Diesel fuel mileage towing vs not towing?

[LuckyDuck]

Another 7.3L PSD here (in sig below).

Non-towing: Best on highway was 19.1 mpg. Around town, 15-16.
Towing about 5k TT: Two-lane highways in mountainous U.S. — averages about 12 mpg. Downhill closer to 14; hill climbing about 9.5-10.

Carrying 79 gallons of diesel between both tanks, I don’t have to stop often to fuel up, but when I do, the price tag looks like the national debt! But it’s well worth it.

[norty1]

I get 11-12.5 towing at 65 mph and unhitched around 16 around town, slightly higher at highway speeds.

[Big1]

I have a 2018 Dodge Ram CTD, towing my 321RSTS from WA to NV I was getting around 10-12 mpg and unloaded I get as far as 22 mpg but by hand it will be more like 20 mpg, I also love my exhaust brake you can't beat it.

Oh I forgot around town I get between 15-16 mpg.

I had a 2016 Ram 6.4L hemi and I wasn't getting nowhere what I'm getting now but we didn't buy a truck for fuel mileages, lol.

[PaulB12]

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

Another 7.3L PSD here (in sig below).

Non-towing: Best on highway was 19.1 mpg. Around town, 15-16.
Towing about 5k TT: Two-lane highways in mountainous U.S. — averages about 12 mpg. Downhill closer to 14; hill climbing about 9.5-10.

Carrying 79 gallons of diesel between both tanks, I don’t have to stop often to fuel up, but when I do, the price tag looks like the national debt! But it’s well worth it.

I have the fuel problem too, 42gallons of diesel isn't cheap either, mines a 2001 7.3 Excursion.
PaulB12

[CAG]

It is funny that these, what mileage do you get, threads come up and in all cases it comes down to, if you have to worry about fuel mileage you should not be RVing. It is going to be a very low number especially if you are pulling uphill so buy something that will pull your next rig because you are going to upgrade, and plan on spikes of $5 a gallon because it will happen.



I remember when I had to pay $2.10 a gal in Tucumcari on one trip and was pissed because it was over $2. It eventually went to $4+ and that was 15 years ago.

[Lake Huron]

My 99 Cummins empty got 22-24 on a trip out west back then. 03 when they went to the tree hugger ULSD fuel that killed my MPG. That's when I didnt care about MPG anymore and started upping the HP. Engine HP is upward of 700hp, compound twins, injectors, bla, bla, bla, and itll get about 15 on the hwy empty. Towing our 34' Montana we had it was getting 10-11.
My 11 3500 DRW Duramax got 19 on the highway driving it home from NC when I bought it. Towing our 40' Sierra was around 11 yet empty to and from work, around town, it would get 14. Electrical and emissions gremlins took up residency in it so I traded it w/65k on it for a new 15 3500 DRW Duramax. This truck has 18k on it right now. It didnt pull the Sierra very long and we traded that for our 44' Northpoint, bigger and heavier. Empty around town itll get 13-14, nearly 19 hwy, but pulling the Northpoint,... yeah,.. its thirsty. I had to take the trailer on a 200mi round trip to the dealer for suspension recall. It's pretty flatland running but I had a bit of a head crosswind going and a solid crosswind coming back home and it got a whopping 8.6mpg. It.had been sitting all winter, about 5 months, and I could tell it was into a couple different regen modes which kills my MPG. It should clean up and get better now that camping season is almost upon us and I can get it out there and work it like it was designed to do.

[Guntr]

Originally Posted by CAG

Those new to towing might want to keep in mind that tires on RVs are rated for 65 mph. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen someone go blowing by at 75-80 only to pass them as they sit along side of the road with a blown tire, and usually some major damage to the rig.

100% agree! I can kinda understand speeding on your commute, or if running a bit late when not towing, but towing your camper one assumes you are on vacation. Relax and take your time. Won't be the end of the world if the trip takes you ten minutes longer, but a blown tire and ripped apart wheel well and interior will be.

[TxLoser]

Originally Posted by CAG

Those new to towing might want to keep in mind that tires on RVs are rated for 65 mph. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen someone go blowing by at 75-80 only to pass them as they sit along side of the road with a blown tire, and usually some major damage to the rig.

You make a good point, but not entirely accurate. Any China bomb on most travel trailers will carry that rating. However, the Good Year Endurance tires on this and my previous fifth wheel are rated higher. I think the Good Years are showing up on more and more units these days. That being said, no more than a short burst over 70 for me as the 20 minutes earlier at my destination isn’t with the carnage and time spent road side.

Back to the fuel thing.... With diesel I see the MPG as range. Not so much from a $$ POV. The better my mileage, the further I can go. One of my favorite things about my truck is the 36 gallon tank and reasonable mileage. I can get pretty far on that. I guess in a way that can equate to money saved if I can get to my destination and find fuel without the trailer a bit cheaper than the truck stop.

[cbeers]

Living in the Texas Panhandle wind the wind my mileage is all over the board. Like today, wind steady at 31 gusts to 44 out of SW, against the wind 15mpg with the wind over 20. Lifetime on my F250 17.1. Towing 10.3.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by TxLoser

...Back to the fuel thing.... With diesel I see the MPG as range. Not so much from a $$ POV. The better my mileage, the further I can go. One of my favorite things about my truck is the 36 gallon tank and reasonable mileage. I can get pretty far on that. I guess in a way that can equate to money saved if I can get to my destination and find fuel without the trailer a bit cheaper than the truck stop.

Precisely. While packing 79 gallons adds some weight to drag around, I’ve got plenty of range. My butt will give out and I’ll stop for the night long before I worry about finding diesel. I’ve never had to pull the TT into a gas station and don’t intend to.

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

Precisely. While packing 79 gallons adds some weight to drag around, I’ve got plenty of range. My butt will give out and I’ll stop for the night long before I worry about finding diesel. I’ve never had to pull the TT into a gas station and don’t intend to.

Precisely.........I never stop at a truck stop or station just off the freeway with my 5er. Always seek fuel a day or two after unhitching. It is usually always a lot less.

[Mr&MrsSmith]

2006 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4X4 6.0 Diesel
Avg 15mpg without trailer
Avg 10mpg with 9K trailer

Just rolled over 300K miles! All about maintenance with any vehicle.

[GScott]

I have a 2500 RAM 4x4 that is deleted and tuned. I have a cold air intake and 5” straight pipes. I tow a 34’Chaparral 5th wheel in the Rocky Mountains. I get 10-11 mpg at 67 mph when towing. I get 17 mpg around town when not towing.

[Joshuaz]

2018 Ram 2500 CTD, Single Rear Wheel.

around town - 17
highway - 22
camper (mix of highway & town) - 12-14 depending on hills, # of stoplights etc.

Trailer ~ 12000 2020 Jayco Eagle HT 319MOK - usually travel with minimum water, empty tanks.

[Yooper906]

2006 GMC Duramax highway unloaded= 17/19
same truck with 32' Triumph hitch pull= 10/11

Same truck with Jayco Skylark Hwy= 15/16
Figures are done by hand, actual fuel purchases and mileage.

Triumph weighs 8200 loaded, Skylark weighs 4900 loaded.

[ctbailey]

2018 Chevy 3500HD CC SRW. 3.73 rear end.


10-12MPG hauling a 10k bumperpulll


11 mpg hauling the 4k snowmobile trailer. (Lightweight, but its like pulling a barn door down the highway)


empty cruising highway: 18mpg

[pawags45]

We Have a 2019 Chevy Silverado Diesel DRW Without pulling 16 to 17mpg Towing our Pinnicle over 16000lbs we get 11mpg unless its the montains then 9mpg. For my 5th wheel we did not have much of a choice. Its Diesel Dully weight. 38 Gallon fuel Tank and an addtional 50 Gallon TITAN AUXILARY TRAVLER TANK in the bed. I hate stoping for Fuel.

[K Holbrook]

I have a 2018 F-350 Super Duty SWD 6.7 Powerstroke Diesel and unloaded I get just short of 15. Last day trip was 14.9. Pulling my Northpoint I think I’m down to about 9 to 10.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Guntr

I am considering a diesel truck for my next TV and wondering what diesel trucks everyone has and and how your mileage compares between when you are towing to just regular driving.

Your trailer GVWR is only 7,000 pounds and your driving a 1/2 now how about a small diesel from one of the big three. I found this The 2020 Ram EcoDiesel posted a pump-verified result of 12.4 MPG. This is now, officially the best towing MPG result we have recorded.

Next, we ran the truck without any load. We expected the truck to get in the neighborhood of 33-35 MPG on the highway at 70 MPH. The truck really surprised us with a pump-verified 40 MPG. 12,560 towing, I'm sure all three can handle it

[marbles]

The new 2021 Silverados with the mid sized 3.0L diesel are reporting 25MPG around town and 14-15 with the RV. It will NOT pull a fifth wheel properly. I think the max towing weight limit is 9,500lbs. That would work for me. Not for the big boys.