Mpg

[Outbackwack]

Just finished a 555 mile trip with 7000' of climbing. RAM Rebel 5.7L Hemi, Equal-i-zer and 2600RB around 14,000 pounds combined... got 10.1mpg overall.

[boyscout]

Depends on so many things, including how patient I am.

2017 Ford 350 6.7 liter diesel towing (then) a 35-foot Reflection weighing about 12K pounds.

Fuel consumption ranged from 11mpg or 22 l/100km to 9mpg or 26 l/100km.

No surprise that roughly speaking the better mileage was at 65 or 70mph without much passing, the worse mileage was driving at 75mph and passing many slower vehicles. Patience pays. Driving was generally in moderate mixed terrain (east/central U.S.) with little mountain-climbing.

When we started our trip south I drove at 60mph for the first couple of days, being passed by pretty much everything on the road, but fuel consumption ended up being only 0.5mpg or 2 l/100km better than at 65-70mph.

When NOT towing, if I drive gently enough to make following drivers crazy I can get better than 20mpg or 12 l/100km. If I drive "normally" it's 18mpg or 13 l/100km. The people at the local fuel station come out with big smiles and shake my hand when I go there.

[bogen2]

I just got back from a 1000 mile trip through the mountains of the British Columbia interior and averaged just under 10 mpg. This was actually slightly better than previous similar trips with my 6000# travel trailer, which surprised me given that I’m towing 10000# now. I assume it’s the aerodynamic front cap that makes the difference over the blunt front of my old Jayco TT.

Speed definitely affects mileage - I got about the same mileage running over mountain roads with big grades at 40-50 mph as I did on straight prairie roads at 60.

Bob

[Cate&Rob]

I just got back from a 1000 mile trip through the mountains of the British Columbia interior and averaged just under 10 mpg. This was actually slightly better than previous similar trips with my 6000# travel trailer, which surprised me given that I’m towing 10000# now. I assume it’s the aerodynamic front cap that makes the difference over the blunt front of my old Jayco TT.

Speed definitely affects mileage - I got about the same mileage running over mountain roads with big grades at 40-50 mph as I did on straight prairie roads at 60.

Bob

Bob - Great report on the Ecoboost with 10,000 lb trailer through the Rockies. Fits exactly with the Ford "advertising" about the turbo engine at higher elevations .

We get the same mileage . . . 10 MPG +/- towing at 60 MPG over more-or-less level grounds except through the Appalachians in Tennessee. Up to about 2000 ft, but nothing like where you have been towing.

After reading through several threads on towing MPG, it seems that the gasoline engines average out about 10 and the diesels average out about 11. Very dependent on wind, grade, speed and size of trailer . . . of course. When you couple in the better mileage for a (smaller) gasoline truck when not towing, vs a heavier diesel truck, quantity of fuel used is about a wash. I don't think there is any logical relationship between the cost of diesel and the cost of gasoline .

Rob

[TucsonJim]

We towed our travel trailer 3,649 miles this summer. It was all in the mountain states of Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. So there were lots of grades and high elevation towing.

3,649 miles
372 Gallons of Diesel
9.8 MPG
Normal towing speed = 63mph.

Trailer weight = 9,675#
Boat weight = 510#

Jim

[klenger]

I'll chime in again on this tread since I now have about 10 months experience with my setup. Most of my trips are short local trips in southern AZ with somewhat flat terrain, so I can really say what kind of MPG I get in the flats. We've made two trips from Tucson to the Grand Canyon which has several serious grades along the way. On the last trip, we traveled 901 miles and used 76.5 gallons of fuel for an average of 11.8 MPG. About 180 miles of that was not towing, so if I make some adjustments I estimate our round trip (718 Miles and 66.3 gallons) MPG to be about 10.8 MPG. On the flats I would expect to see 11-12 MPG, but don't have any plans to go that way at this time.

Tucson Jim has the additional weight and drag of his fishing boat, so I'd say our numbers are similar.

Another perspective, I had a Winnebago gas Class A motorhome Ford V10 before the 297RSTS that I have now. Without a towed vehicle behind the motor home, I was in the 21,000 lb range and got from 7.5 to 9.5 MPG and the performance of the motor was not good. I'm happy to be back into the trailer / Ram diesel combination again where I have more power and a much more comfortable ride.

[DougW9876]

I have towed our 5ver for about 1 tank so far and it got 10.4. Not bad considering there was about 1/4 mile of flat ground on the whole trip. Performance was admirable with the diesel.

Prior rig was a 31' class C Ford V10 gas towing a cargo trailer with the trike in it and got 7.5 at best and the expected downshifting on the hills.

[cfowler55]

I get around16-17 empty running 70-75. Just did a 2900 trip to Co and back down thru N Mex. 9.8 avg. all but about 200 miles was towing.

[Crazybanshee]

You guys have it great. We travel all of Colorado from 4,000 ft to over 10,000 ft passes. Usually run about 70 down the highway. I get a steady 6 MPG. But then I am loaded at 48,000lbs.

[Country Campers]

You guys have it great. We travel all of Colorado from 4,000 ft to over 10,000 ft passes. Usually run about 70 down the highway. I get a steady 6 MPG. But then I am loaded at 48,000lbs.

That may be but you have the coolest rig on the road.

Brian