slightly off topic - trailering mpg

[BA]

Hey guys,
I was wondering-
2 or 3 place towing - do you get generally better mpg with an open or a enclosed? (7 ft inline better yet)

Any body tow the exact sleds with the same vehicle on both types of trailers?

Not looking to start any mpg fights, just curious if anyone has any good data for comparison. (I need an good excuse for a enclosed trailer...)

Thanks.

 

[Riceburner]

102 inch enclosed vs open in my case was 2 mpg worse. and my open was a heavy four place, enclosed a light 2 place.

I tow at about 75 mph [120 kph]. I would guess at lower speeds the enclosed is probably not quite so bad.

They say the E& J inline is the best for mileage.

 

[700SCOTT]

went from a 102 open aluminum to a 102 enclosed aluminum. granted i'm towing with a grand cherokee with a 4.7 and lost quite a few miles per gal. probably about 5 mpg, but the sleds stay nice and clean

 

[danq]

I get better mileage towing a 24' enclosed car trailer than my aluminum 102" enclosed 2 place. I have a typical bearcat/triton alum cover. I get 12-14mpg w/ diesel F250. depends on drafting traffic or not.

Does anyone know a more aerodynamic cover?

 

[Oak Hill]

I tow with a 06 GMC 1/2 Ton 4x4 327ci. gasser! Enclosed 2 place Triton, 12' and I get 16MPG Towing.


Excuse - higher resale value for sleds when selling and less time spent cleaning sleds. Which allows you more time with the wife and kids.

 

[BA]

Thanks for the feedback - 16 mpg on the 06 chevy 5.3L is pretty good... I presume that this figure is around 55 mph.

I was getting about 4-5 mpg less towing 2 on a open trailer with slush guard with another sled in the bed. For my old 1997 chevy that comes out pretty low.

Thanks guys. Any more figures on 7 or 7.5 ft wide trailers would be appreciated.

 

[twomorestrokes]

16 mpg out of a 5.3 is good with or without a trailer.

I haven't towed my new trailer far enough yet to get milage figures, but I can tell you that this 7' wide inline tows tons better than my old 2 place clamshell due to much less wind resistance. That clamshell felt like a brick back there, can hardly feel this one's there.

6.0 Chevy with 4.10's, 14 mpg not towing, can't be much worse with trailer.

 

[Oak Hill]

Towing at 65mph! No towing 20mpg. These new gassers rock for fuel economy.

I do have 2 mods:

1. Tru-Flow Air Filter and Intake Tube

2. Cat back Straight thru exhaust

 

[srvfan]

Hey one of my favorite sled topics, that yours trully has done lots of research on.

back 17 years ago we bought a Mitsubishi Montero which at that time looked like an old Range Rover imitation. It had a 140 HP v6 which at the time was serious grunt in a small SUV. These SUV's where very narrow and our 102" trailer with shield stuck out over a foot on each side when looking back in the mirrors.

I soon discovered that at highway speeds 60+ it was just as hard to pull it empty as loaded with 2 sleds. The MPG was virtually identical either way. The sleds where pretty light at the time probably 1000lbs total.

i designed and fabbed a 60" wide by 18ft open aluminium trailer a complete inline design , not the offset style which hadn't been invented yet. the difference was amazing. The little montero picked up a couple MPG and stayed in a higher gear on highway hills it would need to shift down on previously. Not long after biulding it we drove through the notch in N.H. into a 35MPH + head wind, with us was a full size Chevy pulling a 102 open back then the Chevy was only 200 or so HP.

we got on that hill into the wind and they instantly began dropping back despite it's extra HP The taller wider, heavier Chevy with wide trailer could not keep up with the V6 and narrow trailer.

We now have a full size truck and mid size SUV. The narrow trailer pulls easier behind the big truck than a 102 but the difference is much more noticeable on the Mid size SUV.


personally i never want to go back to a 102" and if we get rid of the big truck and only towed with the SUV i'd never even consider a 102" Clamshell it's like dragging a parachute.

 

[n2oiroc]

last year i towed a 2 place open with a salt shield and got 10-11 tops with my tundra. i never tow in overdrive (kills mileage, but not the trans!) and usually go about 75mph. (got pulled over for 17 over last year! cop gave me a ticket for 5 over.) this year ill be lucky to get 10 with my new 16x7 inline. i guess ill try slowing down a little for better mileage.

 

[Turtle]

I have a 2000 Chevy Silverado with the 5.3L, and the 3.73 gears - no engine mods. I pull a 23'x7' enlosed trailer (3place). Usually drive about 70-75mph. I consistently get 12mpg. Ands that is using the toll/haul mode, and staying out of the overdrive gear (using 3rd gear only).