Towing into the Wind

Wind is my biggest factor for MPG, tail or no wind in the hills 13.4 mpg....semi strong head wind in the hills it will drop to 10.3 to 11 mpg, but I need to watch my EGT's they can hover around 1,150* up a good grade with a head wind.

DutchmenSport wrote:
I did not read all the posts on here yet, but my Chevy Diesel 3500 duly Duramax ... even in the hilliest places we've been in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, towing over 10,000 pounds with winds from all directions ... well??? ... my kitty just keeps purring so sweet. Never had a problem, slow down, or anything. My baby just purrs and purrs and purrs, 60 mph with cruise, exhaust brake, and tow mode. Never touch the peddles unless its a curve requiring less than 60 mph. My baby just purrs. Gosh I love my truck!

Are you talking about I-64 from VA through WV into KY? That was my first real trip with the TT a few weeks ago. Absolutely brutal but it did very well and somehow averaged over 10mpg with a 4.4l gasser!

I did not read all the posts on here yet, but my Chevy Diesel 3500 duly Duramax ... even in the hilliest places we've been in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, towing over 10,000 pounds with winds from all directions ... well??? ... my kitty just keeps purring so sweet. Never had a problem, slow down, or anything. My baby just purrs and purrs and purrs, 60 mph with cruise, exhaust brake, and tow mode. Never touch the peddles unless its a curve requiring less than 60 mph. My baby just purrs. Gosh I love my truck!

I just drive. Winds and hills are no big deal.

Gas engine = 425 pounds torque. Diesel engine = 925 pounds torque. Question answered!

It's rare to have no wind on North/South on I43 in WI between Milwaukee and Green Bay. 30 mph head winds are common. We go that way a lot into Door County. It's equally rare to have the wind pushing us. It seems when we head north it's a northerly wind, and a southerly wind when we head home.

That said it's only a 22' 4500# trailer, I get about 8.5/9 mpg heading into the wind. I get 10/11 with no wind. Occasional downshifts when heading up a hill in the wind. The dreaded "P" rated truck tires (Not the same as the "P" rated tires on your cushy Buick) don't wobble or sway. If I had a 30' trailer, then yeah, LTs are called for.

skidooman93 wrote:
But just curious how the new diesels perform with a large 12k lb full frontal 5th wheel, a strong headwind and long hills?

Well that is me, 12,000 lb tall 5th wheel. Like others have said... my signature rig just uses more fuel...still has plenty of power. My previous f250 gasser would struggle big time with a headwind. I went up I70 through the rockies in 4th at 60 mph. Power is incredadiable.

Its scarry to say the least. We pulled into Vegas earlier this year just as a monster wind storm hit. Lucky we were sheltered behind a big Class A but as people arrived at the show grounds you could tell it was a war zone on the freeway. Many broken windshields and awnings missing on coaches and trailers.

My truck struggles more with the mountains than the wind. My guess is it takes more energy to pull 10,000# up a 6 percent grade than buck a 25 mph headwind in the gorge. The headwind tanks the fuel economy more but then again you aren't climbing 6% for 70 miles! The wind has never moved my rig but I have never experienced the 50-60 mph stuff. Hope I never do.

We get them sometimes coming back into san diego county from the imperial desert area. I just put the pedal down a little more and move to the left one lane so as not to be constantly merging past slower rigs.

It does drink a bit more fuel but if your worried about mpg RVing isnt for you.