Towing MPG???

When towing my 10K 5er I get 13.2 on flat constant speed freeways which drops to 11.1 average once I hit the hills. I find that stop and go driving really throws the mileage in the toilet. Can't avoid towns on the road but I try to time my metro towing away from rush hours.

I keep it under 65 for safety and find that 63-65 MPH is the sweet spot for my engine/transmission configuration.

Towing with my 1999 Ram 24 valve diesel towing 34' Toy Hauler, 14,000lbs loaded, on I5 from Home to Corning in Northern California was 14.6 into head wind. Return trip with the wind was 15.9. I can't complain, but I stay at 55-60mph.

I have gotten as low as in the 5mpg range (Western NY to Nashville via PA, WV and KY and then back via KY, OH and PA) and as high as 8mpg on the NYS Thruway. This was after the trip to Nashville, with a few hundred miles of non-towing driving mixed in. I am also not one to worry about how much fuel I am burning as well, so there was some steep grade climbs with the pedal to the floor. I had to stop every 150 miles for gas, but it sure was a fun trip!



One thing that not many people discuss is the frontal area and total aerodynamics of the trailer. My trailer sits over 11'-5" tall and is like a brick wall traveling down the highway.

2013 GMC 2500HD, Duramax 6.6L diesel, 4X4. This is 135 tanks of fuel traveling from Kansas to Mesa, AZ, South Dakota, Yellowstone, Oregon, Southern Missouri and dozens of trips to our local lake. 5ver weighs 10,500 loaded and I travel at 65 mph at all times.

Sorry for the reply to this old thread but anybody looking at getting a older gm or chevy 8.1l big block here is my mpg

towing 29ft 5th wheel est weight 10,000lbs

Moderator edit to re-size pictures to forum recommended limit of 640px maximum width.

As mentioned above the big things for my Ram 6.4 hemi and 27ft Lance are wind, speed and hills. I range from about 8 to 10. When we first started RVing after retiring in 2010 I worried and sweated about getting the best mileage I could...I got over it. I drive between 55 and 65 mph most of the time.

My normal response to people now who ask about what mileage I get is "I get between F and E. When it drops to E I just add gas and then I am back at F!

As for speed, my wife and I don't make reservations and most of the time don't know exactly where we are going so what sense would it make to drive fast to get there.

Trailer is 12600 dry so maybe 14000 or more loaded.
I get between 9-11 mpg

What helps is not excessive speed or acceleration.
I find that towing at 100 KM/h is the best. Anymore than 110 KM/h which is what most posted primary highway speed limits here are, then the MPG drops significantly.

atwowheelguy wrote:
GA to CO and back. 6 x14, 2800 lbs., 16.2 mpg (hand calc 15.4)
...
Two trips, 27.5' camper, 6700 lbs., 12.3 & 11.7 mpg (hand calc 11.7 & 11.1)
...

Now that's interesting! I have always found that the computer mpg on my 2008 F250 almost always calculates 1/2 mpg BETTER than my hand calculations... and look at your numbers.

I wonder how many other people have similar numbers?

GA to CO and back. 6 x14, 2800 lbs., 16.2 mpg (hand calc 15.4)





Two trips, 27.5' camper, 6700 lbs., 12.3 & 11.7 mpg (hand calc 11.7 & 11.1)

I have actually gotten equal to better gas mileage towing than without... Now that I have your attention. I have a Ram 1500 Outdoorsman and until we get the TT, we are pulling the old 8 box pop up we've had for 11 years now. It is 1900 lbs loaded about a 200 lb hitch and is almost exactly the same height as the top of the truck bed with the bed tonneau and width of the truck. I'm thinking I'm getting some kind of positive wind flow along the whole set up as it moves down the vehicles since they are so close in size from a rear profile minimizing drag. Not that I am complaining. And the 5.7 hemi 3.92 gears kind of likes a nice light workout. That trailer doesn't hardly register and I can literally forget about it back there. Now this is distance highway driving without crosswinds. I think stop and go would not be the same.