Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » mileage- sort of on topic
| mileage- sort of on topic [message #119548] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 07:48  |
hertfordnc
Messages: 1164
Registered: September 2009
Location: East NC
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We just did a weekend trip with our little trailer.
The family minivan gets a steady 20mog in normal use. Tires are good, everythinng is smooth.
Towing a 1300-1800 lb trailer it got about 11 mpg.
Anecdotally, that's what most people tell me; My brother-in-law's newish F150 gets 20 mpg empty and 11 mpg pulling a 1700 lb popup.
Is this observation consistant with other people's experience?
Dave & Ellen Silva
Hertford, NC
76 Birchaven, 1-ton and other stuff
Currently planning the Great american Road Trip Summer 2021
It's gonna take a lot of Adderall to get this thing right.
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119556 is a reply to message #119548] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 08:21  |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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| hertfordnc wrote on Tue, 22 March 2011 08:48 |
We just did a weekend trip with our little trailer.
The family minivan gets a steady 20mog in normal use. Tires are good, everythinng is smooth.
Towing a 1300-1800 lb trailer it got about 11 mpg.
Anecdotally, that's what most people tell me; My brother-in-law's newish F150 gets 20 mpg empty and 11 mpg pulling a 1700 lb popup.
Is this observation consistant with other people's experience?
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Dave,
Without know more specifics, I would say that this is not out of line for what I have seen when towing boats and small trailers. There are, however, so very many variables that this is a really tough number to pin down. What with the just the effects of driving style, wind load and terrain, the variation can be remarkable.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119578 is a reply to message #119548] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 09:55 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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| hertfordnc wrote on Tue, 22 March 2011 05:48 |
We just did a weekend trip with our little trailer.
The family minivan gets a steady 20mog in normal use. Tires are good, everythinng is smooth.
Towing a 1300-1800 lb trailer it got about 11 mpg.
Anecdotally, that's what most people tell me; My brother-in-law's newish F150 gets 20 mpg empty and 11 mpg pulling a 1700 lb popup.
Is this observation consistant with other people's experience?
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Take note of this Gord.
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119583 is a reply to message #119556] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 10:10 |
hertfordnc
Messages: 1164
Registered: September 2009
Location: East NC
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The specifics don't matter so much. I'm just looking for an explanation of what I've observed.
What I've come up with is this; larger engines are generally more efficient.
Efficiency falls off a cliff once you exceed the optimal weight range for a given engine.
So if you want to pull a trailer you may was well get an F350 and a 30-foot Airstream because you'll get the same 11 mpg I get with a 3.8 litre V6 and single axle box.
Dave & Ellen Silva
Hertford, NC
76 Birchaven, 1-ton and other stuff
Currently planning the Great american Road Trip Summer 2021
It's gonna take a lot of Adderall to get this thing right.
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119588 is a reply to message #119583] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 10:38 |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
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| hertfordnc wrote on Tue, 22 March 2011 08:10 |
...
So if you want to pull a trailer you may was well get an F350 and a 30-foot Airstream because you'll get the same 11 mpg I get with a 3.8 litre V6 and single axle box.
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Overall, you would need to know if you have a use for the F350 when you are not towing. If you only "need" a larger truck 1% of the time, does it make sense to drive it around the other 99%? (Even though I see this all the time!)
If all I needed is a mini-van 99% of the time, I could live with poor gas mileage the little I towed. BUT.... what effect does towing have on the mini-van drive-train? For many reasons, cars these days are not as "over built" as cars in the past. (This is not ALL bad.)
If you did not NEED a big pick-up for some other reason, why buy one JUST to pull a trailer? Buy a "purpose built" combination trailer/tow vehicle... a MOTORHOME. Kind of like the GMC in my driveway!  It gets about 11mpg. (23 foot with a 403.)
Back to the mileage you where experiencing:
While I never pulled a travel trailer (camper) with my mini-van, I did pull a loaded U-Haul trailer from Florida to Oregon. I do not remember the mileage dropping THAT much. Must be the larger "frontal" area (more drag) of your camper.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119602 is a reply to message #119548] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 11:41 |
idrob
Messages: 645
Registered: January 2005
Location: Central Idaho
Karma: 0
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| hertfordnc wrote on Tue, 22 March 2011 05:48 |
We just did a weekend trip with our little trailer.
The family minivan gets a steady 20mog in normal use. Tires are good, everythinng is smooth.
Towing a 1300-1800 lb trailer it got about 11 mpg.
Anecdotally, that's what most people tell me; My brother-in-law's newish F150 gets 20 mpg empty and 11 mpg pulling a 1700 lb popup.
Is this observation consistant with other people's experience?
|
I have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 with full time 4 wheel drive, and tow a 1974 Argosy (painted Airstream) 20' trailer which weighs about 3800# loaded, as towed. The Jeep weighs in the range of 4200 #. Last summer I towed 9000 miles with the rig. Lowest was 12.5 mpg and the average was very close to 14 mpg. I keep very close records of all the fuel I put in my rigs and know the numbers are accurate, not just a lucky shot now and then.
All towing was in western states, mountains, highest elevation I towed to was 13,000 ft. I would estimate that the average elevation was between 3000 and 4000 ft.
The previous Jeep Grand Cherokee had the straight six, and the milage was almost identical, but had less power and the engine worked harder.
I am not planning on reducing my tow time this season, BTW, but may get a new Grand Cherokee with the Pentastar V6. It has very similar HP and Torque specs to the V8 I have now. It will be an interesting comparison.
Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB
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| Re: [GMCnet] mileage- sort of on topic [message #119606 is a reply to message #119602] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 11:55 |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
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Fuel Economy is a product of load and throttle opening. The heavier the
towed or carried load, the more throttle opening you will need to maintain
the same speed over the distance you travel. If you try to drive uphill at
the same speed as you would do unladen, or accellerate at the same rate,
there goes your fuel economy. Drive like you have a balloon under your
accellerator pedal that you do not want to pop, and your mileage will
improve. If you mash it to the floor like I do, then kwitchurbellyakin & get
out your wallet & pay the man who wears the star, the big red texaco star.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Or
78 GMC Royale 403 consistently over 10 mpg not towing.
On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 9:41 AM, Rob Allen <profmail@wildblue.net> wrote:
>
>
> hertfordnc wrote on Tue, 22 March 2011 05:48
> > We just did a weekend trip with our little trailer.
> >
> > The family minivan gets a steady 20mog in normal use. Tires are good,
> everythinng is smooth.
> >
> > Towing a 1300-1800 lb trailer it got about 11 mpg.
> >
> > Anecdotally, that's what most people tell me; My brother-in-law's newish
> F150 gets 20 mpg empty and 11 mpg pulling a 1700 lb popup.
> >
> > Is this observation consistant with other people's experience?
>
>
> I have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 with full time 4 wheel drive, and tow
> a 1974 Argosy (painted Airstream) 20' trailer which weighs about 3800#
> loaded, as towed. The Jeep weighs in the range of 4200 #. Last summer I
> towed 9000 miles with the rig. Lowest was 12.5 mpg and the average was very
> close to 14 mpg. I keep very close records of all the fuel I put in my rigs
> and know the numbers are accurate, not just a lucky shot now and then.
>
> All towing was in western states, mountains, highest elevation I towed to
> was 13,000 ft. I would estimate that the average elevation was between 3000
> and 4000 ft.
>
> The previous Jeep Grand Cherokee had the straight six, and the milage was
> almost identical, but had less power and the engine worked harder.
>
> I am not planning on reducing my tow time this season, BTW, but may get a
> new Grand Cherokee with the Pentastar V6. It has very similar HP and Torque
> specs to the V8 I have now. It will be an interesting comparison.
>
>
>
> --
> Rob Allen
> former owner of '76 x-PB
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119643 is a reply to message #119578] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 16:16 |
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gordh1
Messages: 332
Registered: February 2011
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Taking notes Carl! 
Some years back (80s) a colleague of mine used to use a GMC pickup (no idea of the engine - would it have been something like a 350 v8?), to tow his car trailer with a Porsche 944 race car. Curious thing was, he said not only did the mileage improve while towing, he was also able to travel faster! We chalked it up to the aerodynamics of the two together as nothing else made any sense. I caught a bit of the Daytona 500 this year and noticed curiously, this teaming up of pairs of cars is obviously making a marked difference in speed, and if they backed off the throttles, no doubt their economy would be improved...so that 80s story just might have some degree of truth to it.
One has to figure most current mini-vans are running what, 4 or 6 cylinder 2.5 - 3 or so liter engines? Probably 4-speed automatics? On their own probably working fairly hard, then burdened with something towed that's half (or more) their own weight again? Then the aerodynamics which may or may (probably) not be helping matters, or a driver who is requesting the assembly perform as though it was a single unit? Lots of variables in there for sure.
I'd still like an engine that didn't suck fuel out of a bowl (carburated), monitored and (hopefully) correctly adjusted for things like temps and pressures and altitudes, all on its own.
G 
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119654 is a reply to message #119602] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 19:46 |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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i need a newer jeep. i have a 95 grand cherokee with v-8 full time 4wd and i ger 11 or 12 around. and 10 when i pull the boat. not sure on highway because it only does long trips towing.
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119657 is a reply to message #119654] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 21:06 |
Keith V
Messages: 2337
Registered: March 2008
Location: Mounds View,MN
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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You guys are making 10 MPG in the GMC sound pretty good!
My Grand Caravan used to get in the mid 20s, Now it's 19-20 probably mostly because the torque converter clutch solenoid has failed
Keith Vasilakes
Mounds View. MN
75 ex Royale GMC
ask me about MicroLevel
Cell, 763-732-3419
My427v8@hotmail.com
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| Re: [GMCnet] mileage- sort of on topic [message #119663 is a reply to message #119643] |
Tue, 22 March 2011 21:52 |
larry erd
Messages: 132
Registered: August 2010
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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I tow a 5x8 box trailer behind my ford edge (awd) which gets 23mpg on the
road and about 13mpg
w/ the trailer w/ about 2500#'s and 14mpg empty. On one trip from Toledo to
our new home in
Fl I strapped a Morgan (car) steel chassis to the roof on the Edge and over
3000# gross in the
trailer and I got almost 17mpg. It acted as a air foil of sorts and
increased the mpg. I think drag
is almost as important as #.
Larry Erd
On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 5:16 PM, Gord Hubbell <g.r.hubbell@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Taking notes Carl! ;)
>
> Some years back (80s) a colleague of mine used to use a GMC pickup (no idea
> of the engine - would it have been something like a 350 v8?), to tow his car
> trailer with a Porsche 944 race car. Curious thing was, he said not only
> did the mileage improve while towing, he was also able to travel faster! We
> chalked it up to the aerodynamics of the two together as nothing else made
> any sense. I caught a bit of the Daytona 500 this year and noticed
> curiously, this teaming up of pairs of cars is obviously making a marked
> difference in speed, and if they backed off the throttles, no doubt their
> economy would be improved...so that 80s story just might have some degree of
> truth to it.
>
> One has to figure most current mini-vans are running what, 4 or 6 cylinder
> 2.5 - 3 or so liter engines? Probably 4-speed automatics? On their own
> probably working fairly hard, then burdened with something towed that's half
> (or more) their own weight again? Then the aerodynamics which may or may
> (probably) not be helping matters, or a driver who is requesting the
> assembly perform as though it was a single unit? Lots of variables in there
> for sure.
>
> I'd still like an engine that didn't suck fuel out of a bowl (carburated),
> monitored and (hopefully) correctly adjusted for things like temps and
> pressures and altitudes, all on its own.
>
> G :)
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119849 is a reply to message #119588] |
Thu, 24 March 2011 19:24 |
Larry C
Messages: 1168
Registered: July 2004
Location: NE Illinois by the Illino...
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Senior Member |
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If you did not NEED a big pick-up for some other reason, why buy one JUST to pull a trailer? Buy a "purpose built" combination trailer/tow vehicle... a MOTORHOME. Kind of like the GMC in my driveway! Laughing It gets about 11mpg. (23 foot with a 403.)
____________________________________________________
I used to tow my boat with my AMC Eagle SX4. I had the 6 cyl with 5 speed manual tranny. It did ok actually and the distance to the driveway was so short I never calculated mileage.
At one point I bought an 86 Chevrolet Custom DeLuxe 4x4 to take some of the burden off the SX4.
That truck gets 10-11 MPG WITHOUT the trailer on the back. It has something to do with the 4x4 and the gearing for torque, not speed.
But, I have not noticed the mileage go down with the trailer on it either. Stays around 10-12 mpg.
Its all in the mechanics and gearing
Gatsbys' CRUISER  08-18-04
74 GLACIER X, 260/455-APC-4 Bagg'r
Remflex Manifold gaskets
CampGrounds needed, Add yours to "PLACES" />
http://www.gmceast.com/travel
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119850 is a reply to message #119602] |
Thu, 24 March 2011 19:30 |
Larry C
Messages: 1168
Registered: July 2004
Location: NE Illinois by the Illino...
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Senior Member |
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Doesn't Chrysler have a version of that GM engine 8-6-4??? One of the techs rented a ram and drove from Illionos to Detroit and still had enough gas to drive around when he got there.
When he inquired about it, they said it was a new engine that shifts cylinders as it needs them....
I would assume it would know it had weight behind it as well and would shift cylinders accordingly....
Gatsbys' CRUISER 08-18-04
74 GLACIER X, 260/455-APC-4 Bagg'r
Remflex Manifold gaskets
CampGrounds needed, Add yours to "PLACES" />
http://www.gmceast.com/travel
_
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| Re: mileage- sort of on topic [message #119858 is a reply to message #119850] |
Thu, 24 March 2011 20:48 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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| Larry C wrote on Thu, 24 March 2011 18:30 |
Doesn't Chrysler have a version of that GM engine 8-6-4??? One of the techs rented a ram and drove from Illionos to Detroit and still had enough gas to drive around when he got there.
When he inquired about it, they said it was a new engine that shifts cylinders as it needs them....
I would assume it would know it had weight behind it as well and would shift cylinders accordingly....
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Both GM and Ram use cylinder de-actiavtion on a variety of the V-8's
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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