Your Towing MPG

18' Ranger Bass boat 3500# + another 500# for gas in the boat & gear. Towed on the interstate for a long haul was avg 12-14mpg. @ 75mph.

 

I pull a 8' trailer and i get about 14 mpg!!

 

'12 v6, automatic, 4x4, off road, tow package, total trailer weight will be about 2000-2100lbs loaded......Picking up a new Forest River a122, hard side pop up trailer tomorrow and heading to Florida soon after, what kind of mileage can i expect, I have been getting 20mpg highway not towing .........also, any tips......? stay at 87 octane ? speed to drive for best mileage, 60-65 ?? It's a 1500 drive from Cape Cod to Florida, so, hopefully the mileage won't be too bad! lol

 

Last summer we did 5 nights on the northern California coast, about 25 miles north of Bodega Bay. Total trip about 750 miles 13.2 mpg average over the trip. With the trailer completely empty I get about 14 mpg. Econ 16bb 2500lb dry with 350 lb tongue weight.

 

2011, AC, 4L, Manual trans
2015 Keystone Premier 19, 4200lbs dry 5000 loaded
Equalizer WD hitch, Prodigy brake controller
Hauled this from NH to New Orleans. 1626 miles and 176 gallons of gas about 9.25 MPG. Top speed 79 MPH with an average moving speed of 61 MPH. URD CAI, Y-Pipe/exhaust, MAF calibrator, 33" BFG AT's and a 3" lift.

 

Great thread!

Question: I'm thinking of buying a used Tacoma to tow my Boler. I understand fuel economy is worse for the 4x4's but is it much worse if I'm mostly going to be towing anyway? I.e. would 4x4 or 2x4 both get ~12-15mpg or will the 2x4 always get 5-6 MPG more? I was trying to piece the answer together from these posts but couldn't quite figure it out.

Also, if I'm looking at buying one with $150k miles, what parts/maintenance do I need to watch out for (other than timing belt)?

Thanks!

 

I just took a trip to Los Angeles from buckeye Arizona to pull a bumper hooked tow bar to 69 chevelle my truck is 2005 double cab 4.0 v6
Automatic I towed in 4th gear instead of drive I pulled at 52 mph the whole way and only stopped for gas and 2 times for food slash bathroom breaks
On my way to get the car I drove at 82 mph and got 18.6 mpg
On the way back towing the car I got 20.21 mpg from Inglewood to lomalinda California but when I went from lomalinda to Quartzsite I got 18.61 towing through the hills included I that o the i10
I used premium gas the whole trip
I am super happy with my gas mileage on this trip
The chevelle has tires that are about 10 years old and we're at 30 psi for the whole trip my truck is all stock with fresh oil and new tires and new air filter and has 113967 miles on it
My rpm were about 2100 to 2200 the whole trip and the engine was super quiet

 

2009 dclb lifted on 33's unloaded about 17mpg @77mph
towing 4000lb boat 12-13 @72-73 mph
towing ~1300lb jet ski 16 @72-73 mph

also towed a 16' enclosed trailer through serious wind and got 7-8mpg @60-65mph

 

15-17 mpg towing my 15' Edgewater boat. I think loaded and gassed the boat and trailer are 1600+ lbs.

 

I average 9-10mpg towing 5,000-6,000lbs. And that's with 33" tires and stock 3.73 diff, driving around 60mph. And there are definitely good inclines on my commute. I'm getting ready to re-gear to a 4.88 and up tire size to 35". I should get better towing ability with less strain on the transmission, but can't imagine too much mpg savings. I'll probably slow down to 55mph. Because of all the inclines I have to climb, I don't want to beat up my truck. Based on my calculations, I'll probably be able to use 5 gear (overdrive) while towing to go 60mph and keep rpms around 1900 with the 4.88 and 35" tires.



Anyone else re-gear to 4.88 with 35's and tow regularly? I can't seem to find any posts. I work in offroad conditions so I do a lot of mud travel in the winter months, and a lot of snow as well. That's why I lifted the truck and put on taller tires for some clearance.


Here are some specs to play with.

Automatic Transmission gear ratios
Transmission gear ratio (1st) 3.52
Transmission gear ratio (2nd) 2.04
Transmission gear ratio (3rd) 1.40
Transmission gear ratio (4th) 1.00
Transmission gear ratio (5th) .72
Transmission gear ratio (reverse) 3.22

So, with a 3.73 diff and 33" tires, I can keep my rpms at 1500 in 5th and go around 55mph.

But the transmission starts to hunt for gears so I have to go to 4th as soon as I hit any kind of incline..
at which point my rpms jump to 2100 and the truck really strains to climb.

With a 4.88 diff and 35" tires, I should be able to tow in 5th at 55mph up an incline keeping my rpms at 1850. But if I have to drop down to 4th, then my rpms jump to about 2580.

I guess I still see a huge advantage in lower speed towing with a 4.88, ie steep inclines that I run into at work.

Either way, I'm curious to see if anyone else is running similar setups. I know that a lot of guys run a 4.56 diff as well, only with 33" tires, so am curious about the 4.88.

And for shits and giggles, I think it'll be fun to take off at a green light in a lifted taco with 35's with the 4.88... assuming I don't break an axle.

 

2014 DCSB 4x4 V6 Auto w/ tow package. Towed a 6x12 U-Haul trailer, total weight approx. 5000# from Alabama to Colorado Springs. I stayed in 4th gear and set the cruise at 65 mph. MPG for the whole trip averaged out to exactly 12.04 MPG.

 

Tow mirrors out snitches

 

So I've regeared the truck. MPGs didn't go up much. I average 10mpg but I do have about 20min out of 50min one way commute that is serious incline. Truck definitely has a lot more power from the start and trailer doesn't feel as heavy. I also have 35" tires now so the regear evens out the tire size nicely, leaving me geared lower than stock but not unbearable when driving without a trailer. I can go about 70-75 and stay under 3000rpm in 5th.

 

Just moved with a 6x10 uHaul loaded to the gills with my household crap, tires, tool chests, etc and the truck was pretty full as well. I estimated about 4500 lbs towing and 1200 lbs in the taco including myself and the hitch weight of the trailer. Cruised on the highway for 120 miles. Filled up before I left and when I got there; 91, kept it in fifth (manual trans) and average 65mph, some bits 70 some bits 60. Had to get a running start on the hills and downshifted for a few of them but not bad considering. Airbags would've been nice to have.

14 MPG on e-range 245/75-16 winter tires; hey they were 1/2 off last season! (-1.5 mpg from the Dunlop AT20's that came with the truck though).


Was sketchy as fuck with sway until I repacked the trailer and got the weight more forward then it wasn't a big deal at all.

 

09 TRD OR Access Cab V6 w/ towing package, camping stuff in the bed,
towing a 4x8 enclosed v-nose trailer packed full to about 2200# gross

recorded my mileage from Ohio to Florida and back through the appalachians

averaged 18.5 mpg, mostly highway

tacoma didn't break a sweat.

stock wheels and suspension and i have a leer cap fwiw

 

This is a Keystone Passport ML 199. Dry weight 3595 pounds and hitch weight is 385. The trailer can carry an additional 1695 pounds, but I have not carried more than 500 additional pounds.

I returned home from my last trip yesterday, which was about 200 miles total. I got 10.2 mpg. This was driving at a speed 60-65 mph for 120 miles, and the last 50 miles on narrow state roads at 45-50 mph. When not pulling the trailer I normally get around 18mpg along this same route.

This trip was in the rolling hills in Missouri on US 60 and 63, and then on very hilly and curvy state highways in Arkansas and Missouri.

 

Wet weight 3500. I average 9 to 10 mpg and 4 going over the Cascade passes. I was almost tempted to upgrade to a full size just for the larger fuel tank, it seems I am always pulling off the freeway to top off. Other than the horrible mileage, this little pickup tows great.



Edit: Also, the TT tires are only rated for a top speed of 65 mph. I usually cruise between 55 and 60. Also, using premium fuel made no difference in mpg. Fuel consumption tracked via Fuelio and ODB2 ScanGauge.

 

Shit!!

 

2014 DCSB 4x4 TRD OR towing 2006 Xpress X19 ( 19' alum bass boat ) 16 mpg on interstate @ 68 mph.

 

2004 Tacoma4X4 Xtra cab manual 3.4L
2016 lance 1575 3400# loaded.

14.9 mpg round trip from sea level to 7600' and back. Kept speeds at California's tow limit of 55mph for best mileage.