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Typical MPG on tow vehicle?

jtmetal said:
I just loaded up with flex fuel (appx 51% ethanol) and made a run to Keweenaw. And got a very depressing 6mpg. Couldn't even make 200miles and needed fuel. Yuck!
Wonder how that Ford Ecoboost does when pulling?
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Last year with my Ecoboost 3.5L I got 13-14mpg pulling a 22foot enclosed floe trailer with 4 sleds. Really like how my truck pulls trailers.
 

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jtmetal said:
You getting snow? Lol!

BTW good idea on how to use ethanol to your advantage!
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We have gas stations with premium (91) no ethanol, and I get a few mpg better with the red winter truck. But it still sucks gas like NY states sucks
money for taxes!
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Green nicely tuned cumins manual does in fact get great mileage, if you keep the speed down. 1800 rpm or below 60mph.. Could use a 2 speed box though.
 
16 chevy Silverado 1500 3.08 gears 5.3 motor with cylinder deactivation. My truck unloaded turns 1550 rpm at 72 I have seen as high as 23 on a steady 200 mile run. typicaly 21-22 in warm weather drops 1-2 in winter. towing a 2 place clam shell around 13-14 with cruise set at 70. Last trip I started fooling with tow haul mode . Without that engaged the truck tend to stay in overdrive but stays in v8 mode and can feel it lug a bit as the cruise opens the throttle up but it will stay at 1500ish rpm. With tow haul engaged it drops out of overdrive more and the rpms come up to maybe 1900 BUT when it does that it will frequently run on just 4 cyl. so I'm not sure whats better letting it rev more and drop out 4 cyl or keeping the revs down and in v8 mode. typically you would think less rpm is better but with this truck being able to drop off cylinders I'm not sure......
 
biggest thing towing for MPG is air drag. My clamshell pulls pretty much as hard empty as it does loaded. Years ago I built an aluminum 18X5 open trailer . that thing pulled super easy. when I get a chance I want to build an enclosed tear drop trailer . Maybe 6.5 wide sled staggered . The Hybrid deck over rear ramp door trailers have gotten very popular in the east and those things suck as in literally suck gas 102" wide and tall with a square back . You could turn that style trailer around backwards and it would probably tow no harder . Rear ramp doors are horrible for MPG lots of drag. I would have the axle outside with low deck like an inline trailer but I would taper it to the rear with a hatchback style opening for head room and a short fold down ramp, maybe 3 feet ish ramp. No V nose just smooth rounded bubble style front.
 
Srvfan, that 16 Silverado sounds like a winner. I've bought the h.d. stuff (6.0 w/4.10grs)last two times. Have never utilized either to their pulling capacity. But rather have and not need than to need and not have.

Yeah, I guess it just puzzles me. Five completely different tow vehicles and two different trailers yield a similar result over the last 25yrs.

Nice to see what others are doing.
 
2000 Ford Excursion 4x4 7.3l diesel, 320XXX miles, running a mild sport/economy tune gets about 23 empty and 15-17 pulling my 16x7 enclosed v-nose.
 
the chevy 6.0/6.2 are real fuel hogs the newer vvt version are a touch better. If you've got to tow something big all the time then ok you need it. for a couple sleds though its way over kill and you pay big time just cruising to work. It's funny guys think they need the 6 or 8 liter but we used to have carbed 350 chevy's or the 351 Windsor fords and they had maybe 180HP tops. Todays v6's have far more horsepower AND torque then we ever had back in the day with older v8s. todays smaller v8 or ecoboost ford would have just been staggering mind blowing power back in the 80's or 90'sor early 2000's
personally I've always wanted a TDI Toaureg as a tow vehicle or ML Diesel. comfort great handling good MPG and all the power you'd ever need. have a client with a Porsche SUV diesel (same as Touareg) and he broke 30 mpg from Boston to Buffal0 running 73.
 
murdered137 said:
2000 Ford Excursion 4x4 7.3l diesel, 320XXX miles, running a mild sport/economy tune gets about 23 empty and 15-17 pulling my 16x7 enclosed v-nose.
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23mpg???? you drive downhill all the time?
 
mikextx said:
23mpg???? you drive downhill all the time?
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Anyone who's ever had a 7.3 knows they are very efficient on the highway, im talking highway only at 70 mph or at 2000rpm or under, im running a sport/economy tune, 4" straight pipe exhaust, luggage rack removed from roof, small mirrors, not the big boxy tow kind, and tall skinny tires 235 85r16 at 75psi, i normally get a touch over 920 miles on approximately 40 gallons, Excursion has a 44 gallon fuel tank.
 
Yeah, I'm on my third 7.3. owned them for 10 years. I had a 99 work truck. My brother has had 2. One good buddy has 1. NONE get over 20mpg. My buddy drives like an old Lady, never got over 18mpg.
 
whos sport/economy tune are you running?
 
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