Towing with a Turbo Air Guide

[RHamner]

I put the TAG on a few weeks ago. I noticed a reduction in smoke and a little smoother idle, but I bought it for towing. This last week I had a chance to tow. Friends were moving from California to Washington state. The movers wouldn't move his reloading ammo , black powder, and propane tanks. About a 1000#. I have a 10300# fifth so we loaded it up and I hauled it up I 5.



On the trip up I 5, a 4 lane freeway through the mountains, I was at 70mph. This was the speed, by my speedometer, that the fast trucks or slower cars were running. To my first fuel at 551 mi I got 10. 38 MPG. On the trip back from the same station without the 1000# load and trying to maintain 67 MPH through 559 mi I got 10. 87 MPG. In between over 472 miles, about 100 mi empty, I got 13. 4 MPG.



Speedometer, odometer , 3. 54 RE, 4x4, and 245 tires are all factors. I just wonder what others are getting for towing mileage with a TAG? I like it, but is it doing much?

 

[RustyJC]

Just out of curiosity, did the TAG eliminate the full-throttle uphill in 5th & 6th gear "whoomp-whoomp-whoomp" you hear now and then from the turbo area when towing (assuming your truck has this quirk)?



Rusty

 

[RHamner]

JC... I get a big whoomp when I downshift from 6th to 5th, and still do...

 

[RustyJC]

The "whoomp" associated with letting off the throttle for a downshift is probably a turbo compressor surge. The TAG won't change that.



A number of HO owners report the sound I described under sustained full throttle high boost high RPM conditions (like when towing up a steep hill). If you haven't noticed it, your truck must not be one of the ones prone to the quirk. I've pretty well convinced myself that it's related to the compressor impeller trying to compress turbulent airflow caused by the curved inlet duct to the turbo - if that's the case, the TAG should improve or eliminate it. That's the reason for my question.



Rusty

 

[DPelletier]

Rusty,

I have been following this TAG thing with a certain amount of skepticism, but if what you're saying is true (and it certainly sounds plausible), then this may be a more important use for the TAG than any mileage increases. I'll know if my truck is prone to the situation that you describe as soon as I head out camping in the spring. We have a 4 - 6% grade for maybe 10 miles when you head west out of town With my camper and trailer all loaded up, I should be at about 16,000 lbs GCVW.



Dave

 

[Car_nut57]

That sounds like pretty good mileage to me, considering the speed, weight and wind drag of the fifth wheel especially since we are now on winter fuel.

 

[RustyJC]

Dave,



There's some discussion of this towing noise phenomenon on THIS thread.



Rusty

 

[DPelletier]

Thanks Rusty,

Dave