Real-time snoozy mpg

[carlkeigley]

I told some I would keep track of my mileage when I went to pick up my Snoozy. Well, here are the results.

The tow vehicle is a 2010 Toyota Tacoma 6-cylinder TRD Sport with tow package and a LEER 180 camper top. Also was a bit loaded with excess baggage.



First fill up on the way to South Carolina..........19.19 mpg
Second fill up on the way to South Carolina......20.35 mpg
Third fill up on the way to South Carolina.........19.19 mpg
Fourth fill up on the way to South Carolina.......19.416 mpg

That was just under a thousand miles from NE Oklahoma to South Carolina.

Arrive at St. Matthews, SC and picked up the Lil Snoozy.



Fifth fill up on the way to Florida.....................15.95 mpg

Weather was heavy rain on the way to South Carolina.
Weather forecast was to be even worse so headed south hoping to miss it.

Sixth fill up on the way to Florida.....................15.03 mpg

Arrived at son's business well after sundown. 480 miles from Snoozy factory to Odessa, Florida area. Actually Holiday, FL.

Went to beach, visited with grand-children, left 3 days later.

Seventh fill up on the way home to Oklahoma......15.83 mpg
Eighth fill up on the way home to Oklahoma.........15.7 mpg
Ninth fill up on the way home to Oklahoma...........12.2 mpg
Tenth fill up on the way home to Oklahoma...........15.26 mpg
Eleventh fill up on the way home to Oklahoma.......13.75 mpg
Twelfth fill up on the way home to Oklahoma.........12.93 mpg
Thirteenth fill up on the way home to Oklahoma.....13.25 mpg

Arrived home. Fourteenth fill up next day.............14.45 mpg

Total trip with some side diversions was 2,883.2 miles.

Speed on Interstates was 70-75 hitting 80 at times.
Drove a bit slower on last leg......60-65 hitting 70+ at times.
Now my mileage seems to suffer when I have to use ethynol. arghhh.

Hoping mpg will be better on shorter excursions.
This tiring long circle gave me a lead foot.
AND.....terrain was pretty mountainous.

Hope this helped a bit with the curiosities.
I'm going to use my 2002 Astro van 6 cylinder AWD and see if it will do any better on a couple short trips.

[Imo.]

Going slower might help with better gas milage. I agree that this corn gasoline does not help.....mandatory 10% ethonol in all gas sold in Missouri, like this for past several years. Does help the corn growers and people who sell gas powered equipment as the stuff does seem to gunk up my weed-wacker, chain saw, and push mower. I regress , sorry.....

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Imo.

Going slower might help with better gas milage. I agree that this corn gasoline does not help.....mandatory 10% ethonol in all gas sold in Missouri, like this for past several years. Does help the corn growers and people who sell gas powered equipment as the stuff does seem to gunk up my weed-wacker, chain saw, and push mower. I regress , sorry.....

I agree............it's really nasty stuff.
Subsidized by the government, so we just have to live with it.
Lobbyists really know how to dip into our pockets.

[Glenn Baglo]

How about calling it a subsidy to the farmers ( by the government ), and Frito-Lay and just about all the rest of the food industry?
Of course, then we'd have to argue over if a corporation can be a farmer.

[Mike Magee]

That's some solid data. Wow, sounds like you were flying. I'm wondering about your ethanol comment; are you saying that you were filling up with pure gas up until a certain point, then started buying the ethanol blend, and that is when the mpg's went down? I see you were running almost all 15+ mpg fillups, until your last few. Do the ethanol fills seem to correlate directly to the low mpg segments?

The other factor I'd think of is the wind. A stiff headwind could do the same, probably.

[carlkeigley]

We have several ALL gas stations around here.
I used to balk at the extra expense. But once we bought new vehicles I shyed away from ethynol. The first fill up was at home with ALL gas. The rest were ethynol. The second fill up (mpg) was the ALL gas burn. Then the ethynol. It does seem to cost me a mile or two as I pump with ethynol. Takes a tank or two to notice. It was storming and windy and mountainous.

My first trip was in a 2012 Scion xB. Obviously no towing. Just making the trip to the factory to check out and order the Snoozy. Lost 2 mpg on that trip. Same lead foot back as going.

But it may have been good to blow it out. I've got my 2 mpg back plus 2 more. The car is rated for 28 mpg, but I'm squeezing 34 mpg out of it.

I'll have to try applying my car driving to my tow driving and see what happens. lol.

[Bob Miller]

I agree with Imogene....

Speed Kills MPG's, try a tank at 55-60 and see what happens.
BTW: The speed limit for towed vehicles (and semi's as well) is 55 in the Golden State. I just call it a MPG bonus as I never intentionally tow faster than 60.

[carlkeigley]

Old truck driver habits are hard to break.................LOL
My wife asked me on the first trip if that was the way all truck drivers drive.
I said if the wheels aren't rolling they aren't making any money. I seldom stop either.

Well, age has forced some habit breaking. I stop more than I used to.
Speed limit for trucks most places is 65. The trucks I drove responded better at 75.

But, you're right Bob. I knew that the biggest reason for the drop was the speed.
I won't be in a hurry on my shorter trips, so I'm sure I can report better numbers.
In my van I can see the mpg going down the road. My pickup I had to fill the tank to the cap to get an accurate measurement by calculator. Most Oklahoma roads are 55 and 60. Some 65 and Interstates 70. Turnpike is 75.

Another benefit of driving slower is all traffic passes YOU and you don't need to keep changing speeds or stepping on the brake to compensate for the other drivers.

[carlkeigley]

An update.................

Went on an excursion not too far from home.
Burned less than a tank there and back.
Filled up at home with real gas.
Filled up after returning home with real gas.

I drove a bit slower (55-65), had less extra baggage along, and took the "old" highway as far as I could (45-55). It was windy. Looks like I got 16.4 mpg on this trip.

So looking back, looks like I can expect a reasonable decent MPG.

[Bob Miller]

Was this trip with the Tacoma or the GMC?

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Was this trip with the Tacoma or the GMC?

this was also the tacoma

[jennykatz]

We tow with a 07 Toyota Sequoia with a 4.7 V-8 It gets 14-17 around town and 17-19 hwy . not much difference either way . towing little snoozy it got 14.6-14.8 mpg in florida mostly flat .
Karl I think I will wait until better fuel economy comes down the pike for a changeover .

[CalHal]

Does the Snoozy manufacturer delivery to California?

[charlsara]

I just logged 3800 miles on my Snoozy, Ford Expedition combo. The EP has the 5.4 V8. I let the computer keep up with the average MPG. It is at 14 mpg right now. This includes the mountains around the Black Hills and Yellowstone where the altitude is over 6000 feet. I drive just under 70 where I can. I will post again at the end of the trip.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by CalHal

Does the Snoozy manufacturer delivery to California?

I assume they are still in business.
But they have changed hands.....

[Melanie B in NC]

They are definitely in business. Richard Mickle is the owner now. Very pleasant and helpful.