I haven't had the boat long but gas mileage is in the big-block range. 8-9 . One of the auto magazines did a test towing a 9000# car trailer from LA to Colorado(?) Here's the article: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/04...-6-part-1.html

Hills, traffic, and high speed(70+) kill the mpg.

you realize a 3/4 ton gasser is only maybe 1000 pounds more. Capabilites and specs of a 1/2 ton EB and 3/4 ton gasser are almost identical, now a 3/4 ton diesel different story. And I dont undertand your thinking in that 5500lb is unsafe to tow 5500lbs or 9500lbs but a 7-7500lb truck is then fine to tow a 13k lb boat? Ive had both and I dont see the huge difference. Are you maybe more comfortable with a big loud smoke blowing diesel maybe, if that makes you feel better, thats fine, people should tow with what makes them comfortable and what they feel safe in.

But any 5000-6000lb boat can be more than adequately be towed by any manufactures v8/EB 1/2 ton with no problems and probably the preferred tool for the job anything else to be honest is over kill. If you felt like it was out of control either something wrong with the trailer, unrealistic expectations, or how the driver was towing, I mean you cant really drive like normal when towing regardless of what you are using.

I towed my 29 fountain 600 miles one way this summer, one way I got 11.8mpg and the other 12.3 mpg. Cruise was set at 68mph. I wouldnt tow anything over 70 with that truck, but then again when I used to use my diesel I wouldnt either. Stopping starting not really an issue, better have good trailer and breaks, and to be honest no truck if you drive like a clown or just get unlucky is going to stop any sort of weight in a split second. Turbo lag, I dont know what people think they are talking about, plain old lag in my last chevy was twice as worse, and turbo lag is in a diesel, I know because I had one.

68-69 MPH with the loads you describe is perfect in an EB 3:73.

When towing like this I find the EB just surges forward when you stab it...

When you are sailing down the freeway with a truck full of peeps on cruise control and under hardly any load at all and you step on the gas there is the ever so slight lag while....

1. the torque converter unlocks
2. the cam phasers change the relationships
3. the trans shifts down
4 the turbos spool up.

All of this happens in a split second in a 373 trucks and just ever so noticeably longer in a 355 truck.

lots of stuff happening...

UD

Face it. Some of us are simply better at driving than others. If you think the 1/2eb is the issue, you are one of the "others".
I have pulled my boat, which is 10,500 lbs with the trailer & gear with my extended cab, short bed Ecoboost with 3:31 gears (7500 lb tow rating) well in excess of 70 mph & I was comfortable with it. It was a bit of a sponge on rough roads but it did the job & did it well. Will it replace my usual tow rig? No, but it works in a pinch & it works far beyond my expectations.
Save us all some grief, keep your boat at a marina & let them put it in the water for you.

bingo!

We have been over this before but I think a lot people are not looking at the holistic view on this. A lot of guys are under the old mentality that a 3/4 ton/diesels is the only thing that can tow something that is over 5,000lbs. Well that may have been the truth 15 years ago, that is far from the truth today. And I am not just speaking about the EB but any half ton these days can easily tow 7-9k lbs, and if its a problem I think the driver is the issue. really if you look at it todays half tons are the same size and have the same capabilites if not more than 3/4 tons did 15 years ago.

I think a lot of guys are looking at everything at its root. Most of us trailer are boats probably less than an hour, and if you live up north you have about 12-15 weeks of weather to take the boat out. Being as 1/2 tons are more than capable of towing 10k lbs why have a bigger truck for other 90% of the time as your daily driver. I know alone from switching from the 6.4 power stroke to the EB I am saving close to 3 grand a year just on fuel, that doesnt include cheaper insurance on a newer vehicle, and less maint cost. So really the cost of ownership for my diesel was costing me probably upwards of $4,000 a year to go 28 miles and 39 miles to my boating spots maybe 12 times a year, pretty much pays for my truck now. I know there comparisons to the EB tows like a diesel, which is true, but the keyword is LIKE, and most truthful people will tell you it may be like but isnt 100% the same, so no one is taking away from the prestige that diesel was/ is. Is there still a need for a diesel sure, if you have the load to do it or make multi state trips, then you would be wise to own one. Or heck maybe you just like them, thats fine too. There is just a falicy in that anything over 5k needs a diesel, I have towed a 4500-5000 boat with both a diesel and a 1/2 ton, and you could blind fold me and I wouldnt be able to telly you which truck I was in. Now heavier loads sure there is a difference.

i towed a 29 scarb with twin 350's yesterday. i dont know how much the boat and trailer weigh but i woul guess around 7,500 lbs. i was honestly blown away by how well the truck handled, pulled a 6% graede and stopped. the truck is amazing! i came out of a 5.9 cummins 1 ton truck. by no means is the EB better than the 1 ton diesel BUT the power and low end torque this truck delivers made it tow much more like a diesel than a gas engine. the transmission is amazing in how it downshifts keeping the truck in control of the load - i have ZERO regrets trading my diesel in for this truck. on the downside of things the mileage on the EB is10.8 towing/19.1 non towing where the diesel was 15 towing/18 non towing.

Was entertaining thoughts of going to an EB in the next year or two as after 30 + years of GM ownership I went to a new F-150 in 2010. The first 33 months and 35K miles were happy and trouble free. Since then, my truck has fallen victim to what seems to be every common problem associated with these trucks. First it was the driver's side seat heater. Next, the bulkhead fitting transmission leak. Now, just 2,600 miles out of warranty, the infamous blend motor failure which requires the entire dash to come out of the truck. I believe my Ford experiment is over. Too bad as I really like the truck.

the last silverado I owed a brand new 07 burned oil only got 13.8mpg, leaked water to where it actually pooled in the cabin and both door rattled. Thats why I went to ford. Actually prefer the chevy even after the last one, lemon in every pile and I was lucky enough to pull it. Havent gone back yet, as GM cant seem to make something yet that out performes the other two brands. Supposively their 2014 is better, but from what I have seen it only matches the competition.