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12:21 pm
August 25, 2011


osage

Member

posts 24

have 02 1500n chevy 2 wheel drive. when pulling a 5th wheel 5500 lbs I got 12 mpg,   pulling a HILO 3500 lbs got 12mpg,   pulling our 14rb we still only get 12mpg.  weight doesn't seem to make much diff. All trips were from east KS to Colo and back. Any thoughs?

8:18 am
August 27, 2011


Mike Magee

near Tulsa OK

Member

posts 204

I'm surprised, I had read that towing a HiLo or Trailmanor would not pull down the fuel economy that much.

Do you have a friend or relative that you could borrow a different tow vehicle from, so you could tow your trailer for a while with something different?  It would be interesting to see if it has to do with your truck.  I would have predicted that the 14RB would let you get 1 or 2 mpg better, and with the HiLo would have been 4-5 mpg better.

2008 Toyota Highlander – 2011 Escape E14RB

1:12 pm
August 27, 2011


osage

Member

posts 24

Have talked to several HILO owners and they all say HILO pull hard.

7:40 am
August 29, 2011


Shomeyrwit

South East Texas

Member

posts 55

I have a 4×8 utility trailer , no ramps, probably weighs 400lbs empty, when I hooked it up to my Crown Vic the  mpg went from 26 avg mpg hwy to 17 avg mpg hwy, did not matter if it was empty or completely loaded with 2000lbs of gear, the same car averaged 17mpg hauling a double axle enclosed 6×12 Uhaul with 4000lbs of household goods from L.A. to Houston.

   Aero dynamically the uhaul is actually cleaner, but you would think the larger box and weight would be much more drag and cause a bigger drop in mpg,,


   My current tow vehicle is a bit more serious, F150 HD (8200 gvw) 5.4, 4.10 gear , and it goes from 16 avg mpg hwy to 10 avg mpg hwy hauling a flat bed car hauler with car, wether the car weighs 2500 lbs or 5000lbs , have not hauled it empty yet though I expect it will be 12, am expecting 12 mpg hauling the 19 bh, but wont know till it happens,,, get the trailer late this week or early next  :)

      

    also amazes me that an 18 wheeler hauling a 20,000 lbs (empty) trailer can get 10mpg or better, to put that in perspective, a large 5th wheel camper weighs about that much but will reduce a pickup trucks mpg into single digits,,,, 18 wheeler in question is a Freightliner columbia with a "broken in" detroit (200,000+ miles) would average 15mpg bobtailing (no Trailer) ,,, really makes me wonder why my f150 only manages 16??? of course fully loaded at 80,000lbs big trucks avg about 6mpg


  so the point is , the drag is mostly about the aerodynamics and extra tires on the ground and less about weight (on flat roads) , and a vehicle designed to tow will lose less mpg % wise than one that is not , but will get less mpg the rest of the time


     wow, I'm a rambling man

4:49 am
August 30, 2011


Shomeyrwit

South East Texas

Member

posts 55

truck gets about 13 hauling empty car hauler,, wonder how the 19bh will tow


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