Breakdown of my towing experience.

This is just gee whiz information but someone may find it useful. I recently hauled a 5x8 UHaul trailer from the Panhandle of Florida to the Finger Lake region of New York state. I don't know the exact weight of the trailer but I estimate it was between 500 and 600 pounds. My mileage on the trip to NY with the trailer was 16.3 mpg. The return trip without the trailer was 22.2 mpg. My truck is a 2013 Tacoma, 4.0L V6 engine, 5 speed trans., and the truck did come with the factory towing package. The trailer tracked straight and true and on the flat roads I forgot it was there. The real gas suckers were the hills in Tenn and Kentucky. (average 14.8 mpg)

 

Thanks a lot for sharing. I wonder how the experience will be with a hybrid Tacoma that may come in 2016 and get 31 MPG

 

and let the rumors begin......

 

I heard the new hybrid actually makes fuel and refills your tank when you brake. sweet huh?

 

OP that is good mileage. I averaged about the same on a trip to Colorado back in March. Total for the entire trip was 22.5 MPG. Very happy with that.

 

Couple of questions :

1. How fast were you running, flat land vs in the hills ?
2. Were you empty going north, ie 5-600# trailer no load ?
3. Enclosed or open trailer ?

 

I'll be traveling from Pittsburgh to the Finger Lakes region soon towing a 16' boat, 4 adults, and a loaded long bed.... I hope to get about the same in my 2013.

 

Went from Denver to Grand Junction a couple weeks ago. Four adults and travel trailer. Total weight in the 5k pound neighborhood. Got 11mpg but that was going up mountain passes of 10,600 feet and 11,100 feet with plenty of ups and down along the way. Mpg's were way better than I thought they'd be hauling that load in the mountains.

 

Of course, it's all down hill running south, and up hill running north. At least on my globe

 

I heard it comes with a built in fracker and refinery.

 

Sounds about right. Not sure how Toyota does it but they all loose a good 3mpg and sometimes more under a tow load. Or maybe I'm just hauling more than most on my trailer.

Thanks for the in anyways.

 

1. Was doing the speed limit on the Interstates, between 65 and 70 MPH
2. I was full going North, the estimate was 5-600# of household goods not including the trailer. I did not tow anything on the return trip.
3. An enclosed trailer.

 

Damn, that means earthquakes are going to be everywhere then...

 

That's a very good question there. No matter where you are starting from you are sitting still on top a a gigantic ball. So why shouldn't it be downhill from there in any direction?

Ha, Ha !

 

Excellent mpg. My 6 speed likes 67-68 mph and gives 21-22 mpg on relatively flat interstates (non-towing).