Your Towing MPG

2013 DCSB 4x4 4.0L, TT - 2014 KZ Sportsmen 242BHS, Towing weight 5100#, when towing I drive in 4th only @ 65mph, and average 10MPG,

 

This thread is just plain SILLY. You can't associate WEIGHT with towing fuel efficiency. The biggest factors impacting fuel consumption while towing are (a) speed, and (b) aerodynamics.

If the load has ZERO wind resistance, then it can be towed with theoretically ZERO increase in fuel consumption, including acceleration and hill climbing -- since those are both balanced out by the extra inertia of the rig, i.e., you save extra fuel while going DOWN hill, or slowing to stop (unless you're numbnuts who is always on the brakes hard).

Now this is not precisely the case, because extra weight will have some impact on tire-to-road resistance and bearing resistance, and no trailer will be completely without aerodynamic drag, but it does give you an idea about what's what.

Observe that those experiencing significant increase in fuel consumption are pulling junk like campers at high speed, which are ENORMOUS in terms of aerodynamic drag. And big or small doesn't matter so much, since they have the same front surface area.

 

Uh, I may have missed it but thread is about towing MPG's not the theoretical science behind it. What's your MPG and what are you towing? Just trying to keep thread simple and useful for the rest of us.

 

30 mpg, 2000 pound tandem drop axle sprung-under trailer with 6000 pounds of paving stones, top speed 50 kph. I get 32-33 on the highway and 31 city. Imperial gallons.

Theoretical... meet reality.


FYI: the air conditioner alone sucks it down by 3-4 mpg. Above numbers are with a/c OFF.

The difference between theory and reality is only in unmeasured variables. Things that you can't account for mathematically, like quality of the fuel you're burning, or you have a tire that is a bit low in pressure. This type of physics is not theoretical, it IS reality and has been established over centuries.

 

What do you drive? That is some awesome mileage!! Even empty on my round trip to Colorado I averaged 19MPG. Best was a leg where I got 24. Anything above 60 MPH kills my MPG. I do not use AC while towing.

My pop up weighed just under 3000# and still I averaged 15.4 mpg. Guess I have some tuning up to do if much better numbers are possible. Too think I was about to get a diesel. Stupid me.

 

4x4 2TR-FE.
And like I said, IMPERIAL gallons, which are bigger than wimpy US gallons.

 

Cool. I converted the gallons and still was shocked. Two less cylinders explains alot though. My 99 is a four banger and I get around 26 highway. Towing was a bear with my 3000# pop up, it did it, but wasn't happy, thus the move to my v6.

 

Its really amazing what happens when you just keep the speed down. I can't think of a single good reason why anybody needs to tow things at 10-20 over. Just throwing bags of money out the window.

The 2TR is leaps ahead of the older engines in terms of towing. VVT really broadens the power/torque curves, which means that it can give a LOT without having to wind it out all the way, as long as you have a little bit of patience.

 

!6 foot River Hawk pro V with a 40 hp Yamaha, 19 MPG. 22 Ft Winnebago 2106, About 10 mpg.. avg 20 otherwise

 

I tow a 4500lb 20ft fishing boat on a tandem axle trailer with my '12 4x4 access cab 2.7 at highway speed without issue. What amazed me was it actually brakes better than my 2010 Silverado 4x4 crew cab 1500 with that load.

 

Why would a GM being a GM amaze you?
(Speaking as having also owned GM vehicles in the past)

 

Im saying the Tacoma brakes better than the GM.

 

Yes, and I can't understand why you would be "amazed" that a GM is a GM (junk).

 

Just returned from month long 6100 mile trip in 2011 TRD 4x4 quad cab towing 15 foot ECO travel trailer, dry weight 2300 pounds, probably loaded at 3000#. Averaged 10mpgs generally going 65mph. Heading west with 30mph headwinds resulted in 7mpgs and fears of running out of gas in the middle of Montana! Auto trans generally running in 4th with factory installed tow package. Even in 100 degree heat, running through the Rockies, I had no problems. However, steep mountain passes were a challenge to keep her running at 3000rpms or less, stuck with the semis in the very slow lane.

 

Wow... you're kind of an ass-hole, aren't you?

Back to the topic... I'm towing a boat/trailer that weighs around 3500 lbs. 130 mile round trip I got 13 miles per gallon. I am sure I used more on the way home, going up 1200 feet and using the AC.

 

Wow, no, clearly YOU are, for making a useless post just to attack.

 

I've been thinking about buying a steel military gas can and mounting it to the back bumper of the trailer. But after some research this is not advisable. I'll be premarking gas stations very carefully and maybe even calling to make sure they'll be open, lol. Poor mileage is my only complaint about this truck. They could of at least put in a bigger tank.

 

While expensive I put two rotopax 4 -gallon mounting plates with locking mounts on the side bed rails and purchased two 4-gallon rotopax fuel packs.

While not cheap they are slim and take up barely any space on the bed. I attached them to the bed rails using T-Nuts. You can kind of see them here.

 

@Muffinman - Now those are really nice cans How are they in the heat? All day travelling in 85-90 degree heat? Just vent them every few hours? The mounting options are really nice and they're not that expensive. My concern is getting caught in a line up for an hour on a mountain pass. This could be the backup I was thinking of.

 

Towing mileage???!!!

Forget it...



Today's catch!