Cross-country tow report

[helijock]

Just towed a trailer across the country and thought I'd share my experience:

Equipment: 2007 RTS w/factory hitch and harness
2007 6x12 enclosed V-nose single axle trailer

Pre-trip: Tire pressure - 35 psi on all 4 corners, 50 psi on the trailer
Changed oil to Mobil 1 w/Supertech filter
Started using premium gas 1 week prior to departure

As expected, the RL did just fine but had some short-comings. Mileage, as discussed on this forum, sucked. It ranged from a high of 11 MPG to a low of 8 MPG. Hills and headwinds put a strain on the V-6. Occasionally it was wise to sacrifice speed (68 MPH to 63-64 MPH) for a reduction in engine RPM. Even a slight grade or headwind would tax the engine and raise RPM to maintain speed. On the flats with no wind, 70 MPH at 3000 RPM was do-able. Climbing hills I saw 4800 RPM just to maintain 55 MPH. Tractor-trailers posed no problems (sway) at all. Weather on the trip ranged from clear/cold (NY to TN) to light rain and winds (TN to AZ) and heavy snow (northern AZ). The entire trip (2613 miles) took 5 days and used about $1200 in fuel. No oil was consumed.

Summary: Thanks to all from the forum who provided valuable tips and advice, it resulted in a trouble free trip. The only advice I chose to disregard involved the changing of oil. I had about 4500 miles on the truck (break-in oil) with 20% oil life remaining. I went with Mobil 1 (also in all my other vehicles) prior to the trip and was glad I did. At the conclusion of the ride, the oil life is now down to 40%. I will be doing the same trip at the end of the month with an F-250 and a 8x14 trailer so I will write a quick comparison.

[brandont]

Very interesting, thank you. I have towed an open trailer with a car on it through Iowa, which is hilly but certainly not mountainous. I found that the truck downshifted to 3rd to maintain 65 on the grades, which I think is ridiculous. I have a feeling that the torque of a V8 will let you maintain speed on hills with much less downshifting. Please, let us know. (Also, which engine in the 250?)

[Ahab]

Very interesting, thank you. I have towed an open trailer with a car on it through Iowa, which is hilly but certainly not mountainous. I found that the truck downshifted to 3rd to maintain 65 on the grades, which I think is ridiculous. I have a feeling that the torque of a V8 will let you speed on hills with much less downshifting. Please, let us know. (Also, which engine in the 250?)

Not so, drive a new Silverado, it does the same thing.;)

[Gwcpa]

Was the 6x12 empty? If not, how much do you estimate the total weight?

[helijock]

I've got a V-10 in the Ford, so we'll see how it does. The 6x12 weighs 990 empty, so I'd estimate 2500 total weight.

[northernlights]

I have towed an open trailer with a car on it through Iowa, which is hilly

Wheres the hill in Iowa?

[fredkerr]

I pass through Iowa a couple times a year from Colorado, and chuckle every time I see the sign for the ski area.

[brandont]

I pass through Iowa a couple times a year from Colorado, and chuckle every time I see the sign for the ski area.

Right! The best skiing in upper Illlinois is on the Mississippi river (Galena's Chestnut Mtn). But honestly it's pointless to ski around here if you have ever skied *real* mountains.

That said, Iowa - at least eastern Iowa - is pretty hilly. Not like CO, or even KY - but far more so than IL and IN.

[livefaith]

Was the 6x12 empty? If not, how much do you estimate the total weight?

Interestingly, the fuel mileage, RPMs, and gear selection is nearly identical on Interstate driving with a 6x12V empty or full. It's aerodynamics at these speeds. Catch a nice tailwind and you'll cruise wonderfully. Catch a headwind and get ready to drop speed or go gear searchin'.

The V6 is a bit under-torqued for the task in my experience. It can do it no doubt. Doing it effortlessly is not the case.

[helijock]

Update to tow report as promised; same route/trip, just new equipment:

Equipment: 2004 Ford F250 Crew Cab, 8' bed, 6.8L V-10 gas engine
2003 Southwest 8x14 tandem axle trailer, approx. 5000 lb loaded

As expected, the Ford had plenty of power (in most cases, read on) to haul the load. My normal gas mileage around town is 10 MPG and the first leg of the trip returned 7 MPG in the hills of PA, VA and TN.

The second leg returned mileage of 8-10 MPG on the flat stretches of TN and OK.

The third leg was a totally different story: 50 MPH headwinds from OK to NM slowed progress to a crawl. The best I could manage without revving the crap out of the engine was about 60 MPH, 50 MPH on the up-hill stretches. Gas mileage dropped to 6 MPG. The last 4 hours were spent in a snow/ice storm from the Flagstaff area to the 5000' elevation south of Flagstaff on I-17. There were numerous jack-knifed tractor-trailers and a couple of fatal accidents along this stretch. I-17 was closed for a period of time. The final leg was a marathon.....1020 miles in 19 hours, the last 4 in the storm.

Analysis: The Ford was great, plenty of balls in most situations. If I needed a dedicated tow vehicle, I'd probably buy a big American truck with a diesel. On the downside, it rode like a truck and ate gas at the rate of $600/day. For the minimal amount of towing that I do, the RL will fit the bill. I run Mobil 1 5-20W in both trucks and not one drop of oil was used.

[jambie]

Pulled a 6500# boat/trailer with an F350 w/ 460 big block, and it downshifted on even the slightest grade. Overdrive is stictly for the flats, regardless of the vehicle.

Cheers,
Tom

Very interesting, thank you. I have towed an open trailer with a car on it through Iowa, which is hilly but certainly not mountainous. I found that the truck downshifted to 3rd to maintain 65 on the grades, which I think is ridiculous. I have a feeling that the torque of a V8 will let you maintain speed on hills with much less downshifting. Please, let us know. (Also, which engine in the 250?)