MPG towing an 264BHW Jayflight SLX

Ward Reid · 06-09-2017, 11:15 PM

Hi again. New owner here. Having a fabulous time with our new unit. However I'm just curious on our MPG. My towing
Vehicle (TV) is a Dodge Durango Citadel. It has the Hemi 5.7 ltr V8. Pulling the 264BHW SLX.
Driving from Roswell NM to Albuquerque NM today, there were times I was down to 30-40 mph and revving sometimes above 3000 rpm. Admittedly I was cognIsant of being at 6-7000 ft of altitude and head winds. The engine temperature gauge stated to shift towards HOT, and just wondered if this is normal RV conditions, or am I underpowered/overweight? Or any other advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

jayco264 · 06-09-2017, 11:29 PM

hello, i'm getting about 10 mpg on my 2014 chevrolet silverado texas edition v8 5.3 ,,,, havent had any overheating issues ,,,we pack our trailer , but no too packed,,,,,,,,thinking your vehicle might be undersized for your trailer ,,, just thinking....travel from san antonio to rockport often...

Ward Reid · 06-10-2017, 12:04 AM

Thanks so much 264

need-a-vacation · 06-10-2017, 05:57 AM

Ward,

Welcome and congrats on the new 264!!!

Mileage when towing will vary slightly, but on average most see 8-10mog when towing with a gas motor.

The new(Ed) motors are designed to rev to make power unlike the older motors making max torque at 1800rpms. Don't worry about letting the motor rev 3k + rpm's if/ when needed. Something else to consider is the more shifting thebtrans does, the higher the heat. If the trans wants to keep jumping between a couple gears (say between 4th and 5th), it is better to keep the trans in 4th if possible to prevent more heat building up. That may have been what cause the motor to heat a little, or you may need to check it out. Hard to say based on not knowing "just how much it shifted toward hot".

If you can, find out the specs for your tv (tow vehicle). Not just what it is rated to tow, but find out the axle ratio, and the payload of the tv.

Is this your first tt? Considering you recently bought the 264, it may not have "acquired" a lot of added weight yet. If it is hard to say if you have a good match for your tv and tt.

Best thing to do is weigh your rig set up at a CAT Scale. If needed, follow my signature link for the how to. Make sure you weigh 3 times to be able to figure out all the weights.

Look in the drivers door jamb of your tv for a yellow sticker that lists the rated payload for your vehicle. As it states, the weight of: all occupants, any cargo (coolers, firewood, etc), any accessory added to the tv, the wdh, and the tt tw (travel trailer to the weight) all count toward the payload rating.

Good luck and enjoy the new rig!!!

need-a-vacation · 06-10-2017, 06:02 AM

Ward, not sure why my signature isn't showing up in my above post.....

Hopefully this link to the how to will work.

And there it is now!!! Lol

thevettemanx2 · 06-10-2017, 07:27 AM

Head winds will change everything. Slow speeds hot engine very common in strong headwinds. The 5.7 Hemi has plenty of power could be your gear ratio on TV. See how is goes on the rest of your trip, 8-10 mpg is about right. May you be blessed with tail winds the rest of your trip.

Ward Reid · 06-10-2017, 09:04 AM

Thank you need-a-vacation. I so appreciate your note.
By HOT. The temp gauge was at 50% whereas it normally runs at around 33%. Do you think that is anything to worry about?

Ward Reid · 06-10-2017, 09:08 AM

Thanks so much thevetteman2. It really comforts me to have your input. And thanks, I will look for tailwinds!

RVStealsAndDeals · 06-10-2017, 09:58 AM

The 5.7 Hemi gets most of its power above 3500RPM so if you are in a headwind at high altitude, let the motor rev. They really like the RPMs. That's my biggest complaint when pulling with a Hemi at altitude. I regularly pull at 8000ft+ and I try my best to avoid looking at the fuel mileage.

At sea level most gas motors will pull around 8-10mpg. At this elevation with that much weight i'd say 6 would be about normal. I can say gear ratios make a huge difference. I previously pulled with a 08 Hemi Quad Cab 4x4 with 3.92s and now I'm pulling with a 2012 Ram Crew Cab 4x4 with 3.55s and even though the new one has 45 more hp, the old one pulled quite a bit better.

Ward Reid · 06-10-2017, 10:34 AM

Thank you RVstrealsandDeals. Appreciate your reply very much.
This might be a silly back up question. But should I be checking oil and othe fluid levels after a hard day of climbing? My regular service dealer said no need too, but I'm not convinced they are aware of the strenuous towing conditions. Appreciate you all in advance.

RVStealsAndDeals · 06-10-2017, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ward Reid

Thank you RVstrealsandDeals. Appreciate your reply very much.
This might be a silly back up question. But should I be checking oil and othe fluid levels after a hard day of climbing? My regular service dealer said no need too, but I'm not convinced they are aware of the strenuous towing conditions. Appreciate you all in advance.

That's not something I've ever done, to be honest. If you have a higher mileage motor, I would consider checking it. These motors do just fine with the higher revs though. And it sounds like you aren't being too hard on it, though as you said you were letting it drop to 30 or 40mph.

havnfun · 06-10-2017, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ward Reid

Thank you RVstrealsandDeals. Appreciate your reply very much.
This might be a silly back up question. But should I be checking oil and othe fluid levels after a hard day of climbing? My regular service dealer said no need too, but I'm not convinced they are aware of the strenuous towing conditions. Appreciate you all in advance.

Ward- Maybe it's overkill, but every day after traveling I check all fluid levels, tire pressures, and TT lug nut torque. After that I feel much better hitting the road in the morning. Call me anal, but I have had to top off some fluids in the past. Good luck and enjoy your 264.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

bap · 06-10-2017, 11:55 AM

Does your Durango have the factory tow package?

schrederman · 06-10-2017, 12:22 PM

I had an F-150 with the 5.0 V8 for a while and fought the same battles with high RPMs and no power at altitude. Being a licensed aircraft mechanic gives me a bit more understanding about engines and altitude, and operating higher in the design envelop of power output. I've seen lots of posts that say the engine will be fine and the transmission will be fine, etc... but that's not exactly true. You will wear your vehicle out faster by towing, and yes you should be checking fluids more often than when just driving normally like commuting to work. And, please make sure you have a good transmission cooler. That being said the auto makers have made big strides in quality since I was wrenching on cars in high school. The only reasons I have the tow vehicle I have is because I now have a TT that would have been too much (in my opinion) for my F-150, and I intend to be an RVer for a long time. If you go a couple of times a year and just make short trips you'll probably be OK. But if you're wanting to take many trips a year that encompass thousands of miles of towing, you'll probably be looking to upgrade your tow vehicle. Again... just my opinion... Enjoy and have fun! That's what counts.

Ward Reid · 06-11-2017, 06:23 AM

Thank you Jeff. thank you Schederman. And yes bap, I believe I do have the factory package.

FeatherFam · 06-11-2017, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by havnfun

Ward- Maybe it's overkill, but every day after traveling I check all fluid levels, tire pressures, and TT lug nut torque. After that I feel much better hitting the road in the morning. Call me anal, but I have had to top off some fluids in the past. Good luck and enjoy your 264.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

I do this too. We have the 5.7 Hemi, 6 speed tranny, and 3.55 differential. We get 10-12 mpg towing fully loaded (at max payload).

cekkk · 06-11-2017, 07:48 PM

If your coolant is getting hot your transmission is too. Short of a better transmission cooler, drop to a lower gear and run at higher RPMs when pulling long hills. At those altitudes your engine has lost 15 to 20% of its power, so give it a rest by reducing your speed and increasing RPMs. The big trucks don't hesitate to climb at very low speeds. They can't afford to overwork their rigs.

need-a-vacation · 06-11-2017, 09:20 PM

Ward,

YW!!!

Doesn't sound like the temp increased to much, just keep an eye on it and as mentioned, checking all fluids can't hurt.

Safe travels!

Wireman · 06-12-2017, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by need-a-vacation

Ward,

Welcome and congrats on the new 264!!!

Mileage when towing will vary slightly, but on average most see 8-10mog when towing with a gas motor.

The new(Ed) motors are designed to rev to make power unlike the older motors making max torque at 1800rpms. Don't worry about letting the motor rev 3k + rpm's if/ when needed. Something else to consider is the more shifting thebtrans does, the higher the heat. If the trans wants to keep jumping between a couple gears (say between 4th and 5th), it is better to keep the trans in 4th if possible to prevent more heat building up. That may have been what cause the motor to heat a little, or you may need to check it out. Hard to say based on not knowing "just how much it shifted toward hot".

If you can, find out the specs for your tv (tow vehicle). Not just what it is rated to tow, but find out the axle ratio, and the payload of the tv.

Is this your first tt? Considering you recently bought the 264, it may not have "acquired" a lot of added weight yet. If it is hard to say if you have a good match for your tv and tt.

Best thing to do is weigh your rig set up at a CAT Scale. If needed, follow my signature link for the how to. Make sure you weigh 3 times to be able to figure out all the weights.

Look in the drivers door jamb of your tv for a yellow sticker that lists the rated payload for your vehicle. As it states, the weight of: all occupants, any cargo (coolers, firewood, etc), any accessory added to the tv, the wdh, and the tt tw (travel trailer to the weight) all count toward the payload rating.

Good luck and enjoy the new rig!!!

X2 on hitting the Cat scales. You need to know what your towing setup is as far as weights.

Your GVWR and RAWR is what I would be concerned with on the Durango. I tow with a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel, basically the same chassis with a towing package.

My TT is a Jay Feather 23RLSW. I have loaded it conservatively and I'm within 60 lbs. of the max RAWR. Just the wife and I.

You need to find out if you have a factory towing package.

A scale visit is a must.

Depending on how much towing you do and the conditions, your maintenance schedule will need to be adjusted. I consider the amount of towing that I do, puts me in the severe duty schedule.

Check your owners manual. I error on the side of caution when doing maintenance, always sooner than later.

On my last 39 day trip throughout the west, my actual MPG while towing was 13.5MPG.

The Eco Diesel has no issues pulling my weight (about 5700 lbs. loaded) thru the mountains, and there were plenty on this trip.

When towing, I always use the paddle shifters and determine which gear I feel comfortable with, rather than letting the computer figure it out.

The JGC is rated for 7200 lbs. towing capacity, but I would never max it out.

I bought the trailer to match my existing tow vehicle and I'm happy with the decision.

marbles · 06-12-2017, 09:08 AM

I have found that the most critical temperature is that of the transmission. The engine typically gets warm but if the tranny gets too hot, you will need to change the fluid much more often. Once the fluid hits the critical temp, it changes.

Pulling up our 4,000 foot passes in Utah once a year is no big deal. Doing it 8-10 times a year, is another. I use my OBD II reader and the Torque app to monitor the tranny temps and worry once it hits 125 degrees. I will be changing the fluid shortly after hitting 145 degrees climbing the 10% grade of the Moki Dugway in the four corners area.

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