Buying a power wagon just because it’s bad @$$

[4xdad]

Exactly buy what you want/need is ape a tow monster no is it a cheap daily driver no but I like mine I think the only thing I would change is the colour

 

[62Blazer]

For a power wagon type of truck, yep solid axles make sense. For a tow rig, I dunno. IFS makes a ton of sense there, rides better and no death wobble.

Have to say my previous Chevy with IFS was great on the road, towing and hauling. Put 150k on it and no IFS specific issues. Replaced balljoints and wheel bearings once but that is definitely not specific to IFS. It did have larger tires and wider/more offset rims most of it's life. Nothing crazy but the tires were "2 sizes" bigger and the rims were a little wider and little more offset than factory. Never did any crazy off-roading, but hate to admit I haven't done a ton more off-roading with the PW or anything that much crazier! Really like the stance of the PW (straight axle trucks) and the ability to run 37's pretty easy. I have multiple other vehicles that I do serious off-roading with including a another truck with lockers front and rear and 40" tires.

 

[coronajeep]

I get 7 mpg's when I am pulling our travel trailer, & about 10 otherwise.. how is everybody else getting 17!?
Please help!

 

[62Blazer]

I get 7 mpg's when I am pulling our travel trailer, & about 10 otherwise.. how is everybody else getting 17!?
Please help!

From my experience, your numbers are more realistic. I have a '16 that gets around 12 MPG empty and around 8-9 MPG pulling a small trailer (likely much lighter and more aerodynamic than any travel trailer).

 

[olyelr]

From my experience, your numbers are more realistic. I have a '16 that gets around 12 MPG empty and around 8-9 MPG pulling a small trailer (likely much lighter and more aerodynamic than any travel trailer).

Yea, same with my ‘16. For the last 7 years since buying it new its been 12mpg driving empty and 7-8 towing the travel trailer.

The ‘19 and up with the 8 speed tranny was a big improvement in drivability and a bit better mpg’s, but dont let it fool its still a huge heavy truck sucking a bunch of gas. The guys getting 16-17 mpg with them are just slowly cruising around.

 

[62Blazer]

Yea, same with my ‘16. For the last 7 years since buying it new its been 12mpg driving empty and 7-8 towing the travel trailer.

The ‘19 and up with the 8 speed tranny was a big improvement in drivability and a bit better mpg’s, but dont let it fool its still a huge heavy truck sucking a bunch of gas. The guys getting 16-17 mpg with them are just slowly cruising around.

I could see the 8-speed helping around town because of the lower gears, but not sure it would help MPG on the freeway. The top 3 gears, so the ones you would be using when cruising down the road, are basically identical between the 6 speed and 8 speed. Meaning 4,5, and 6 on the 6 speed and 6,7, and 8 on the 8 speed are almost identical ratios.

 

[olyelr]

I could see the 8-speed helping around town because of the lower gears, but not sure it would help MPG on the freeway. The top 3 gears, so the ones you would be using when cruising down the road, are basically identical between the 6 speed and 8 speed. Meaning 4,5, and 6 on the 6 speed and 6,7, and 8 on the 8 speed are almost identical ratios.

Yes. I think the magic for the 8 speed is the lower first gear ratio and extra gearing between, which allows the motor to be in a better and more efficient range for longer. I mean the 6 speed in mine shifts into second right off the bat and then stays there till like 50+ mph before shifting again…i feel like my half ton has already shifted into 5th or more by then, along with several extra gears on the way to that point keeping the motor in its sweet spot.

 

[Fatbob Frank]

Yea, same with my ‘16. For the last 7 years since buying it new its been 12mpg driving empty and 7-8 towing the travel trailer.

The ‘19 and up with the 8 speed tranny was a big improvement in drivability and a bit better mpg’s, but dont let it fool its still a huge heavy truck sucking a bunch of gas. The guys getting 16-17 mpg with them are just slowly cruising around.

Not true...
I'm NEVER slowly cruising around...
After I drag my butt out of our valley and hit the highway I'm usually hauling A unless I see 5-0...
But I'm usually empty too...
I'll say this- after getting rid of my restrictive exhaust and running a glasspacked straight pipe and the S&B CAI the throttle response is crazy fast...
Neighbors probably don't like me much, but I try not to get on it too hard till I'm out of the neighborhood...

 

[olyelr]

Not true...
I'm NEVER slowly cruising around...
After I drag my butt out of our valley and hit the highway I'm usually hauling A unless I see 5-0...
But I'm usually empty too...
I'll say this- after getting rid of my restrictive exhaust and running a glasspacked straight pipe and the S&B CAI the throttle response is crazy fast...
Neighbors probably don't like me much, but I try not to get on it too hard till I'm out of the neighborhood...

Hmmmm…so you haul ass all the time in your power wagon and religiously see 17mpg??? Or you've seen 17 come up once on the evic on a 50 mile trip cruising downhill with the wind at your back?


Got any sound clips?!?!! I would love to hear it!

 

[Fatbob Frank]

It must get fairly good on the highway cause it's only getting 8 or 9 getting out of my valley and up to the highway.
I average 15mpgs more often than not if I have to pass a bunch of people...
But I average 17mpgs enough to be happy with it...
Running heavy 35" tires too.
I work 3rd shift so I usually have the roads to myself at night and share it with a bunch of semi drivers on my commute home and they're usually hauling A too...
No interstate here, just good old 55mph so I'm usually running 61 or so...

 

[Docwagon1776]

Yea, same with my ‘16. For the last 7 years since buying it new its been 12mpg driving empty and 7-8 towing the travel trailer.

The ‘19 and up with the 8 speed tranny was a big improvement in drivability and a bit better mpg’s, but dont let it fool its still a huge heavy truck sucking a bunch of gas. The guys getting 16-17 mpg with them are just slowly cruising around.

I get 16-17 highway on Summer gas and drive 70-75 on the interstate. I'm also not typically hauling/towing, driving in pretty flat country, and in areas with reasonable traffic flow (ie, not a bunch of deceleration/acceleration cycles, stop and go traffic jams, etc). Still on stock tires, not much in the way of heavy add-ons (rock rails and front diff guard only).

Winter gas drops it to 14-15, strong headwinds do the same or worse. Having a bed full of firewood drops it a bit, but not all that much. I suppose the percentage add to the total weight of the truck isn't that much for wood since I don't stack it much above the bed rails.

 

[Airmousam]

It must get fairly good on the highway cause it's only getting 8 or 9 getting out of my valley and up to the highway.
I average 15mpgs more often than not if I have to pass a bunch of people...
But I average 17mpgs enough to be happy with it...
Running heavy 35" tires too.
I work 3rd shift so I usually have the roads to myself at night and share it with a bunch of semi drivers on my commute home and they're usually hauling A too...
No interstate here, just good old 55mph so I'm usually running 61 or so...

Thats wild, I've never seen 17 on my 21 PW ever..im not a slow driver, but also don't drive like I stole it

 

[Fatbob Frank]

I get 16-17 highway on Summer gas and drive 70-75 on the interstate. I'm also not typically hauling/towing, driving in pretty flat country, and in areas with reasonable traffic flow (ie, not a bunch of deceleration/acceleration cycles, stop and go traffic jams, etc). Still on stock tires, not much in the way of heavy add-ons (rock rails and front diff guard only).

Winter gas drops it to 14-15, strong headwinds do the same or worse. Having a bed full of firewood drops it a bit, but not all that much. I suppose the percentage add to the total weight of the truck isn't that much for wood since I don't stack it much above the bed rails.

Yeah wintertime loses about 2mpgs unless I'm in 4Hi a lot...
Something else that's been debated on other threads is the use of Ethanol.
I drove it for 6 months using 87 w/10% eth before deciding to pony up the extra$$ for 87 NO eth and after I couple weeks of that I noticed a 2mpg increase so it's all I run anymore.
I don't know what I'd get running 91 cause the only time I do is when towing and then it's only getting 11mpgs or so anyway...

 

[Fatbob Frank]

Got any sound clips?!?!! I would love to hear it!

Don't know how to post one..