Towing MPG

[JCasper]

OK I added up my fuel receipts from my trip to Yellowstone. It looks like I used a total of 218. 645 Gallons of fuel over 2,338 miles. About 400-450 miles of that was without the trailer. I had a gross weight of approx. 17,000lbs.



That equals 10. 693MPG overall. Is that good or bad I dont' know. It is definitely better then I would of got with a gasser, but still a little lower then I hoped for.



That was Smarty on 1 the whole way. I tried Stock SW for about ten minutes. The first pass I climbed I was driving by egt's so at the top Level 1 went back in.





Maybe driving slower then 70 would help, but then my RPM's would be too low. I am running 1,900RPM at 70 in 6th gear.

 

[MMeier]

Have you corrected your speedometer for the larger tires? If not, you may be looking at a loss there, as larger tires give you a higher gear and thus, make your speedo read lower and odometer show less miles traveled. My . 02

 

[JCasper]

Have you corrected your speedometer for the larger tires? If not, you may be looking at a loss there, as larger tires give you a higher gear and thus, make your speedo read lower and odometer show less miles traveled. My . 02

My speedo is corrected with the Smarty. Oo.

 

[SNoyes]

Well, a couple of things. Your speed, at 70 MPH is definately going to effect your mileage. Someone will chime in here, but the wind resistance, or drag on the vehicle does not climb linear. 55 MPH to 70 MPH the wind resistance is double. The larger tires are not going to help. Not only more rolling friction but your vehicle sits up higher, equaling more wind resistance. And finally, while weight is a factor the size of our trailer is going to effect your mileage. Those TTs catch some air. All in all, I would say it was average for what you were doing. If you slow it down you should see better, if you put stock tires on even better... But those toyos are sweet!!!

 

[Blu-meanie]

My over-all towing average is 11. 03 at 10,000 miles. This is just the towing figures. 9. 91 mpg is the lowest and 11. 85 at the highest.

 

[RRees]

In June 2007, when I trailered my Jeep on a flatbad out to Buena Vista, Co.

I received approx 11mpg out and 12mpg on the return trip to Cumming, Iowa.



My avg speed was approx 70mph. Forgot about the speed rating on my trailer tires. I should have kept the speed at 65mph.



I was using Power Service Gray (10oz) at each 1/2 tank fillup.

 

[SBeretz]

Man, that sounds about right for that kind of weight, I pull about 10-13MPG pulling my 40Ft toy hauler in flat NC. I could imagine in the mountains it is going to tank and 10MPG sounds pretty good to me. How was the trip? Scotty

 

[ScottLewis]

Towing 11K+ fifth wheel CA thru OR, WA, ID and back home. I find nearly 1/2 MPG less for every 5 MPH over 55. My overall average is about 10 1/2 with a low of about 9 and high of 12. Solo I'm getting 16 to 17. There's almost 16K total on it now.



Dan

 

[BHaden]

Last Sept went to Topeka from San Diego (3700 miles RT) towing a 22 foot box trailer about 6 inches higher than truck. All up weight about 16k, speed between 70-75 most of the way on cruise. Got 11. 9 for the whole trip. The truck had 6500 or so miles at start of trip. Before I left my daily mileage was around 15. 7 typical. After we got back it was up to 17+. Good break-in trip.

 

[RTolbert]

I get 10. 4 MPG towing a 13K fiver at 65 mph. When breaking in the truck I was getting 14. 5 MPG at 50 mph. Your mileage figures seem normal to me.

 

[JThiessen]

Yeah, your not far off. That same weekend, I drove to CoerD'alene and back with my 5'er (@8500-9000 lbs). I also had the Smarty on 1. I averaged about 12. 4.

 

[JCasper]

Yeah, your not far off. That same weekend, I drove to CoerD'alene and back with my 5'er (@8500-9000 lbs). I also had the Smarty on 1. I averaged about 12. 4.

How fast were you towing?



Did you go to Diesel Thunder?

 

[Turbo_Bob]

Maybe driving slower then 70 would help, but then my RPM's would be too low. I am running 1,900RPM at 70 in 6th gear.

While climbing up the steep grades you could downshift to 5th gear and drive at 55 MPH, which is around 2,200 RPM's. Thats what I do in the same situation to get the best MPG while pulling up the steep grades.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Lately I've been getting 11+mpg in mixed driving. By mixed I mean osme stop and go, some freeway, but all with a trailer behind. 35K+ one way, 15+K back. I usually drive 62 or so on the freeway which is speed limit 60. Speed limit 55 I drive about 59mph in 5th.

I'll get better mpg pulling my heavy stock trailer than most RV'er will get because I don't have nearly as much wind resistance and I drive slower. If I speed up to 70+mph for a whole tank I'll be in the low 8's for mpg.

Wind/speed kills more than weight. So yeah, you seem to be doing pretty good since you did a lot at 70mph.

 

[DGamelin]

I think the mpg you guys are getting better then mine. I get 8. 5 often and 10 is good when loaded 7. 2 was the worst. The loads are big some times. I get about 16mpg empty. I bought it used with about 18k on it. I have put 12421k on it and averaged 10. 68. It is always loaded in at least one direction. My truck is stock. I was thinking about removing the cat. I have left my trucks stock for reliabitly.



93 250 2wd auto excab 240k miles

04. 5 3500 4wd 6speed club cab 373 39k miles stock

 

[WAnderstrom]

My mpg is about the same as everyone elses. I pull a 6000# TT and have a sled deck on the back of the truck with 2 four wheelers on it. Total weight about 7500#'s but is a big sail going throught the air with the sled deck with toys on it. I get about 19-20mpg on the hwy empty @ about 65 the hole time and 12mpg through mountain passes here fully loaded @ about 55-65. That is going south from here. Going north I think I was only getting about 10. 5 mpg. I leave the Edge w/Att on level 3 all the time. I actually get better mpg empty and loaded with it there than the lower settings. I haven't got around to testing it on levels 4 and 5 yet.

Over all I am a little disappointed, my Ol, 12 valve gets better towing, about 14-16 mpg. But not as good empty 18mpg.

Being my truck is about to pass the 100,000 mark, I am about to order that cam that is supposed to increase your mpg by +2. Should get around to it some time this winter. But that will be another story later this winter I hope.

 

[JCasper]

Thanks for all the responses. It seems that I am not too far off of everyone else. Considering my 35" tires and 70MPH speed it's not too bad.



I figure if I slowed down a little it may get better, but I may also have to run in 5th instead of 6th.



Those of you with Smarty's, what have you found to be the best setting for mileage empty and loaded? My trip was spent all on level 1.

 

[JThiessen]

How fast were you towing?



Did you go to Diesel Thunder?

I set the cruise on about 67. Ran in Tow/haul the entire run, except for a few down shifts into OD off.



I didnt go to the Dyno event, but I did go to the drags.

 

[rjrodriguez]

With my smarty set at sw3 on the freeway at 75 or 80 mph i averaged about 18 1/2 mpgs. which i dont think is bad at all with 410 gearing. On sw1 on two lane hiway at about 65 i averaged right at 20, thats the first time out with the smarty and my new turbo. Im happy at that, thats a little better than before. Now im curious how it will do with my 7500 pound toy hauler.

 

[DGamelin]

I have ran with a couple of trucks from MI to TX and back empty one way. I have 373 they had 410. Every time the 410 trucks get better fuel economy in both directions. I do regret not having the 410 gears now. First gear is not low enough, 5th gear is a little to tall and reverse gear is definity to fast for putting big loads into loading docks. I read some where on here that the computers in the 04 1/2 have an economy mode built into them from 2050 to 2250 RPMs I don't know if this is true but, with 373 I have to be around 73 Mph, in a lot of places thats hard to do. Early this year me and another guy with identical trucks with different gears swaped trucks for a tank, so I know for a fact his millage is better than mine. His truck had a 150k on it mine only 22k. I don't know if this could make a difference, but I'd like to see a culpa more mpg better.



93 250 2wd xcab auto 354 240k

04. 5 3500 dually 4wd club cab 6speed 373 39k