is 14.3 MPG w/7800lb 30' TT good or bad?

[Todd T]

We just picked up our new trailer yesterday and it made it's maiden voyage to its new home, ours. the trip was just over 700 miles and for a tank of fuel i was able the get a reading with the trailer on for the entire tank. it averaged 14. 3MPG and we ran between 68-71MPH for that tank with one traffic jamb lasting about 7 miles due to an accident.



the trailer is supposed to weigh 7700lbs dry. it had a little water onboard and my tools.



is this good or bad? I was pleased with it considering we got 18MPG empty @75mph on the way there and pulled for about 30 miles of that tank. the truck hardly labored to get to speed and ran between 18-20PSI of boost and 800-900 degrees on flat ground. at times i could draft semi's and drop to as little as 8PSI and maintain speed. the truck would actually free up and the VP would get louder.



entering traffic was easy with only 20PSI of boost and it would easily speed up faster than traffic before needing to merge (not even half throttle).



the Twins are like'n their new wagon

 

[Will24]

I sure as heck wouldn't complain!



-Will

 

[KBalzuweit]

You are doing good, especially if your toyhauler is raised in the rear. Hope you have better luck with your Cherokee than I have had with mine. It seems like everytime I use it I have to fix it!!

 

[WRStrong]

I'd say that's good. I'll trade ya mileage. My 03 averages 12 mpg pulling nearly anything. Mostly pull a 30' 5th wheel. It's close to 10K lbs loaded with water etc. Our area has lots of long mountain pulls.



Be happy with 14. 3, you wouldn't get that with a gasser!

 

[klenger]

I get about 10 mpg. Yea, your's is good.

 

[mikel]

I get around 12, but I drive kinda hard so I think you are doing well.

 

[The Sequel]

Nothing wrong with that! I always got between 10 and 11 no matter whether I was towing our 26' TT that weighed about 6500#s or our 31' fiver that weighs 12,000#s. Didn't seem to matter much how I drove either. Not towing was 17-19 mpg.

 

[LOtero]

wow! i dont think i get that empty, but then again my tires only last about 15000, hmmm something is definetly wrong here he he

 

[Graphic man]

:--) wow thats great !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Todd T]

You are doing good, especially if your toyhauler is raised in the rear. Hope you have better luck with your Cherokee than I have had with mine. It seems like everytime I use it I have to fix it!!

yes its raised about 1/3 of the way back and 7+ ft ceiling from there back. not to highjack my own thread here, but what sort of troubles did you have with yours and was it a regular TT or the wolfpack toyhauler?



tires not lasting? yes, with 1300lbs of tongue weight I get awesome traction. empty, 2nd and 3rd gear @60lbs or boost are useless, unless you are marking a trail to follow

 

[Partyat33]

I say that is very good. I get only about 10 mpg with a 9000lb trailer at about 70 mph.

 

[Tony T.]

My neighbor also said he was getting around 14 to 15 pulling his 20 or 22ft enclosed trailer with his 03 CTD. He's a bread delivery man, he also had the 2wd/6-speed. So I guess 10 to 12 would be about average for a 4x4.



Tony

 

[FloridaEd]

Seems too good to me.



I assume this is hand calculated and not calculated by the truck readout.



You can't trust the truck readout. At all.



Florida ED

 

[The patriot]

I'd be happy with that.

I always got around 12. something pulling my 32' wilderness TT with my 1998 12 valve, 5 speed,4X4 with 3. 54's.

It has 370 injectors, otherwise stock.

I'm a little heavy on the petal also. :-laf 70-75 MPH.

Eric

 

[snapshot]

I have towed my 5er for most of the 99K that my truck has traveled. I weigh in at just under 20K total and adverage 13 mpg in the Western lower 48. I get around 15 mpg here in the Alaska, BC,Yukon and NWT. The difference has to do with fewer hills to climb and slower speeds here in the Far North. I have noted that my fuel gauge starts to move faster at about 62 mph. I have checked my mileage against the overhead meter several times and find it to be right on. It has not been that long ago that hauling this kind of a load around the country with a pickup that would pull it got you 5 mpg if you were lucky. IMHO if you are getting anything from 10 to 15 mpg, it's a modern marvel.

 

[GAmes]

The mileage you get is more dependent on aerodynamics than weight. I recently pulled a 24 ft toyhauler from CA to TX that weighed about 7000 and got 11 mpg until I hit the headwinds of west TX. Mileage then dropped to less than 10. I get about the same mileage with my 32 ft triple slide 5er that weighs 13,000 loaded. I tow at 1900 rpm which is about 62 mph. If you are really getting over 14mpg at those speeds I am truly impressed.

 

[snapshot]

I have gotten less than 10 mpg towing before, but that was while cruising at 70+ mph in Arizona. As I said before, when I pass 62 mph the mpg starts to go in the toilet. But 14 mpg at 55 mph is normal for me. I have done nothing to the Cummins to “perk her up”. My interests lie in economy and dependability rather than speed. I have always been more than happy with the power this truck already has.



A lot of our travels in the North are at 50 mph or less due to the roads we are on. A good example would be the road to Inuvik, NWT. It’s called the Dempster Highway and the term Highway is greatly abused. It’s a 915 mile round trip on gravel (rock, dirt, shale, etc. ) 40 to 45 mph speeds are normal and if you’re smart you park when it rains. In places the road itself doubles as an airstrip (Aircraft have the right-a-way). We get very good mpg figures on this trip, higher I’m sure than you would believe. It’s a good thing too, with the price of fuel being what it is that far north. We are able to comfortably make the trip without having to buy any fuel until we return south.



I would agree that aerodynamics do have a lot to do with it, increasingly so as one’s speed increases. That would explain the 62 mph barrier I have noted with mine. It’s not rocket science, the faster you go the more it cost. I’m not against going fast, it’s just not in my budget.

 

[smartineau]

I'll trade mpg.



Pulling the toy hauler about 9,000 pounds. 12. 0mpg



Pulling the Kubota about 9,000 pounds. 12. 0mpg



I drive 70-75 up and down hills and some occasional mountain passes. As snapshot mentioned speed makes a change in mpg.



steve

 

[TAllen]

I've driver almost 3000 miles in the last 2 1/2 weeks from Florida to Az. and now were north of Dallas on the way back to Florida. I have a heavy slidein camper and my average is 13. 6, driveing 65 to 70mph.



Tim

 

[RCook]

I tow an older 19' Prowler, and get 13-14. 5 mpg depending on speed and the amount of headwind. I don't think weight is nearly as much a factor as aerodynamics. I also tow a 12K lb boat trailer, which is very un-aerodynamic. Mileage is anywhere from 9-11 mpg, depending on speed and headwind.