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Towing MPG??

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Old 04-21-2016, 06:27 PM
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Originally Posted by SteveLord
Modern diesel MPG isn't any better really. Go look at some of the Fast Lane Truck videos where they recently did the Silverado 3500 and Ram 3500 towing 5600lbs. I think it was 10-11mpg range for both. Regardless of weight, power, gears, any other crap people can come up with....I wouldn't call 10-11 extraordinary.
Exactly!

My F350 towing a 4 place enclosed sled trailer (7000#'s) would get 12-13mpg @ 65mph.
Same trailer behind my 2014 Eco I averaged 9.5mpg on the last trip @ 65mph.

I will say however, that my f350 did get a solid 19.5mpg's empty once I put smaller, decent sized tires on it (dropped 30lb per tire). That isn't far off the 21-22mpg's I see with my Eco in the same conditions. The F350 obviously towed "easier".



Old 04-21-2016, 09:27 PM
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Default Your mileage will vary

I just traded out my 1996 C1500 with a 5.7L/3.42 truck towing a 6,100 lb travel trailer, I got a solid 8 mpg.

I have had one small trip with this truck in my sig and cannot report what the long term highway mileage is. In less than 2 months I will be traveling 2000 miles for a round trip to Florida and hopefully get a more definitive mileage.

Not only the weight you also have the frontal area that makes a difference. Double your speed you quadruple your drag. Maybe your frontier was a bit higher and more aero dynamic?

If you get 9 mpg at 65 mph you are doing well. I hope to get this mileage with this truck.

Folks on this board are correct, you are going to get 8-10 MPG towing. Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Last edited by Tachdriver; 04-21-2016 at 09:30 PM.
Old 04-21-2016, 09:47 PM
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If you want to get better MPGs while towing buy an Ecodiesel. It will accelerate like a turtle and tow like a slug, but get better MPGs while doing it.
Old 04-28-2016, 02:11 PM
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While I don't expect to get superior fuel mileage with a trailer attached, I just traded a 14 Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 and it would get low teens towing an aluminum open trailer with a 3500 car loaded down (so about 5k pounds total.) The 8 speed transmission in the jeep did a great job allowing that vehicle to pull much more than you would think. I can barely get the fuel economy out of my 5.0 SCrew unloaded that I did with the jeep towing. Now that being said, the truck tows much better in that it is properly sized, has adequate brakes, and doesn't labor as much trying to get the load moving. When I traded the Jeep in with 45k miles the front rotors had some pretty good vibration from the heat trying to stop the trailer.
Old 04-28-2016, 02:25 PM
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Eco or boost. Not both at the same time.

Watch your instant MPG gauge or get a boost gauge. Either will tell you if sipping or sucking gas.

Pretty easy to see where/when you are using the most fuel and adjust your driving habits.

Scott
Old 04-28-2016, 02:37 PM
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Originally Posted by fleming23
While I don't expect to get superior fuel mileage with a trailer attached, I just traded a 14 Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 and it would get low teens towing an aluminum open trailer with a 3500 car loaded down (so about 5k pounds total.) The 8 speed transmission in the jeep did a great job allowing that vehicle to pull much more than you would think. I can barely get the fuel economy out of my 5.0 SCrew unloaded that I did with the jeep towing. Now that being said, the truck tows much better in that it is properly sized, has adequate brakes, and doesn't labor as much trying to get the load moving.
I'd bet that was downhill both directions with a tailwind!!
Old 04-28-2016, 02:45 PM
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Originally Posted by joe mcmillan
I'd bet that was downhill both directions with a tailwind!!
I guess if you count Atlanta to COTA in Austin.... 14 hours from the time we left to the time we pulled into the paddock, stopping for fuel and food. You do the math. I have it logged on GasTracker+.



Last edited by fleming23; 04-28-2016 at 02:52 PM.
Old 04-28-2016, 10:09 PM
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Thanx for your civility in responding. My previous vehicle was an'07 Nissan Frontier SE. Had 4.0 V6 and same TT and terrain, mileage was around 14 mpg.
I was really expecting / hoping for around the same or better...Oh well, thanx again.
Well, your Nissan weighed about 4,500# and had 260hp. Your Ford is about 6,000# and is well over 300 hp.

So if you increase the base weight of the truck by 1/3, you should expect
about a 1/3 decrease in gas mileage.

More weight and more power equals lower mileage.

To expect better mileage than your 2007 is unrealistic.

Did I read correctly that your 4.0 required premium? Just curious.
Old 04-29-2016, 09:23 AM
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Not to mention the truck is about as aerodynamic as a brick.
Old 04-29-2016, 10:38 AM
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I bought this truck to pull my inTech 26 foot trailer with my UTV inside. The total weight just under 8000 lbs. The trailer has full bathroom and kitchen and sleeping area. Living in Salt Lake City just about every trip has some mountain to climb. Pulling the trailer I get between 10-11 mpg. I am very happy with those numbers.
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