realistic MPG expectations

[danimal53]

after some searching, I'm wondering what kind of mileage people are getting when towing. I know the frontal area of the trailer is a big factor, as far as wind resistance, even more so than weight. What have others experiences been with mileage? What kind of mileage does your TV get when not towing, and what do you get when towing? I have a jeep liberty, towing a coachmen clipper 17bh with 3700lb max. We'll be going on a long trip next month, so I'll have a solid number for my average MPG then.

[Tequila]

Quite surprised with my new 2009 dodge ram 5.9, I was getting 14 mpg towing, but i also just realized this is a Canadian truck as opposed to my former chev Dmax that was American. I am wondering if I am getting a readout in Imperial gallons with are a bit larger. I am taking a trip down to Mexico in October. I will work it out using a pen & paper on my transit of the US & compare with the computer readout..

[Rangerman40]

2006 F250 6.0 diesel and I get about 15 in town, 18 on the highway, and 11 towing.... Fast, slow,hills doesn't matter it gets 11.

[firestorm79]

Just went from Edmonton, AB to Zion National Park, UT with stops along the way plus a tour of Yellowstone National Park with the trailer in tow. TV is a 2015 F350 6.7 diesel and the TT is a 28' 6,800 lbs bumper pull. Average economy for all driving including highway cruising at 70 MPH is 11.5 MPG Traveling with a buddy with a 30' 9,500 lbs fifth wheel and a 2013 RAM 2500 6.7 diesel and he's getting 11.6 MPG.

My previous truck (2008 F150 with 5.4L V8) was getting around 10 MPG.

[DwayneN]

When I first retired and we purchase a TT I fretted during trips about gas mileage. For some reason I had set a goal of getting an average 12 mpg...not to be. We have a 27 ft Lance trailer and tow with a 2009 Ram 1500 hemi. I get between 7 and 13 mpg so I figure 10 when estimating.

Everyone always asks what gas mileage I get with the rig. My answer now is it's always between F and E. When it gets down toward E I add more gas then I get F.

I quit fretting about mileage about two years ago. As others have said we RV because we like the freedom to go where we please when we please and that is.......PRICELESS!

[Templar1]

Templar1 wrote:
I have a 2012 F150 Supercrew with the 5.0, and a 24RKS Trailer Blazer. I'm 13500lbs when lashed up. My solo mileage is 16mpg to 22mpg depending on how much highway driving I do. Towing seems to be 9.5 regardless. I am going up the Coquihalla highway here in BC in July, will be interesting to see what happens to my mileage on that pull.

I thought I'd post an update. I towed my trailer up the Coquihalla to Kamloops, over the bypass to Kelowna and down the #3 Crowsnest to Manning Park. My first tank to Kamloops was 9.5mpg, the second tank was touring around Kamloops and towing the trailer to Kelowna was 12.5, and through the Crownest and back home was 9.3. I was doing 100kmph to 110kmph, and the truck pulled the really steep hills at 50 to 60kmph. A couple of the hills on the Crowsnest were 40kmph, I did have power left but we are in the middle of a heatwave and I wanted to be conservative so as not to damage the powertrain. All in all I am happy with how the truck did, and the mileage is pretty good when you consider the terrain I was in.

Templar1

[DarthMuffin]

2014 6.2L Silverado, 3800lb 21' 2-axle trailer, about 11mpg at 65 flat/level. Figure 10 with real life conditions of hills, passing, etc.

[rbpru]

I don't think there is much argument that diesels get good mileage while towing.

Though this may be offset by initial cost, daily use and maintenance.

[Mr_MrsSchleppro]

I'm running a'99 F250 4x4 crew cab sb with a 7.3 diesel. I'm towing a 2014 Salem 29ud3 TT, 38' long and about 10,000lbs loaded,running 70/72 in the hills and a few good pulls I get 10.5 mpg. I'm happy with it.

[allen8106]

So I see a lot of posts regarding fuel mileage. Many of which are difficult to believe, such as "I get the same mileage towing my 20,000 lb. fifth wheel as I do not towing it". Personally I don't believe this and if you do I have some ocean front property in western Kansas I'd like to sell you. My "real" data is below.

I drive mostly 55+ mph to and from work each day, 62 miles round trip.
Each way = 4 miles at 30 mph on gravel roads, 12 miles at 65 mph, 15 miles at 70 mph.

I drive 65 or under while towing my 5ver.

2013 GMC 2500HD, long bed, regular cab, 4X4, 6.6L Diesel, purchased new.
2010 Jayco 31.5 RLDS, weighed 10,500 at grain truck scale a year ago coming home from the lake.

2,170 miles mostly towing - 11.29 mpg (75% or more towing)
2,763 miles some towing - 15.18 mpg (less than 25% towing)
27,499 miles no towing - 17.10 mpg

These numbers are based on actual numbers from 65 tanks of fuel between 10/19/13 and 5/28/15.

I don't have the exact numbers but in May 2012 my 2009 gas engine GMC averaged about 7-9 mpg towing to California and back, 3000 miles round trip, and averaged about 15-16 mpg when not towing.

Updated data after 2000 miles round trip towing a 20' cargo trailer loaded one way and empty on return. 72 tanks of fuel.

4364 Miles Mostly Towing 11.98 mpg
2973 Miles Some Towing 15.29 mpg
27499 Miles No Towing 17.10 mpg

[rbpru]

Twice I have hit head winds that dropped my mileage to just under 8 mpg. I did however pick up a tail wind once and got just over 11 mpg.

10 mpg is the number I use. Unfortunately, a 10% increase in gas mileage is easily offset by a 35 cent gas price shift.

[atreis]

For the tractor trailers, a .5 mpg improvement is significant and worth getting. For the large number of total miles driven for a company's combined fleet it adds up to real money. (I once wrote software for a route planning system at Roadway Express. It was a fun gig.)

[Templar1]

I drive tractor trailers, and I can tell you all those things like underbody skirts, roof flairing etc are about full mileage. Fuel mileage is one of the biggest costs in the industry so anything they can do to lower fuel consumption adds to the bottom line.

Templar1

[dodge_guy]

proxim2020 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
My gas mileage with the wind deflector would disagree with you! I bought one 2 years ago and my towing mileage increased by approx. .8mpg. so my $75 craiglist investment paid for itself on our trip to Myrtle Beach. My Excursion tows very differently with it. no more does it downshift at the slightest headwind or hill. and with my scanner the throttle opening % decreased by about 12%. so yes they do work, but as was stated they need top be back near the TT. On my X the wing is at the very rear and it does what it is supposed to do. I believe on a Pick Up truck with a TT it would not be very helpful due to the distance between the trailer and cab.

Maybe you have more of a perfect setup. I was interested in them years back and did a ton of research. From reading the posts of many who've purchased them before, most say that it's not worth it. The vehicle height differential, angle of the deflector, width of the deflector, and the gap between the deflector and the trailer all have to be setup correctly in order to see any real gains. Often times the airflow falls off the trailing edge of the deflector and gets sucked into the low pressure trailer gap negating gains.

I agree. They cannot just be attached to the roof and call it done. I have mine set up darn near perfect. I get a small amount of bug splatter at the very top edge of the trailer maybe less than 6 inches, same goes for the sides. Before the deflector I had dead bugs all over the front of the trailer. Short of a wind tunnel the less dead bugs on the front tell me the air is moving up and over and around the sides of the trailer. I'de like to move it back on the roof of the X but I'm as far back as I can go. So at this point I'm happy with what it accomplishes!

[colliehauler]

2012Coleman wrote:

colliehauler wrote:

SprinklerMan wrote:

2012Coleman wrote:
Why even worry about MPG? It is what it is. Forget about it and just enjoy camping.

Exactly , I dont even look at the pump when i fill up , it uses what it uses .

So you know how far a tank of gas will take you between fill ups.

I don't need to know how far a tank of gas can take me. When it falls to a 1/4 tank of gas, I start looking for a good place to pull into.

In remote areas a 1/4 tank might not be enough to get you to a station. I darn sure want to know how far a tank will take me. My truck will go around 200 miles on a tank of gas pulling a trailer. 1/4 tank would only be around 50 miles.