weight down the road
- Thread starter jennykatz
- Start date
I have a '98 Dodge Durango SLT 4WD with the 5.9 liter V-8, and the vehicle has averaged 14.8 mpg overall since new for a toal of 83,000 + miles. The occasional towing seems to produce about 11-12 mpg, unless in severe mountain driving. It does seem to go though a lot of gas, though. Joe.
Our '98 Grand Cherokee with the 318 average 14.3 MPG over the 120K miles we put on it. That is combined. On the highway it averaged about 18. This was with the Quadra track full time 4wd. My daughter has a 2001 Grand Cherokee with the 4.0l 6 and averages about 18. But it doesn't have a tow package on it.
We just got a 2004 Liberty with the V6. I will be putting a class 3 hitch on it sometime after Christmas to tow my 13' Columbian up to Canada this summer. Since it is my wifes car and I have only driven it a few times I haven't looked at the trip computer to find out what the gas mileage is.
If I had to choose between a 6cyl Grand Cherokee or the Liberty for towing purposes I would choose the Grand Cherokee every time! The wheelbase on the Liberty is very short making it much less comfortable to drive and putting a trailer behind it will only make matters worse.
Just as an fyi: The 1997 Dakota with 318 and part time 4wd got 14.6 MPG average. My 1993 F250 Diesel 4x4 gets 18 on the highway and 15 average. And got 10 towing the 27' C-Dory back from Texas. The newer 6.0 liter Powerstrokes are supposed to do much better than my big 7.3l non turbo does. But I will say this. The F250 is so much better in the towing department you just can't compare!
Something else to think about. A diesel is good for towing for a couple reasons. First is the awsome torque. Second is that the extra weight of the engine helps keep weight on the Front wheels when braking. This is VERY important. Cars are designed to have about 60% of your braking on the front wheels. If you unload them by adding weight on the hitch you never get that back.
Here is my tip of the week
When you back down a ramp you are further unloading the front wheels making it nearly impossible to stop. To counter act this when backing down a ramp shift into nuetral (or first with the clutch in on a standard trans) as soon as the weight of the boat starts to pull you down the ramp. This way you aren't fighting both the weight of the boat and the torque of the engine. With the car in Nuetral keep one hand on the shift lever in case you need to quickly pull forward (And so you don't forget to put it in drive before trying to pull off the ramp!).
After 5 years of driving a tow truck I learned a few things about what NOT to do while towing something... I had to pull a couple of vehicles out of the water... I also had to tow a couple vehicles that far exceeded the weight limit of the truck
After the last one I told my boss I would never do that again. Having to hit the brakes to get enough weight on the front tires to steer was NOT FUN!
We just got a 2004 Liberty with the V6. I will be putting a class 3 hitch on it sometime after Christmas to tow my 13' Columbian up to Canada this summer. Since it is my wifes car and I have only driven it a few times I haven't looked at the trip computer to find out what the gas mileage is.
If I had to choose between a 6cyl Grand Cherokee or the Liberty for towing purposes I would choose the Grand Cherokee every time! The wheelbase on the Liberty is very short making it much less comfortable to drive and putting a trailer behind it will only make matters worse.
Just as an fyi: The 1997 Dakota with 318 and part time 4wd got 14.6 MPG average. My 1993 F250 Diesel 4x4 gets 18 on the highway and 15 average. And got 10 towing the 27' C-Dory back from Texas. The newer 6.0 liter Powerstrokes are supposed to do much better than my big 7.3l non turbo does. But I will say this. The F250 is so much better in the towing department you just can't compare!
Something else to think about. A diesel is good for towing for a couple reasons. First is the awsome torque. Second is that the extra weight of the engine helps keep weight on the Front wheels when braking. This is VERY important. Cars are designed to have about 60% of your braking on the front wheels. If you unload them by adding weight on the hitch you never get that back.
Here is my tip of the week
When you back down a ramp you are further unloading the front wheels making it nearly impossible to stop. To counter act this when backing down a ramp shift into nuetral (or first with the clutch in on a standard trans) as soon as the weight of the boat starts to pull you down the ramp. This way you aren't fighting both the weight of the boat and the torque of the engine. With the car in Nuetral keep one hand on the shift lever in case you need to quickly pull forward (And so you don't forget to put it in drive before trying to pull off the ramp!).After 5 years of driving a tow truck I learned a few things about what NOT to do while towing something... I had to pull a couple of vehicles out of the water... I also had to tow a couple vehicles that far exceeded the weight limit of the truck
After the last one I told my boss I would never do that again. Having to hit the brakes to get enough weight on the front tires to steer was NOT FUN!Chris Bulovsky
New member
I tow with a 96 Ford Explorer. Yes it works but it certainly grunts when on hills. Some previous posts suggest that you should go for the power. They are clearly right . GO FOR THE POWER! I'm looking to up grade my tow rig. A Explorer works but will leave you yearning for more power.
A vehicle thats rated for heavy stuff is just plain safer. The newer Explorers seem to have a little more snort. But what I need is good o'l truck. Its rare someone wishes that they have less horse power.
Christopher Bulovsky
A vehicle thats rated for heavy stuff is just plain safer. The newer Explorers seem to have a little more snort. But what I need is good o'l truck. Its rare someone wishes that they have less horse power.
Christopher Bulovsky
journey on
New member
Transferring weight to the front wheels is what equalizing hitches are for. But then one needs electric/hydraulic brakes (or an equilizing hitch that works with surge brakes.) The combination lets you to pull with a smaller vehicls. This isn't all bad if that's what you got, and gas prices stay up. Your mileage is poor when you're towing with anything (takes so much energy to move weight,) but when you're unhitched, the mileage goes back up.
No such thing as a free lunch.
Boris
No such thing as a free lunch.
Boris
I towed the 22ft duck /jennykatz only a few blocks but it semed to do fine with a 96 mazda m p v with a 4500lb towing package 97000miles I was pleasantly suprized on how well it did I also got the suziki 90 hp put on today I cant wait to run it tomorrow I think ill wait until next summer to buy a trl and better tow rig i sure wish the dakota or explorer would come in a diesel ,liberty is just to small
starcrafttom
Active member
I have a tip for all of you ford v-6 owners. The ford 4-liter v6 was designed to run on premium gas. That’s the 97-octane higher price stuff. I have not put in the good stuff for a long time due to the cost, but last week premium dropped to 2.18 a gallon at the am/pm down the street. I dropped in a fresh tank of the good stuff and remembered why I should do it more often, especially when towing the boat. Much more power and the knocking sound went away. So if you are going to tow this weekend and up hill is the rule drop in the high grade to get the most out of your ford.
Chris Bulovsky
New member
Hay I kind of have grown fond of that knocking sound In my Explorer. :lol:
Chris
Chris
:lol: 
:smilep :xlol :xlol
Roger Man......Ya made me spill my coffee on that one brother... and who really cares if it is an improved ramp or not...
Let's see....top speed 22mph and about 2800 miles from Stanwood, WA to Montgomery, AL would be 16 each 8 hour days in the seat....coming the short route over the mountains of course not worrying about the snow....and about 1527 gallons of diesel.... See there brother.... it is makeing one of those basically $350 round trip Southwest tickets between Seattle and Birmingham or Nashville looking like a much better deal... Come on down!!! You have your pick of 2 C-Dory's to play on.
Now that really makes me feel sweeeeeeet about the comfort and fuel milage I get with the TomCat in town with the 6.0 Power Stroke Turbo Diesel in Ol' Blue.... but no way am I up for a tow-off challenge in the ramp parking lot.... and I can't do taters in my Excursion either!!
:smilep :xlol :xlol Roger Man......Ya made me spill my coffee on that one brother... and who really cares if it is an improved ramp or not...
Let's see....top speed 22mph and about 2800 miles from Stanwood, WA to Montgomery, AL would be 16 each 8 hour days in the seat....coming the short route over the mountains of course not worrying about the snow....and about 1527 gallons of diesel.... See there brother.... it is makeing one of those basically $350 round trip Southwest tickets between Seattle and Birmingham or Nashville looking like a much better deal... Come on down!!! You have your pick of 2 C-Dory's to play on.
Now that really makes me feel sweeeeeeet about the comfort and fuel milage I get with the TomCat in town with the 6.0 Power Stroke Turbo Diesel in Ol' Blue.... but no way am I up for a tow-off challenge in the ramp parking lot.... and I can't do taters in my Excursion either!!
Mr. Fisherman
New member
Hey! I think that is 4X8...
Otter-BelleHavenMarina
Moderator
I think we need to submit that pic to Jeff for the C-Dory web site cover shot!
Captains Cat
New member
Hey Byrdman, it's fairly simple. Go to a pix on the internet, in your pix album or somewhere else that is already available, right click on it and copy the properties box with the copy command. Make sure you copy the whole thing, not the thumbnail version if there is one like in your albums, go to the big picture.
Then in your message text, click on Img box, past the properties, then click on the Img box again to close it (or click on close tags. Check with preview to make sure you did it right and you're home free...
Charlie
Then in your message text, click on Img box, past the properties, then click on the Img box again to close it (or click on close tags. Check with preview to make sure you did it right and you're home free...
Charlie
Otter-BelleHavenMarina
Moderator
I'm glad you posted it Byrdman - I always wanted to know too!
Hey - it works!
Hey - it works!
flapbreaker":3r6qhw46 said:
Alarms should go off when you see stuff like this: "Most internal combustion engines operate at about 35 per cent efficiency. This means that only 35 per cent of the fuel is fully burned. The rest either turns to carbon corroding the engine or goes out the exhaust pipe as greenhouse gases. The H2N-Gen increases burn efficiency to at least 97 per cent, Williams said. This saves fuel and greatly reduces emissions. "
35% to 97% efficiency by addition of a quart of water every 80 hours of engine run time?
and this: "It's a scientific fact that adding hydrogen to a combustion chamber will cause a cleaner burn." Using engine power to generate hydrogen with your battery to burn in your engine where it combines with the oxygen that would otherwise oxidize fuel is not going to improve anything.
Snake oil, I'm afraid.