Towing MPG

[Poppy & Nana]

Originally Posted by mainah

I have to tell a story about old VW's as a kid we have a neighbor that just talked up the fantastic mileage he got with his VW. Well being kids we decided that we would put gas in his VW at night oh he was beside him self when he was getting 45 MPG--- then we started stealing it he had the thing back to the dealer several times when his mileage dropped to 18 MPG that was great fun!

[chrisclauss]

My 2000 F350 7.3 deisel w/o truck camper 20mpg at 65-70mph
with C951 truck camper on if i keep it to 66-67 mph it gets 15 mpg go any faster and it drops FAST

[EMD_Driver]

Originally Posted by chrisclauss

My 2000 F350 7.3 deisel w/o truck camper 20mpg at 65-70mph
with C951 truck camper on if i keep it to 66-67 mph it gets 15 mpg go any faster and it drops FAST

My 99 F350 7.3 dually gets 15 empty... I wish I could get 20, but that is wishful thinking!

[chrisclauss]

Maybe its in the gear ratios or the speed you travel if i go faster than 67 the MPG drops like a brick

[mainah]

Fantastic mileage but it's a little slow.

[chrisclauss]

Better traction too!!!

[mainah]

Yeah my other TV is 4WD but it doesn't have a loader so I'm torn as to what one to use when we go camping on the other hand my wife doesn't have to sit in the bucket.

[chrisclauss]

lol...put a cushion in the bucket

[chrisclauss]

owning a deisel i thought about chipping the motor but could not find 1 bit of proof that it would help MPG the only proof was in going fsater and shifting for racing which im not into

[1979Sunline]

2002 dodge ram 4.7 v8 4x4 reg cab short box on 33 inch mud tires with 3.55 gears

60 on a flat highway with no load 18-21
60 on the highway in the hills no load 11-16
75 on the highway in the flats no load 13-17
60 on the highway towing a 20 foot sunline in the flats 9-14
60 on the highway towing a 20 foot sunline in the mountains 4-9 mpg
stop and go in and around where i live i average 11mpg, very sad, truck hates city driving

these numbers were much nicer before ethanol

ive seen as low as 3 mpg going up graphite mountain in on rt 8 and on rt 2 in the berkshires in the steep sections... ive never seen a truck that will fluctuate so much based on conditions

[chrisclauss]

I try to avoid city driving as much as i can with a deisel i think you watch the gas gauge drop

[bink68]

Not exactly a scientific sample but I observed a 9 mpg value towing our T-2499 down to the dealer with our 2012 F-150 Super Crew Eco-boost. That's using winter gas in the Pocono Mountains in fairly windy conditions. Interestingly enough, I got 8 mpg returning towing a Winnebago One 30RE - a unit that is about 1900 lbs heaver and traveling a route that was more stop and go. Based upon our experience towing the 2499 with a Chrysler Aspen, I'd say that the F-150 will return just about the same mpg.

[tjalmy]

2003 Tahoe, running naked, 70 - 75 mph, 19 mpg, usually. Flat lands of Florida.
Towing the Sunline, 10 - 12 mpg w/ two kayaks on the roof of the truck. I'm never sure if they help or hinder gas milage. Apparently, they have little effect.
I tow in OD, keeping RPM's under 2000. The truck holds it fine, with little 'fishing' for 3rd gear, except on inclines. Good HD shocks on the truck, and a careful alligning of trailer wheels made a heck of a difference in the ability to hold 4th.
T

[ihsolutions]

Somehow I missed this thread over the past three years????

Anyway, here goes:

2003 Chevy Silverado LBZ Diesel, 4x4, EC/SB Towing Sunline T-2570: 12-13mpg
Same truck, towing 2005 Sunline F-293SR: 10mpg (albeit at 62mph instead of 65mph)
Same truck, towing 2011 Big Horn (in sig): 10.5-11mpg

New truck:
2012 Chevy Silverado DRW Diesel, CC, LB 4x4 towing Bighorn: 10mpg

I have never used the saying "didn't know it's back there" with ANY of my vehicles or trailers, until now. Sometimes I forget. The new truck is just ridiculous. I find I have to keep my speed in check. The first few times out, I kept finding myself going 70mph. That's too fast. But it feels effortless. Needless to say, MPG suffers. What boggles my mind is that the Bighorn scales at 13,500lbs... and I can hardly tell it's there.

The other interesting thing is that my WORST combination was the Sunline fifth wheel. The flat front must have been the enemy, if I had to guess. You could really feel it hitting gusts of wind, where the rounded front of the Bighorn does not feel that way.

Also interesting is that it seems weight has VERY little to do with anything. Once you get it moving, and provided you don't start/stop a lot, it seems to make almost no difference in MPG.

New truck empty MPG: 14.5
Old truck empty MPG: 17

Though, the new truck is still really new, with only about 1500 miles on it.