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Mileage while Towing

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Swing out jacks

reply to new members Nick and Linda Muscato e-mail q's on towing

Stock truck pulling 8000 lbs. My first trip 4 months ago

I got 10 mpg . The last trip to Nevada (5200 MILES ) I got

13, I,m happy with that , But who knows maybe it will get

better. Only 15000 on the truck.

Have a good one

Frank
 
Denver to Frisco Colorado and back (~200 miles) towing our new 10,000 lb 5er, I got about 10. 8 mpg. Truck has about 8000 miles. Trip is all up and down with a max at 11,000 feet at Eisenhouer (sp) tunel. Frisco is at 9,000 feet. Having a 5 speed, I need to downshift to 3rd gear for the steep climbs, which limits the speed to about 42 MPH, but it pulls really well there.



Ken
 
Just got back from Wyoming, drove a little slower this time, ~80 when the road was open, and slower up some of the hills. Similar load to last time, less wind on the way home. Didn't get an accurate reading, but the milage was noticably better.



Pete
 
Originally posted by JFitzgerald

I've been getting 18-19 just daily driving to work etc. Tomorrow we head out for our first big towing trip, so it will be interesting to see what mileage it gets towing. We're headed for KY (Land Between the Lakes) with a slide-in in back, and a Jeep, 4-wheeler and dirt bike on the trailer.



I'm sure my CTD will get over twice the MPG my buddies' Chevy crew cab gets with his 468 big block, hauling about the same load, and coming with us. That'll give me something to razz him about around the campfire. :D



Haven't figured MPG yet, but here is a good comparison. another friend came with too - with the same toys loaded on a gooseneck on his '95 Powersmoke 4 dr. We left with full tanks, and we stopped for fuel after crossing into KY. The Chevy took about 33 gallons, the Powersmoke took 28 gallons and my Dodge took 18 gallons to refill. We were running 60-65 MPH. I don't remember the exact miles or gallons, but it should work out to about 6MPG for the Chevy, 8 for the Furd, and 12 for the Dodge. I am now convinced that I made the right choice on my truck!:D The friend with the Furd asked how many times I had to downshift on the hills. I said once, and it didn't help, so I just let 'er chug up the hills in 5th after that. He didn't want to say how many times he downshifted. If i just tried to maintain speed up a hill, it might knock me down to 50 MPH, but if I sped up to 70 before starting it, it would maintain speed much better. Now that I have a baseline first trip, I would like to turn up the power a bit without loosing MPG.
 
While moving from Mississippi to Boston pulling a car trailer and stuff under the cap, I averaged 17 mpg. I had a GCW of 12,000 lbs and went 70 mph the whole trip. I only got 16 mpg with my 94 Powerstroke, empty. :D
 
I run in the mid 13's towing 6,500#, 26' Holiday Rambler Travel Trailer @ 60-65 mph. Naturally, wind resistance is the killer.

FDz
 
I have a 2001 Ho and I pull a 30 foot Montana. I am happy at 12 mpg. I did find that there are a lot of variables when trying to get good mileage. Everyone knows about wind; but I have found that temperatures over 100 hurt a lot. I do not have an EGT; but I will bet that the TIT is high and that is the reason. The other is running in a lot of rain. Remember cooler, dryer air can hold more oxygen. It does not matter how much you compress it, if it ain't there it ain't there.
 
MPG's

I get anywhere from high 12s to mid. 16's depending on wind and hills. I just got back from yellowstone last weekend 350 miles each way, got 13. 8 going and 14. 6 return, pull a7k TT. :cool:
 
I get about 12 MPG pulling a 13K goose neck with a low, heavy load and only 10 when I pull a 6500 LB Large round hay baler. The diffrence is wind. I loose 25% on milage between 65 and 75 MPH.
 
My truck is a 2001 2500 QC auto with a 3. 55 rear end. It is a baby with 4000 miles on it. Towing an Airstream 29' TT (6800 lb. ) at 75-80 MPH, I get 12. 6 MPG.



Raul
 
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