Towing Mileage

[kdot]

As I've read through the threads on this forum, I've noticed the question of gas mileage while towing comes up every now and then. I've also noticed that there are some numbers that are hard to believe. I'm towing my A122S with a 2013 Ford F-150, with the Ecoboost V6 and getting about 16-17 while towing (as long as the road is flat, the wind calm, my foot not heavy, the speed kept around 65 on cruise control. If not towing, I get about 17-18 overall with the 150, as much as 20 on long flat stretches. If it's possible to do better than this, I'd like to know. While I like the 150, we really don't need a pickup that big. Anyone want to share? No fudging!

Kent
'

[Gleaner]

I would love to get your towing mileage.
There isn't such thing as flat road here......

[Pooneil]

My Tundra is great, but sucks gas down like crazy. So I keep mum on the rather embarrassing numbers lest I get the urge to buy a new truck.

[HONDAMAN174]

7-8 here. Always carry extra in cans.

[limblips]

Originally Posted by kdot

As I've read through the threads on this forum, I've noticed the question of gas mileage while towing comes up every now and then. I've also noticed that there are some numbers that are hard to believe. I'm towing my A122S with a 2013 Ford F-150, with the Ecoboost V6 and getting about 16-17 while towing (as long as the road is flat, the wind calm, my foot not heavy, the speed kept around 65 on cruise control. If not towing, I get about 17-18 overall with the 150, as much as 20 on long flat stretches. If it's possible to do better than this, I'd like to know. While I like the 150, we really don't need a pickup that big. Anyone want to share? No fudging!

Kent
'

I have a '13 EB Crew with the 3:55 gears, tow package, and no 4WD. I tow a 26DS weighing in gross around 6K. I have towed thru the mountains of PA and NY and got 10.5 round trip, running at 63 or so. Around here where it is fairly flat I get 12.6 towing. I drove it this morning 150 miles round trip not towing and got 22.2 on a fairly flat road using cruise. It is all the truck the wife, I and the 2 mutts need. Power galore! Oh, I have noticed that mileage drops in cold weather!

[1A Camper]

I have a 3500 Chevy express van with 160K with 5.7 V8 Eng with 410 rear end and get 12 mpg at 5000 ft high. I wished I got your mileage.
I would like to down size but can not find anything that would tow as good as what I have and get better gas mileage. I will pay the price in gas to have something that will tow great.
Not sure you will find anything better then what you have either but will watch this thread to see if someone has a better option.

[yetavon]

weekend before last a road trip with 600Lbs of guys and that much more in gear and beer in the bed of the truck.... 20.5 MPG
Last weekend the 1st trip towing the new camper 13.3 MPG

[acadianbob]

Just came back from a 4,800 mile towing trip; towing a 5,500 lb RV trailer. Towing speed 60 mph. FX4 Ecoboost, Max Tow, LT tires, 3.73's. 11.8 mpg.

[pgandw]

We tow a vanilla A122 (about 2800lbs loaded) with a Hyundai Entourage minivan (3.5L V6, 5 speed xmsn). We generally see 17-19 mpg towing, 22-23 mpg not towing. But on a recent trip to Lincoln, Nebraska we saw as little as 13.5 mpg towing in 30 mph crosswinds while doing 65 mph.

Reality for a non-turbo engine is that altitude makes a significant difference in both power available and gas mileage. At Colorado Front Range altitudes of 5K - 6K feet, our mileage is about 10% better than down near sea level in Nebraska and Texas. And if we get up in the Rockies at 9K - 10K feet, we'll see another 10% increase in mileage. Since our rig has power to spare and decent gear ratios, we don't notice the max power drop off (but we sure have in boats and gas-powered yard tools), but the mileage improvement is noticeable. Also don't need as high an octane rating because of the reduced power and fuel flow. Standard "mountain" regular gas is 85 octane instead of 87.

Also found that outside air temperature makes a difference, too. All my vehicles suffer about 10% when temps are 20-30 degrees instead of 50-60. Mileage gets a little better at 80 degrees even though the air conditioning is on. I don't know the science behind this observed effect. Snow tires lose anywhere from almost nothing to another 10% - Blizzacks are just about as good as high mileage M&S, but cheap snows suck the gas.

Turbo- and super-charged engines have different reponses to altitude and temperature, depending on boost programming and how much power you are using.

Fred W

[rana]

Your towing MPG is actually really great for the rig you have. If you downsized your rig I can just about guarantee you won't get anything even close to that.. and you would lose a bit of stability that your little 1/2 ton gives you.

Your rig.. your choice.. but I would count my lucky stars and don't try to fix what ain't broke. :-)

[kdot]

Thanks to all of you who responded to my question. It's starting to look like I ought to count my "blessings" with the F150!
Kent

[deartruc]

Originally Posted by limblips

I have a '13 EB Crew with the 3:55 gears, tow package, and no 4WD. I tow a 26DS weighing in gross around 6K. I have towed thru the mountains of PA and NY and got 10.5 round trip, running at 63 or so. Around here where it is fairly flat I get 12.6 towing. I drove it this morning 150 miles round trip not towing and got 22.2 on a fairly flat road using cruise. It is all the truck the wife, I and the 2 mutts need. Power galore! Oh, I have noticed that mileage drops in cold weather!

Nothing flat in New England. This is the pitch of my 300 ft driveway:

[deartruc]

I drive an SUV. Pulling I get 8mph if I behave. 15 without the camper.

BTW SUV stands for Sucks Unleaded Vigorously.

[mike618]

2001 Suburban 2500 with a 6.0 and 125000 averaged 8.7 from Illinois to Florida pulling my 831RKBSS


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[kdot]

Not good, but you guys (Mike618 and DearTruc) are pulling more weight than
i am, a lot more, and you have the front end of your rig fighting the wind over the top of your truck/SUV as you go. When I had my fifth wheel, I was getting anywhere from 8.1-9.5 towing it to Utah and back to Wisconsin. I am wondering what people are getting with the A-frame and what they're getting it with. The A-frame, as you know, eliminates the wind resistance and weighs a heck of a lot less!

[bensinc]

My 2015 Pathfinder normally averages around 23 on the highway, but when towing the A122BH it's around 17-18.

[RichardEB]

I have a A124 with a 4 cylinder Subaru Outback. I get 16-18 towing and 30 while not.

[Ken K.]

I get 14 mpg on my tacoma pulling 6000 lb ~Rockwood mini lite.

[Rockwoodjoe]

I get 10 to 11 pulling a 7000 lb Rockwood 2703 loaded with my F150 5.0 3.55. All driving is in Florida and I keep my tires inflated to 50 lbs. Going to Goshen in August and I am hoping it will pull it through the mountains.

[bikendan]

I think the OP wants responses from fellow A-frame trailer owners, not responses from TT or 5th wheel owners.
That's why he posted it in the A-frame trailer section!