Tripalot
Golden Horseshoe, Ont. Canada
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Our current towed vehicle is a Toyota Highlander, weight just under 5000 lbs. We are thinking of purchasing a lighter vehicle to tow, something in the 3700 lb. range. Will doing this improve the gas mileage on our M.H. (gas) or is frontal area more a deciding factor.
Our M.H. tows the Highlander with no problem on flat roads, but going through the mountains is a strain. With the current price of gas, we are hoping for improved performance with a lighter vehicle. Comments please.
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rk911
Wheaton IL
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decreasing the overall weight that the MH engine has to pull will increase your gas mileage but the question is...by how much? our primary dinghy is a 2010 jeep liberty that weighs in at roughly 4200-lbs. our other dinghy is a 2003 jeep wrangler that weighs in at about 3400-lbs, an 800-lb difference. our MH when loaded for travel weighs in at approximately 19,500-lbs. the 800-lbs represents about .04% of the MH's total weight. i keep very accurate records of our mileage and there's been no significant difference in our mileage since we began towing the liberty in 2010. i would expect the same results for you.
73,
rich, n9dko
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fordsooperdooty
Southern California
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Reducing the weight of what you tow makes a difference on your fuel mileage..even waxing the rig helps smooth the air flow for a slight increase. Proper tire pressure and towing a lower profile vehicle will also contribute...however slightly. Thats why you see big rigs now with aerodynamic farings under the trailers...smooth air flow. Even a 2 or 3% increase in mileage can add up to thousands
in savings.
We are considering a Class A or B+ next time we buy, and have done research on the ideal tow vehicle...smaller, lighter, reliable and something that gets good mileage itself too.
We had bought a couple of new KIA's recently for wife and I, a Sorento SUV and a Forte sedan...and my Daughter got a KIA Soul. It turns out that all the newer KIA's with manual transmissions can be TOAD 4 down without restrictions of speed or distance with no modifications...and the Soul seats 5, runs $14,000.00 base brand new, good prices when used, has huge cargo space and weighs just 2615 lbs and with the 6 speed manual gets 32 mpg.
If you prefer a sedan, the RIO sedan gets 40 mpg with a 6 speed @ 2410 lbs.
Just install a tow bar. Good quality cars, 5 star safety ratings, great mileage, well made, comfortable, nice prices and a 100,000 mile warranty!
My posts shouldn't be taken for factual data. They are purely fictional, for entertainment purposes and should not be constituted as actually related to scientific, technical, engineering, legal, spiritual or practical advice. Amen. 
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PapPappy
Wilmington, NC
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If you were planning to replace the Highlander anyway, then you may see some value to the investment.....BUT, if you go out and spend a few thousand dollars to try and save 1 mpg, it's going to take you an awfully long time to recoup your investment.
I honestly think that you will only see a minimal amount of difference, and may even see as much difference, if you cut your speed back 10-15 mph. (unless you are already running slow)
If you are happy with the Highlander, and it tows well, I'd keep it. If, however, you were going to get rid of it anyway, then, YES, I'd be looking for a lighter vehicle to replace it.
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Tripalot
Golden Horseshoe, Ont. Canada
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PapPappy wrote:If you were planning to replace the Highlander anyway, then you may see some value to the investment.....BUT, if you go out and spend a few thousand dollars to try and save 1 mpg, it's going to take you an awfully long time to recoup your investment.
I honestly think that you will only see a minimal amount of difference, and may even see as much difference, if you cut your speed back 10-15 mph. (unless you are already running slow)
If you are happy with the Highlander, and it tows well, I'd keep it. If, however, you were going to get rid of it anyway, then, YES, I'd be looking for a lighter vehicle to replace it.
Our Highlander is 10 years old, low mileage, looks great, is clean and the perfect vehicle for us so we were not going to get rid of it. We were thinking of a more economical vehicle for every day driving, and would keep the Highlander but know it will not last forever. When buying another car, we want something that is an automatic and towable - a Ford Focus LE looks like it might be a good choice. If it would give us better gas mileage with the M.H. then maybe it would be worth the investment to set it up for towing. I agree though that spending $25,000 for the sake of an extra mpg is just plain stupid.
Thanks for your thoughts.
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