Chock Full o' Nuts
GA
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Joined: 02/02/2007
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We get about 8-11mpg towing our 30ft, 6500# trailer with a big Expedition. If we're in the mountains we get around 8mpg, but even on flat land we don't get much above 11. Of course, Expeditions don't get fantastic mileage on a good day, but it was really a shock to us when we took our first road trip. We got over it. Now we just consider it the cost of RVing.
"Those who dwell...among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life."--Rachel Carson, environmentalist, 1956
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Bionic Man
Colorado
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Joined: 04/03/2009
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Seems to me that most people tend to exaggerate the fuel mileage that they actually get when towing. Just very common. When towing my 5er, I get around 9 - 10 MPG wether I go 65 or 70. For me, the 5 MPH just doesn't make any difference.
Maybe 55 would, but out West that is just too slow IMO.
Also, according to Goodyear, you can run up to 75 MPH if you add an additional 10 PSI to your tires. (see bullet number 2)
http://www.goodyear.com/rv/pdf/marathon_gen_info_032806.pdf
2003 Dodge Ram 3500 QC SB 4x4 HO Cummins
2002 Sea Hawk 32' 5er
2004 Crownline 216 LS 350 MAG
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Deen
Vancouver, WA
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Joined: 12/07/2000
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Travelaire Canuk wrote:65 mph is still way too fast for economy. slow to 58 and you will see a big difference. Safer too. Bring back the 55 mph speed limit please. Sure, and then I'll have to run in 5th gear rather than 6th and use more diesel!
Deen - Vancouver, WA
'02 Dutch Star 4090 (41+', triple slide)
435/1200 ISC Cummins/Banks PowerPak
'08 Honda Civic/dolly
'05 Honda Odyssey/dolly
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bikendan
Napa, Cal.
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Joined: 11/21/2005
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haven't you heard that pulling a full height TT is like pulling a barn door down the road?
it is as others have said, it's the wind resistance. we've ranged from 8 to 13mpg pulling our 23' with our '07 Avalanche with the 5.3 v-8.
really depends on which way the wind is blowing!
Dan- Firefighter , Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur , Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever , 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
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old guy
Oregon (pronounced Or e gun)
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Joined: 03/15/2006
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If you are worrying about gas mileage, then you need to stay home or buy a sail. IF you really want great or even better MPG than don't drive so fast, 60 mph is about the fastest you can go and get decent mileage.
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LarryJM
NoVa
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Joined: 11/09/2007
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2oldman wrote:It's not necessarily the weight, but the front end wind resistance.
True it takes more fuel to get the weight moving, but once up to speed wind resistance (aerodynamics of the trailer, speed and ambient wind direction) are the biggest factors on MPG.
Larry
2001 standard box 7.3L E-350 PSD Van with 4.10 rear and 2007 Holiday Rambler Aluma-Lite 8306S Been RV'ing since 1974.
ALL TRAILER MODS>>ETERNABOND INSTALL>>RAINKAP INSTALL
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PackerBacker
Home is Montreal Qc & Seasonal is NY Adirondacks
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Joined: 08/22/2002
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When I was towing my trailer with my Dodge pick-up I was getting around 8.7 mpg (US) on the long trips and that was about the best I ever got.
Eric
2009 Holiday Rambler Admiral 33SFS (34' 3")
2008 Jeep Liberty - North Edition
FQCC/Camping Quebec, KOA, Good Sam, Coach-Net
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jlktbk
Athens,TN
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Joined: 09/16/2008
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Hello,My Titan gets 8mpgs in the mountains and 10 to 11 on the flats towing a 31ft Rockwood. I just laugh about it about every 250 miles
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Turbo Diesel Dude
Green Mountain, NC
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Joined: 01/10/2005
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Had an '03 Avalanche 4X4 with 3.73 gears and 5.3 engine. Best was around 7 mpg or so at 55-60 pulling 5200 lbs and a jillion rpms going uphills. My 5.9 got 10.5-11.5 pulling about 9500lbs @ 62 MPH. My 6.7 was the same, but suspect it may be a smidgen better with my new diesel particulate filter as the empty milage has gone waaaaaaaayyyyyyyy up. JMHO
charles weidman
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GuyM
IA
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Joined: 05/07/2009
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As others have said, it's the large sail we're towing that is the problem. I tow a 23' 5000 pound trailer with a 5.7 vortec and average about 9MPG.
The worst mileage I got was on a 120 mile round trip that I drove into a very strong head wind both directions. I got 8.6MPG and never went over 55MPH as the engine would down shift and scream at about 4700+RPM on every uphill run.
A couple of months later I made the same trip, only this time I had a light tail wind going both directions and I stayed with the traffic at 65+MPH. I got 9.3MPG and the engine never went above 3000RPM even on the long uphills.
The big sail, our mileage enemy.
Guy
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