Newbie 5th wheel guy in need of advice

[Deadeye]

I'm a brand new 5th wheel puller and am trying to figure out the best combination of rim height, tire profile, rear end gears that will give maximum fuel economy for some 65mph highway pulling. My truck is a '95 Silverado 3500 dually with 6.5 diesel. I like the low profile of the 75 series tires but was told that will rev my engine more than I may like. Anybody with some real life experience?

Deadeye

 

[88GMCtruck]

I had a 99 K2500 6.5L truck with 3.73 gears, I ran 235/85R16 tires with great results. Taller and skinny helps in the rolling resistance.

 

[great white]

Some details on your truck please.

IE: Modifications made to the engine, rear axle ratio, auto or standard, etc.....

Mileage, engine condition (IE: blowby), transmission mileage, etc...

Also, weight of your fifth wheel, where you'll be towing it, how fast, etc....

No matter what you do though, a fifth wheel, a 6.5 and 65 mph isn't going to net you much more than 11 mpg (that's being optimistic) and probably some pretty hot running.....

My resumé:

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(34 footer, tick over 9,000 lbs. total scaled at just over 19,000 lbs)

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(the last long tow)

You can probably say I know a couple things about towing long and heavy with a 6.5......

 

[88GMCtruck]

BJ knows his stuff.

Just because he put up a picture of his setup, here is (was) mine.

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Trailer was about 5k at this point. Still have the trailer, sold the truck. 65MPH was no problem, but you'll have much more wind drag with a 5thwheel or more weight.

 

[94Sierra4x4]

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(the last long tow)

You can probably say I know a couple things about towing long and heavy with a 6.5......

Looks like you left from Comox/Courtenay maybe Campbell River? lol

My grandfather had a '92 6.5 TD we towed his 24' 5th Wheel from here to Saskatchewan
To add to this topic.. check your wheel bearings before any trip, replace them if they look questionable

 

[great white]

Looks like you left from Comox/Courtenay maybe Campbell River? lol

My grandfather had a '92 6.5 TD we towed his 24' 5th Wheel from here to Saskatchewan
To add to this topic.. check your wheel bearings before any trip, replace them if they look questionable

Comox.

 

[Chevyguy78]

Gteat white how did you like the ferry ride out of newfoundland? I herd its real long... most of my family lives up there. Sorry to get off topic.

 

[great white]

Gteat white how did you like the ferry ride out of newfoundland? I herd its real long... most of my family lives up there. Sorry to get off topic.

6-8 hours depending on the crossing.

We cross on the night ferry, get a cabin and sleep the trip across.

We hit Sydney (or Port Aux Basques, depending on which way we're going) fresh and ready for another day of driving.

Hell, we even get a cabin if we do a day crossing. It just gives you a place to go and relax if you want some privacy or quiet...

 

[heavyjunk]

I was once a GM oilburner(till I went Cummins), you can go a long way pulling with a 6.5, IF you keep an eye on a few things. First thing I did was add a boost gauge, egt gauge(exhaust temp), and trans temp gauge.

Unless you modify your wastegate controller you shouldnt have a problem with over boosting, but if your hard on the throttle watch your egt's and coolant temp CLOSELY! Never let your coolant ride over 210, EVER! Same goes for exhaust, never let it get over 1200 degrees pre-turbo. As for your tranny, 240 degrees is your high mark. After that your fluid begins quickly degrading.

6.5's have horribly designed cooling circuts in the heads and that creates hotspots, and those cause cracks. Trust me LOL.
You can upgrade to the HO water pump and twin thermostat housing fairly easily, I believe from '97 up 6.5's, and I would highly recommend it, that will greatly improve your cooling. Also you can upgrade to a D-Max HO cooling fan that will also help immensly.

Make up a signature so we can see exactly what mods you have on your truck and we'll be able to give you better guided advice.

 

[zohaa]

Thanks for posting.


This is the way I do it, but never thought of taking pics of it.