Share your towing MPG

[cmillsbl]

I'm just curious if you're hand-calculating your mpg or using the values from the computer? I've noted in my 1300 miles with my truck that it consistently reads high anywhere from 8% to 10% (the higher the indicated mpg, the higher the error percentage it seems). Hopefully the error drops to zero somewhere around 10 mpg as mine reported 9.9 mpg after towing my new nearly-empty 9300 lb 28BH across relatively flat land in TX at 55-60 mph (7 mph crosswind). Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to top-up until I'd diluted things with solo driving.

I'm glad to hear you are happy with the truck! I expect altitude plays a role. I'd be very happy with 11 MPG. I'm a bit nervous starting out somewhere in the single digits.

I finished the trip (over 5K round trip) with average mpg of 11.0 per the trucks trip computer. I've saved all the gas receipts and noted how many miles for each fill up. Tallied them up tonite and covered 5,277 miles and burned 483.61 gallons of diesel for a calculated average of 10.91 mpg.

Satisfaction with the truck was somewhat diminished when we got stranded for 6 days in Utah due to truck malfunction, but that story is a whole separate thread.

[backtrack2015]

I finished the trip (over 5K round trip) with average mpg of 11.0 per the trucks trip computer. I've saved all the gas receipts and noted how many miles for each fill up. Tallied them up tonite and covered 5,277 miles and burned 483.61 gallons of diesel for a calculated average of 10.91 mpg.

Satisfaction with the truck was somewhat diminished when we got stranded for 6 days in Utah due to truck malfunction, but that story is a whole separate thread.

I'm really sorry to hear about a 6-day malfunction. I like the understatement there with "somewhat diminished." My enthusiasm for my truck is somewhat diminished without even knowing your story.

Thanks for adding it all up and calculating the mileage. It looks like your trip computer was right-on. I expect mine might do okay with the long-term average like that. Maybe I'll use trip #2 to keep the long-term average going and see how it does.

I'm happy to hear that you got 11 mpg pulling. I'd be very happy with that number.

[Steve&Camy]

These results are based on 11 years of towing around Midwest with a 2006 Jayco 23B:

2005 Tundra (5100 lb empty, 500 lb loaded) and 23B Jayco (4000 lb empty, 5000 lb loaded):
At 65 mph, flat highway, no wind...9 mpg
At 60 mph, " " , " " ...11 mpg
At 60 mph, " " , ~20 mph head-wind...6 mpg

Most of the engine load (thus fuel consumption) when pulling a trailer is wind load, the rest is powertrain losses and tire rolling resistance.
So, if you speed up 10% (say from 60 to 66 mph) then the wind load goes up 21% since wing drag is proportional to speed SQUARED.

2005 Tundra pulling 2017 Imagine 2500RL results:
At 65 mph, flat, no wind....~ 8.5 mpg.

2017 Tundra pulling 2017 Imagine...no test yet.

[bailer6334]

Just finished a trip to the GD Rally in Red Bluff, Ca. then went up to Rogue River, OR to see the wife's sister and back to Prescott, AZ. All in all a 2,250 mile trip. Speed was 63-64MPH, averaged 13 MPG. Even going over the mountains, truck's RPM's never went over 1800RPM Very happy with the combo.

Also have over 9,000 miles on the Westlake tires no problems, however did appear one tire was developing a slight bulge on the inside, when I had them changed out to the new Goodyear Endurance brand yesterday.

[Dadeo6472]

Revising this old thread...

Milage has varied between 8 and 11 MPG towing our Imagine 18RBE with our 2019 Nissan Frontier.

Lowest mileage was "achieved" the first time towing. We were driving up and down 2,500 foot hills towards Allegheny State Park into strong headwind. I used cruise control on flats and downhills and engaged tow button (which locks out overdrive and reduces shifting) on uphill sections. I was also carrying a full fresh water tank and was trying to stay at 65 mph. Totally shocked me how bad the mileage was.

Best mileage of 11 MPG was with tanks empy, on flat interstate, with cruise control set, and overdrive lock out engaged full time.

But usually our rig gets 10-10.5 MPG on hilly terrain with tanks empty, cruise control set at 60 and transmission set for towing. Using overdrive lockout and cruise reduces shifting and is best at maintaining speed on long uphill grades. Using cruise means I don't have to pay as much attention to the speedo and the drive is less tedious.