I just bought a 17' airstream in OK city and drove it home to SC. I got 13 mpg leaving Okc (2005 Volvo V70 tow veh)which is very poor but as I continued on mpg improved dramatically, gradually. When I reached SC. I was getting 21 mpg. Altitude?? or something else caused the difference. I wonder if it took 1000 miles for the cpu to re-calibrate the best fuel mixture for towing 2500 lbs and it took 1000 miles to do it. Has anyone noticed the tow vehicle getting improved performance after driving a while in the same altitude? I wonder if disconnecting the battery before towing will cause the cpu to immediately re-calibrate or faster then just hooking up and going. maybe its just altitude! car gets 31 mpg not towing on hwy.

ohpoppy wrote:I just bought a 17' airstream in OK city and drove it home to SC. I got 13 mpg leaving Okc (2005 Volvo V70 tow veh)which is very poor but as I continued on mpg improved dramatically, gradually. When I reached SC. I was getting 21 mpg.Reportedly most towing an Airstream do get somewhat better fuel mileage than those of us towing conventional travel trailers but 21 mpg ??? You must be kidding, I know of no one that gets that kind of mileage towing anything. :E Typically most towing an Airstrem might see something like 14 mpg while 10 mpg to perhaps 12 mpg is typical for the rest of us. You're just not being realistic expecting such extreme fuel mileage returns.

If you were getting 13 mpg you were doing pretty good. Anything above 15 is highly unlikely unless it was all downhill, a big hill.

The Caravel is a small trailer that has pretty good aerodynamics and that weighs very little. (What is it? About a 1967 model?) No shock to get decent mileage. OKC is hardly at elevation, so that doesn't seem like a likely story to explain the change in mileage. I suspect that the self-recalibrating system of your Volvo might explain it.Lynn

it is a 67.. as far as being realistic about mpg, it got 21 as I wrote. that was on I-85 heading north from Montgomery AL to Anderson, SC my home. yes that is good mpg. if it is due to engine calibration I would like a remedy to start right off getting the 21. anyone know about such things about speeding up the calibration process if that is the reason?? its more then just about money, it drove better at 21. at 13 it was straining and it was hard to reach 65 mph. at 21 I could cruise at 70.

Arkansas is in the mountains which may be a higher elevation.

Airstream Caravel towing mpg question | Good Sam Community

SoundGuy
Explorer
Apr 14, 2018
ohpoppy wrote:
I just bought a 17' airstream in OK city and drove it home to SC. I got 13 mpg leaving Okc (2005 Volvo V70 tow veh)which is very poor but as I continued on mpg improved dramatically, gradually. When I reached SC. I was getting 21 mpg.

Reportedly most towing an Airstream do get somewhat better fuel mileage than those of us towing conventional travel trailers but 21 mpg ??? You must be kidding, I know of no one that gets that kind of mileage towing anything. :E Typically most towing an Airstrem might see something like 14 mpg while 10 mpg to perhaps 12 mpg is typical for the rest of us. You're just not being realistic expecting such extreme fuel mileage returns.
nickthehunter
Nomad II
Apr 14, 2018
If you were getting 13 mpg you were doing pretty good. Anything above 15 is highly unlikely unless it was all downhill, a big hill.
eubank
Explorer
Apr 14, 2018
The Caravel is a small trailer that has pretty good aerodynamics and that weighs very little. (What is it? About a 1967 model?) No shock to get decent mileage. OKC is hardly at elevation, so that doesn't seem like a likely story to explain the change in mileage. I suspect that the self-recalibrating system of your Volvo might explain it.

Lynn
ohpoppy
Explorer
Apr 14, 2018
it is a 67.. as far as being realistic about mpg, it got 21 as I wrote. that was on I-85 heading north from Montgomery AL to Anderson, SC my home. yes that is good mpg. if it is due to engine calibration I would like a remedy to start right off getting the 21. anyone know about such things about speeding up the calibration process if that is the reason?? its more then just about money, it drove better at 21. at 13 it was straining and it was hard to reach 65 mph. at 21 I could cruise at 70.
ohpoppy
Explorer
Apr 14, 2018
Arkansas is in the mountains which may be a higher elevation.
Turtle_n_Peeps
Explorer
Apr 14, 2018
If hand calculated you did the math wrong.

If you just checked the instant readout it was wrong.

Sorry, you're not going to get 21 MPG average towing your high wall trailer.
diazr2
Explorer
Apr 14, 2018
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
If hand calculated you did the math wrong.

If you just checked the instant readout it was wrong.

Sorry, you're not going to get 21 MPG average towing your high wall trailer.

X2 Just not going to happen.
ohpoppy
Explorer
Apr 14, 2018
I used both the readout on the dash and double checked with math. My family and I use higher math in business.. no way I screwed up the math.

and getting nearly 400 miles on tankful says it all when the tank is around 18 gallons.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Apr 14, 2018
Well if nothing else the OP's posts are amusing to read on this wintry "spring" evening. :W
GrandpaKip
Explorer II
Apr 15, 2018
Wow.
Congratulations on the camper and the mileage.
That would make a great ad for Volvo.

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Airstream Caravel towing mpg question

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