truck camper mpg vs. fifth wheel

[pinesman]

Good morning,
Sometime in the next few years I am considering getting a truck camper. We had an ancient small one years ago before going to travel trailers and fivers. I love my 38' fifth wheel and do not plan to get rid of it but I have been thinking a truck camper would get us into a lot of scenic places that trailer will not go. I know what pulling my trailer does to my mileage but what does a truck camper do to it? My trailer basically knocks off about 5-6 mpg compared to no trailer. I would probably be looking at one of the larger truck campers fitting on a gmc 3500. Thanks

[sbryan]

2013 F350 CC SRW 6.7 diesel:

Empty @ 60 MPG 19-21
Towing 18,000 lb 5th wheel 8-10
Hauling Northstar Igloo 9.5 - 10-12

Hope that helps.

[rwiegand]

I pull a 12 ft tall 8000 lb utility trailer (with a fairground organ in it) with a F350 diesel and get about 7 mpg running about 58 mph. When I load the camper on my mileage goes up to about 8.5 because the camper is much more aerodynamic than the trailer alone (total rig at that point weighs 24,800 lbs). The empty truck gets 16-17, but is seldom used that way.

[dirtyhandz]

My 2006 RAM 4x4 Dually with a Cummins, six speed manual, and 4:10's gets 10 to 12 towing a Jayco Recon 36V around 18,000 pounds. Gets around 14 to 15 with Lance 915 all loaded up on it. The Lance is quite a bit lower in the air compared to the Jayco. Thats rolling at 2,200 rpms. Rite around 70mph. Over that the milage takes a dive.

[SugarHillCTD]

As far as storage- we went from a TC to a travel trailer as our two children grew. Then they started driving and had no interest in being in an RV so Cathy and I sold the TT and bought another truck camper.

When we were trading in the trailer, I unloaded everything and had this small mountain of "stuff" on the garage floor. I was surprised at how much had accumulated in all the storage compartments in the trailer. How much of it was essential? MUCH less, which is what went into the next truck camper.

[Clarryhill]

Hi Pinesman, thought I might chime in as well. Contrary to what just about everyone else is saying, I found that I get perhaps 1 mpg less with the TC than I did with a 34 foot fiver, probably around 11000 lbs. On similar trips from up here in the Northeast to the Southwest and back (CO and NM), I got just under 11 mpg with the TC and just under 12 mpg with the fiver. As far as comfort and enjoyability, you can see what I have stayed with. Now as far as storage is concerned, you will find that you need to do a lot more thinking about whether you really need something before finding a place to pack it.

[noteven]

re the storage question: I don't look at all available stowage compartments from the standpoint of "what can I fill that compartment with?" Instead: "what do I really need to have along? Then where does it get stowed?"

Motorcycle travel teaches you some good anti-pack rat habits...

[Kayteg1]

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.

[pinesman]

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?

[noteven]

Imperial gallons.

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

[VTLee]

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.

[TxGearhead]

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.

[RamblinAnne]

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

[Eugarps]

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

[happycamper1942]

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.