MPG loss carrying Canoe on TV?

pasusan wrote:
OP here - thanks to all who responded! We are on the fence at this moment whether to get an inflatable or carry our hard sided canoe.

It does seem that the mpg difference won't be much to consider... I just have a hard time picturing the big old canoe on top of the truck for long trips, just for the possibility of using it. We will be retiring within the next couple of years and will be taking longer trips - not to go to one CG with water, but to go all over - sometimes being near water.

We've got some time to think about it before we need to do something. :)

Wish I had a pic. You need a good canoe rack- camper or not. You are right- you LOOK loaded.

But canoe camping is EXCELLENT!

Just make sure you keep the pointy end facing forward.

OP here - thanks to all who responded! We are on the fence at this moment whether to get an inflatable or carry our hard sided canoe.

It does seem that the mpg difference won't be much to consider... I just have a hard time picturing the big old canoe on top of the truck for long trips, just for the possibility of using it. We will be retiring within the next couple of years and will be taking longer trips - not to go to one CG with water, but to go all over - sometimes being near water.

We've got some time to think about it before we need to do something. :)

Just drill several large holes in the canoe. Cuts down on the wind resistance. :)

Dittos:

Camper = Ton of bricks, big square flat wind catcher / major MPG loss.

Canoe = pretty darn aerodynamic, relatively light / negligible MPG loss.

pasusan wrote:
We're trying to figure out a way to have a watercraft with us as we travel the country. If we carry a canoe on top of the TV will we lose even more gas mileage? We now get a whopping 8.4 mpg pulling the trailer.

Anybody have experience carrying a canoe (or other boat) long distances?

I have a TT a little smaller then yours and I can slide a Kayak inside the door of the TT by scooting it a little sideways and putting the front up on the bed.

Can you do something like that with your canoe?

If you don't own the canoe yet look at foldable ones. There are also inflatable ones. But, purchase a good inflatable ones. The cheap ones do not hold up.

darsben wrote:
84 vs 8 what is the difference in a practical way.
With the price of petrol at a very low price you are probably talking a buck or buck and a half a tank full

84 MPG is good. I would think it it drops from 84 to 8 towing you have a problem somewhere. lol :p

I track every tank of gas on my cars and MH and have noticed the following over the years. On average I cannot see a difference in towing or not towing a 2600 lb car in my MH gas mileage, 8.7 mpg ave over 80,000 miles. My tow car is a different story when I carry bikes, a kayak, or luggage on top all reduce gas mileage from 42 mpg hwy to 34-36 mpg. Also brand new tires will reduce mpg by 3-4 mpg depending on how aggressive the tread is. Mpg improve as tires wear.

I agree that in the overall scheme of things, you aren't talking much difference. You are getting 8.4 mpg now. I don't know what size tank an 84 Bronco has, but let's just use 23 gallon. Even if you take a 10% hit to the mileage, you are only talking going down to about 7.6 mpg. At 8.4 mpg, your range was 193 miles. At 7.6 mpg, it drops to 174 miles for a difference of 19 miles per tank. You didn't say how much you will be towing, but let's say 10000 miles per year. That is 1190 gallons of fuel at 8.4 mpg. At 7.6 mpg, it will be 1316 gallons. So if you took a 10% mileage hit, it will take you 126 gallons more for the year or about $252.00 at the current national average fuel price. (All numbers are approximate/rounded)

Realistically, I doubt you would take more than a 5% hit, if any. Personally, I'd strap it on top and not worry about it. I'd rather have the canoe to use on my trips than the potential of a little bit of extra money that I will likely blow on something else anyway.

I've hauled a canoe hundreds of miles and also towed the trailer w/o one. Mileage difference is minimal. My theory is that the canoe splits the air somewhat before it hits the brick wall on the front of the TT.