Tow vehicle Gas Mileage ???????

[RivetED]

2003 F250, 2-WD, CC, 7.3 PSD w/'04 25' Safari = 14.xxx (xxx=<.5 ) when all is said and done except for long climbs/high altitudes.

[Tin Hut]

2005 Suburban, 2500, 8.1 liter gasser, 4WD, 4.10 ratio = 11 mpg city not towing, 9.8 mpg towing a 2005 28' CCD (with a case of Guinness in the fridge)

[47WeeWind]

1992 Dodge W250 3/4 ton club cab 4X4 turbo Cummins diesel with 4 speed automatic OD and 3.54 axles, pickup shell over bed = 19 mpg solo and average 15 mpg towing a 1964 19' Globe Trotter that weights about 3,250 lbs. loaded.

[markdoane]

Does anyone have a Nissan Frontier? The 2005 model has a longer wheelbase (125.9", same as F-150) and a beefier engine (265hp, 284 ftlbs). Tow rating is 6500#. It looks like the Frontier is growing into a half ton pickup.

Would this be a suitable tow vehicle for a 4000# trailer?

2001 2500 Suburban with the 8.1. Averaged 9 mpg on a recent 1500 mile round trip to Georgia. Not towing and averaging 80 mph. Just keeping pace with traffic.

[Janets Husband]

2003 Duramax with the Allison transmission. 1977 20' Minuet about 3000lbs loaded to the gills.

These things have a gas milage punishement point at about 1800 RPM or 61 MPH
below that 18.1 MPG empty, 16.8 towing our rig.
Above that and you get 15.7 MPG empty @ 70 MPH and 14.7 MPG towing @ 70 MPH. The faster you go the more it eats, and it goes real fast if you push it.

[Hippo]

Last weekend I pulled our inclosed cargo trailer 20 footer to Ocean Park,Wa with our F250 4X4 Crewcab V-10 gas engine. We averaged 12.0 mpg. The same on the way home. Gas at the beach was $2.47. I filled up at Costco today for $2.29.
Chuck

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by Tin Hut

2005 Suburban, 2500, 8.1 liter gasser, 4WD, 4.10 ratio = 11 mpg city not towing, 9.8 mpg towing a 2005 28' CCD (with a case of Guinness in the fridge)

LOL! I see that one bit of cargo represents most of the major food groups and is a HUGE weight saver! Heck if you had to load food and clothes, you might have only seen 8mpg towing Hut!

[58BUBBLE]

What's the deal with diesel being $2.50/gallon? I drive a 2003 GMC Duramax crew and it costs over $60 to fill up. I usually use 3 tanks a week, (if I'm lucky). I recently picked up a little Toyota pickup to use as my daily driver because of the rising prices. Anyway, I thought diesel was an unrefined alternative fuel to gas meaning, IT SHOULD BE CHEAPER. Out here where I am there are a lot of diesel trucks and it seams like we are getting screwed, the gas companies raise the price on diesel just to keep up with gasoline. Atleast we finally woke up and realized we need to start drilling in Alaska.

[Silvertwinkie]

You're right it should. When I was looking for a new truck I went gasser cause the prices of fuel were getting near the same. In some cases diesel costs more than regular unleaded.

[Anon]

Originally Posted by 58BUBBLE

What's the deal with diesel being $2.50/gallon? I drive a 2003 GMC Duramax crew and it costs over $60 to fill up. I usually use 3 tanks a week, (if I'm lucky). I recently picked up a little Toyota pickup to use as my daily driver because of the rising prices. Anyway, I thought diesel was an unrefined alternative fuel to gas meaning, IT SHOULD BE CHEAPER. Out here where I am there are a lot of diesel trucks and it seams like we are getting screwed, the gas companies raise the price on diesel just to keep up with gasoline. Atleast we finally woke up and realized we need to start drilling in Alaska.

There is a new clean air additive they are putting in deisel now.
This is what my brother-in-law has told me. He has a Dodge 1-ton with the Cummins Turbo Deisel in it.

[Tarheel]

Alaska oil is a real help, our paper did an article on how the Alaska oil went to the world market and did nothing for us in the USA.

[j54mark]

Originally Posted by Tarheel

Alaska oil is a real help, our paper did an article on how the Alaska oil went to the world market and did nothing for us in the USA.

(I am not an oil company employee, and my only investment in oil stocks is the tank of diesel I bought yesterday.)

Really? No taxes were paid? No salaries to employees, company officers, or stockholders? No lease fees to the government? No reduction of the trade deficit? So, it was just, what, burned on site?

Oil is a fungible commodity - one barrel is just like another. The supply component of the supply/demand equation is the total available supply, whether it is in the Middle East, Alaska or Terra de Fuego, limited only by transportation costs. So it simply does not matter to the world market WHERE Alaskan oil is sold, nor does it affect the price in the US. If you mandated that Alaskan oil be sold only in the US, then foreign oil purchases would decline in exactly the same amount, leaving the market price here unchanged. The same for the net trade balance as the amount of unpurchased foreign oil would be exactly offset by the amount of unexported oil.

Concerning domestic oil production, what DOES matter is that the oil is produced, raising the available supply. What DOES matter is that huge amounts of income are generated in the US for and by tax-paying US citizens.

I have a nephew who prepares taxes and he commented yesterday about all his tax clients who have interests in oil and gas partnerships that have lost money for years and years and are suddenly generating profits. Oil wells that cost $25 per barrel to produce are now pumping again.

Mark

[DONNAD]

hi - I have a 27ft. 1970- overlander - I have not yet bought a tow vehicle. so options are wide open except that I want (like everyone else) the best mileage for the cheapest price am welcoming any feedback in this regard especially around gas vs deisel. I am planning on paying around 8,000 max and that is Canadian funds.

[Inland RV Center, In]

For those that want to maximize fuel mileage, and are instrument minded, a simple installation of an aircraft instrument does wonders.

Simply and correctly install an aircraft "air speed indicator".

I did that some 36 years ago.

WOW. What a difference in fuel mileage, "IF" you pay attention to your speedometer and the air speed indicator.

As an example, if they both said 60 mph, the there is no wind.

If the speedo said 60 and the airspeed said 80, then you would have a 20 mph head wind. In that case, "SLOW DOWN".

If the speedo said 60 and the airspeed said 40, then you would have a 20 mph tail wind.

Accordingly, if you have a tail wind, your mileage would maximize. If you have a headwind, then slow down so that you can still get reasonable mileage. How much depends on the amount of the head wind.

Going the speed limit into a head wind, will decrease your mileage by about 20percent. OUCH.

If any of you are a pilot, then you fully understand. Towing a trailer, in many respects is the same as flying an airplane.

Head winds are not good.

Tail winds are always preferred.

Andy

[Griswolds]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

For those that want to maximize fuel mileage, and are instrument minded, a simple installation of an aircraft instrument does wonders.

Simply and correctly install an aircraft "air speed indicator".....

Where do you purchase this kind of instrument?

How much do you slow down to?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Griswolds

Where do you purchase this kind of instrument?

How much do you slow down to?

Most any aircraft supply house has them.

They are not cheap, but neither is gasoline any more.

The trick is you must install a 1/4 inch copper line from the airspeed indicator, to the front of the tow vehicle, so that it does not receive any thing but "ram" air, as opposed to bouncing or deflected air.

How much to slow down?

That does not have a singular answer.

But you must use a trial and error approach.

However, if you had a 15 to 20 mph or greater head wind, then I would probably slow down to maybe 45 or 50 mph.

Andy

[Griswolds]

For the most part Gas or Diesel your not going to win out on $, you will only be able to choose the less of the two evils. The price of fuel for the years to come will damper most, if not all of our vacations in a year. Unless we can remove the fuel lobbyist out to allow research for an alternative fuel.

The Germans did it in 1942 with a synthetic 78 octane unleaded coal-derived petroleum. I cant see why it cant happen now except for those who were going to hurt financially. I don't see any of this happening.
OK off the soap box

The newer vehicles have expensive chips or fuel injection that can help, be it gas or diesel, there is some hocus pocus tricks sold on info commercials I wouldn't dare try and theres no way in the green earth I will travel with no AC in the summer, especially anywhere south

Most vehicles with the tow package have a different gear ratio than the normal truck or SUV, this gives you the towing power needed with the engine itself. The sacrifice is 'fuel', for every bit of power be it engine and drive-train used for towing, plus the weight of the trailer and kids bikes and BBQ grill etc. there is no way around it. Unless you decrease what is being towed by weight. (F= M x A)

One thing about Diesel over Gas is that you get (ie.)12 pulling or (ie.)12 going to work. Gas engines will drop efficientcy when towing due to the loss of torque/wieght ratio (F= M x A) but will gain it back plus when not towing.

Do research for cooling, brakes, towing capacity and whats being towed, then choose the less of the two evils. Every maker and model has its advantages over the other, be it SUV or Truck, Gas or Diesel, Import or Domestic. But your only going to reap the fuel benefit if you dump the wieght. Most AirStreams are 7k to 5k plus all of our family and living pleasures, Newer trailers are now in the 4.5k and 4.8k.

[wayneh]

I am looking at a F250 with 6.8L V10 and 4.10 AR, GCWR is 2100 Twing is 12500
With a 06 30 ft Classic at 10000 GVWR
Can I safely travel the highways

[j54mark]

Originally Posted by Griswolds

The price of fuel for the years to come will damper most, if not all of our vacations in a year. Unless we can remove the fuel lobbyist out to allow research for an alternative fuel.

The Germans did it in 1942 with a synthetic 78 octane unleaded coal-derived petroleum. I cant see why it cant happen now except for those who were going to hurt financially. I don't see any of this happening.
OK off the soap box

Yes, and the Japanese made a high octane aviation fuel distilled from pine tree stumps. The fact that it can be done doesn't mean it is cheaper.

Mark