Towing... what is the cost????

mgfiest wrote:
I read about some disadvantage with towing but they don't really go into the cost of this disadvantage.

So what disadvantage I would like to know is the fuel consumption lost. Either gas or diesel. If you can go 600 miles on a tank without a toad... will you only get 300 miles on a tank with a toad. If you use a toad, do you need to upgrade your transmission to accommodate, if so then that is an added cost. Then there is the brake system.. I assume that is an added cost.

So I am thinking there is a major add on.. if you do tow a vehicle.

If it gets that much... it maybe better to rent a car, when you get to your destination.

whoever is telling you that you'll suffer a 50% decrease in MPG if you tow is flat out wrong. we tow either a 2003 jeep wrangler or a 2010 jeep liberty and the decrease in overall MPG is significantly less than 1-mpg. how do I know? I keep precise records.

we tow with a Blue Ox towbar and baseplate and the Unified Tow Brake from US Gear. we had everything installed so the cost was higher than if I had done it myself but I wanted it done right.

the advantages of having a toad far, far outweigh the disadvantages. and about the only disadvantage I can think of is the cost of the towbar, baseplate and aux. braking system.