Towing with 5000 lb rated vehicle

[float5]

I wanted to know what I was getting for a while, and then after that, not usually interested. Already had the general information. I know I save driving slower.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by KarenH

I think the comment about lack of interest in fuel costs refers to the buyer already factoring in the cost of fuel when deciding which RV, if any, to purchase. Once the decision is made to purchase a particular RV, with its concomitant operating expenses, towing at 55 mph versus 60 mph may be infinitesimally small in the grand scheme of things.

But...been wrong before.

We made a 4500 mile trip to Canada . The difference between
X MPG and X+2 MPG would havel lowered our fuel cost by $60 USD.
Considering the total cost of the trip was close to $5000 the additional cost of fuel ( Based on X MPG ) amounted to 1.2% of the overall cost.
I have no intentions to cancel a trip over $60
If my resources are that limited and my budget is that tight then the only answer is to stay home and leave my vehicle and trailer parked in the driveway or sell them
There is a cost of ownership and operation with anything and the time to calculate if you can afford that cost is before buying not after.
We had several people cancel out on the trip to Canada , their reasoning was that gas prices were up 20 cents per gallon or $50.
I refuse to put my life on hold for $50

[rbryan4]

And I doubt the reason they cancelled was the increase in gas prices. People generally do what they want to do. If there's a will, there's a way.

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[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

And I doubt the reason they cancelled was the increase in gas prices. People generally do what they want to do. If there's a will, there's a way.

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I agree , they just decided they didn't want to go and had to come up with some plausible excuse . This discussion over the trip happened in a casino over a steak dinner so you can draw any conclusion you wish.

[StanLewis]

I don't care about mileage from a cost standpoint, but I do from a range standpoint. We get about 300 miles (480 km) per tank when towing. Since we have a diesel, it means we have to pay a little bit of attention: diesel is widely, but not universally, available, and gas stations are relatively thin on the ground in many of the places we like to go.

[rbryan4]

I can certainly see that Stan. One of my favorite things about my rig is the long range - about 550 miles when towing, 850 when I'm not.

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[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Santiago

Isn't that what the transportation industry does ? operate at lowest cost within reason and in a safe manner.

Yes. I have noticed that on the highway between Edmonton and Calgary (#2), which has a 110 km/h speed limit and most cars running closer to 120 km/h, the commercial trucks generally stay in the right hand lane, and most are no faster than 110 km/h. I doubt that this is an effect of law enforcement (they wouldn't care about any vehicle doing less than 125 km/h in good road and weather conditions); it appears that they have settled on this as a reasonable speed. The same trucks on highways with lower speed limits are going almost as fast as on #2, because their economically optimal speed is over 100 km/h if the grades and curves allow.

When the speed limit and road grades and curves are not limiting, I have settled on 105 km/h as the optimal speed for our van and trailer. It can do 130 km/h reliably, but it takes a lot more power; slower takes less power, but 105 isn't hard to maintain. This speed burns about 16 L/100 km of regular gas.

(For those thinking in miles per hour, divide by 1.6)

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

I can certainly see that Stan. One of my favorite things about my rig is the long range - about 550 miles when towing, 850 when I'm not.

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You'd get better mileage if you weren't carrying so much fuel.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

You'd get better mileage if you weren't carrying so much fuel.

How ironical...[emoji23]

A full tank does weigh about 225 lbs.

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[Ian G]

We have now towed 3 different fibreglass trailers with our 2008 4Runner, V6 rated at 5000 lb tow capacity. We live in Calgary so most of our trips are into the mountains or over passes, here are the average mileages

13' 1974 Boler 17-18 mpg
17' 2008 Casita FD 15-16 mpg
19' 2014 Escape Classic 13-14 mpg

[BRietkerk]

We now tow our 19 with a 2016 4Runner Limited. For 4 years we towed it with a Ford Flex. Both are good tow vehicles for a 19. Since the 4 Runner is not known for fuel efficiency I expected to use more fuel towing with it. The Flex got 16.27L/100kM or 14.45 miles per US Gal or 17.3 miles per CDN Gal. The 4 Runner gets a bit under that while towing I presume this is a result of the higher torque rating. When not towing it uses 2L/100kM more than the Flex. Both have AWD. I like the off road ability of the 4 Runner. I like the highway handling of the Ford Flex.