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Airstream Caravel towing mpg question

ohpoppy
Explorer
Explorer
I just bought a 17' airstream in OK city and drove it home to SC. I got 13 mpg leaving Okc (2005 Volvo V70 tow veh)which is very poor but as I continued on mpg improved dramatically, gradually. When I reached SC. I was getting 21 mpg. Altitude?? or something else caused the difference. I wonder if it took 1000 miles for the cpu to re-calibrate the best fuel mixture for towing 2500 lbs and it took 1000 miles to do it. Has anyone noticed the tow vehicle getting improved performance after driving a while in the same altitude? I wonder if disconnecting the battery before towing will cause the cpu to immediately re-calibrate or faster then just hooking up and going. maybe its just altitude! car gets 31 mpg not towing on hwy.
34 REPLIES 34

diazr2
Explorer
Explorer
ohpoppy wrote:
hey soundguy.. stop acting like such a jerk. I'm telling the truth and my iq is much higher then average. I started this discussion with the hope of understanding this better, not to misinform. I am an honest person.

I don't think anyone is being a jerk. I think you have just thrown us aback by such high gas millage. Some of us have been towing for well
over 50 years and nobody and I mean nobody can boast about that type of millage even towing a boat. You get way better gas millage towing a boat because it is streamed line and cuts the wind much better than our trailers. . So with your claim of 20 I am afraid no one will be able to help or even explain why in one stretch you got 13 and the other you got 20. I am afraid it leaves us all scratching our collective heads. So congratulations on the gas millage and no I have no idea why you can achieve that and not 29.

rbpru
Explorer II
Explorer II
On my trips I expect 10 mpg towing a 25 ft. TT at 60 mph.

On the trip I am currently on, we have had constant cross winds of 15 to 25 mph. Even when slowing down to 55 mph, I am getting 8.5 mpg. The last leg of today's journey was directly into the wind. I got 8.1 mpg.

Wind and hills made a big difference.
Twenty six foot 2010 Dutchmen Lite pulled with a 2011 EcoBoost F-150 4x4.

Just right for Grandpa, Grandma and the dog.

ohpoppy
Explorer
Explorer
hey soundguy.. stop acting like such a jerk. I'm telling the truth and my iq is much higher then average. I started this discussion with the hope of understanding this better, not to misinform. I am an honest person.

eubank
Explorer
Explorer
Not everybody wants a light-weight vintage trailer. If you go vintage, then you can get something like an old Airstream (=good mileage), but you also have to adjust your expectations: No TV, no microwave, no Corian, no hardwood floors, and (in the 1960s) no gray tank and a very small black tank, and much more! All of that adds up.

That said, it also makes a HUGE difference if you simply take your foot off of the accelerator. You don't HAVE to make it up that hill at speed limit; let it slow down, then speed up on the way back down. You don't HAVE to make it to your destination in one day; how about two or three or four days. You don't HAVE to travel interstate and see absolutely nothing along the way; take those US and state highways and see the country!

🙂
Lynn

SoundGuy wrote:
eubank wrote:
Folks, this is a relatively aerodynamic trailer that weighs little. It stands to reason that the OP would do well. (Our substantially larger Airstream of the same vintage also did well, though not that well: We generally got around 15 mpg with our older F150 with small V8.)


The point is that 21 mpg the OP is claiming while towing is absurd. :S If this was even remotely possible we'd all be doing it. :R

ohpoppy
Explorer
Explorer
no tailwind

its all true.. I have another 05 V70 with the 5 cylinder turbo engine. it has 40 more hp and a lot more torque. mpg normally is the same on both but I expect it will do better pulling. I am hoping for 24. it has low miles while the one I used has 150,000. let you know after I refresh the trailer and take it out west.

I see some don't believe all this.... fake news!! no.. its really true, I promise..

webwrangler
Explorer
Explorer
MSchu wrote:
I hope you keep getting that kind of mileage, but my bet would be on a strong tailwind on that one-way trip, especially when you mentioned that it ran better as you got farther into the trip. My truck will vary from 8 to 11 mpg depending on headwind or tailwind.
Let us know what happens on your next round trip!

X2!
2005 Rockwood 2104
2011 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4WD
Equalizer
Prodigy

MSchu
Explorer
Explorer
I hope you keep getting that kind of mileage, but my bet would be on a strong tailwind on that one-way trip, especially when you mentioned that it ran better as you got farther into the trip. My truck will vary from 8 to 11 mpg depending on headwind or tailwind.
Let us know what happens on your next round trip!

SoundGuy
Explorer
Explorer
eubank wrote:
Folks, this is a relatively aerodynamic trailer that weighs little. It stands to reason that the OP would do well. (Our substantially larger Airstream of the same vintage also did well, though not that well: We generally got around 15 mpg with our older F150 with small V8.)


The point is that 21 mpg the OP is claiming while towing is absurd. :S If this was even remotely possible we'd all be doing it. :R
2012 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab
2014 Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS
2003 Fleetwood Yuma * 2008 K-Z Spree 240BH-LX
2007 TrailCruiser C21RBH * 2000 Fleetwood Santa Fe
1998 Jayco 10UD * 1969 Coleman CT380

eubank
Explorer
Explorer
Folks, this is a relatively aerodynamic trailer that weighs little. It stands to reason that the OP would do well. (Our substantially larger Airstream of the same vintage also did well, though not that well: We generally got around 15 mpg with our older F150 with small V8.)

🙂
Lynn

gmw_photos
Explorer
Explorer
It sounds like Volvo just needs to start selling this "calibration software" to other manufacturers. They would all love to be able to offer 20mpg towing numbers in their marketing.

Sign me up ! I have four trailers pulled by three different trucks. 10 mpg avg on each and every combo.

GrandpaKip
Explorer II
Explorer II
Wow.
Congratulations on the camper and the mileage.
That would make a great ad for Volvo.
Kip
2015 Skyline Dart 214RB
2018 Silverado Double Cab 4x4
Andersen Hitch

SoundGuy
Explorer
Explorer
Well if nothing else the OP's posts are amusing to read on this wintry "spring" evening. :W
2012 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab
2014 Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS
2003 Fleetwood Yuma * 2008 K-Z Spree 240BH-LX
2007 TrailCruiser C21RBH * 2000 Fleetwood Santa Fe
1998 Jayco 10UD * 1969 Coleman CT380

ohpoppy
Explorer
Explorer
I used both the readout on the dash and double checked with math. My family and I use higher math in business.. no way I screwed up the math.

and getting nearly 400 miles on tankful says it all when the tank is around 18 gallons.

diazr2
Explorer
Explorer
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
If hand calculated you did the math wrong.

If you just checked the instant readout it was wrong.

Sorry, you're not going to get 21 MPG average towing your high wall trailer.

X2 Just not going to happen.

Turtle_n_Peeps
Explorer
Explorer
If hand calculated you did the math wrong.

If you just checked the instant readout it was wrong.

Sorry, you're not going to get 21 MPG average towing your high wall trailer.
~ Too many freaks & not enough circuses ~


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