JCleary

So I rent a little toy hauler last week, a 32' Wolf pack, 8k unladen, probably 10k with my junk (a DRZ400, TT-R 125 and a TT-R 50) and a load of water:




Filled truck by my house and reset my trip meter. Drive 40 miles to get trailer and reset fuel econ screen. Head out from San Jose to Stonyford, cruise at 60mph 80% of the trip. The results:




AND, it took my average over the last 9k miles from 14.4 to 13.6.

SkiSmuggs

Looks like over sized tires and possible level, both of which reduce MPG. Travel trailers have terrible aero characteristics. The air flows over the cab, comes down to the bed, down the tailgate and slams into the big face of the trailer. A fifth wheel sits in the bed, close to the cab so the air flows over the cab and over the trailer. I've been getting 10 mpg towing my 9200-9500 lb fiver with stock 18" wheels at 60-62 mph.

JCleary

A few comments:

- This truck may have the Max Tow package, and it may be rated to tow this and more, but I can tell you without a doubt that it's a struggle for this 1/2 ton to pull a 32' toy hauler.

- It is hard work being the driver. There's adequate power in most situations, but I miss the stability provided to me by my '03 and '07 Dodge Cummins 4x4's.

- The engine and trans got HOT climbing a long grade in 2nd gear at 3k rpm. Like real hot, almost into the red. I would have figured with the size of the radiator and the electric fans it would have remained normal.

- I used Chevron 91 octane the whole trip. No pinging or erratic engine behavior.

- I love the transmission and SelectShift. Great combo there!

- The engine braking provided by a 3.5 liter V-6 is negligible. I had to ride the brakes a lot coming back down the grade mentioned above. Definitely missed the exhaust brake from my diesel.

- Overall, I like my truck. I just think that it's better suited for daily driving and light loads. I happened to get an EB that doesn't get great mileage, but I guess that's the luck of the draw. Average MPG unladen for me is 14-ish. A trip from San Jose to Phoenix with a small U-Haul and my Harley netted 8.9mpg. This toy hauler, 6.8mpg.

JCleary

I would be pretty happy with 10mpg. But I can't even get that with a 6'x12' U-Haul open trailer with a Harley in it.

Tires are 285/65-18 Toyo AT's. Just a hair over stock height, not all that much wider either. And yes, a level kit. I get that it's not going to be an efficient package, but I am surprised that it consumed this much fuel LOL. There's no ECO anything here.

SkiSmuggs

I get flak about pulling my fiver with my 1/2 ton EB, but I have towed it for 11,000 miles and never wished for a bigger truck. Engine braking doesn't do much until it shifts down to 2nd, but it is helpful then. I've never had to ride my brakes, I just hit them to slow about 5 mph, then hit them again when I get that 5 mph back. I only got concerned about heat once and that was a long climb in WY when the water temp got up to about 2/3, but never near the red. The rest of the time, temps were normal even in 105 degrees in the TX panhandle and NM. I do have a Wagner intercooler and use a tow tune (87 or 89 octane), but ALWAYS use premium gas.

rdkev

that's about what I would get i expect.. I towed a 6x12 loaded with a Triumph Daytona and your basic bits of furniture and got 12 mpg. Definitely expected a little better.... on another note, what did that rental cost?

murdr

I pulled a 8x10 aluminum trailer with 2 dirt bikes and 2 quads with my bed fully loaded with camping gear. I Drove from Chicago to Tennessee which was 550 miles each way up and down steep grades. I got 14.2 mpg round trip.

I was running Socal T4 tune swell.

SkiSmuggs

Change your sig?

sullyman

Were you towing with your e-brake on?

J/K.

sqidd

This does you more good than you can imagine. Filling the bed up helps the aero a LOT.

When Itow my 24’ enclosed with my car and equipment in it I put a 4x8 sheet ofplywood in the bed so that it is laying on the top edge of the tail gate andsticking up a little like a spoiler. With 33’s I get 10mpg towing at 75-80mph.