truck camper mpg vs. fifth wheel

Grit dog wrote:
^ Yeah, but the wind resistance on a big TC is gonna kill mileage.
If you haven't hauled one before, you wouldn't understand.
I lose 5-6 mpg with the camper easily. I get about the same mileage with the camper and a 6000lb trailer behind it.
OP can expect similar mileage with a TC as with his fiver.

And who gets 19mpg out of a 12 year old 3/4 ton gasser? Must be out for a Sunday drive every day of the week! Lol

I have achieved on a few occasions right at 17 mpg with a 6spd. 3.73 geared 2011 6.0. My commute to work I can get 16 with very little stop and go traffic. I purposely try to stay off brakes and use very easy acceleration and never go over 65. So yeah, I don't think any one can get 19 mpg with a 4spd. 6.0.
I usually get about 10 and sometimes 11 with the 3500 lb. TC on board.

I always seem to average about 11mpg with an Arctic Fox 1150 on my Sterling 4500 dually. It's all about wind resistance and thus speed. Cummins did a massive multi year study for big rigs and determined that up to about 50mph almost all power was applied to setting the weight into motion. Above that it was almost exclusively about overcoming wind resistance. They determined that that the magic number was about 62 mph. Above that and you start getting such drag and resistance that you are wasting energy. I set the cruise at about 62, relax and enjoy the scenery.

I have both. I can not quote actual mpg figures as I never check it,it is what it is and I stopped worrying about it a long time ago.
What I can say is, I do not notice a big difference between the two, but this could be because I think I drive faster when using the camper. I would guess that common sense says slightly better mileage when I'm using the camper because it weighs less.

gitpicker2009 wrote:
I always seem to average about 11mpg with an Arctic Fox 1150 on my Sterling 4500 dually. It's all about wind resistance and thus speed. Cummins did a massive multi year study for big rigs and determined that up to about 50mph almost all power was applied to setting the weight into motion. Above that it was almost exclusively about overcoming wind resistance. They determined that that the magic number was about 62 mph. Above that and you start getting such drag and resistance that you are wasting energy. I set the cruise at about 62, relax and enjoy the scenery.

Another frequent poster here did his own study on his GMC D/A 3500 4x4 dually hauling his double slide camper. After many, many computations, he plotted the results graphically. His conclusion was 58 mph was his rig's sweet spot. I frequently got 20+ mpg on my 2007.5 GMC D/A 2500 4x4 short bed with a bed cover hauling my tiny DW and huge self plus luggage. I set 62 mph and enjoyed the ride.

Slower on uncrowded, rural interstates isn't unsafe.

Bill

Can't speak to fifth wheels but with my larger sized truck camper, I only get 1 mpg less when loaded. According to my truck's computer (which I know people say is unreliable but I tend to trust it), I get 15.5mpg with no camper and 14.5mpg with camper.
____

2013 Ford F350 Diesel Dually
2004 Bigfoot 25c10.6e

I have only casually checked it.
Ram diesel with 3.42 gear running empty at 60mph....19-21.
With 12,500 GVW 5th wwheel....11.5-12.5.
With Bigfoot....12-14.

Like others have said, the cabover is much less stressful for me to drive. I don't have to limit myself to truck stops for fuel and can get in any restaurant parking lot. Most important to me...I can camp INSIDE national parks.

I have a 9.5 ft truck camper and for 10 years I also towed two different 5th wheels. 7.3 diesel with a 5 speed tranny. We have done over 100k with the camper and 40k with the 5ers. Very little difference in mileage. All within 12 to 14 mpg depending on speed and elevation change.

Imperial gallons.

Bob tail: 24 - 28
Truck camper: 16
40 ft 3 axle toyhauler: 11-12

Thanks to all who have given information. The numbers appear to be pretty close to what I was expecting. Again, if I am ever able to get a truck camper, it would be for going different places that I can not get my fiver in and easier for the wife to drive. Any fuel savings would just be a bonus. For those of you who have both, how do you adapt to not having the amount of storage a trailer has?

I did haul equipment with my F450 and was observing mpg very closely with different loads.
I could have 10,000 lb forklift on the bed and on freeway driving the mpg was almost unchanged from empty.
Than I had 3000 lb forklift, but with tall mast and that one cut good 20 percent from mpg.
With RV frontal area is having the highest impact, but also drag created by rear can vary quite a bit on your mpg.
Other observation was on our station wagons.
We did own 1999 Mercedes wagon and 2004 Mercedes wagon. They both had the same drive-train, but newer one was more aerodynamic- lower rear, smaller side mirrors and more wedged front, what was resulting in solid 10 percent increase in mpg, while decrease in noise.