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Anybody tow with an 8.1??????

W

wayne

3/4 ton status
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Ok, my wife really likes the Avalanche. I am not totally keen on them but if it tows well I will live with it. If I get one it will have to be 3/4 ton and the only engine they had was the 8.1. Anybody have one? Is 12 mpg realistic not towing? Any known issues with the engine? It will be a daily driver/tow pig for the most part.
 
Got a 2001 burb with the 8.1L...

The truck is awsome and tows great. We towed my buddies Blazer from Denver to Moab this spring and it did real well over the mountains. If I remember correctly it got about 8mpg towing. 12 is on the high end of average for empty and I'm a pretty conservative driver - but with that much power it's kinda hard to keep your foot out of it. Too much fun! I tend to see 11-12 mpg with combined city/hwy driving.

Before the trip I took it in to have the transmission flushed and things checked out. The service writer said they don't really have any problems with the engines exept they tend to use oil; at least the earlier models did. I know mine does. They also see the crankshaft position sensor (is that right? Is that a real thing?) going bad. Don't know about the newer ones. Only problem I've seen is that much weight up front on the IFS tends to eat the front end components like pitman and idler arms.

Hope this helps.
Jason
 
wayne said:
Ok, my wife really likes the Avalanche. I am not totally keen on them but if it tows well I will live with it. If I get one it will have to be 3/4 ton and the only engine they had was the 8.1. Anybody have one? Is 12 mpg realistic not towing? Any known issues with the engine? It will be a daily driver/tow pig for the most part.
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My 6.0 ltr barely got 12. It gets 14 now with the bully dog tuner.

Any idea of the gear ratio? The 6.0 ltr is 4.10:1.

There are guys in my club that pull with the 8.1 and they have not complained about any issues...

Too bad they don't put a DMax and that.
 
Ok, Since an avalanche discussion came up I feel like I should talk about my experience with mine.

Bought an 04 z-71 brand new, black on black,fully loaded, everything but the dvd player. I loved it. It was exactly what I wanted and I put my 79 k-5 up for sale.

First thing, not soon after I bought it the new smell" which it never had" was completely gone, with a nice replacement smell of mustiness. Found out the back window was leaking. It went back to the dealer 9 TIMES for the exact same problem. Not including the fact that the midgate itself "unalligned itself" about 2 or 3 times.

The info center on the dashboard went out, and had to get a new one.

I finally decided to sell it not even owning it a year. I couldn't take the issues that the thing had anymore. So I sold it and kep my K-5.

On the 3/4 ton avalanches they have steering issues. I was a member of an avalanche group and here is the website. Ask questions before you consider those things, I just wish i looked into it more before I jumped in on one.

http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/index.html
 
I have an 01, 4x4, 3:73, with the 8.1
I average 8.5, or 9 mpg, freeway it'll get alittle better.
power is great, just forget about mpg
 
My dad had an '02 2500 with the 8.1. Liked everything about the truck except the gas mileage. 8-9mpg is what he told me, when he still had it.
 
I would get a 4 door shorty D-max 3/4 ton pick'em up truck instead. Convince your wife to like on of those instead.
Then you will get 15 to 18 MPG unloaded and 12 to 15 MPG towing.
Plus if I am not mistaken the pick up is less expensive even with the D-max in it.

Plus the Avalance is an ugly waste of sheetmetal if I ever saw one. JMHO!
 
tch777 said:
I would get a 4 door shorty D-max 3/4 ton pick'em up truck instead. Convince your wife to like on of those instead.
Then you will get 15 to 18 MPG unloaded and 12 to 15 MPG towing.
Plus if I am not mistaken the pick up is less expensive even with the D-max in it.

Plus the Avalance is an ugly waste of sheetmetal if I ever saw one. JMHO!
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If I go diesel it will be a Dodge.
 
I have never owned an Avalanche and after seeing a number of them I never will. I don't care for parts/panels etc. that fold/remove or whatever. Problems waiting to happen. To me the Avalanche is a "jack of all trades" but good at nothing. I'd get a truck.
 
I've got an '02 Chevy 2500 with the 8.1 and I LOVE it. Yeah it only gets 10mpg in town and 13 on the freeway. I usually still get 12-13 when towing my 5500-6000# load. I have the 3.73 gears with the Allison (which I believe you cannot get in the Avalanche). If it were me and you wanted the shorty 4 door package get the 4 door super shorty bed truck with the Allison. You won't ever look back unless your hung up on 18-20 mpg with a truck.

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talk to scott wayne, or 77 on creepers, get him to hook you up with keene. They will do you right on a cummins. Imho you should just go diesal, i wish i had when i got my hemi.
 
You were talkin GMC with the AV so I figured that was your brand preference. Really if you are buying a diesel that was made in the last 3 years, they are all pretty good choices. And they have all had their problems too. Dura-max, PSD and Cummins.

So in my opinion go diesel and don't look back.

Tim
 
Loose Nut said:
talk to scott wayne, or 77 on creepers, get him to hook you up with keene. They will do you right on a cummins. Imho you should just go diesal, i wish i had when i got my hemi.
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I already have.
 
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