Towing for Mileage

lots of good ideas there...and information about what different rigs get for fuel mileage.... I tow with a Chevrolet 5.3 pickup with a shell...just a 1/2 ton and get roughly 15mpg with the 22 behind.... and thought I was doing super.... I diden't buy the 3/4 ton as I heard it got less fuel mileage....I have 4wd as we live in the mountains and I use it, but otherwise I would buy a 2wd with that new 6 liter motor and 6 speed automatic in a 3/4 ton.
I always thought those diesels got fabulous economy towing...but I guess not...good but not that much better than mine.

Chevrolet will not sell leather upholstery in a short bed standard cab, and they quit selling stepside pickups....so I am just going to keep rebuilding mine until it rots away.. I love that ole truck. I did think about adding a turbocharger... I think that would be neat... lots of free power and improved economy...

Joel
 
Doryman":2nc5hw0s said:
On our trip to Lake Powell last fall, pulling the Tom Cat, as an experiment, I drove down at 55 and came back at 60-65. I was really frustrated because I would reset my GMC's gas mileage readout at every fillup and the results were very inconsistent. There were days when a headwind was very apparent, with obvious mileage effects, and other days on level ground where it would vary by 3 mpg. The truck is a 2500HD Duramax.

I'm tempted to get that scan gauge mentioned earlier.

Warren
Click to expand...

I do check my mileage enroute with the built in trip info, and then double check it against fuel actually pumped... very little difference. We've owned vehicles that give an "instant" mpg readout as well as average... and just a bit of difference in how heavy your foot is can make a difference. Over a couple decades of driving RVs and towing, we have found that a headwind affects mileage very significantly. I can see where you'd have different fuel usage even on level ground... road surface, wind, and stop-and-go driving makes a difference. While towing the boat, we've seen mpg from a low of 8 (BIG headwinds) to over 12. In the grand scheme of things, I try to do what I can to get the most out of a gallon of fuel, but B~C is right on: a dollar a gallon difference in price may add $100 to a driving vacation... cut out a fancy meal or sleep in the boat instead of a motel. You can make more money, you can't make more time.

Enjoy the boat... it uses WAY more fuel than the truck for miles per gallon. Change your way of thinking to gallons per hour and the expense works out better. 8) Figure in the costs of therapy and bail/legal fees if you're don't get your boating fix in, and you even further ahead.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
B~C":4bgsa8oz said:
That scan tool would be a handy addition to our truck, might have to check that thing out.
Click to expand...

Anyone w/ a Droid "there's an app for that"; actually many. "Fuel Pitayapps" is one that will total mileage, cost. average fuel economy/consumption...I haven't used it yet.
 
Jim- you mention your Droid app for finding less expensive gasoline. That sounds like the difference between say Arco gas and Chevron gas.

What does everyone think about differences in quality of gas. I've heard stories about Arco gas being of less quality than say Chevron or Shell gas. True?? False?? I usually purchase gas at Sam's Club and sometimes at the QFC gas station which gives a discount for purchases at QFC. I don't know what brand of gas either Sam's Club or QFC uses but it "seems" like the Sam's Club gas gives better gas mileage.

Has anyone ever checked mileage by supplier of gas?

thanks

Gene
 
My experience towing the 22' C-Dory was with an F150 4.6 L with 4wd and a super duty F250 Supercab, 7.3 L with 8' box and 4wd. The 4.6 L was simply too underpowered for long stretches with any real elevation changes. I estimate I put 7,000 miles towing before trading up. Mileage was around 10 mpg.

My F250 has a custom camper shell which rises 6" above the cab top, creating some drag. The rig with full tanks, shell, and me weighs 8,100 lbs. From westerm Oregon to the end of Key West and back, many trips on the upper gulf coast, several trips to Lake Powell, numerous trips to Montana from Oregon and many, many more from Montana to various bodies of water, the truck has managed to wear out one trailer (which was too light) , but the single axle EZ Loader with 15" tires holds up very well. I average 14 mpg when towing at 55 mph.

I always tow with as little weight as possible, no water, low fuel tanks. Tires are inflated just below maximum. My experience is similar to others. Wind, particularly head winds reduces mileage 2 mpg. Side winds may actually help, something like beam wnds on a sail boat. Fuel quality can make a difference.l But staying within the optimum torque range is essential. On the F20 it is 1500 to 1700 rpm . I will tow in over drive on the flats, but do not allow the engine to drop below 1500 rpm.

Anything over 55 mph drops mileage, but regardless, the worse I ever get at say 70 mp towing is 12 mpg.

John
 
Just a couple of related items.........

Check out these web sites for some good info........

www.mrtruck.com


www.gasbuddy.com

For current gas prices I go to their link....
............USA National Gas price Heat Index........


Our local Ford Technicians warned us not to use Over Drive when towing a heavy load with the F250, as was high lighted in one of the posting above.
 
Define what a heavy load is. The 7.3 L International V8 is a brute.
John
 
As to Quality of gas: Most service station gas comes out of the same storage tanks, and at the wholesaler--and addatives are place in the tanker truck after it has filled up with fuel.

Often buying with "cash" gets a discount from 3 to 5 cents a gallon. Some discount cards also allow less price, as do some credit cards. --again up to 5 cents a gallon.

Remember that in California the legal speed limit for towing any trailer is 55 mph--and a ticket from CHP can add a lot more to the cost of traveling--and increased insurance costs etc down the line. I believe that the speed limit for a truck boat trailer combination, especially if over 10,000 lbs (?) is 60 mph in Washington State. Someone might clarify that--but some sources I read on the intenet said that all trailers were subject to the 60 mph law.

We have towed behind our Pilot (C Dory 22,) a Road Trek 1 ton 5.2L Dodge van, a 2000 7.3 L Ford Excursion Diesel and a 30 foot RV, with Ford V 10. We locked out the over drive in the Pilot and the 5.2 Dodge Van--the RV only if going up hill. We drive our RV at least 10,000 miles a year (currently a 41 foot 8.3 liter diesel) We have believe that the lower speed is the best way to save fuel. We found that driving the RV there was no difference between towing and not towing--same mileage--which goes a ways to enforce the windage theory, as well as weight. If towing behind many SUV and Trucks, it doubles the weight--were as the RV only adds 15 to 20 % more weight to the total weight. As far as pickups or SUV's the diesels get about 25% better mileage--but fuel is a bit more expensive in many areas.

We do check the tire pressure every morning, and hub and tire temps every 2 hours when on the road. We also found that radial trailer tires gave less wear, and I suspect better mileage.

We also "shop around" for fuel. Sites like
gasbuddy.com also help to find the cheapest fuel. Anyway you look at it--it is cheaper to haul the boat on a trailer, than to power on its bottom. Figure that the cost of gasoline or diesel is just the "cost of doing business".
 
I've pretty much always bought both regular gas (boat & the wife's Explorer etc) and diesel (my truck) at Safeway or Fred Meyer or Costco etc. I'm cheap and they offer a "discount". Pretty much always E10. Ah, who am I kidding...it's ALWAYS E10 thanks to the tree-hugger political mentality in Wa. State, but I digress. :roll:

I've never had an issue directly related to fuel that I'm aware of (knock wood). I RELIGIOUSLY use blue Sta-bil in the boat, mower, power washer etc and Stanadyne in the diesel.

I really can't see fuel source/brand having any direct effect (negligible or otherwise) on mpg's. IMO, mpg's are influenced more by how we drive, what we drive/tow, where we drive & the maintenance of our vehicles etc.
 
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