting hauling 80k lbs
@@truckguyjoe I am consistently getting 19-23 liters per 100km towing a 16 ft dump gooseneck loaded with firewood trailer is 14k loaded 4k mt and truck is 2500hd reg cab 2wd with a 6.0gas. mind you i dont use kickdown or accelerate like a maniac just feathering it mostly, I coast as much as possible etc etc however when its needed i let the tow mode do its thing and let it rev as it should. The reason why the 8.1 was not recognized as that good is because the 6.0 was the true champion. Most workloads dont require a big-block or a diesel.
@@daveed2812 My friend John would probably be willing to let me use his truck and pull my corn pro dump trailer loaded down. He’s got a regular cab… 2003, 6.0 2500 HD 4 x 4…maybe I’ll put together a video towing with his truck to see what the result is. I’ve owned several 6 L over the years and they’ve consistently got the same mileage as my 8.1 no matter how delicate I drive either one of them. I pinned your comment hoping to get some feedback from others that have the 6.0… Like I mentioned, most will say the 6.0 & the 8.1 get the same mileage no matter what you’re pulling.
@@truckguyjoe My 2015, 3500 crew cab, 6.0L pulling a 2000 3/4 ton pickup on a 20 foot flat bed at 75 MPH across South Dakota averaged 10mpg. Pulling empty flat bed averaged 12mpg at 75 MPH. The 2000 3/4 ton with the 7.4L averages 12 pulling nothing. Between both trucks pulling the same trailer and weight, my 6.0L does better on fuel and has no less acceleration than the big block. I used to have a 8.1 pulling a trailer and it got consistant 7mpg's loaded or empty. I live in flat country so that probably affects my results.
@@MontyCarlo1977 Your 2015 is probably a six speed auto? I can understand that would do better. I am speaking more specifically about 01-07 6.0 with the 4L80. It’s always been my experience they got the same mileage as the 8.1.
A single cab, long bed, GMT800 (with no rust) and a 496, litterally a dream truck of mine. Having owned several of these (with 5.3's), they are IMO the last of the really solid built trucks that didn't overdo it on bells and whistles.
the 8100 with 6 speed manual transmission is the holy grail of the last GM gasoline trucks I hate they quit the 8100 so soon!! and 6 speed trucks are rare as hens teeth! ive got a really nice 04 flatbed dually with the 6.0 engine 4l80e and had to swap it to 5.13 gears to make it pull like it supposed to it was such a slug with the factory 4.10 gears
@@MrChevelle83damn, I actually didn’t know that the 8.1’s ever came with a 6 speed, and that’s especially bad in my situation because I was a technician at a GM dealership when the 8.1’s were still being made. Of course, to be fair about it, where I’m at, we rarely saw 8.1’s come in at all.
@@DustinMorley-dm1cm rest assured they did make them because i myself seen em, and what ever you do dont drive one because youll want to own it! I dont love how the ZF transmissions shift but they are solid units and built great for the GVW of those trucks.
@@DustinMorley-dm1cm in my opinion the allison automatic is a big killer of the 8100 because they were designed for a diesel engine, they lug them too much which is what kills the fuel mileage. the duramax is happy at 1500rpm but a big block pulling a heavy truck does not get any fuel economy like that, yes it works but forget the fuel mileage.
@@MrChevelle83 I’d be curious as to how good those 6 speed stick shifts for an 8.1 do on gas mileage in this same situation. Of course, if there’s any of them left, they’re probably sitting in between the Holy Grail and Jimmy Hoffa’s head. You might possibly get some better gas mileage out of the Allison by starting to apply the TCC pretty early, but I’d be scared to try it. GM tried it with the 6 speed automatics, and it bit em right square in the ass.
I feel bad that the 8.1 never really got much love. Even in bone stock form, it was an absolute beast back in the day. I was working at a GM dealership back in the mid 2000’s, and a guy with a bone stock GMC 2500 4x4 crew cab came in for an oil change. While I was working, he was telling me that, that truck was hands down the best truck he ever had. He told me about one time that his dad was out in the field one day with a one ton dually and a trailer, loading cows. He got the trailer loaded, and got up to this hill, and got stuck. So his dad called a neighbor, and neighbor comes over with a tractor and tries to pull him out, and the tractor gets stuck too. At that point, they call him, and he goes over there with that GMC 2500. They’ve still got the tractor hooked up to the dually, which still has the trailer loaded down with cows on it. Guy hooks that GMC 2500 up to the tractor, puts it in 4LO, and pulls out all that stuff that’s still hooked up to each other, going up a hill, and he told me he never spun a tire.
Great story. My dad has one like that when he pulled a stuck ford and a CJ5 out of mudhole in Uwharrie NC with a late 70s suburban with full time 4 wheel drive. He owned a service station so gas wasnt an issue.
@@skimboards4life865if I was going Ford I would say Roller cam 351w ZF5 S47...sky is the limit for mods and at modest power levels it cant hurt itself or the transmission for 300-400k miles with good maintenance. The 300 is long lasting and torquey but it lacks the hp to really keep up with modern traffic and pull big loads up hills at 70-85mph.
I really like your Warning at the beginning of the video ! The GMT 800 is well built , a true workhorse for sure . Timely repairs and maintenance are key to vehicle reliability and longevity, and you’ve done a great job with The Mighty Whitey ! Thanks for another great , informative video .
Good on you for staying legal and explaining axle weights for the folks that don't deal with this stuff often. Looks like a beautiful truck. Nicely done. I like my old diesel but love to see people working with the 8.1. Hearing a big block sing is a wonderful thing.
These videos are absolutely perfect, we are building an 87 k3500, swapping in most of the drive train from and 01 2500 HD. The 8.1 that we’ve had rebuilt and upgraded, the Allison 1000 and the rear AAM out of that truck. Front axle is an older dana 60 and the transfer case is a 205, which I will be rebuilding with all brand new internals this weekend.
My eagle 230 eliminator (boat) has a high output mag 496 ho in it…..basically a cammed vortec 8.1 with 425hp from the factory….i love it, its an 80mph boat all day with the trims dialed in just right!!!!
The 496 is a monster! I drove one across country in a 26ft loaded to the max Uhaul! It was amazing and still had power to spare going through the West Virginian Mts!!
Oh you got a subscriber. Real life content from someone who really tows. Good stuff. I went from towing with a 2011 6.0 to a 08 Duramax with 11,500 miles about a year ago. I love the Duramax but I really like the gas trucks and the much lower cost of operation of them. Thanks for sharing.
I hear that, My old LLY is going to need an Injection pump and injectors in the near future. Not thrilled to see that parts bill. What were you pulling with the 6.0? I usually pull an open car hauler, loaded I'd guess it's about #6000. Car and trailer are 5200 easy, then add in some gear. I've been considering getting a 2018 or so 6.0 truck. I love the GMT800s, but 6.0s really need the closer gear ratios of the 6spd.
@@TheeAbstractHero Always pulling smaller tractors the size of the JD I saw in the background of one of your videos. Sometimes smaller and occassionally larger up to about 7K. I just took my time and always used trailer mode to keep from burning up the brakes on hills. That is what I do for a living. That 6.0 never left me stranded. A 6.0 with 4.11 and aftermarket upgraded brakes and keeping up on all the maintenance is a great small to medium hauler. No frills, slow and steady solid trucks.
use to have the 8.1L in my Yukon XL. loved that motor. It would get about 11mpg without towing and about 7 to 8 with towing. It was pretty bullet proof. would drink a little oil but I didn't care. I kinda miss that truck. using a 6.4L ram now, so I like to keep it simple
10:53 I’d love to see this compared to a cammed 7.3 Godzilla. I bet with the 10 speed and even a crew cab it would do 7-8 mpg doing the same loop. It’s amazing how far trucks have come with more power using far less fuel.
The 5 speed with the 4.10s is really killing it. CP makes a kit with a new TCM and a valve body it gives you an extra gear. The clutches are already there in the Allison for a 6th gear it was never utilized in those years. I bet with the 6th gear it would be dead even in mpg with that Godzilla.
@@257Tony the 8.1 is just a better engine. Not to take away from the 7.3 because it's the best engine for trucks that Ford has built in a long time, but it does have its flaws.
Man that’s such a sweet truck. You don’t see too many of those in that condition anymore. Cool to see you putting it to work. I especially like the grey truck. My Father got a 98 GMC Suburban 2500 4x4 with the 454 in it back in 99. That thing pulled everything, had it set up similar to your trucks, with one tire size up from factory with the all terrains. They put over 300k miles on it, it was navy blue with navy blue interior. Depending on the mileage of the 2001 Silverado, that Vortec will last you a long time. Would love to have either of these trucks one day. Have a 94 GMC Jimmy S17 I hope to restore. Really cool video man.
@@michaelpopp6340most early trucks were 4 bangers, then 6 cyl became popular, finally diesels and V8s. Gearing is much more important then the power plant
Turbo motors need to run rich at high boost levels to avoid detonation. They only make sense for the average truck user who putts their truck around 90% of the time (getting the mileage benefits here) and tows infrequently. This is exactly why Ford and Chev have gone turbo in the 1500's and still use a big old NA V8 in the HD applications.
Just for fun, I took my 1999 Dodge 3500, 2x4 Cummins extended cab dually 2500 miles from Mankato MN to Brookings OR in 2014. Truck had 268,000 miles on it towing a 31 foot ,10,000 lb camper, total weight was 17,200 lbs. I averaged 10mpg at 56mph, that was the sweet spot for the truck. That's a nice rig you have.
Great video. You should do a video explaining CDL laws for people and how private use they don’t apply and it’s up to the individual state if you need special licenses. Use the CAT scale to demonstrate the weights. You’re the best I’ve seen on RUclips for that. The truck is awesome. I’d like to see you use a new 6.6 L8T and run this same test. Get your input for how it compares on power and fuel mileage.
I bought a 07 crew cab short bed LBZ duramax in november of 2022 for $18k with 197k miles. I had that truck until a few moths ago, when I bought a 2001 gmc sierra regular cab long bed with the 8.1 for $9k with 120k miles. That duramax was a nightmare. I was always fixing it and regretting getting it except when I put my foot down and it put me in my seat. The engine bay is cramped. The turbo is known for the vanes sticking, causing a loss of power and high egt's, Oh and the crankshafts snap whenever they feel like it. My 8.1 uses a quart of oil every 700 miles, and I love it. I put new plugs and wires on it, new front end parts, oil cooler lines, serviced the transmission and took it on a 1600 mile road trip with no problems. Well, except for me not tightening the spin on trans filter enough. I have since installed a 5th wheel hitch in the bed, a double din stereo, and can't wait to have an excuse to take it somewhere.
@@truckguyjoe That's good that it was under warranty. I originally bought the LBZ because it was so powerful and I thought it would be a truck that I could keep forever. But it was just too much risk versus a gasser that I'm familiar with and enjoy working on.
Love the videos, I got an 8.1 myself. Before I bought that truck I didn’t know anything about trucks, I prayed that I got a good truck, and the lord definitely answered the more I learn about these trucks. Got a video of it on my RUclips short.
Very nice and powerful truck sir! I love to see our older trucks preform more rigorous work than what I see on new trucks that are almost always empty 😢
I have GMC 5500 4x4 Top kick custom Adventure camper.. motor is still mostly all original but about to do some RYLAR stuff to it… It has been re-geared from 5:13 to 4:56 (I think that’s correct. We did it when 4x4 front diff was added. It’s got headers and cold air intake (extra cooler for Allison) but Plus I’m running 265 70 19.5 tires on 6 wider alum wheels, instead of the sick tiny 225/70s on heavy steel which also up gears it up I pull a trailer with the Jeep and gear in it BUT HONESTLY once it’s rolling it’s not much drag unless bad cross wind. The trailer has 4 wheel brakes so it’s actually beneficial sometimes in the mountains (my old RV was terrifying on hard mountain roads) why? I’m a bit confused because I got worst ever 7.9 when it was 4:56 225/70 19.5s and now its usually 8.5 to a little over 9mpg always (not much change except it loves cool wet weather)? It seems to hate hot weather (so do I am half Canadian) but live in hellish hot Texas. I love the performance that can be made from 8.1 but man with the cost of fuel I’m not willing to justify apparently dump fuel out the exhaust…. At barely 5 mpg I have to question tune, gearing, injector sizer, something? … (you mentioned high rpm’s) To the best of my knowledge there is basically zero gain once the peak LOW RPM TORQUE/Hp curve is met but excessive wear and massive fuel loss. I’m always looking for TORQUE that’s why we are looking at going LOW COMPRESSION (all forged build) with 2.9 wipple super charger (prolly minus the 201 cam) because of massive boost and massive compression in a race situation COOL… in a weight moving situation apparently not so great SINCE the 8.1 or future 8.8 actually makes its peak performance in the lower long stroke range rpm’s. I couldn’t be happy with that 5 mpg (if mine does this I’m going back totally stock) because it’s not underpowered as it is. It’s just getting lots of miles on a motor that never given any problems (so it’s simply time to go through it at 279,000 miles < no rebuild ). Another thing is my RV is a lot more aero dynamic than cheap mass produced ones Forrest River (ones). The RV body is mostly based on THE EARTH ROAMER platform lots of vacuum formed carbon fiber and it’s not near as heavy as it looks. The ant eater front end might help a lot over the squareness of a pickup? I simply couldn’t live with that 5mpg pulling that weight or not (that’s at the point it’s not worth owning when a durmax will get twice that or more. My whole concept is I wil suffer a little on mpg a little on performance because I can work on any gasoline engine (and with a few know failure items in hand be on my way… with a diesel pump goes down, sensor shuts it down (its tow truck and huge repair bill).. I won’t do the RV thing taking that risk because NONE of the newer diesels are dependable. I have owned all of them in pickup FORD SUX! It was always broken. Durmax just always something needs something (damn money pit) DODGE/RAM I have my 2000 2500 sport I got right after college graduation (still have it (it’s great) I have 2018 Cummins it’s great but always has some damn light on, needs DEF, I actually get pissed at the cost it takes to operate a damn pickup. So… I’m on the 8100 build kick over the winter and hopefully it don’t pop out at 5mpg because I’m putting a pop up behind the Jeep if that’s what happens… 😂😖
my 2023 full size 4 door silverado with half an engine and turbo pulls like a real motor and still gets decent mileage, it’s crazy. Butttt i wouldn’t do it every day lol. at some point i foresee a window in the side of it. wouldn’t compare to an 8.1 or any duramax but its still impressive.
SUBSCRIBED! This is such an a good video and everything. I just think of his much money you have saved over the years by not having a vehicle payment. Yes this vehicle doesn't get as great a mpg as newer trucks, but i think you not than make up for it compared to not having a payment and the insurance being a lot cheaper.
I had a 96 460 with mass air Banks headers and airbox....towing my weekend warrior, it also got 5 mpg.... welcome to real life... now I have a duramax.
I never had the pleasure of driving one of these trucks with the 8.1. However I did get to drive a few with the 6.0 with a single cab long bed and it never disappointed. The 6.0 by old boss had was a single cab long bed with a ladder rack. It fit 13mpg loaded or unloaded. We rarely towed with it. So I'm not sure if the mpg it got towing. Great truck.
That is a peach of a truck. I see you're down in the Erie area so there's could potential in that terrain to give it a really good workout. For a lot of people that rarely load up their trucks to the gunwales, a gas engine is the right choice, despite the kind of mileage shown here. It's about the balance of the extra cost of using gas when under heavy load vs. how rarely that happens. Most pickups I see either are empty or are towing landscape trailers. I could see a diesel being possibly cost-effective for landscapers but it depends on their mileage and the load. I have a diesel but really given my activities (mostly grocery shopping in an F350 : ), I would have been better off with a gas engine. I rarely tow but when I do, it's to the full GCWR of the pickup
Love the 8.1( owned 4 different ones over a 10 year period) however that's a whole lot of trailer for that truck. Ended up with a 6.7 cummins H.O. an insane jump in power and fuel (cost) about the same, was ordred with 3:73 gears. I loved my 8.1 with the zf6 the most though very fun.
Thank you! Yes, it was for sure a lot of work but I enjoy showing the process. This truck is honestly just a weekend driver for pulling the boat or grabbing some ice cream. Retired from service, but had to at least see what it could do. Thanks for watching!
As a wise man once said....with Great power comes the large gas bill!. Dont be dissapointed, my 6.2 F250 get like 6-7 MPG when I tow. Would probably be worse if i were also f=doing full throttle pulls. Like the video BTW. straight forward and to the point.
Basically 5 miles per gallon while basically at max combined weight in mixed driving? That is pretty impressive for an 8.1 liter gasoline engine! Hell, I know someone that had a 5.7 liter Hemi Dodge Ram Mega Cab 4x4 that had to hypermile for 12 miles per gallon with an empty truck on an empty interstate at steady speeds. This was truly at the end of an era when trucks were at their best, and before all the manufacturers forced the Super Mushrooms down the throats of all their trucks.
TFL Truck consitently gets less than 5mpg towing with newer trucks, maxed out on the Ike Gauntlet. Gen 3 LS engines are IMO hands down the best light truck engines made.
8.1 Vortec’s are really hard to find in my part of the country. When you do find one they're used and abused. You can find 6.0 Vortec’s fairly easy though.
I stumbled on this, really enjoyed it 👍. I know its not a REAL comparison but i towed my Saab 95 wagon on a 2 axle trailer last year with my partner's 2016 Audi Q7 3.0L diesel 272 and grossed just under 11,700lbs and averaged nearly 35mpg on a run to Manchester but that was pretty much all motorway.
as a truck driver i'm glad to see people in passanger size trucks actually weighing their trucks and following the laws like we have to. one time I saw a guy in a 2nd gen dodge cummins going to pick something up from a warehouse with a 53' flatbed 5th wheel goose neck welded on. I just gasped and left not my problem but good lord!
Interesting to see the weight difference between your truck and my 05 Duramax. I've got a Crew Cab Short bed, it weighs 7200lbs with about 13 gallons of fuel (1/4 tank, truck has a 52 gallon Titan tank) and my little 140lb self in it. Also has a 9200lb GVWR. After seeing your scale numbers I'd bet you I've exceeded GVWR a few times on race weekends. Two people + gear, spare wheels and tires, tools, spare parts. I should probably build a rack on the trailer so I can get more of that weight on the trailer, and not the truck.
@@truckguyjoeyep, I don't think duramaxs towed all that amazing till 11 when the lml came out then the l5p and as you know do even better. But lml and l5p are expensive so I think a cammed 8.1 such as this is a great option.
I was quite happy with my deleted LMM. It towed my 15k fifth just fine. Honestly I think better than my full emission L5P.. recently I've been considering tearing it all out but 1 thing that sticks out in my memory was the stink. Not sure if I or my family wants to tolerate that again.
Man. Beautiful rigs buddy. That obs is a show stopper on the trailer. Just looked over your vids.... You have a cyclone also? Were you the kid in high school that stole my trapper keeper haha. Awesome man! Nice collection.
Love a big block. I've towed several vehicles with my ECLB 4x4 F250. 460/E4OD/3.55S and 33" tire and it does just fine. Not economical but pulls just dandy. No doubt that thing would pull rings around mine but I'd love to do the same to my truck.
I know of many ofnthese 8.1 liters that were tow trucks for years and years and have well over 400k miles with zero issues!!!they are bullet proof work horses!
Wow based on the age and condition the chevy trucks you own, you like the classic one's and in nearly showroom condition, surprised to know there still available in these conditions, but then again there weren't cheap either 😉
I prefer my LBZ duramax. It's been a great truck, no major issues. Better towing, better mps especially towing. But I absolutely love the 8.1 too. It's the best v8 imo.
@@truckguyjoe I bought it in Aug 2003 with a little over 55k on it. I have 158k on it now and the only thing I had to do to the engine is replace the water pump.
Agreed! The cateyes are just too much with bells and whistles and I don't like how GM threw in a fragile rack and pinion steering setup instead of just a gearbox imo.
@@trickyricky12147 yeah, and while the cat eyes aren’t terrible, it was arguably the first generation of the gaudy, try-hard looking trucks of today with their oddly aggressive styling. I miss when trucks were just trucks
@trickyricky12147 I've got a 99 with a rack and pinion that's had its boots blown out for over 5 years. My truck has been frame deep in mud, bounced off of unseen rocks in the woods and been on multi-hour one way road trips. Also for giggles I put my lowered 2wd truck on an rti ramp at a jeep show and got a 36. Imo this chassis is one of the best built by chevy. I do strongly dislike the ifs 4wd though.
I average 11-12 with my built 6.0, that I built from bare block in my garage, crew cab 2500, pulling over loaded, I haven’t gotten worse than 9 yet, best I’ve done is 14, factory motor got 9-10, I spent 3500 bucks on this motor, so far it’s paid for itself almost twice in fuel savings, and still makes good power! Sweet video!
I looked for one of these forever. I ended up with a regular cab 96 4x4 dually (K3500) with a 454 that had a spun main bearing. I bought a motor home with a 454 and put it in the dually. I get asked to sell it everywhere I go 😆
Worked with a guy who drove one. Single cab with a flat bed. I drive a vw 1981 rabbit pickup with a tdi swap. I could SMOKE that truck with my little truck. When the owner of the welding business learned mine gets 75mpg AND IS FASTER. He started asking me to give him a ride to the job site. Cost him $38 to drive to drive to the work site. Same drive costs me $3.75 My truck is literally more than ten times as efficient. Sure maybe if you haul. But just think if you drove that daily for a decade. For the same cost I could drive my truck for a HUNDRED YEARS
@@fastinradfordable those TDI are amazing on fuel… A friend of mine has a Volkswagen Passat and I swear that thing gets like 50 miles per gallon on the highway
There is absolutely zero percent change you're getting 75 miles per gallon lmao. That's an absolutely ludicrous overestimate. Tdi will do 40 but even 50 is a stretch.
I am running same size tire roughly and regeared my 8.1 with 4.56 front and back and as long as I stay under 15k tow weight and stay under 70 I get 10pm. Empty or loaded. Empty under 80 highway I can get 11 sometimes. I have upgraded brakes and changed out rear leaves for 3300lb for side because my factory 2025 lb per side had flattened out. Ride better than stock. Also have bradfordbuilt steel 4 bed. Crew single wheel hd2500. The leaves from rock auto have been amazing. More than stock.
People always seem to overlook replacing the leaf springs with new ones when it comes to trucks. I don't care if it's only a 1500 truck either, for example. It's important to replace the leaf springs with new ones at some point for rideability and to get the most out of payload capacity. Good on you! Rock Auto is where it's at especially depending on your situation.
I would imagine you could get better MPG out of that thing if you drove it not so hard. I think 8 MPG is a reasonable number. Nice truck by the way. Clean!
Great video Joe. I have two questions: 1) was the truck even close to the bump stops on the rear axle when you had the loaded trailer on it? 2) when are you going to make a video telling about the 99 you bought? I love those truck a lot. 👍👍
It took the weight pretty well. Those are brand new GM leaf springs. Had some more give before hitting stops. Hoping to put up a video on the '99 soon!
Every hot shot driver needs to pay attention to this video. Only thing left out was your tire rating. DOT loves that, factory tires are not rated for GVWR
@truckguyjoe. Did you notice a big difference with that cam compared to stock? If so what was the difference? I have that cam and a new set of piston sitting in the shop waiting for my 8.1L to be pulled out. Also when you had the motor tuned i assumed they went to a richer AFR which would contribute to less MPG compared to a stock tune so id say its doing pretty good honestly. Thanks again for the great vidoes a i second the comment about doing actual math on the load weights.
The torque is very noticeable. The truck pulls much harder throughout the RPMs. Seat of the pants, I can 100% tell you the truck is putting more power to the pavement. The AFR is very close to stoich, lambda was 0.98 on my dyno graph from the tuner. If you watch my newest upload, you will see that with the new tune & cam, I was able to increase my MPG while towing the same weight from when the truck was stock..(towing 8800 lbs). About seven years ago I uploaded a video (it's still on my channel), and I got about 6.3mpg stock. With the new setup, I achieved 7.6. I had a feeling towing over 14K, my mileage would only be about 5.
we got an 1985 chevy K30 and rebuilt the truck with a GM 502ht crate engine and a tremec TR4050 5 speed and its awesome combo for pulling with the same problem you have! terrible and thats a light word for the fuel economy! best we get is about 7 mpg and worse if its fully loaded.
Your problem is , You've got too much empty trailer weight so your allowable weight for a paying load is being usurped by the oversized trailer ! Using an 8.1 to move loads around short distances makes sense ! Using an 8.1 for long haul hotshot loads is just very UNprofitable !
@@joedoakes8307 for this particular truck, yes. I don’t really drive the 8.1 anymore. I tow this trailer with a ‘24 3500 SRW Duramax with a 30K combination.
I have a 07.5 duramax crew cab short bed 4x4. I recently towed my fathers fifth wheel and got around 9.5 to 10 mpg. Including interstate speeds for a short bit. So i would say 5 is about right for big block gas truck. Also what size is your tires, i know you said 34 but are they a metric sized tire? Second are you still running original bfg KO AT on that truck? If so those tires have to be at least 10-15 years old.
It's funny. I know exactly what you're saying concerning the weight of the duramax and how it affects tow capacity. What I don't understand, is that if the truck was an extended cab, the max tow rating of the duramax and the 8.1 is identical. I'm curious how these auto engineers got these numbers.
Running at 42k with a bulldozer with 12 foot blade catching wind at 65 i got 5.2 with ny duramax. Also, just get your class a license and just add up the tire rating on each axle. as long as you dont exceed this, you're fine. The book numbers are way iverly conservative
The 6.0 will pull the same trailer and use 1/2 the gas, for sure it wont do it with as much ease but it will do the work nonetheless. 5 mpg is terrible its less than semis are getting hauling 80k lbs
@@daveed2812 show me a 6.0 gas pulling this weight averaging 10mpg
@@truckguyjoe I am consistently getting 19-23 liters per 100km towing a 16 ft dump gooseneck loaded with firewood trailer is 14k loaded 4k mt and truck is 2500hd reg cab 2wd with a 6.0gas.
mind you i dont use kickdown or accelerate like a maniac just feathering it mostly, I coast as much as possible etc etc however when its needed i let the tow mode do its thing and let it rev as it should. The reason why the 8.1 was not recognized as that good is because the 6.0 was the true champion. Most workloads dont require a big-block or a diesel.
@@daveed2812 My friend John would probably be willing to let me use his truck and pull my corn pro dump trailer loaded down. He’s got a regular cab… 2003, 6.0 2500 HD 4 x 4…maybe I’ll put together a video towing with his truck to see what the result is. I’ve owned several 6 L over the years and they’ve consistently got the same mileage as my 8.1 no matter how delicate I drive either one of them. I pinned your comment hoping to get some feedback from others that have the 6.0… Like I mentioned, most will say the 6.0 & the 8.1 get the same mileage no matter what you’re pulling.
@@truckguyjoe My 2015, 3500 crew cab, 6.0L pulling a 2000 3/4 ton pickup on a 20 foot flat bed at 75 MPH across South Dakota averaged 10mpg. Pulling empty flat bed averaged 12mpg at 75 MPH. The 2000 3/4 ton with the 7.4L averages 12 pulling nothing. Between both trucks pulling the same trailer and weight, my 6.0L does better on fuel and has no less acceleration than the big block. I used to have a 8.1 pulling a trailer and it got consistant 7mpg's loaded or empty. I live in flat country so that probably affects my results.
@@MontyCarlo1977 Your 2015 is probably a six speed auto? I can understand that would do better. I am speaking more specifically about 01-07 6.0 with the 4L80. It’s always been my experience they got the same mileage as the 8.1.
A single cab, long bed, GMT800 (with no rust) and a 496, litterally a dream truck of mine. Having owned several of these (with 5.3's), they are IMO the last of the really solid built trucks that didn't overdo it on bells and whistles.
the 8100 with 6 speed manual transmission is the holy grail of the last GM gasoline trucks I hate they quit the 8100 so soon!! and 6 speed trucks are rare as hens teeth! ive got a really nice 04 flatbed dually with the 6.0 engine 4l80e and had to swap it to 5.13 gears to make it pull like it supposed to it was such a slug with the factory 4.10 gears
@@MrChevelle83damn, I actually didn’t know that the 8.1’s ever came with a 6 speed, and that’s especially bad in my situation because I was a technician at a GM dealership when the 8.1’s were still being made. Of course, to be fair about it, where I’m at, we rarely saw 8.1’s come in at all.
@@DustinMorley-dm1cm rest assured they did make them because i myself seen em, and what ever you do dont drive one because youll want to own it! I dont love how the ZF transmissions shift but they are solid units and built great for the GVW of those trucks.
@@DustinMorley-dm1cm in my opinion the allison automatic is a big killer of the 8100 because they were designed for a diesel engine, they lug them too much which is what kills the fuel mileage. the duramax is happy at 1500rpm but a big block pulling a heavy truck does not get any fuel economy like that, yes it works but forget the fuel mileage.
@@MrChevelle83 I’d be curious as to how good those 6 speed stick shifts for an 8.1 do on gas mileage in this same situation. Of course, if there’s any of them left, they’re probably sitting in between the Holy Grail and Jimmy Hoffa’s head. You might possibly get some better gas mileage out of the Allison by starting to apply the TCC pretty early, but I’d be scared to try it. GM tried it with the 6 speed automatics, and it bit em right square in the ass.
I feel bad that the 8.1 never really got much love. Even in bone stock form, it was an absolute beast back in the day. I was working at a GM dealership back in the mid 2000’s, and a guy with a bone stock GMC 2500 4x4 crew cab came in for an oil change. While I was working, he was telling me that, that truck was hands down the best truck he ever had. He told me about one time that his dad was out in the field one day with a one ton dually and a trailer, loading cows. He got the trailer loaded, and got up to this hill, and got stuck. So his dad called a neighbor, and neighbor comes over with a tractor and tries to pull him out, and the tractor gets stuck too. At that point, they call him, and he goes over there with that GMC 2500. They’ve still got the tractor hooked up to the dually, which still has the trailer loaded down with cows on it. Guy hooks that GMC 2500 up to the tractor, puts it in 4LO, and pulls out all that stuff that’s still hooked up to each other, going up a hill, and he told me he never spun a tire.
That’s a fishing story
I believe him yo, i dont know why? But i do. @budlover97
Great story. My dad has one like that when he pulled a stuck ford and a CJ5 out of mudhole in Uwharrie NC with a late 70s suburban with full time 4 wheel drive. He owned a service station so gas wasnt an issue.
8100 trucks got hate because the Duramax was AMAZING and the fuel economy is trash in stock form. 4.10 rear, etc.
@@jameskirk3 Duramax was amazing it no longer is!!
Nice to see someone actually care about doing the math and being safe, instead of just sending it with an overloaded 1500.
Best gas engine and transmission combo ever made for a 3/4-1 ton truck.
Don’t forget about the ford 300/np435 combo
@@skimboards4life865Equally as great, but for different reasons
@@skimboards4life865if I was going Ford I would say Roller cam 351w ZF5 S47...sky is the limit for mods and at modest power levels it cant hurt itself or the transmission for 300-400k miles with good maintenance. The 300 is long lasting and torquey but it lacks the hp to really keep up with modern traffic and pull big loads up hills at 70-85mph.
@@hendo337 I've owned a 94 F150 with a 300 i6 before (auto though) and it had enough trouble doing 70 with no grade and no load
460 with a zf5 is a pretty stout combo as well imo
I really like your Warning at the beginning of the video ! The GMT 800 is well built , a true workhorse for sure . Timely repairs and maintenance are key to vehicle reliability and longevity, and you’ve done a great job with The Mighty Whitey ! Thanks for another great , informative video .
That truck is so clean. Looks great.
@@beerbelly6670 appreciate it!
Good on you for staying legal and explaining axle weights for the folks that don't deal with this stuff often. Looks like a beautiful truck. Nicely done. I like my old diesel but love to see people working with the 8.1. Hearing a big block sing is a wonderful thing.
MPGs expected, but still hurts to see.
Good video demonstration of how all the weights can come into play. Alot of first time RVers need to see this.
When I re-shoot the original tow setup, I am hoping to see an improvement.
I really enjoy the math side of the towing equation. I enjoy going to the scales.
Love the towing potential of these 8.1/Allison trucks. Great video!
These videos are absolutely perfect, we are building an 87 k3500, swapping in most of the drive train from and 01 2500 HD. The 8.1 that we’ve had rebuilt and upgraded, the Allison 1000 and the rear AAM out of that truck. Front axle is an older dana 60 and the transfer case is a 205, which I will be rebuilding with all brand new internals this weekend.
@@xbear7473 appreciate the feedback!
I’m doing the same with my 86 k3500 but putting an nv4500 behind it.
My eagle 230 eliminator (boat) has a high output mag 496 ho in it…..basically a cammed vortec 8.1 with 425hp from the factory….i love it, its an 80mph boat all day with the trims dialed in just right!!!!
Man that 99 K2500 is beautiful!
The 496 is a monster! I drove one across country in a 26ft loaded to the max Uhaul! It was amazing and still had power to spare going through the West Virginian Mts!!
Oh you got a subscriber. Real life content from someone who really tows. Good stuff. I went from towing with a 2011 6.0 to a 08 Duramax with 11,500 miles about a year ago. I love the Duramax but I really like the gas trucks and the much lower cost of operation of them. Thanks for sharing.
I hear that, My old LLY is going to need an Injection pump and injectors in the near future. Not thrilled to see that parts bill. What were you pulling with the 6.0? I usually pull an open car hauler, loaded I'd guess it's about #6000. Car and trailer are 5200 easy, then add in some gear. I've been considering getting a 2018 or so 6.0 truck. I love the GMT800s, but 6.0s really need the closer gear ratios of the 6spd.
@@TheeAbstractHero Always pulling smaller tractors the size of the JD I saw in the background of one of your videos. Sometimes smaller and occassionally larger up to about 7K. I just took my time and always used trailer mode to keep from burning up the brakes on hills. That is what I do for a living. That 6.0 never left me stranded. A 6.0 with 4.11 and aftermarket upgraded brakes and keeping up on all the maintenance is a great small to medium hauler. No frills, slow and steady solid trucks.
use to have the 8.1L in my Yukon XL. loved that motor. It would get about 11mpg without towing and about 7 to 8 with towing. It was pretty bullet proof. would drink a little oil but I didn't care. I kinda miss that truck. using a 6.4L ram now, so I like to keep it simple
10:53 I’d love to see this compared to a cammed 7.3 Godzilla. I bet with the 10 speed and even a crew cab it would do 7-8 mpg doing the same loop. It’s amazing how far trucks have come with more power using far less fuel.
The 5 speed with the 4.10s is really killing it. CP makes a kit with a new TCM and a valve body it gives you an extra gear. The clutches are already there in the Allison for a 6th gear it was never utilized in those years. I bet with the 6th gear it would be dead even in mpg with that Godzilla.
I would gladly sacrifice a couple miles per gallon for the longevity. The 8.1 Will always outlast the 7.3
The 7.3 is let down by not being avaliable with a manual, even if the S6-650 is too expensive a TR4050 would work just fine.
@@rjg967 Why? less power output?
@@257Tony the 8.1 is just a better engine. Not to take away from the 7.3 because it's the best engine for trucks that Ford has built in a long time, but it does have its flaws.
Man that’s such a sweet truck. You don’t see too many of those in that condition anymore. Cool to see you putting it to work. I especially like the grey truck. My Father got a 98 GMC Suburban 2500 4x4 with the 454 in it back in 99. That thing pulled everything, had it set up similar to your trucks, with one tire size up from factory with the all terrains. They put over 300k miles on it, it was navy blue with navy blue interior. Depending on the mileage of the 2001 Silverado, that Vortec will last you a long time. Would love to have either of these trucks one day. Have a 94 GMC Jimmy S17 I hope to restore. Really cool video man.
Those 8.1s are mean 💪🏻
A good friend of mine had one. It locked up.
Fast Lane truck here on YT did a tow test with a 4cyl turbo chevy 1500 and got 3.9 mpg I believe towing max load, so you did pretty good.
3.9 mpg was climbing 3000’.
That is horrible. Who ever thought that a 4 banger truck was a good idea.
@@michaelpopp6340 again, 3.9 mpg was it climbing 3000’ of elevation in 8 miles.
@@michaelpopp6340most early trucks were 4 bangers, then 6 cyl became popular, finally diesels and V8s. Gearing is much more important then the power plant
Turbo motors need to run rich at high boost levels to avoid detonation. They only make sense for the average truck user who putts their truck around 90% of the time (getting the mileage benefits here) and tows infrequently. This is exactly why Ford and Chev have gone turbo in the 1500's and still use a big old NA V8 in the HD applications.
Just for fun, I took my 1999 Dodge 3500, 2x4 Cummins extended cab dually 2500 miles from Mankato MN to Brookings OR in 2014. Truck had 268,000 miles on it towing a 31 foot ,10,000 lb camper, total weight was 17,200 lbs. I averaged 10mpg at 56mph, that was the sweet spot for the truck. That's a nice rig you have.
Great video. You should do a video explaining CDL laws for people and how private use they don’t apply and it’s up to the individual state if you need special licenses. Use the CAT scale to demonstrate the weights. You’re the best I’ve seen on RUclips for that.
The truck is awesome. I’d like to see you use a new 6.6 L8T and run this same test. Get your input for how it compares on power and fuel mileage.
I bought a 07 crew cab short bed LBZ duramax in november of 2022 for $18k with 197k miles. I had that truck until a few moths ago, when I bought a 2001 gmc sierra regular cab long bed with the 8.1 for $9k with 120k miles.
That duramax was a nightmare. I was always fixing it and regretting getting it except when I put my foot down and it put me in my seat.
The engine bay is cramped. The turbo is known for the vanes sticking, causing a loss of power and high egt's, Oh and the crankshafts snap whenever they feel like it.
My 8.1 uses a quart of oil every 700 miles, and I love it. I put new plugs and wires on it, new front end parts, oil cooler lines, serviced the transmission and took it on a 1600 mile road trip with no problems. Well, except for me not tightening the spin on trans filter enough. I have since installed a 5th wheel hitch in the bed, a double din stereo, and can't wait to have an excuse to take it somewhere.
I had two LBZs that had the same sticky variable vanes. Both got new turbos under warranty thankfully.
@@truckguyjoe That's good that it was under warranty. I originally bought the LBZ because it was so powerful and I thought it would be a truck that I could keep forever. But it was just too much risk versus a gasser that I'm familiar with and enjoy working on.
Love the videos, I got an 8.1 myself. Before I bought that truck I didn’t know anything about trucks, I prayed that I got a good truck, and the lord definitely answered the more I learn about these trucks. Got a video of it on my RUclips short.
Enjoying your saga with the 8.1. I have always used diesel, but this is intriguing and always welcome, cool stuff!
I never knew they put Allison's behind a gas motor. I thought it was only the Diesel's , you learn something new everyday.
@@StumpyVanLife the Allison 1000 5 speed in this truck is exactly the reason I bought it! It was only available paired to the 8.1 gas.
Some diesels came with a 4L85e also. I had a 2007 cat eye 2wd crew cab dually like that.
This video is going to be the sole reason im going to be a 2006 8.1 vortex owner 🏃🏽♂️💨
Absolutely beautiful trucks, both the 99' and the 01'!
Very nice and powerful truck sir! I love to see our older trucks preform more rigorous work than what I see on new trucks that are almost always empty 😢
That truck is absolutely gorgeous!
Another great video ! Thanks Joe. Keep them coming.
Big block, reg cab 4x4. The way god intended.
I have GMC 5500 4x4 Top kick custom Adventure camper..
motor is still mostly all original but about to do some RYLAR stuff to it…
It has been re-geared from 5:13 to 4:56 (I think that’s correct. We did it when 4x4 front diff was added.
It’s got headers and cold air intake (extra cooler for Allison) but
Plus I’m running 265 70 19.5 tires on 6 wider alum wheels, instead of the sick tiny 225/70s on heavy steel which also up gears it up
I pull a trailer with the Jeep and gear in it BUT HONESTLY once it’s rolling it’s not much drag unless bad cross wind. The trailer has 4 wheel brakes so it’s actually beneficial sometimes in the mountains (my old RV was terrifying on hard mountain roads) why?
I’m a bit confused because I got worst ever 7.9 when it was 4:56 225/70 19.5s and now its usually 8.5 to a little over 9mpg always (not much change except it loves cool wet weather)? It seems to hate hot weather (so do I am half Canadian) but live in hellish hot Texas.
I love the performance that can be made from 8.1 but man with the cost of fuel I’m not willing to justify apparently dump fuel out the exhaust…. At barely 5 mpg I have to question tune, gearing, injector sizer, something? … (you mentioned high rpm’s)
To the best of my knowledge there is basically zero gain once the peak LOW RPM TORQUE/Hp curve is met but excessive wear and massive fuel loss.
I’m always looking for TORQUE that’s why we are looking at going LOW COMPRESSION (all forged build) with 2.9 wipple super charger (prolly minus the 201 cam) because of massive boost and massive compression in a race situation COOL… in a weight moving situation apparently not so great SINCE the 8.1 or future 8.8 actually makes its peak performance in the lower long stroke range rpm’s.
I couldn’t be happy with that 5 mpg (if mine does this I’m going back totally stock) because it’s not underpowered as it is. It’s just getting lots of miles on a motor that never given any problems (so it’s simply time to go through it at 279,000 miles < no rebuild ).
Another thing is my RV is a lot more aero dynamic than cheap mass produced ones Forrest River (ones).
The RV body is mostly based on THE EARTH ROAMER platform lots of vacuum formed carbon fiber and it’s not near as heavy as it looks. The ant eater front end might help a lot over the squareness of a pickup?
I simply couldn’t live with that 5mpg pulling that weight or not (that’s at the point it’s not worth owning when a durmax will get twice that or more.
My whole concept is I wil suffer a little on mpg a little on performance because I can work on any gasoline engine (and with a few know failure items in hand be on my way… with a diesel pump goes down, sensor shuts it down (its tow truck and huge repair bill)..
I won’t do the RV thing taking that risk because NONE of the newer diesels are dependable. I have owned all of them in pickup FORD SUX! It was always broken. Durmax just always something needs something (damn money pit)
DODGE/RAM I have my 2000 2500 sport I got right after college graduation (still have it (it’s great) I have 2018 Cummins it’s great but always has some damn light on, needs DEF, I actually get pissed at the cost it takes to operate a damn pickup.
So… I’m on the 8100 build kick over the winter and hopefully it don’t pop out at 5mpg because I’m putting a pop up behind the Jeep if that’s what happens… 😂😖
my 2023 full size 4 door silverado with half an engine and turbo pulls like a real motor and still gets decent mileage, it’s crazy. Butttt i wouldn’t do it every day lol. at some point i foresee a window in the side of it. wouldn’t compare to an 8.1 or any duramax but its still impressive.
GMT800 compared to modern trucks are pretty light duty, GMT900s were a definite step up especially 2011 LML Duramax power
SUBSCRIBED! This is such an a good video and everything. I just think of his much money you have saved over the years by not having a vehicle payment. Yes this vehicle doesn't get as great a mpg as newer trucks, but i think you not than make up for it compared to not having a payment and the insurance being a lot cheaper.
I had a 96 460 with mass air Banks headers and airbox....towing my weekend warrior, it also got 5 mpg.... welcome to real life... now I have a duramax.
I never had the pleasure of driving one of these trucks with the 8.1. However I did get to drive a few with the 6.0 with a single cab long bed and it never disappointed. The 6.0 by old boss had was a single cab long bed with a ladder rack. It fit 13mpg loaded or unloaded. We rarely towed with it. So I'm not sure if the mpg it got towing. Great truck.
That is a peach of a truck. I see you're down in the Erie area so there's could potential in that terrain to give it a really good workout. For a lot of people that rarely load up their trucks to the gunwales, a gas engine is the right choice, despite the kind of mileage shown here. It's about the balance of the extra cost of using gas when under heavy load vs. how rarely that happens. Most pickups I see either are empty or are towing landscape trailers. I could see a diesel being possibly cost-effective for landscapers but it depends on their mileage and the load. I have a diesel but really given my activities (mostly grocery shopping in an F350 : ), I would have been better off with a gas engine. I rarely tow but when I do, it's to the full GCWR of the pickup
Beautiful truck! Get those old bfg ko’s replaced. Check your date codes, they were discontinued in 2015.
For sure…I’m asking for trouble
That is a dream tow rig right there WOW I am jealous
My spare truck is a ford V10. I feel your pain on the mpg, but they just work. Pass everything but the gas station.
What a gorgeous truck
05 suburban 2500 8.1 410 gears.
Towing enclosed car hauler trailer 25 feet
4.75 mpg at 140,000 miles...
Love the 8.1( owned 4 different ones over a 10 year period) however that's a whole lot of trailer for that truck. Ended up with a 6.7 cummins H.O. an insane jump in power and fuel (cost) about the same, was ordred with 3:73 gears. I loved my 8.1 with the zf6 the most though very fun.
They need to bring this engine back. I currently have a ‘22 L8T with the 6L90. It does fine, but a bigger engine would be cool 😆🤝
nice video on such a cool old chevy! thats a lot of trouble to just make a simple fuel economy video!
Thank you! Yes, it was for sure a lot of work but I enjoy showing the process. This truck is honestly just a weekend driver for pulling the boat or grabbing some ice cream. Retired from service, but had to at least see what it could do. Thanks for watching!
Beautiful truck, and that 99 GMT400 looks clean as all heck too
Man, you have nice trucks! Great video!
I love that truck!! single cab 4x4! GAS or Diesel paired with the Allison transmission is awesome.
As a wise man once said....with Great power comes the large gas bill!. Dont be dissapointed, my 6.2 F250 get like 6-7 MPG when I tow. Would probably be worse if i were also f=doing full throttle pulls. Like the video BTW. straight forward and to the point.
My '17 f250 6.7 gets 8.5mpg pulling my 28' enclosed trailer (empty)
Basically 5 miles per gallon while basically at max combined weight in mixed driving? That is pretty impressive for an 8.1 liter gasoline engine! Hell, I know someone that had a 5.7 liter Hemi Dodge Ram Mega Cab 4x4 that had to hypermile for 12 miles per gallon with an empty truck on an empty interstate at steady speeds. This was truly at the end of an era when trucks were at their best, and before all the manufacturers forced the Super Mushrooms down the throats of all their trucks.
Good content keep it coming! 496 for the win!
TFL Truck consitently gets less than 5mpg towing with newer trucks, maxed out on the Ike Gauntlet. Gen 3 LS engines are IMO hands down the best light truck engines made.
If that truck has the 11.5 AAM axle, it's actually rated for over 10k lbs. The tire rating is the limiting factor, hence the just over 6k rating.
8.1 Vortec’s are really hard to find in my part of the country. When you do find one they're used and abused. You can find 6.0 Vortec’s fairly easy though.
Awesome truck, great video!
Thank you!
I stumbled on this, really enjoyed it 👍. I know its not a REAL comparison but i towed my Saab 95 wagon on a 2 axle trailer last year with my partner's 2016 Audi Q7 3.0L diesel 272 and grossed just under 11,700lbs and averaged nearly 35mpg on a run to Manchester but that was pretty much all motorway.
That’s impressive as all hell! Shame we can’t get more small diesels like that in the us
as a truck driver i'm glad to see people in passanger size trucks actually weighing their trucks and following the laws like we have to. one time I saw a guy in a 2nd gen dodge cummins going to pick something up from a warehouse with a 53' flatbed 5th wheel goose neck welded on. I just gasped and left not my problem but good lord!
Interesting to see the weight difference between your truck and my 05 Duramax. I've got a Crew Cab Short bed, it weighs 7200lbs with about 13 gallons of fuel (1/4 tank, truck has a 52 gallon Titan tank) and my little 140lb self in it. Also has a 9200lb GVWR.
After seeing your scale numbers I'd bet you I've exceeded GVWR a few times on race weekends. Two people + gear, spare wheels and tires, tools, spare parts. I should probably build a rack on the trailer so I can get more of that weight on the trailer, and not the truck.
Diesel guy here... you already know what I want to say. lol it's definitely a cool truck, I'll just stop there.
@@connorjohnson9230 I’m a diesel guy too. My ‘24 L5P would destroy this 8.1. Back in 2003, this 8.1 did give my LB7 Duramax a run for it’s money.
@@truckguyjoeyep, I don't think duramaxs towed all that amazing till 11 when the lml came out then the l5p and as you know do even better. But lml and l5p are expensive so I think a cammed 8.1 such as this is a great option.
I was quite happy with my deleted LMM. It towed my 15k fifth just fine. Honestly I think better than my full emission L5P.. recently I've been considering tearing it all out but 1 thing that sticks out in my memory was the stink. Not sure if I or my family wants to tolerate that again.
Stronger better yea but my injectors only cost 450 for a great set. Hbu lol😂 I love the thought of a diesel but not the parts cost. 😮
@@scottresch9912 i agree
Makes me jealous. My 04 2500hd with the 6.0 and NV4500 5spd somewhat struggles to maintain 70mph with a 9,800lbs 5th wheel camper.
Man. Beautiful rigs buddy. That obs is a show stopper on the trailer. Just looked over your vids.... You have a cyclone also? Were you the kid in high school that stole my trapper keeper haha. Awesome man! Nice collection.
Love a big block. I've towed several vehicles with my ECLB 4x4 F250. 460/E4OD/3.55S and 33" tire and it does just fine. Not economical but pulls just dandy. No doubt that thing would pull rings around mine but I'd love to do the same to my truck.
The weight ratings are manufacturer’s cya. Load and go…well if you live in a free state of course.
Its best to allow engine to cool down slowly by allowing engive to idle
I know of many ofnthese 8.1 liters that were tow trucks for years and years and have well over 400k miles with zero issues!!!they are bullet proof work horses!
I see that gem in the back!!!!
@@beau3118 my real gem is sitting inside one of the enclosed trailers 🤫
Wow based on the age and condition the chevy trucks you own, you like the classic one's and in nearly showroom condition, surprised to know there still available in these conditions, but then again there weren't cheap either 😉
I prefer my LBZ duramax. It's been a great truck, no major issues. Better towing, better mps especially towing. But I absolutely love the 8.1 too. It's the best v8 imo.
Wow, you can tow more with this truck than I can with mine. I have a 99 F350 crew cab dually with the 7.3 Powerstroke and my gross is 20k.
I bet your 7.3 power stroke would go 500,000 miles without breaking down… That is one heck of a reliable motor
@@truckguyjoe I bought it in Aug 2003 with a little over 55k on it. I have 158k on it now and the only thing I had to do to the engine is replace the water pump.
@@brianteed7390 👍
Awesome video joe!
ford f350 6.4 Powerstroke 6-speed AT 16 m.y, with 3 car hauler trailer(total weight was 23-24K lbs), has 5-6 mpg. Gas cheapest then diesel)
Thanks for the video, excellent!
Awesome rundown. I want a 8.1L. I have a K2500 with 7.4L with 108K original miles. Its strong but aint no 496.
This is the last generation Chevy made a handsome truck imo. It’s all been downhill since the cat eyes.
Agreed! The cateyes are just too much with bells and whistles and I don't like how GM threw in a fragile rack and pinion steering setup instead of just a gearbox imo.
@@trickyricky12147 yeah, and while the cat eyes aren’t terrible, it was arguably the first generation of the gaudy, try-hard looking trucks of today with their oddly aggressive styling. I miss when trucks were just trucks
@trickyricky12147 I've got a 99 with a rack and pinion that's had its boots blown out for over 5 years. My truck has been frame deep in mud, bounced off of unseen rocks in the woods and been on multi-hour one way road trips. Also for giggles I put my lowered 2wd truck on an rti ramp at a jeep show and got a 36. Imo this chassis is one of the best built by chevy. I do strongly dislike the ifs 4wd though.
Ugh. The cat eyes were so ugly.
Scratch that the side view of the gmt 400 like a mirror while going down the road Got me good thats a super clean 400
That's a slick truck!
I average 11-12 with my built 6.0, that I built from bare block in my garage, crew cab 2500, pulling over loaded, I haven’t gotten worse than 9 yet, best I’ve done is 14, factory motor got 9-10, I spent 3500 bucks on this motor, so far it’s paid for itself almost twice in fuel savings, and still makes good power! Sweet video!
Thank you for watching!
Put in the mountains and it will be 1/2 the milage
@@hankclingingsmith8707 yes
That OBS on the trailer 😍
I looked for one of these forever. I ended up with a regular cab 96 4x4 dually (K3500) with a 454 that had a spun main bearing. I bought a motor home with a 454 and put it in the dually. I get asked to sell it everywhere I go 😆
@@matthewcochran3325 I love GMT400s too!
I ran hotshot with a 5.9 and 6 speed and normal was about 7-9 mpg loaded.
At that point I'd prefer the quiet, easy, chaper parts and fuel.
Love the truck and love the content brotha👍🏼
Worked with a guy who drove one. Single cab with a flat bed.
I drive a vw 1981 rabbit pickup with a tdi swap.
I could SMOKE that truck with my little truck.
When the owner of the welding business learned mine gets 75mpg
AND IS FASTER.
He started asking me to give him a ride to the job site.
Cost him $38 to drive to drive to the work site.
Same drive costs me $3.75
My truck is literally more than ten times as efficient.
Sure maybe if you haul.
But just think if you drove that daily for a decade.
For the same cost I could drive my truck for a HUNDRED YEARS
@@fastinradfordable those TDI are amazing on fuel… A friend of mine has a Volkswagen Passat and I swear that thing gets like 50 miles per gallon on the highway
There is absolutely zero percent change you're getting 75 miles per gallon lmao. That's an absolutely ludicrous overestimate. Tdi will do 40 but even 50 is a stretch.
Looks so good😊
Had an 02 8.1 for a short time back in 07 and 08 great truck super strong motor but at less than 10 miles to the gallon towing makes it hard to like
Man, that is a perfect truck, and I’m a Ford guy.
I am running same size tire roughly and regeared my 8.1 with 4.56 front and back and as long as I stay under 15k tow weight and stay under 70 I get 10pm. Empty or loaded. Empty under 80 highway I can get 11 sometimes. I have upgraded brakes and changed out rear leaves for 3300lb for side because my factory 2025 lb per side had flattened out. Ride better than stock. Also have bradfordbuilt steel 4 bed. Crew single wheel hd2500. The leaves from rock auto have been amazing. More than stock.
i can live with 10.
my 80 dually 454 gave me 10, all the time..
i miss that beast.
People always seem to overlook replacing the leaf springs with new ones when it comes to trucks. I don't care if it's only a 1500 truck either, for example. It's important to replace the leaf springs with new ones at some point for rideability and to get the most out of payload capacity. Good on you! Rock Auto is where it's at especially depending on your situation.
I would imagine you could get better MPG out of that thing if you drove it not so hard. I think 8 MPG is a reasonable number. Nice truck by the way. Clean!
I did work it pretty hard, that's for sure. I could definitely feel I was pulling almost 2.5x the weight of the truck.
Great video Joe. I have two questions: 1) was the truck even close to the bump stops on the rear axle when you had the loaded trailer on it? 2) when are you going to make a video telling about the 99 you bought? I love those truck a lot. 👍👍
It took the weight pretty well. Those are brand new GM leaf springs. Had some more give before hitting stops. Hoping to put up a video on the '99 soon!
Every hot shot driver needs to pay attention to this video. Only thing left out was your tire rating. DOT loves that, factory tires are not rated for GVWR
Performance doesnt seem far off from my old 06 ram 3500 manual actually. But it got 9 mpg towing a fifth wheel at that weight.
@truckguyjoe. Did you notice a big difference with that cam compared to stock? If so what was the difference? I have that cam and a new set of piston sitting in the shop waiting for my 8.1L to be pulled out. Also when you had the motor tuned i assumed they went to a richer AFR which would contribute to less MPG compared to a stock tune so id say its doing pretty good honestly. Thanks again for the great vidoes a i second the comment about doing actual math on the load weights.
The torque is very noticeable. The truck pulls much harder throughout the RPMs. Seat of the pants, I can 100% tell you the truck is putting more power to the pavement. The AFR is very close to stoich, lambda was 0.98 on my dyno graph from the tuner. If you watch my newest upload, you will see that with the new tune & cam, I was able to increase my MPG while towing the same weight from when the truck was stock..(towing 8800 lbs). About seven years ago I uploaded a video (it's still on my channel), and I got about 6.3mpg stock. With the new setup, I achieved 7.6. I had a feeling towing over 14K, my mileage would only be about 5.
I have a 2002 8.1.... I hate the 1000 plus rpm change from 4th to 5th. It really needed the 6 sixth gear....
we got an 1985 chevy K30 and rebuilt the truck with a GM 502ht crate engine and a tremec TR4050 5 speed and its awesome combo for pulling with the same problem you have! terrible and thats a light word for the fuel economy! best we get is about 7 mpg and worse if its fully loaded.
Your problem is , You've got too much empty trailer weight so your allowable weight for a paying load is being usurped by the oversized trailer !
Using an 8.1 to move loads around short distances makes sense ! Using an 8.1 for long haul hotshot loads is just very UNprofitable !
@@joedoakes8307 for this particular truck, yes. I don’t really drive the 8.1 anymore. I tow this trailer with a ‘24 3500 SRW Duramax with a 30K combination.
If the trailer has 2 x 8000lbs axles you need to subtract weight of trailer from the 16,000lbs to see max payload for trailer you have left
I have a 07.5 duramax crew cab short bed 4x4. I recently towed my fathers fifth wheel and got around 9.5 to 10 mpg. Including interstate speeds for a short bit. So i would say 5 is about right for big block gas truck. Also what size is your tires, i know you said 34 but are they a metric sized tire? Second are you still running original bfg KO AT on that truck? If so those tires have to be at least 10-15 years old.
Tires are 295/75/16...more like 33.5" tall. They are OLD. I need to replace them.
It's funny. I know exactly what you're saying concerning the weight of the duramax and how it affects tow capacity. What I don't understand, is that if the truck was an extended cab, the max tow rating of the duramax and the 8.1 is identical. I'm curious how these auto engineers got these numbers.
Big block power babbby
Running at 42k with a bulldozer with 12 foot blade catching wind at 65 i got 5.2 with ny duramax. Also, just get your class a license and just add up the tire rating on each axle. as long as you dont exceed this, you're fine. The book numbers are way iverly conservative