Average MPG for Ford and GM full-sizers?

[Marauder_Pilot]

Between starting work as an electrician and a lot of drive-in camping and road trips, I've really gotten sucked into the idea of buying full-size van for a daily driver and occasional (OK, frequent) weekend camper.

Plan is to get an 8-passenger version and build a bed and fold-out kitchen that can be dropped in the back for weekend camping trips, plus a small lift kit, some more aggressive tires and maybe a rear locker.

Right now, after having driven both E250s and Express 2500s, I'm leaning towards the GM van from a DD/long trip standpoint, since I much prefer the interior and ride of the GM vans over the Ford ones, but I'm definitely not stuck on either.

I'd be getting the 5.3L for a GM and the 5.4L for the Ford. How's the actual mileage on those, compared to the estimates? (Ironically, despite putting hundreds of kilometers a week on them, I've never bothered to track fuel usage, mostly because I don't pay for it. )

 

[hammerhome]

2000 ford E250 2WD, raised, locker, agressive tires
I get around 12mpg in town and 14-15mpg on the highway depending on wind and hills. Not that bad when you consider what you can haul with this rig.

 

[spencyg]

Between 10-12 MPG in my '86 4x4 camper w/ a normally aspirated diesel and 3 speed auto.

SG

 

[jjohnny350]

99 ford e350 ext, 5.4 v8 6" UJOR 4x4 35" toyo mts
I get between 9 and 14. 9 loaded down, 14 on the highway unloaded, 11-12 around town.

 

[Pest]

2014 Chevy Express 1500 AWD, 5.3L V8, completely stock: 17-18MPG mixed, probably 35% city, 65% highway.

 

[landyachtcaptn]

My work van is a 2000 Chevy 2500 cargo, everything stock, 5.7 vortec, I get 12-14mpg. Pulling a trailer it gets 6-8mpg.

 

[Accrete]

...I'd be getting the 5.3L for a GM... How's the actual mileage on those, compared to the estimates?...

2010 Chevy Express 1500 AWD (~24K on odometer at this posting), 5.3L V8 running fully loaded (van conversion/full tanks/two peeps/2 wks supplies) all the time (~6800 to 6900 lbs at scales on 7K GVWR)... we typically see (it's my wife's DD) 13mpg around town and ~16 on highway. Pulling our 2,300lb 15ft trailer we go back down to low teens per a recent trip/calculation.

Thom

 

[Soutthpaw]

My dad has a 2011 E350 5.4 l. We recently drove from L.A. to Colorado Springs and back 14.8 @75mph. Gain about a 1mpg @65. 50k mills on the van. Also don't make the mistake of comparing east /central USA mpg to Rocky mountain/ western USA mpg. Cuz all the mountains and hardly ever dining on flat ground for long stretches

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[HappyyCamper]

'08 chevy express AWD passenger van stock, 15-19mpg average. As high as 19-20 on highway only and around 16-17 in town, down to 14-15 towing a 2-3k trailer. Not horrible for a van but???

 

[Marauder_Pilot]

15-19 beats my Jeep at least, that's nothing to winge about, haha.

 

[dar395]

1998 GMC Savana 2500 Standard Roof 5.7 with K&N Air Intake filter 6,300 miles of driving very little town lots of two lane 16.2 miles per gal avg., K&N Filter added approx. 1.5 MPG

 

[DEFENDERBEAM]

2014 chevy express AWD. Less than 4k miles total. Average MPG according to the computer is 13.8

mostly around town, with one 800 mile trip in the mix. Ended up driving 70+ for half the trip.

 

[silvrzuki77]

I've been wondering the same thing mostly on the 5.4. Such better deals on the 5.4 liters versus diesel version.

 

[TBS]

'97 E350 w/ 7.3L diesel.

18-19 with mixed highway/city. 21-24 all highway. No notable modifications yet.