Towing MPG ?

[Dave&HarriettB]

We traded up to a Dutchmen 300TQ last summer and while doing the paperwork realized that our 1500 wouldn't pull it! We found a 2013 2500HD at a good price and bought it, but were shocked by the 8mpg. Now, with retirement coming in about 3 years and a dream of traveling more, we're considering if selling the 2500 and going with a newer 1500 6cyl would be worth it. The weight of the trailer is about 7500 lbs loaded and we don't carry water in the tank. I'd love to hear what towing vehicles others have and what the mpg you get.

[jim53066]

I have a Keystone Lantern 26 foot toy hauler that weighed in at 6,800 pounds loaded with my Honda Valkyrie.

I am pulling it with a 2018 Ford 2.7 V6 twin turbo and I get 8 to 8.5 mpg. So to answer your question I doubt you will get any better unless you go with a big diesel that does not break a sweat while towing.

I was upset initially until I thought how little the overall mileage towing is compared to riding empty. I always get low to mid 20's while empty.


Jim

[franktafl]

I have a Denali 37' towable which usually runs around 10k or so and the truck weighing in at 7860 lbs (total 17640 pounds at last weigh).. I tow it with a 2016 Nissan Titan XD Platinum with the Cummins 5.0. On my most recent trip I got between 10 and 12 MPG and that is what I usually get. problem is that the fuel tank is only 26 gallons, other than that, it's a great truck.

[acdii]

No gas engined truck will get better than 8-10 MPG when towing. If you want better MPG then get a Diesel. I have an 18 F150 with the 3.5 EB and max tow package which is geared specifically for towing and gets 8-10 MPG with the Coleman. I also have a 2012 F350 with the 6.7 Powerstroke, it gets 13 MPG towing the same trailer.



OTOH, the F150 gets 21 MPG when just driving down state highways @ 62 MPH while the Diesel gets ~18 on the same roads.



Downsizing the truck and engine will not give you anything, in fact the 1500 will more than likely be overloaded with a 7500 pound trailer, Ram isn't known for having a lot of payload. You are better off sticking with the 2500 since you already have it.

[pctomlin]

I'm like Frank, towing a 37' Denali 287RE. Scale ticket has me right at 10.1K pounds. Tow vehicle is a 2017 Titan XD diesel. Mileage is just like Frank, 10-12 mpg, I can get 21 mpg @ 65 on the freeway with no trailer. There is trade offs with each. Gas will not get as good of mileage and work harder. Diesel will get better mileage but maintenance and initial cost is more expensive. If you are full time with a good size trailer diesel is the way to go.
If I was going to be doing mountains fairly regularly I would be upgrading to a 3/4 ton diesel truck, they have 900+ ft/# of torque versus my 550 with the 5.0L Cummins.

[azdryheat]

I'm around 8-9 with my rig. Sometimes less if it's windy.

[Dave&HarriettB]

I don't think we're getting much over 8mpg when we're not towing, but it may just be the price we pay for having the trailer we wanted. It's tough when the gas for a trip costs almost 4 times what the campsite does!

[pctomlin]

Originally Posted by Dave&HarriettB

I don't think we're getting much over 8mpg when we're not towing, but it may just be the price we pay for having the trailer we wanted. It's tough when the gas for a trip costs almost 4 times what the campsite does!

Sounds like the 2001 V10 Excursion I used to own, dang that thing would pull a travel trailer though.

[aguablanco]

I have a Freedom Spirit which weighs ~6000# loaded. With my Silverado 1500, 5.3 engine, I got between 9 & 10 mpg while towing. The engine revved 3200+ rpm on any type of grade and climbed slowly at best. I also believe that 6000#, at least for me, is the max towing weight for a half ton truck. I now tow with a Ram EcoDiesel and the difference is night and day. Rarely ever rev above 2200 rpm even going up a 6% grade at 60+ mph. Am in Sedona AZ now having towed the trailer from Mesa AZ and got 15.2 mpg. Trailer was a bit light as we only packed for 5 days and went to a full hook up park. You will probably never get above 10 mpg with a half ton gasser and only slightly better by going to a 3/4 ton diesel. The only way I see to increase mpg is get a lighter trailer.
RichH

[acdii]

When it comes to travel trailers, weight isn't the culprit, but frontal area is. You can tow a 4K trailer, or an 8K trailer, if both have similar frontal area, you will see about the same MPG. I have a 6 x 12 enclosed V front, it weighs about 2500 pounds and 10 MPG is normal towing it. Towing my Coleman CT274BH I see 8-10 MPG, and about 4 going up the IKE @65MPH. The Coleman weighs 6600# and the 3.5 Ecoboost pulls it along like nothing, but it sure does like to drink the fuel doing so.

OTOH I have a 3500 pound flat bed trailer, and towing that on a bad day I see 13 MPG, usually 16 if I take it easy. So it really isn't weight that kills it.

[dkruchko]

My 2017 Ram 5500 is 12,200 lb and 5th wheel comes in right at 20,000 lbs. On avg towing RV I am seeing 8-10 mpg. When towing my 28ft enclosed race hauler that weighs 12,000 lbs my avg runs the same. Not towing I may be able to get 10-12. Running 4.44 gears with the 6.7 Turbo Diesel. IMO stick with the diesel and if plan on putting a lot of miles traveling during retirement consider one of the newer brand diesels. Ford & Chevy both have jumped up with their HD trucks and put 10 speed tranny's in them. Ram is rumored to put a 8 or 9 speed in the HD's in 2021. IMO that will be the only way to get into the mid teens while towing size able weight. As others have said a diesel will cost more to maintain but, they are also designed to "chug" along in their 1500-1700 rpm power bands for 100's thousands of miles.

[acdii]

I don't know if anyone has watched it, TFL truck had 5Star dyno a new 2020 F350 with the new 6.7. It was cranking out a crap ton of torque and HP at the wheels, and in one pull dropped over 1000 TQ at the wheels. That was stock with the new 10 speed which is hardened to handle that kind of power. Compared to my old 99 7.3, WOW. I mean the 7.3 was practically bulletproof but was about 1/3rd the power of the new diesels today. Pulling weights of the older trucks, they loaf along which means they will get pretty good MPG.

[franktafl]

Originally Posted by acdii

I don't know if anyone has watched it, TFL truck had 5Star dyno a new 2020 F350 with the new 6.7. It was cranking out a crap ton of torque and HP at the wheels, and in one pull dropped over 1000 TQ at the wheels. That was stock with the new 10 speed which is hardened to handle that kind of power. Compared to my old 99 7.3, WOW. I mean the 7.3 was practically bulletproof but was about 1/3rd the power of the new diesels today. Pulling weights of the older trucks, they loaf along which means they will get pretty good MPG.

WOW, that's a beast! We are contemplating a new 5th wheel (one of the DRV's). At 44' long, they weigh around 3k pin weight. I was thinking a 450 but maybe the 350 instead would work with some suspension mods.

[acdii]

Originally Posted by franktafl

WOW, that's a beast! We are contemplating a new 5th wheel (one of the DRV's). At 44' long, they weigh around 3k pin weight. I was thinking a 450 but maybe the 350 instead would work with some suspension mods.

Have you seen the specs on the F350? 2WD DRW 32,000 towing capacity! 4WD SRW is 22,000, though the footnotes indicate the limit for 5th wheel is 18,000 due to the hitch, so that must be the supplied 5th wheel hitch. As long as it has the payload for the pin and you an family and stuff, it would have no problem towing it stock.

Compared to my 8 YO F350, those numbers are staggering. Mine tops out at 17,000 max 5th/goose, and 14,000 conventional. It just comes down to available payload, so make sure when shopping, that is the first thing you look at to make sure it has enough.

[franktafl]

Originally Posted by acdii

Have you seen the specs on the F350? 2WD DRW 32,000 towing capacity! 4WD SRW is 22,000, though the footnotes indicate the limit for 5th wheel is 18,000 due to the hitch, so that must be the supplied 5th wheel hitch. As long as it has the payload for the pin and you an family and stuff, it would have no problem towing it stock.

Compared to my 8 YO F350, those numbers are staggering. Mine tops out at 17,000 max 5th/goose, and 14,000 conventional. It just comes down to available payload, so make sure when shopping, that is the first thing you look at to make sure it has enough.

LEARNT my lesson when I bought the Titan, 4WD is a must! Dualie is a must because of the massive pin weight. Probably will cost more than my house!

[acdii]

Originally Posted by franktafl

LEARNT my lesson when I bought the Titan, 4WD is a must! Dualie is a must because of the massive pin weight. Probably will cost more than my house!

Yeah, they are pricey. An XLT optioned with the towing goodies and decent power interior options, and camera systems with trailer TPMS will set one back near $70K. BUT, it may not have all the payload needed for it's 32,500# towing capacity, for that, need to step down to the XL trim. That would only run about $63K.

OTOH the new 7.3 is a beast of a gas engine, with 20K towing and would only be $54K in the XL trim.

Not cheap no matter how you look at it. Same would be for the other two HD brands. For Ram it would be the Tradesman trim with the HO Cummins option. GM is the lowest for towing and payload. If it were me I would do a serious comparison between RAM and Ford and choose the one with the most payload with the options I would be most comfortable with. Ram did a serious step up to compete against Ford, and I could go RAM if I had to buy new provided I got a good deal, it would come down to money between them at that point.

When I got my Platinum F150, I seriously considered switching to RAM, but it was a brand new model, and I have been burned with first run, so stuck with Ford, but now after a couple years and getting bugs worked out, Ram is a serious competitor for the 1/2 ton, and 1 ton trucks. Of course Ford has yet to release anything on the 2021 F150, so still waiting to see what they did to one up Ram, or if they even did.

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,
In "MY OPINION" if your concerned about getting much better then 8mpg when towing any decent trailer your playing the wrong game.


When I first started out I had a Dodge one ton dually diesel 3.73 gears hauling a 4,500 pound camper towing GW tandem axle trailer to haul the toys, I got on a good day maybe 7-8mph. I later sold the camper and moved up to a GW 16,000 pound toy hauler trailer, still got around 7mpg not up to 8 anymore.

Where I live western Washington I can't go anywhere unless I cross mountain ranges I got tired of not having the power to climb the grade, creeping down the other side to save the brakes. 7 years ago I said the heck with this, bought a GW 20,000 pound toy hauler and built a real truck to not only tow this weight but PANIC STOP it in a controlled manner if needed.

I now carry a Smart Car on the truck, drag a 20,000+ pound trailer loaded with toys up and down mountains at just about any speed I feel are safe for conditions and still get 7mpg at speeds of 62-72mph. If your going to tow its going to cost so you might as well get a trailer your comfortable in and a truck with enough power to drag it safely. Oh and for the record I have about half the money in the Peterbilt even with all the work I have done to it that you will pay for a new pickup that will never come close to it in safety over all economy and comfort. That's not a brag it's a simple statement of fact. The cost of a new pickup nowadays is CRAZY.


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Dave

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,
In "MY OPINION" if your concerned about getting much better then 8mpg when towing any decent trailer your playing the wrong game.


When I first started out I had a Dodge one ton dually diesel 3.73 gears hauling a 4,500 pound camper towing GW tandem axle trailer to haul the toys, I got on a good day maybe 7-8mph. I later sold the camper and moved up to a GW 16,000 pound toy hauler trailer, still got around 7mpg not up to 8 anymore.

Where I live western Washington I can't go anywhere unless I cross mountain ranges I got tired of not having the power to climb the grade, creeping down the other side to save the brakes. 7 years ago I said the heck with this, bought a GW 20,000 pound toy hauler and built a real truck to not only tow this weight but PANIC STOP it in a controlled manner if needed.

I now carry a Smart Car on the truck, drag a 20,000+ pound trailer loaded with toys up and down mountains at just about any speed I feel are safe for conditions and still get 7mpg at speeds of 62-72mph. If your going to tow its going to cost so you might as well get a trailer your comfortable in and a truck with enough power to drag it safely. Oh and for the record I have about half the money in the Peterbilt even with all the work I have done to it that you will pay for a new pickup that will never come close to it in safety over all economy and comfort. That's not a brag it's a simple statement of fact. The cost of a new pickup nowadays is CRAZY. Sorry for the links, I have tried for a half hour and can't get photos to display on this website.


https://photos.smugmug.com/My-2001-P...IMG_2921-L.jpg


https://photos.smugmug.com/My-2001-P...put_3069-L.jpg




Dave

[Kaspern83]

I own a 2016 GMC 1500 Sierra slt with Max tow and we just picked up a 2017 292dbhs aerolite this past Wednesday. It weight about 6700 pounds and I was getting around 11mpg at 60mph. 65 I was getting around 8-9 so I slowed down. Would prefer to have the extra mpg.

[leisuresolar@gmail.com]

My 2016 Ram 3500 with the 6.7 Cummins and 3:42 gears tows my toy hauler with no problem, up and down mountains. Gotta love a Jake Brake. My hauler is rated 16,500 max, and I have loaded it to 16,000. I get 10+ MPG when I stay under 65MPH, which I always do, now ;-). Except Nebraska, which always kills my mileage for some reason. I have gotten up to 12MPG, but that is rare.

My hauler came with E rated tires, which I promptly changed to G rated commercial trailer tires (Sailun). My mileage and tire wear got better.

I'll never tow again without a diesel. I love the gas V10 from Ford and Dodge, but it does wear out when towing heavy for 50-75K miles.