Fuel mileage 5th wheel vs travel trailer

[FIRECHIEFBUBBA]

We just sold our 2011 Crossroad Cruiser Patriot 5th wheel for a 2020 Winnebago Voyage travel trailer. The 5th wheel was 34 foot and weighted 9700 pounds. The new Winnebago is 36 foot and is 1500 pounds less at 8200 pounds. The question is the t re mailer gets less gas mileage by about 3 mpg that the taller heavier 5th wheel. Both pulled by same truck .My thought is the weight distribution and pulling of hitches? Any thoughts?

[MFL]

Durb wrote:
I towed a 6,000# travel trailer and averaged 13.5 mpg on round trips (up mountains and down mountains). With the same truck I now pull a 10,000# fifth wheel and average 11.2 mpg. I will say I did have a cab high canopy on the truck when I towed the TT. This might have cut down on some turbulence. I'm pretty happy with both numbers.

That is great mpg with both units! The FW in sig is nice looking, and the quality is visible. I like that rear cap, and wrap around window. The older cummins made good mileage at moderate speed. The rear cap will even help a little for mileage.

Nice rig,

Jerry

[Durb]

I towed a 6,000# travel trailer and averaged 13.5 mpg on round trips (up mountains and down mountains). With the same truck I now pull a 10,000# fifth wheel and average 11.2 mpg. I will say I did have a cab high canopy on the truck when I towed the TT. This might have cut down on some turbulence. I'm pretty happy with both numbers.

[hornet28]

travelnutz wrote:
hornet28,

Yes, A 5th wheel has a considerably better aerodynamics flow being a continuous surface for air flow than a TT which is located behind the tow vehicle and thus the flow is disrupted along the surfaces.

BTW, perhaps your brother and his wife each drove Ford diesel trucks and kept a trailer down at Old Town Campground n Retreat at Old Town FL where they'd stay at in the winter often between RV hauling trips back when Joe and Linda owned the CG. They lived in Muskegon. Had your Bro passed several years ago and his wife still hauled RV's for a few years and later had a smaller trailer at the CG? We live in Grand Haven about 13 miles south of Muskegon and have been going to Old Town CG for about 10 or so years now for about 2-1/2 months in winter. Just wondering.

No that wasn't my brother. He lived north of Louisville at the time and drove a Chevy. He's also still above ground as is his wife who didn't haul.

[Z-Peller]

Z-Peller wrote:

No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.


Actually it is 3.785 not a big difference, but daughter lives in Ireland, and did mileage calculations.

Ha Ha...can't fault her for being precise....difference is a hair over one tablespoonful.

[samsontdog]

I have switched back and forth between 5th w and TT several times. I never noticed any difference whatsoever

[rhagfo]

Z-Peller wrote:
No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.

Actually it is 3.785 not a big difference, but daughter lives in Ireland, and did mileage calculations.

[StirCrazy]

Z-Peller wrote:
No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.

not that your post is worth anything to the topic, but the problem isnt in weather it is sold in L or Gal but ratxher how fuel milage is expressed. franly I got more than a few years on ya being in Canada and L/100 km is not a friendly fuel milage exparession, so since we are on a board that is largly americans I use mi/gal. as for imperial vs canadian, if we put 14mpg (cdn) we know it is bigger than the US gal for fuel numbers, so get over it as my driving is in Canada.

[Z-Peller]

No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.

[otrfun]

We sold our 33ft 5th wheel and purchased a 33 ft. TT. Expected our MPG's to improve with the lower, lighter TT, but it didn't. Towed each trailer more than 10,000 mi. TV was a '16 Ram 3500 Cummins SRW SB.

33 ft. 5th wheel. 12,500 lbs. loaded. 13.5 ft. high: ~11.2 MPG's.
33 ft. TT. 10,000 lbs. loaded. 12 ft. high: ~10.5 MPG's.

Typically towed at 60-65 mph.

[Powertour]

FIRECHIEFBUBBA wrote:
We just sold our 2011 Crossroad Cruiser Patriot 5th wheel for a 2020 Winnebago Voyage travel trailer. The 5th wheel was 34 foot and weighted 9700 pounds. The new Winnebago is 36 foot and is 1500 pounds less at 8200 pounds. The question is the t re mailer gets less gas mileage by about 3 mpg that the taller heavier 5th wheel. Both pulled by same truck .My thought is the weight distribution and pulling of hitches? Any thoughts?

Back in the day I went from a tag toyhauler to a conventional 5ver. 5ver was longer (by like 7') and was taller than the toyhauler. I got at least 3mpg better going to the bigger & taller 5ver. I also was able to crest many hills in a higher gear than I could with the tag behind trailer.

[rhagfo]

Well seeing how a Canadian (Imperial) gallon equals 1.201 US gallons, while 16.5 mpg is good it needs to be reduced by at least 20%.

[StirCrazy]

spoon059 wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:


I had a 29 foot 8000 lb trailer and I got about 12 mpg, then I got a 39 foot 14000lbs 5th and I went up to 16.5 mpg.

Steve

No you didn't. Maybe once, going downhill from the gas station... unless you have one of those super carburetors the govt tried to destroy...

Diesel. and I get 16.5 mpg (canadian gal) all the time in the mountians. on the praries it goes down because of wind and long long slight inclines.

Steve

[StirCrazy]

MFL wrote:
Wow Steve...that is terrific mpg towing a 14K FW! I'm not sure my gas 6.2 will get 16.5 mpg running empty? Maybe on a still day at 55 mph.

Jerry

that is Canadian gallon and a modern diesel truck. empty I get 21 to 24 mpg depending how I drive.

Steve

[travelnutz]

hornet28,

Yes, A 5th wheel has a considerably better aerodynamics flow being a continuous surface for air flow than a TT which is located behind the tow vehicle and thus the flow is disrupted along the surfaces.

BTW, perhaps your brother and his wife each drove Ford diesel trucks and kept a trailer down at Old Town Campground n Retreat at Old Town FL where they'd stay at in the winter often between RV hauling trips back when Joe and Linda owned the CG. They lived in Muskegon. Had your Bro passed several years ago and his wife still hauled RV's for a few years and later had a smaller trailer at the CG? We live in Grand Haven about 13 miles south of Muskegon and have been going to Old Town CG for about 10 or so years now for about 2-1/2 months in winter. Just wondering.