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Old 05-12-2016, 05:11 PM   #1
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Name: Bryce
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Towing tank range

Hello,

While listening to this very thought out Motorhome vs. TT video, he brought up the poor tank range of a TT tow vehicle:



Obviously this all depends on your tow vehicle's efficiency, tank size, TT frontal area, and TT weight, but I was wondering what folks here experience in their eggs?

I'm especially interested in the Escape 21ft, Escape 5th wheel, and Oliver Elite II (yes my girlfriend wants a big one if she's going to do it ).

Thanks!
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Old 05-12-2016, 05:20 PM   #2
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I get asked quite a bit about fuel mileage when towing Ten Forward. (I'm driving a 2014 Ford F-150 w/Ecoboost.) I always say... 3 mpg going uphill and 33 mpg going downhill Last year, I averaged 16-17 mpg towing from Portland, OR to Quincy, CA for the NorCAL rally... and that was going over the Siskiyou pass both ways! BTW: I average about 21-23 mpg non-towing and couldn't be happier truly. My old 2000 Ford F-150 towing the Scamp got really crappy mileage and it didn't improve much non-towing.
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Old 05-12-2016, 05:43 PM   #3
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Hi Donna,

For the 2014 F150, I see a 26 (4 x 2) or 36 (4 x 4) gallon tank size. So figure you can go 384 - 408 (26gal tank) or 544 - 578 (36gal tank) miles getting 16 - 17 mpg until you need to start looking for a fillup with 2 gal left? Thx.

http://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/...Guide_F150.pdf

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Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
I get asked quite a bit about fuel mileage when towing Ten Forward. (I'm driving a 2014 Ford F-150 w/Ecoboost.) I always say... 3 mpg going uphill and 33 mpg going downhill Last year, I averaged 16-17 mpg towing from Portland, OR to Quincy, CA for the NorCAL rally... and that was going over the Siskiyou pass both ways! BTW: I average about 21-23 mpg non-towing and couldn't be happier truly. My old 2000 Ford F-150 towing the Scamp got really crappy mileage and it didn't improve much non-towing.
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Old 05-12-2016, 05:48 PM   #4
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Yep, my truck is a 4x4... big ole fuel tank. Not bad to fill when low on fuel and it costs around $2 a gallon. But oh my stars when that fuel hits close to $4 a gallon.... better get out a 100 dollar bill... plus!


I didn't need or want the 4x4 (it's more expensive to insure!). Would have been perfectly happy with a 4x2... but couldn't find one in white! You know... it's all about the visual
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Old 05-12-2016, 05:53 PM   #5
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Tank size has been my most negative point with the combination of my Escape 17B & a RAV4. While I love the high mileage after dropping the trailer and great towing qualities, the 15 gallon tank, combined with a 15MPG average when towing does cause some pucker factor, particularly with the combination of long distances between fuel stops & headwinds in the west. There were times I was down to 8MPG...
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Old 05-12-2016, 06:19 PM   #6
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I fuel up at about half tank. I need the "get out and stretch" time. I think the tank on my Ram is about 30 gallons.
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Old 05-12-2016, 06:28 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
Yep, my truck is a 4x4... big ole fuel tank. Not bad to fill when low on fuel and it costs around $2 a gallon. But oh my stars when that fuel hits close to $4 a gallon.... better get out a 100 dollar bill... plus!
Donna you have no idea how good you have it down south!!

I was paying more than a $100 to fill up my old Subaru 4 years ago! The truck .... well it is what it is..
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Old 05-12-2016, 07:10 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by mary and bob View Post
I fuel up at about half tank. I need the "get out and stretch" time. I think the tank on my Ram is about 30 gallons.
26 gallon standard Ram fuel tank -- 32 gallon optional larger Ram fuel tank.
Crossing Canada the 26 gallon tank was a problem , now with the 32 gallon tank in my truck , a slightly smaller problem.
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Old 05-12-2016, 07:18 PM   #9
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How many miles were you able to go comfortably? What were the longest stretches you encountered? What the longest stretch you've encountered period? Thanks!

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Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
26 gallon standard Ram fuel tank -- 32 gallon optional larger Ram fuel tank.
Crossing Canada the 26 gallon tank was a problem , now with the 32 gallon tank in my truck , a slightly smaller problem.
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Old 05-12-2016, 07:47 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Bster13 View Post
How many miles were you able to go comfortably? What were the longest stretches you encountered? What the longest stretch you've encountered period? Thanks!
Since the mileage varies with speed , terrain and wind direction , it's hard to calculate how many miles you can get out of a tank.
We were crossing Canada and we left with a full tank of fuel (26 Gallons ) . The next gas station we discovered was about 330 miles down the road.. My tank was on EMPTY so I had no choice but to fuel up . Gasoline was over $6 / Gal US . He knew he was the only station in the area and charged accordingly.. We have run into the same situation when fishing in Northern Canada. Gas has been as high as $8 / gallon. Now with the larger 32 gallon tank plus a 5 gallon kicker we can make it up to our fishing spot and back without refuelling or worry. It's hard to price shop for fuel when the closest / only gas station is 150 miles away
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Old 05-12-2016, 08:12 PM   #11
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I guess what I'm looking for (which may not be possible due to variations in vehicles and trailers) is reasonable assurance I can get get 300 miles out of a tank on a modern gasoline F150 (or whatever is recommended to pull a Oliver Elite II or Escape 21 footer)? For whatever reason, under 300 miles on roads that aren't going over mountains seems like it would get to be a pain for my personal preference. Thanks!
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Old 05-12-2016, 08:15 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
It's hard to price shop for fuel when the closest / only gas station is 150 miles away
Just curious. So should a gas station in the middle of nowhere, that has to pay extra for transportation of fuel and who isn't able to do the volume of an urban station, has to pay more for the smaller amount of fuel it buys - should they charge you less than it costs them to provide the service?
Just asking. <_<
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Old 05-12-2016, 08:38 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
Just curious. So should a gas station in the middle of nowhere, that has to pay extra for transportation of fuel and who isn't able to do the volume of an urban station, has to pay more for the smaller amount of fuel it buys - should they charge you less than it costs them to provide the service?
Just asking. <_<
"NO"
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Old 05-12-2016, 08:44 PM   #14
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2013 GMC Sierra 1500 towing an Oliver Elite II weighing 5800 lbs from Pittsburgh to New Hampshire ave 12.3mpg normal highway speeds, although I do have a light foot. Normal mileage for the truck is 18mpg. 26 gallon stock tank.
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Old 05-12-2016, 08:52 PM   #15
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Wonderful data point Randy. Thank you so much.

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2013 GMC Sierra 1500 towing an Oliver Elite II weighing 5800 lbs from Pittsburgh to New Hampshire ave 12.3mpg normal highway speeds, although I do have a light foot. Normal mileage for the truck is 18mpg. 26 gallon stock tank.
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Old 05-12-2016, 09:54 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Bster13 View Post
I guess what I'm looking for (which may not be possible due to variations in vehicles and trailers) is reasonable assurance I can get get 300 miles out of a tank on a modern gasoline F150 (or whatever is recommended to pull a Oliver Elite II or Escape 21 footer)? For whatever reason, under 300 miles on roads that aren't going over mountains seems like it would get to be a pain for my personal preference. Thanks!
I do not see the Oliver Elite II and the Escape 21' as in any way comparable. The Oliver is much bigger and heavier and requires a bigger tow vehicle that is going to use much more gas. We can tow an Escape 21' with a mid-sized SUV. That will not happen with that Oliver. We use a 4Runner.

A common towing capacity for SUVs or even some trucks used to tow Escapes is 5000. That is not sufficient for the Elite II so you are talking about a big difference in gas mileage because you need another TV. People who have Olivers don't mind paying the difference or getting fewer mpgs, obviously. Olivers are still small compared to the big units and the mileage would still be good compared to those.

Your range, of course, also depends upon the tank as has been mentioned. We never do 300 in a day, or rarely. We never need to stop for gas even if we do 250 and no doubt could do 300 and more, however, I don't ever like to go below half a tank.
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Old 05-13-2016, 06:44 AM   #17
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My '08 Highlander (now sold) had a 17 gallon tank. MPG averaged about 14 mpg when towing a FG trailer at 60 mph, but an all-day headwind could drop it to 11 or 12. Thus when planning a trip to Yosemite, I was leery of driving US-6 from Ely to Tonopah because I didn't know if I could for sure make it through that gas-station-less stretch.
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Old 05-13-2016, 07:06 AM   #18
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You know, it's funny... I never even thought about the fuel tank size as a factor in the decision between a motorhome and a trailer. My Pilot has a 21 gallon tank and gets anywhere from 15 to 20 mpg towing our little Scamp, depending on conditions. Its practical range (i.e., before I start getting anxious) is probably about 275 miles, and that has been plenty to get us wherever we have needed to go. I can see with a bigger trailer it might become more of an issue.

One thing did occur to me. I don't know where in the US and Canada a range of under 300 miles would become problematic, but my guess is there aren't too many, and they would tend to be the kinds of places where you might rather have a vehicle & trailer than a huge motorhome.

What about diesel? For the trailers you are considering, the new RAM 1500 Ecodiesel would be a good match. A 26-gallon tank should give it a towing range of well over 300 miles with the mid-sized molded fiberglass trailers you're considering. Pricey, but compared to a motorhome and toad combination, you would likely still come out way ahead, especially when you factor in maintenance of the motorhome drivetrain. Don't know too much about these things, but it seems like some diesel owners add an in-bed auxiliary tank. I also don't know too much about diesel availability in the hinterlands, which is likely where the range issue plays out.

Here is an old thread set up to compile data on various trailer and tow vehicle combinations. Towing fuel mileage (self-reported) is included in the data. Fuel tank size is not, but it's not hard to find that information online. Post #1 links to a spreadsheet of the data.
Tow Vehicle and Trailer Combinations
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Old 05-13-2016, 07:55 AM   #19
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2015 Ram Eco-Diesel. Fla. to Va, with loaded Scamp 16 DX and bed shell loaded to the hilt, 19.75 MPG and 400 miles between fill ups. Local Driving with a bed shell, 26-28 MPG. With a clean truck on the interstate I have gotten 31MPG, but oil changes on this truck are expensive. The truck ride is outstanding.
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Old 05-13-2016, 09:53 AM   #20
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A few months ago a discovered my travel journals from 1983-1985. Back then our family traveled the entire USA and visited most of the national parks.
We did not miss much ! I recorded the daily mileage, the cost of food, the campground fees (some as low as $6 a night !). We also recorded our observations in each area we visited. The only thing we did not record was the cost of gasoline or our MPG...guess it was not important. What was important was the great times we had as a family.

Last September (2015) my wife and I traveled in the south...didn't keep a journal...but...do remember the cost for gas in South Carolina was about $1.69 a gallon...MPG ??? Did not record that either...we were having a great time!

I guess the cost factor is quickly forgotten if you are enjoying the ride.
We will begin our RV travel season later this month...still no plans to record gas prices or MPG...but...we will take a lot of pictures and bring back some great memories...it is all about the memories...not the MPGs.

For what it may be worth...I did read once that the industry standard was to set up vehicles to attain a 300 mile range and size the engine/tank capacity to that goal. No idea if it is true or not. I'm sure that trailer towing is not a factor for any auto manufacturer when setting up fuel tank size.

Happy Camping !
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