MPG

[Phill Roehrs]

Wouldn't a table of trailer type, tug type and fuel economy be a great resource? "What's the best in class for my rig?"

With apologies for blindly proposing work for other people, is it possible to survey our membership, asking that they provide their rig specs and performance, and build a table like a city-to-city mileage chart?

I'd fill-in the blanks and return an e-mail survey from this site for that purpose.

I'm clueless about the operation and maintenance aspects of this (or any) website, and most things digital, but I'd be willing to help design/develop the survey if someone who can 'create the code' wants a partner on the project.

[Harry Young]

Good idea...I will watch and see if this thread catches on and what info is wanted... My trailer is a light 1100 lbs loaded and the tug is a Nissan truck 4 banger, my habits are very modest towing and I average 27 mpg.

Wouldn't a table of trailer type, tug type and fuel economy be a great resource? "What's the best in class for my rig?"

With apologies for blindly proposing work for other people, is it possible to survey our membership, asking that they provide their rig specs and performance, and build a table like a city-to-city mileage chart?

I'd fill-in the blanks and return an e-mail survey from this site for that purpose.

I'm clueless about the operation and maintenance aspects of this (or any) website, and most things digital, but I'd be willing to help design/develop the survey if someone who can 'create the code' wants a partner on the project.

[Donna D.]

I think it's a good idea, but totally subjective. Mountains or no mountains, headwinds or no headwinds, lead foot or steady driver. Does this make sense? I'm certainly not putting a damper on enthusiasm, but would take any MPG offered up with a grain of salt.

[Bigfoot Mike]

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I'll start.

Tow: '06 Dodge 3500 Diesel
Mileage empty: 20-22 mpg (flat & level, no wind, I-5 Freeway, 65 mph)
Mileage towing: 16-18 mpg (10.5 mpg min - High Sierras mountains, 98.9 mpg max - down hill wolf Creek Pass, CO.)
Trailer: 25B25RQ - 25' Bigfoot Rear Queen
Trailer weight: 6,828 lbs.

[Wayne D]

Tow Vehicle: 1999 Chevy Suburban 3/4 Ton 5.7L
Mileage empty: 13 mpg city/hwy combined
Mileage towing: 11 mpg city/hwy combined
Trailer: 2000 Northern Lite 16ft
Trailer weight: 1950 lbs.

[Harry Young]

I will admit Donna has a point and being a good one I will average the last 5000 miles camping Starting at Prescott Az. my destination was San Francisco across the Mohave then over Donners Pass sight seeing thru Nevada and Utah for 2 weeks reaching the Grand Canyon and crossing at Page arriving in Flagstaff, with a side trip thru Bryce Canyon and finally back to Prescott Az. be warned I really like to explore out of the way places and find hot springs.

Trip time was 3 weeks.

Tug is a 1995 Nissan Xe D21 Truck with 180.000 mi.
2.4 L 4 cylinder engine
Manual 5 speed Transmission
Modified rear suspension
Modified Clutch
10 1971 fiberglass Astro its Dry weight is 860 lbs compare to a Campster.
Gross weight of everything at the scales ready to go was 6132 lbs with Catahoula dog.
Worst mileage was 14.2 mpg
Best mileage was 31 mpg
Average whole trip was 23.1
Average speed was 52 miles an hour, this generated a lot of good will in Calif.


Harry

[AndyW]

Tow Vehicle: 2001 Nissan Pathfinder (auto trans)
Mileage empty: 17 mpg city/hwy combined
Mileage towing: 13-15 mpg city/hwy combined
Trailer: 1982 Burro - 12 ft.
Trailer weight: 1500 ?? lbs.

In all fairness on the mpg numbers, we live in Colorado Springs, so all of our towing involves driving over one or more mountain passes. The Nissan does a good job, although I need to put some air bags inside the springs to level things out. The Burro has a 25-degree up axle, too, so it sits fairly high. That probably costs us at least 1 mpg.

[Glenn Baglo]

For what it's worth, I copied this from a previous post of mine.

I left Hope, BC for North Vancouver, mostly flat freeway driving. I kept up with the traffic, running 110 kph and hit 120 at one point. I was still being passed most of the time. And, I had the AC on.
On that trip with Toad in tow and the canoe on the RAV, I used 18.26 litres per 100 kilometers of 12.95 mpg (U.S.)

Travelling back to Hope, with no canoe, but Toad in tow and trying to hold to 90 kph and no AC, I used 12.31 litres per 100 k or 19.22 mpg (U.S). On the return leg I used 12.34 litres / 100k or 19.17 mpg (U.S.). The return leg included gravel roads at 50 to 60 k.

Vehicle is RAV4 V6 Sport
Trailer is Escape 17 B ( about 1,900 dry ).

As you can see, there are many variables, too many to accurately assemble enough information to come to a a conclusion, other than speed kills ( mileage ).

baglo

[Pete Dumbleton]

The Burro has a 25-degree up axle, too, so it sits fairly high. That probably costs us at least 1 mpg.

Not necessarily so -- Raising the trailer body sometimes helps the 'air dam' effect in front of the trailer on the bottom -- I found with a previous trailer that when I raised it, it lined up nicely with the bottom of my truck and towing at speed improved -- Apparently what I gained below was more than what I lost above, esp considering that the 'above' was more aerodynamic than the 'below'.

[Frederick L. Simson]

There are a lot of variables, as shown in the data from a previous trip.
Unfortunately, I did not record specific speeds or terrain between fuel stops.

Fuel “Economy” while towing from San Diego, CA to Oneida Lake, NY
2003 Honda Odyssey LX towing a 1978 Fiber Stream 16'
(Added trip odometer reading to fuel receipt to compute mpg)

Interstate 15 North, Fontana, CA. 12:05, 07/01/05
231.5 miles / 12.876 gal / $2.459 / 17.98 mpg

Interstate 40 east, Needles, CA. 07/01/05
212.8 miles / 14.716 gal / $3.099 / 14.46 mpg

Interstate 40 east, Flagstaff, AZ. 08:42, 07/02/05
216.5 miles / 15.403 gal / $2.379 / 14.05 mpg

Bluewater Outpost, NM, I-40, 07-02-05, 13:22
238.7 miles / 16.121 gal / $2.399 / 14.81 mpg

Tumcumcari, NM, 07-02-05, 18:08
255.2 miles / 15.643 / $2.299 / 16.31 mpg

Shamrock, TX, 07-03-05, 12:58
223.0 miles / 16.457 gal / $2.229 / 13.55 mpg

Oklahoma City, OK, 07-03-05, 3:06
180.3 miles / 15.184 gal / $1.979 / 11.87 mpg

Dewey, OK, 07-04-05, 9:40
161.4 miles / 12.445 gal / $2.049 / 12.97 mpg

Marshfield, MO, 07-04-05, 13:10
199.5 miles / 13.840 gal / $2.099 / 14.41 mpg

Valley Park, MO, 07-04-05,
176.1 miles / 13.827 gal / $2.079 / 12.74 mpg

Brazil, IN, 07-05-05, 10:48
215.2 miles / 14.257 gal / $2.099 / 15.09 mpg

Springfield, OH, 07-05-05, 17:37
198.2 miles / 13.706 gal / $2.199 / 14.46 mpg

Mentor, OH, 07-05-05, 22:41
208.1 miles / 12.303 gal / $2.249 / 16.91 mpg

Angola, NY, 07-06-05 3:35 AM
150.2 miles / 11.708 gal / $2.309 / 12.83 mpg

Constantia, NY, 07-07-05, 10:13
209.4 miles / 14.974 gal / $2.359 / 13.98 mpg

[Bill A]

Tow Vehicle:2004 Honda Element
Mileage empty: 22-23 mpg
Trailer: Scamp 13
Last trip :San Diego to Paso Robles
Mileage towing 17-18 mpg
Speed 60-65

[JenPB]

Tow Vehicle:2000 Toyota Sienna
Mileage empty: 19-22 mpg
Trailer: '71 Compact Jr.
Last trip: 9,611-mile loop - California to Washington,along Lewis & Clark Trail to St. Louis via Canada, return through the deserts
Mileage towing 12-16 mpg
Speed 50-70

[Greg A]

Tow Vehicle:2005 Jeep Liberty
Mileage empty: 18-19 mpg
Trailer: 81 13' Scamp
Long Trip: 3,600-miles - AZ, Ut, WY, MT, ID, UT, AZ Loop
Mileage towing 15.9-16.4 mpg
Speed: 60

[Patrick M.]

I prepared a chart on the Casita Club forum based on submitted mileage reports. I consider it to have some general usefulness, but the odds of bad data is moderate so I wouldn't bank on any of the numbers (except mine, of course!) The last update, shown below, and the source thread is here: http://www.casitaclub.com/forums/index.php...ost&p=95119

[Mary F]

Attachment 16883


I'll start.

Tow: '06 Dodge 3500 Diesel
Mileage empty: 20-22 mpg (flat & level, no wind, I-5 Freeway, 65 mph)
Mileage towing: 16-18 mpg (10.5 mpg min - High Sierras mountains, 98.9 mpg max - down hill wolf Creek Pass, CO.)
Trailer: 25B25RQ - 25' Bigfoot Rear Queen
Trailer weight: 6,828 lbs.

Is that with or without the canoe on top?

[Bigfoot Mike]

Is that with or without the canoe on top?

The Canoe helps. It weighs 70 lbs. and breaks the wind. Also it stops the hum of the Yakama rack.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Ewww, going down the road with a canoe breaking wind all the time....

[Lee Senn]

Patrick Thanks for sharing the MPG chart. It is one of the most helpful post I have run into. Lee Senn

[Lee Senn]

Bill I travel mostly in the mountains. I am familiar with the route you took and the grade you would have encountered between San Luis and Paso Robles. I am curious as to how well the element did on that grade ? Thanks Lee Senn

[JenPB]

The Canoe helps. It weighs 70 lbs. and breaks the wind. Also it stops the hum of the Yakama rack.

Mike - when you're NOT carrying the canoe, if you want to quiet down the rack, spiral a snubber (aka bungee cord) the front edge of the rack. Mine came out to about 6" of rack showing between the snubber spirals. Someone suggested this for me, and I thought, PSHAW! But it really works!