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Old 09-26-2013, 09:14 PM   #1
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tow gas mileage

OK campers. I have an X17z and have used both a ford f150 with a 5.4 and an avalanche with a 5.3 and have averaged 9-11 MPG. Is. This normal? Both vehicles really seem to struggle.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Old 09-26-2013, 09:23 PM   #2
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Lots of variables here... wind, speed, grades.

Very generally, we get 13 mpg running at 60 mph in "average" conditions.
Running at 70 we get 8 mpg. This is too fast, not safe and too expensive.
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Old 09-26-2013, 09:59 PM   #3
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I never got double digits when towing with my 1/2 ton Gassers. Typically I would get 9.5. With my Duramax it's close to 13.
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Old 09-26-2013, 10:10 PM   #4
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tow gas mileage

I took a 2,500 mile trip in June with my Duramax and calculated mileage of slightly over 14 mpg. My typical mileage is 16 without the trailer.
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Old 09-26-2013, 10:21 PM   #5
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I have a Jay Feather X213 and tow with a 2003 Expedition with a 5.4. I get around 22.5 L/100km towing (about 10 mpg) and around 12.5 L/100 running solo on the hwy (19 mpg).

Amazing the difference towing a parachute makes.
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Old 09-26-2013, 10:31 PM   #6
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05 Escalade 6.0 gas towing 2012 JayFeather X213. Worst I've had is 9 mpg and the best was 13.5 mpg, with a tail wind, at 55 mph, and following close behind a big motor home. I'm almost always right at 10 mpg.
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Old 09-27-2013, 02:39 AM   #7
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About the same here, towing the 17Z with our Silverado our best was 13mpg, with the wind behind us, worst was 8.5mpg, strong headwind. Typically 10-10.5mpg. We are getting about the same results towing our larger, heavier Starcraft.

Not sure why both vehicles seem to struggle, both of those engines should have plenty of power to pull an X17Z.
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Old 09-27-2013, 05:10 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drummer_43 View Post
OK campers. I have an X17z and have used both a ford f150 with a 5.4 and an avalanche with a 5.3 and have averaged 9-11 MPG. Is. This normal? Both vehicles really seem to struggle.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Mileage and struggling are two different issues. I have gotten 10 mpg average when I had my 17Z, even seen 12 mpg one time but never below 9.5 mpg. The largest component of drag (and hence the biggest factor in fuel consumption) is the frontal projected area of the RV. That is why I get the same mileage with my new RV which weighs almost twice as much.

As for struggling - that is a subjective term. When I pulled my 17Z I had a 3.08 rear end and it did not struggle at all. It handled towing with ease, never going above maybe 3500 rpm and living in the 1900 - 2000 rpm range. Note -- you should only limit yourself to 65 mph (max) because of the tires.
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Old 09-27-2013, 06:45 AM   #9
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I pull a 17Z with a Jeep Commander with a 5.7 hemi. Typically get 9-11 mpg, depending on wind conditions. Plenty of power, no struggling. I'm surprised to hear of a 1/2 ton truck struggling to tow a 17Z; what's the tow rating on the trucks? I used to have a 97 Grand Cherokee with the old 220hp 5.2L and even that vehicle pulled the 17Z ok (less acceleration but about the same mpg).
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Old 09-27-2013, 06:59 AM   #10
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On re-reading the OP's post I see that he did not state what years these vehicles were or what transmission and rear gear ratios, as well as what loading , etc. etc .... all can have a direct bearing on both "struggling" and fuel economy. No sense me speculating any more until he clarifies these points.
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Old 09-27-2013, 07:41 AM   #11
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Wayne, the Ford is an 08 and the Avalanche is an 07. I have no idea about the gear ratios, both are equipped with the factory towing package. I had never pulled a trailer before, so maybe I just expected too much. That is why I posted on here to see what others have experienced. I thank you for your input very much.
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Old 09-27-2013, 07:52 AM   #12
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Wayne, the Ford is an 08 and the Avalanche is an 07. I have no idea about the gear ratios, both are equipped with the factory towing package. I had never pulled a trailer before, so maybe I just expected too much. That is why I posted on here to see what others have experienced. I thank you for your input very much.
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Old 09-27-2013, 08:08 AM   #13
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5 Cylinder Volvo 2.5 Turbo AWD

We average 24MPG normal use....and 16-17MPG towing @ 3,200# (TT + Payload)....

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Old 09-27-2013, 08:17 AM   #14
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I have a 2000, 23b Kiwi and a 2012 F150STX.... no power struggle and I get 11-14mpg at best pulling it with a full load in the truck (bikes, wood, 5 people, 2 dogs ect.) I have found that tire pressure, weight distribution from the hitch and excess weight in the TT can cause less mpg. I have done several things to the weight distribution better. One is I never travel with water in the tanks (or very little) I keep some in the truck if needed. I have seen people load everything in the TT because of the room....wrong answer! I have also seen the folks who, "don't want to forget anything", overload the TT. Also make sure of the placement of your hitch arm mounting brackets so that the chains are straight. Try to find the most level spot you can park in with the TT attached to see if your hitch is set at the right height as well. Hope this helps!
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Old 09-27-2013, 08:29 AM   #15
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Think of the trailer as a large parachute -- it was quite the change from towing our old pop-up. Towing the 17Z with our 09 Honda Pilot usually yields 9-12 mpg (usually get 21-22mpg). We usually keep the speed under 62mph on major highways.

Funny thing -- we got better gas mileage (12.7mpg) driving from Salida, CO to Durango, CO in the mountains (Route 50 to Route 550) than we got driving anywhere else.
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Old 09-27-2013, 10:48 AM   #16
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When I had my '03 Kiwi 17a typically I got 11/12. 13 when the wind was behind me. Worst I got was 9 towing in head winds across SD and MN on the way back from Yellowstone. With the X20E I get about 11 (about 1k lbs heavier). Both trailers have been towed with my Trailblazer.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of variables but the best thing you can do to keep the mileage reasonable is limit your speed. Find the "sweet spot". With my Kiwi 17a the sweet spot was 62/63 mph. With the X20E my sweet spot is 60 mph. I can drop my mileage down to 8 just by running at 65. Every vehicle and trailer combo is going to behave differently from one another. Other factors are tire PSI on both the TV and trailer, proper hitch setup, and how much of your TV's payload is being used.
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Old 09-27-2013, 12:08 PM   #17
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DocBrown -- why not just plug in the Mr. Fusion to power your TV, or does that only work on Deloreans? 1.21 Gigawatts!
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Old 09-27-2013, 01:58 PM   #18
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My 07 Silverado is similar to your Avalanche. I have the 5.3 with 3.42 gears but tow a 5300 lb 26BH and got about 10 mpg (55-60 mph) on our last long trip.
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Old 09-27-2013, 02:09 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drummer_43 View Post
Wayne, the Ford is an 08 and the Avalanche is an 07. I have no idea about the gear ratios, both are equipped with the factory towing package. I had never pulled a trailer before, so maybe I just expected too much. That is why I posted on here to see what others have experienced. I thank you for your input very much.

Ah, being new to this I can see how it may appear they are struggling. What you are experiencing is towing, much different that just driving around w/out a trailer behind you. I would agree that it's like pulling a parachute, your vehicles engine and transmission have to work harder and will act differently when towing. Either of those vehicles should be fine pulling an X17Z.

Getting around 10mpg is fairly average for those vehicles, as mentioned by others, watch your speed as it has a big impact on fuel economy. Remember, trailer tires are rated for a max of 65mph, I personally never go over 63, typically average around 60mph.
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Old 09-27-2013, 02:51 PM   #20
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The mileage you are experiencing is about what I got when towing with my 5.3 1500 with 3.73 rear. 9-10 mpg with 11 being the best I ever got towing my rig. The 2500 with the 6.0 averages about 9.
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