Tow MPG

[crimsonaudio]

I towed a 4500 lb car/trailer combo a few hundred miles back in September and averaged about 14MPG...

[ridgeline2006]

My trailer is 10ft weights about 1000lbs and my bike weights about 1000lbs and I get about 11-12MPG. It stinks. This past weekend I went to a bike rally and I pulled the trailer and bike with my Ford Explorer and I got much better milage 14.5MPG. Thats messed up.

[shovelhd]

My back is worth 3mpg. No contest.

[skrahn]

Just got back from second trip towing a 5x8 U-Haul trailer the same 250 miles one-way. Total weight no more than 1500 lbs. First trip got 12 mpg, 2nd trip got 9 mpg with major headwinds (always using premium fuel when towing). Towing speeds 60-65 mph. Typical mileage 20-21 mpg same trip doing 70 mph with no trailer. The bull**** Dodge Dakota (4.7 V8) I had before I got smart got 14 mpg towing a 6x12 trailer weighing 3500 lbs on the same trip.

Co-pilot (wife) calculates that the shape of the Ridgeline produces streams of air from the roof line and side buttresses that converge behind the tailgate and blasts the front of tall trailers. My question is: Has anyone added a Leer canopy to see if it actually improves aerodynamics and fuel mileage towing a tall trailer?

[DUNER-RIDGE]

I just finished my first trip to the dunes towing my 16 ft. trailer (4300 lbs. fully loaded, quads and gear). I only got nine miles to the gallon. Lots of 65 to 70 mph driving down the freeway. My RTL did better than I had expected.

[BillH]

My personal best was 22 MPG while towing my SeaDoo. The tires on that trailer are SO small that I only did 60-65 MPH for the 200 mile trip. of course, I always run super when towing.

I didn't do quite as well this winter towing two snowmobiles with a headwind. The trailer has a big snow shield on the front as well. I think I was at about 13 MPG but my speed on the same 200 mile trip was 70-75 MPH.

[fredkerr]

I towed a 5x8 with heavy load from Colorado to Ohio last summer. Got about 10 mpg on premium. Switched to regular and got same.

[shamrockshooter]

Originally Posted by skrahn

Just got back from second trip towing a 5x8 U-Haul trailer the same 250 miles one-way. Total weight no more than 1500 lbs. First trip got 12 mpg, 2nd trip got 9 mpg with major headwinds (always using premium fuel when towing). Towing speeds 60-65 mph. Typical mileage 20-21 mpg same trip doing 70 mph with no trailer. The bull**** Dodge Dakota (4.7 V8) I had before I got smart got 14 mpg towing a 6x12 trailer weighing 3500 lbs on the same trip.

Co-pilot (wife) calculates that the shape of the Ridgeline produces streams of air from the roof line and side buttresses that converge behind the tailgate and blasts the front of tall trailers. My question is: Has anyone added a Leer canopy to see if it actually improves aerodynamics and fuel mileage towing a tall trailer?

Your wife sounds smart. I will be getting a leer cap next week. If someone lets me borrow their large fast boat, I will tow it to a watery destination, and post my MPG when i get back.

[nolaridge]

Hello -- I just purchased this Trail-Sport TS25S to replace the Coyote Sport 180 that I pulled to Alaska last summer. On this first trip I got 9.5mpg on two fairly windy days, so not too bad. The trailer weighs 3900 lbs unloaded and has an interior length of 25 ft (total length of almost 28 ft). With the smaller trailer I usually got around 10 mpg, sometimes a little (or a lot) better or worse depending on the direction of the wind. I might add that it towed easier than I thought with the truck running mostly in fourth gear even with a significant cross wind. I kept the speed around 55 - 60 mph.

[skrahn]

Originally Posted by skrahn

Just got back from second trip towing a 5x8 U-Haul trailer the same 250 miles one-way. Total weight no more than 1500 lbs. First trip got 12 mpg, 2nd trip got 9 mpg with major headwinds (always using premium fuel when towing). Towing speeds 60-65 mph. Typical mileage 20-21 mpg same trip doing 70 mph with no trailer. The bull**** Dodge Dakota (4.7 V8) I had before I got smart got 14 mpg towing a 6x12 trailer weighing 3500 lbs on the same trip.

Co-pilot (wife) calculates that the shape of the Ridgeline produces streams of air from the roof line and side buttresses that converge behind the tailgate and blasts the front of tall trailers. My question is: Has anyone added a Leer canopy to see if it actually improves aerodynamics and fuel mileage towing a tall trailer?

Further to above: We just bought a monster tent trailer (2800 lb Starcraft 3606) and towed from Vancouver to Kelowna BC over 2 mountain passes of 4000 and 5000 foot elevation and got 15.5 mpg averaging 65 mph . The tent trailer is much wider and heavy than the U-Haul trailer, but much lower.

I'm convinced that the towing fuel consumption issue with the Ridgeline is aerodynamic, and that tall trailers act as a parachute. The clincher is how fast we could coast down slight grades.