Hard numbers on MPG.
One of the show stoppers for the new RV owner is the fact that they get half the gas mileage when towing. In my case it drops from 19 mpg with no TT to 10 mpg when towing.:(
Our TV is typical; we have an F-150, 4x4 with E-Boost and averaged 10 mpg over 8,000 miles of towing last year. I suspect this is more towing mileage than most RV owners do in a year and less than a few others.
I read where some folk add modification to their TV to improve their mpg. So I decided to do the math to see what would happen if I got 12 mpg, a 20 % improvement.
Starting with $3.25 a gallon for gas seemed reasonable, so at 10 mpg it cost us 32.5 cent a mile to pull our TT. At 12 mpg it would cost only 27.1 cents per mile. This is a savings of 5.4 cents per mile. So, last year a 20 % improvement in mpg would have saved us $432.00.
The problems as I see it are,
1. 8,000 miles was for us an exceptional towing year for us.
2. I doubt that there is anything they can do to my F-150 to gain 20% on my mpg.
3. Cheaper gas would make the saving even less.
4. Even doubling the price of gas to $6.50/gal. :E or the towing miles to 16,000; there would still be less than $1000.00 worth of saving; not enough to justify a different TV or any extensive motor mods.
So for the DW and me 10 mpg it is. My TV and TT combination tows well, has good low end torque and a comfortable ride. Admittedly, If I was younger and in my gear head days or some other person who enjoys the challenge of improved mpg, the cost would be secondary. ;)
Our TV is typical; we have an F-150, 4x4 with E-Boost and averaged 10 mpg over 8,000 miles of towing last year. I suspect this is more towing mileage than most RV owners do in a year and less than a few others.
I read where some folk add modification to their TV to improve their mpg. So I decided to do the math to see what would happen if I got 12 mpg, a 20 % improvement.
Starting with $3.25 a gallon for gas seemed reasonable, so at 10 mpg it cost us 32.5 cent a mile to pull our TT. At 12 mpg it would cost only 27.1 cents per mile. This is a savings of 5.4 cents per mile. So, last year a 20 % improvement in mpg would have saved us $432.00.
The problems as I see it are,
1. 8,000 miles was for us an exceptional towing year for us.
2. I doubt that there is anything they can do to my F-150 to gain 20% on my mpg.
3. Cheaper gas would make the saving even less.
4. Even doubling the price of gas to $6.50/gal. :E or the towing miles to 16,000; there would still be less than $1000.00 worth of saving; not enough to justify a different TV or any extensive motor mods.
So for the DW and me 10 mpg it is. My TV and TT combination tows well, has good low end torque and a comfortable ride. Admittedly, If I was younger and in my gear head days or some other person who enjoys the challenge of improved mpg, the cost would be secondary. ;)
