I'm looking at converting a 5th wheel horse trailer to meet my needs.For diesels, cummins particularly, I am interested to hear mpg numbers from anyone towing these.I am curious the difference between those horse trailers with flat fronts as opposed to those with curved or pointed fronts, and also ones that sit closer to the bumper than others; and compared to bumper pull trailers of similar size.(with regular bumper pull camper trailers, which sit farther back and are usually squared and wide, they effectively take all the wind - not tucked closely behind the TV)A horse trailer 5th wheeler is more narrow and sits much closer to the TV than a camper or camper 5th wheeler, so should gain some efficiency in aerodynamics.Not interested in knee-jerk opinions, just real info from those that have tried.Also, the horse trailer is not a huge monstrosity like the camper 5th wheelers. Mpg is very important as I tow a lot, not just a few miles once per year. I have a bumper pull cargo trailer with pointed nose that is only 5 feet wide and the mpg's on it are so much better than my 7 foot wide camper (which is even lower in height).Also, how does weight affect it? I know air drag is king, but looking at 1,500 lb aluminum trailer empty vs 5-6,000lb steel trailer.

For over 10 years I have been reading posts on this and other RV forums. Most RV'ers with 5th wheels report between 6-12 MPG while towing and fully loaded for camping. I have also read many posts from RV'ers who have tried to improve their towing MPG. Aerodynamic add ons, more efficient fuel/air delivery systems, more efficient exhaust systems, different gearing, different tires or air pressure in the tires... The results from these efforts result in at most a 1 to 3 MPG improvement. I've read about folks spending $2500 to $5000 in an attempt to improve MPG only to get 1 to 3 MPG more.In my opinion... RV'ing is an expense that is worth every penny. There are hidden savings... better mindset, health, exercise and quality family time.Don't worry about the cost....enjoy the ride.Buy a factory made 5th wheel travel trailer and start the adventure. Don't waste time and money in trying to put something together unless it's your dream to build something out of a horse trailer.Just my opinion and I wish you luck in this new adventure.By the way I have a Chevy 4500 with a Duarmax Diesel. I pull a 7.5 foot wide X 12.5 foot tall X 38 foot long 5th wheel that weighs 15,000lbs. I average 10 MPG while towing.

I had both a goose neck horse trailer and a 5th wheel camper that I towed behind the same truck, 6mpg with either.

14000 lb 5th wheel with 6.7 stock 11-12 depending on terrain.

Just did a trip from Appleton,WI to Grapevine,TX Tow Vehicle 2004 Ford F-350 4X4 CC SB 6.0 diesel 125,000 miles.Towing 2013 Cedar Creek 36CKTS 5th wheel.Round trip miles 2,376 Total fuel 218.3 gallonsMPG===10.884 C.B.

I'm looking at converting a 5th wheel horse trailer to meet my needs.Made me laugh... A few years ago there was a big Willie Nelson concert at the WSRC in Sparta, IL on the same weekend as the U.S. Open Trapshooting Championships.(We were there to shoot.) I think every one of the 1,000 campsites on the property was full. A bunch of the concert goers were camping in goose-neck stock trailers. Ever since then, we've referred to stock trailers as "Willie Nelson campers".

5th wheel mpg's | Good Sam Community

blt2ski
Moderator
Jun 12, 2017
Lighter and more aerodynamic you can make it, the better off you are. That includes as smooth of sidewalls etc you can get.

Look at what some of the semi's are doing right now, many are gaining upwards of 10 percent with some of the items they add to the base truck, to make the aerodynamics better.

Will this pay off for some of all of us as RV users.....maybe......one needs to figure out how much fuel you save, over a given amount of time, and will the cost make a savings in the miles I drive. I personally would look for a 2-3 maybe a 4 year ROI on the item added. If it does not return all of the $$ spent, and then some. not worth it. Speed is usually the best factor, ie 60-62 in as low of rpm reasonable nets best mpg.
ALso tires and type can add mpg's.
I would suggest checking out articles from some of the medium to heavy duty truck sites, magazines etc to see what is working best, getting the best roi etc. With this in mind, these drivers/trucks are usually doing 70-100K miles a year. So the ROI is way sooner than some RV'rs that might do 10-20K max per year.

Marty
Bob_Shaw
Explorer
Jun 12, 2017
In my humble opinion, based on my experience, towing a 40' 5'er with an 8.1 liter GMC, the best way to improve your mpg is to slow down. I was getting around 5.5 mpg while towing at 70-72 mph, I slowed to 62 and my mpg went to 9 - 9.5. I really wasn't expecting anything that dramatic, and it really didn't make that much difference in my daily miles traveled. A side benefit is that it made the trip way more enjoyable. It's funny how much easier the traffic is when they are passing you instead of you passing them.
blofgren
Explorer
Jun 12, 2017
Truck in signature towing 16k lbs high profile fiver nets a solid 11 mpg. I have gotten better but 11 is my average. I'm quite happy with that given that my Ford 6.0L struggled to get that with a 12k lbs fiver with much less power.
burningman
Explorer II
Jun 12, 2017
Slowmover wrote:
t
So, do you HAVE to have a pickup? It's a lousy tow vehicle just as it's a lousy vehicle to drive. Unstable, too heavy, etc.

An SUV or car mated to a nice used Airstream will beat all the capacities questions, and also beat any pickup truck combo on every score of road performance. Significant risk reduction.

A car more stable towing than a truck?? A car or gas-engine Suburban beating a turbodiesel on every score of road performance? Risk reduction??
What have you been smoking?!

Few are acknowledging this guy's question, just because you don't get what he's doing. I can tell you, RV's are built like flimsy fragile JUNK, and a horse trailer is built STOUT in comparison.
If you want a trailer that can take punishment and last, this isn't a bad idea. And you can see around a horse trailer lots better, too.

I haul horses, and one thing I can say is it's just gonna need a whole new floor if it's ever gonna smell right, lol. Unfortunately my MPG figures aren't applicable because I carry them 14 at a time in a Peterbilt 379.
mtofell1
Explorer
Jun 12, 2017
Message boards are full of people miscalculating MPGs, lying about MPGs, having a strong confirmation bias about improvement of MPGs and not taking into account varying conditions while calculating MPGs.

You're extremely unlikely to change MPGs any significant amount (+/- 1MPG) without making major concessions with your design. For example, a roof so low in the 5th wheel than you can't stand up. As people pointed out earlier, slowing down makes the biggest difference by a long ways. I also agree with some others that RVing isn't cheap. For all the things we pay for without giving a second thought, RVing should be one of them. Just fill it up, take the receipt and have fun. Skip Starbucks a couple times a week if you really want to save money :)
Slowmover
Explorer
Jun 18, 2017
burningman wrote:
Slowmover wrote:
t
So, do you HAVE to have a pickup? It's a lousy tow vehicle just as it's a lousy vehicle to drive. Unstable, too heavy, etc.

An SUV or car mated to a nice used Airstream will beat all the capacities questions, and also beat any pickup truck combo on every score of road performance. Significant risk reduction.

A car more stable towing than a truck?? A car or gas-engine Suburban beating a turbodiesel on every score of road performance? Risk reduction??
What have you been smoking?!

Few are acknowledging this guy's question, just because you don't get what he's doing. I can tell you, RV's are built like flimsy fragile JUNK, and a horse trailer is built STOUT in comparison.
If you want a trailer that can take punishment and last, this isn't a bad idea. And you can see around a horse trailer lots better, too.

I haul horses, and one thing I can say is it's just gonna need a whole new floor if it's ever gonna smell right, lol. Unfortunately my MPG figures aren't applicable because I carry them 14 at a time in a Peterbilt 379.

Bummer you don't smoke the same. It's high school physics. Pickups are rollover-prone. In a scenario at a speed you don't appreciate (below Interstate) a pickup will roll where a car or minivan will spin. That's life-changing. Ask any ER physician.

High-centered and heavy for no benefit. In fact, drawbacks.

However "stout" is a horse trailer it's also narrow. See above about costly mistakes. Heavy and space inefficient isn't the way. Drawbacks, not advantages.

A car and an Airstream defined practicality more than 60-years ago. I'm third generation on them. Thousands of good used or new models. Keep investigating, in other words.

Finally, how do you fit all those horses into the tractor?. My KW is fair-sized, but I'm not quite so animal-friendly.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Jun 18, 2017
Slowmover wrote:
burningman wrote:
Slowmover wrote:
t
So, do you HAVE to have a pickup? It's a lousy tow vehicle just as it's a lousy vehicle to drive. Unstable, too heavy, etc.

An SUV or car mated to a nice used Airstream will beat all the capacities questions, and also beat any pickup truck combo on every score of road performance. Significant risk reduction.

A car more stable towing than a truck?? A car or gas-engine Suburban beating a turbodiesel on every score of road performance? Risk reduction??
What have you been smoking?!

Few are acknowledging this guy's question, just because you don't get what he's doing. I can tell you, RV's are built like flimsy fragile JUNK, and a horse trailer is built STOUT in comparison.
If you want a trailer that can take punishment and last, this isn't a bad idea. And you can see around a horse trailer lots better, too.

I haul horses, and one thing I can say is it's just gonna need a whole new floor if it's ever gonna smell right, lol. Unfortunately my MPG figures aren't applicable because I carry them 14 at a time in a Peterbilt 379.

Bummer you don't smoke the same. It's high school physics. Pickups are rollover-prone. In a scenario at a speed you don't appreciate (below Interstate) a pickup will roll where a car or minivan will spin. That's life-changing. Ask any ER physician.

High-centered and heavy for no benefit. In fact, drawbacks.

However "stout" is a horse trailer it's also narrow. See above about costly mistakes. Heavy and space inefficient isn't the way. Drawbacks, not advantages.

A car and an Airstream defined practicality more than 60-years ago. I'm third generation on them. Thousands of good used or new models. Keep investigating, in other words.

Finally, how do you fit all those horses into the tractor?. My KW is fair-sized, but I'm not quite so animal-friendly.

Then why do you tow with a pickup??
This forum is like a Train wreck.....just can't stop watching it!

OP, you'll get somewhere between 8 and 14 mpg. As said above, there's 1000 people on 500 forums daily asking "what fuel mileage will I get?" And there's as many different answers, almost......
RoyB will squeeze 27 mpg out of that combo (and I've seen other ridiculous mileage claims like that) because he can do over 18mpg towing a popup they the mtns with a half ton ford. I'll get about 10 because my week ends are short and I drive 80 mph on the freeway.
K-9_HANDLER
Explorer
Jun 19, 2017
Might want to post this over on the ag talk forum.
https://talk.newagtalk.com/category-view.asp
Guys running some miles with gooseneck stock trailers over there. Not sure what length or weight that you intend to haul. Most everyone I know has mid to high 20s in length.

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