First long distance tow with my new truck
11-13-2013, 12:47 PM
#1
First long distance tow with my new truck
I got our King Ranch with tow package back in July. I've been looking around for a light weight trailer to haul my Vette to track events, and found one about two weeks ago.
I live in Daytona, and the trailer was in western Connecticut, so it was about 1,200 miles each way.
One of my sisters lives in NJ, so I spent about a week visiting after pulling the trailer down to her place, and ended up driving 600 miles locally!!
Ended up putting 3,000 miles on the truck - 1,200 pulling the trailer.
15.5 to 16 mpg diving up, and 8.5 to 9.5 pulling the trailer home (lower mpg at 75ish mph, and higher at 70 or 65 mph). Basically flat all the way on I-95.
The trailer was empty, and only weighs about 2,300 lbs empty.
Here's the trailer at home in FL - now I just need to clean up it and the truck!!
Loaded with my Vette the trailer weight should be around 6,000 lbs. Towing loaded at a max of 70 mph I'm hoping to get 8 to 8.5 mpg, but next distant track event isn't until next spring. I'll be running at Daytona Dec 6-8, but that's only 10 miles away!!
Bob
I live in Daytona, and the trailer was in western Connecticut, so it was about 1,200 miles each way.
One of my sisters lives in NJ, so I spent about a week visiting after pulling the trailer down to her place, and ended up driving 600 miles locally!!
Ended up putting 3,000 miles on the truck - 1,200 pulling the trailer.
15.5 to 16 mpg diving up, and 8.5 to 9.5 pulling the trailer home (lower mpg at 75ish mph, and higher at 70 or 65 mph). Basically flat all the way on I-95.
The trailer was empty, and only weighs about 2,300 lbs empty.
Here's the trailer at home in FL - now I just need to clean up it and the truck!!
Loaded with my Vette the trailer weight should be around 6,000 lbs. Towing loaded at a max of 70 mph I'm hoping to get 8 to 8.5 mpg, but next distant track event isn't until next spring. I'll be running at Daytona Dec 6-8, but that's only 10 miles away!!
Bob
11-13-2013, 02:42 PM
#3
Yeah....I hope loaded the mpg won't be too different if it's mostly due to aero drag.
It will be more than twice as heavy with my car in it, but I hope the rolling resistance won't be much different so the mpg will be similar to hauling it empty - at least on level ground here in the east. I know heavier weight going up hills will really drag the mpg down!
Bob
It will be more than twice as heavy with my car in it, but I hope the rolling resistance won't be much different so the mpg will be similar to hauling it empty - at least on level ground here in the east. I know heavier weight going up hills will really drag the mpg down!
Bob
11-13-2013, 03:05 PM
#4
On one 700 mile run (I-81 and I-77) I got about 10 mpg with my 4.2 towing about 5,000 plus 1,000 in the bed. My tractor was not pushing as much wind as your enclosed trailer though.
Be sure you have enough tongue weight when you load the car. If not you'll get lots of sway going down hills (trailer pushing) that is really annoying and could be dangerous. Play with the electric brake settings so you know where the delay and bias need to be for smooth braking.
My last load was relatively light but too little tongue weight and it was a pain.
Be sure you have enough tongue weight when you load the car. If not you'll get lots of sway going down hills (trailer pushing) that is really annoying and could be dangerous. Play with the electric brake settings so you know where the delay and bias need to be for smooth braking.
My last load was relatively light but too little tongue weight and it was a pain.
11-14-2013, 03:21 PM
#5
Senior Member
Paid a fortune in tolls pulling that down 95 thru NY, NJ, PA, Delaware and Maryland...... If you ever make the run again, take a look at 95 to just north of Savanah GA, then 26 to Columbia SC and 77 to Blacksburg, VA, then take 81 to Harrisburg and finally 78 to NJ. Savanah to Newark I-95 = 790m / 11:36 time Savanah to Newark via 81= 883m / 12:56 time. And having been on 95 for DC to NJ and 81 from Roanoke to NJ. The drive on 81 is much easier. As for the additional 100 miles, the no tolls will cover most if not all. And the 1:20 in time will be made up easily around DC, Baltimore, the NJ turnpike, I-95 to DC starting around Fredricksburg. I will give that I am not fimilar with Columbia, SC but if its anything like Charlotte NC, you breeze right thru nearly any time of day.