My son races motocross and every weekend we are on the road driving 50-500 miles and the MPG is killing me, see this post I put up on one of my racing forums.

I know this is off topic for this forum, but we all can relate, and someone prolly has some good input.
I want to talk about how we get to the track, possibly the most expensive part of a race weekend. I will tell you what I have and I am looking for ideas that might help me save some cash getting to the track, and please no brand bashing or foolishness.

I have a 08 GMC 2500HD 6.0L gasser/ 6 speed auto 4x4, and I tow an 18' enclosed trailer. First about the truck; it has stock 3.5" exhaust without a muffler, a Trifecta Performance computer tune, cold air intake, 33" tires and 3:73 gears. I get around 7-8 mpg towing, which kills me in the wallet. My trailer is an older 18' Car-Mate enclosed with a totally flat nose. I usually have a 350 gallon water tank in the bed of the truck (empty). The trailer loaded weighs 6000 lbs. I think its the big flat surface area acting as a sail that is killing my mileage, if a gust of wind kicks up, I drop 5 mph instantly.

Thing I am thinking about trying to help my MPG:
-Install long tube headers with converter deletes to help in the torque department.
-A supercharger, I know it would help with power, but dont think it would help mileage
-A cam swap, something with more torque at 2000-2500rpm
-Possible gearing swap, I am running 33" tall tires now, stock were 245/75r16 which are about 30.5" tall. Thinking about going from the stock 3:73's to 4:10's or maybe even 4:56's
-I've seen the "bubbles" on the front of flat face trailers and was wondering if they make any difference.

Any possible ideas would be helpful, I need to save some cash on my traveling, I spent triple my travel budget this year. I would love to get a new Duramax GMC, but that is a couple years off right now. Lets hear how you roll!

 

The bubble on the nose might help... all the 16' work trailers we use to pull had those and i guess they worked.. they weighed 7200# and we were gettin ~14-15mpg in the 2500hd Dodomax and 11-12 in the CTD Dodge and 8 in the F350s

Id start with the bubble.. and gears.

 

Im thinking the bubble too, I have the open bed with water tank in it and my trailer is 8x7 foot tall and is dead flat, not even curved on the sides. I remember when I bought it and towed it home empty, it was a wicked windy winter night and I could not go over 65mph on the highway without downshifting from 4th to 3rd and back and forth. It was pathetic. I normally run 65-70 mph, in 5th on perfect flat ground and no head wind, if a bird farts, it downshifts to 4th, and on some hills it drops to 3rd!! This is supposed to be a "HD"!

 

hahah.. yikes.. yea i towed a 16' enclosed from MS to KY and it sucked some kinda bad with a flat front. any head wind and it would get in boost right quick.. didnt do so great for gas mileage...

 

By the time you start modding your truck, you would better spend your money saving towards a duramax, thats the only way to tow, sorry but its the truth.You'll never get the MPG's and power that the diesel has.

+ all the money you would save on fuel would help fund it too.

But to make the best of what you have , gears would be the best option , and a good " live " tune from a reputable tuner. This will maximize what you have.

 

there is a forum I check out called eco modder, they are concerned about gas mileage etc. but have some good tips on how to stream line your stuff for better mileage. also stuff is helpful for racing etc

 

It was tuned by Vince at Trifecta Performance, engine and trans, and we just updated the tune this summer. He has always done great work for me, he is a GM specialist. OBX Long tube headers should run me $500-600, and a gear swap will definitely help it out big time. I'm thinking 4:10s but I may throw some 35's on it, then I will go with 4:56's. My goal is low end to mid range torque, something it has none of now, if I can boost the torque at 1500-2500, driving speed, hopefully I can get it more efficient and able to hold a gear better. Right now its totally geared right in between.

I had an old 84 GMC that was lifted with 39" Swampers on it, a 462 Buick big block 495hp/650ft lb, 4L80E and 4:88 gears in it and at 1700 rpm it would cruise all day long and get 15mpg! It didn't even try to move down the road.