Mileage pulling 5er

[JShriver]

I'm a new guy.



I got my 1st CTD and my 1st 5er. It's a 06, QC, 4x4, shortbed, auto, pulling an 06 33 ft. Wildcat with slideouts (maybe 10,000 lbs. )



We took our 1st trip the other day, about 750 miles round trip. We averaged about 12 MPG pulling in mostly flat country in north Texas. I kept it at 65 MPH most of the time.



My truck has 8500 miles. What kind of mileage are you guys seeing pulling 5ers?

 

[B.G. Smith]

I would crawl under the hood and kiss my lovely Cummins engine if I could get 12 mpg. I'm pulling a 31' American Star, about 10 on a 4,000 roundtrip to New England last fall but as low as 8 recently. I really can't tell much about the mileage on short trip fill ups as the amount the tank will hold can vary as much as 5 gallon depending on how long you want to gurgle it. bg

 

[jelag]

Just had my 05, 3500 dually out with my 5er..... Did 1000 miles and used a little over 92 gals of fuel... . 2 sets of hills and too and from the beach to the OR coast... .

With our 04 we pull a 20K lb trailer... and get between 9-10 around the pacific northwest in 5 states... . that truck has 235K miles... .

 

[JShriver]

Thanks guys for the info!

 

[SHobbs]

I usually get around 9-10 mpg pulling my 5er that tips the scales around 13k.

 

[Schlickenmeyer]

Six speed, 3. 54 gears. 33 foot fiver, 10k on the scale. average 65 mph, I get 9 to 11 mpg. Mostly flat (or when not round trips evening out).

You are doing ok, I think.

 

[JRBurn]

I get about 8mpg, but my 5th is 18,120lbs loaded.

 

[JRMora]

We took a 2000 mile trip west this last summer. Averaged 10. 96 (hand calculated). Drove mostly 67-69 mph. Truck and trailer a little below 23,000# combined.

 

[klenger]

I get 10-12 towing. It does better on the flats than in the hills, but it seems I almost never tow in the flat lands.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I get 10-12 towing. It does better on the flats than in the hills, but it seems I almost never tow in the flat lands.

Me too, the last long trip we took (8K TT) I got 13. X wether I was in the hills or on the flats. Seems like a tank of fuel spent winding through mountain passes would do a lot worse than a 1/2 MPG difference but it didn't.

 

[RustyJC]

With our 16K GVWR 5th wheel, I get 9. 5 to 11 MPG depending on how fast I'm running. If I can hold it down to 60-65, it will consistently get 10. 5 to 11 MPG. With our previous 13. 5K GVWR 5th wheel, it would get as high as 12 MPG now and then.



For comparison, my previous 1996 V10/47RE/3. 54 dually would get 6. 5 MPG pulling the 13. 5K GVWR 5th wheel.



On the flat, speed and height (air resistance) has more to do with mileage than the weight, in my experience.



Rusty

 

[J D Moore]

Towing mileage

We have an Arctic Fox 29. 5T, the weight (with our gear) is 11,300#. The last 22,714 tow miles required 2,359 gallons = 9. 6mpg.

Our previous fiver although longer had a lower profile and weighed less; with that combination we towed 40,000 miles and 3,762 gallons = 10. 6.

Most speeds were in the 65-70 mph range and we prefer Interstates when available.

I agree with RustyJC; other than mountainous terrain the important variables are speed, profile (height and wind resistance) and weight.

Our Arctic Fox is heavier and taller (with more wind resistance) and this combination cost an additional 1 mpg.

I have found that the overhead computer mpg is quite optimistic.

Jim

 

[Boondocker]

I'm pretty consistent between 10-11 with my 5'vr, grossing around 17K. The engine sweet spot is pretty close to 70 mph in 6th gear with 3:54 R&P. But I usually drive slower anyway. I tow with the Smarty program #3 - fuel and timing only, not the Catcher program. Towing is 99% about maintaining speed and 1% about acceleration. Oh yea, and a few more percent for braking Did I mention that I love my exhaust brake (every day).



Regards,

Neil

Is it just me, or am I always towing into the wind?

 

[mlandis2]

11 to 13 towing 8k to 8. 5k around the east coast

 

[BGlidewell]

10 mpg see sig.

 

[dcoffman]

I made a 14000 mile trip to Alaska and ave. 12mpg. Sometimes I'd get 7mpg and with a good tailwind(that was coming back east) one day I got 14. 8. So you're doing pretty darn good

 

[Axion]

Last year I averaged 16. 2 hand calculated. Thats no towing at all but is a mix of city and highway.



I picked up my 5er (8000 lbs) the other day and got 10. 8 hand calculated on a 200 mile trip home. My speed was pretty steady between 65 and 70.



I think I might have to look into an edge with attitude to see if it'll help mileage any.

 

[clem]

I do get 10-12 doing 2200 rpm about 62 mph if I go faster or slower my mpg falls off. My 5th wh runs about 16,000 lbs. Love my RAM 122000 miles 4th set of tires and fr brakes pads.

 

[ralbert]

Just returned north from Tampa Fla. and in the flat states I got 11. 5 hand calc. and in the hilly ones I got 10. 5. Truck ran great with the new trainy. Sure was nice to have a trainy that was not slipping when I went over a overpass or had to climb a big hill. This trip I could hammer it and it was much more fun.

 

[Smarshall]

Glad I've an old 12 valve. 11 to 13 towing 10k. Wife gets a consistant 13 so I let her drive a lot.

Smarshall