Mileage change with smaller lighter trailer
My Excursion V-10 with 4.30's gets 7.8 mpg at 58 mph (OD locked out, cruise on)towing my Jayco Eagle 33' TT with super slide weighing about 8,500 pounds as towed. I'm looking at trading for a 2010 ...
Forum Discussion
Weight doesn't make a whole lot of difference in fuel mileage on flat ground at a constant highway speed.
Where weight sucks up fuel is when traveling in the mountains, or in stop and go traffic.
I can suck up alot more fuel pulling long grades, or driving through town stopping and going, when heavily loaded, versus lightly loaded. Same with rolling hills. Lightly loaded, I can drive in a higher gear and not drop speed or put my foot in it for each uphill. Heavily loaded requires a lower gear and/or a heavier foot and sucks more fuel, or let it slow more on each hill and save some fuel.
A big side sail area makes a difference in mileage when there is a cross wind or a quartering wind to fight. With a tail or head wind, or no wind, a big side sail area doesn't make a difference in mileage.
Where weight sucks up fuel is when traveling in the mountains, or in stop and go traffic.
I can suck up alot more fuel pulling long grades, or driving through town stopping and going, when heavily loaded, versus lightly loaded. Same with rolling hills. Lightly loaded, I can drive in a higher gear and not drop speed or put my foot in it for each uphill. Heavily loaded requires a lower gear and/or a heavier foot and sucks more fuel, or let it slow more on each hill and save some fuel.
A big side sail area makes a difference in mileage when there is a cross wind or a quartering wind to fight. With a tail or head wind, or no wind, a big side sail area doesn't make a difference in mileage.
