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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Posts: 204 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: 1st road trip with the new 180
    Posted: 16 Jul 2018 at 2:47pm
Just got back from our 1st out of the area weekend trip with the new 180. We went to Carmel for the annual Carmel Dachshund meetup on the beach (200 weenies!) and then up to the redwoods north east of Santa Cruz. It took three tanks to go up and back and I ended up with a 1/4 tank when we got home. The V6 Tacoma pulled it great but we only got about 10.7 mpg, at a little over 60 mpg. I was hoping for at least 12 but I was carrying a full tank of fresh water, because I had just had the Equalizer WDH installed and wanted the trailer loaded for the hitch set up.
I did make one bonehead mistake. I left the switch on for the water pump when we had city water hooked up so it pumped out of the fresh water tank instead. Oh well. This is only our third outing in the new rPod.
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rreynolds50@icloud.c View Drop Down
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Posts: 2 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 2:46pm
I haven't bought one yet but I plan on getting a 180 very soon
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rreynolds50@icloud.c View Drop Down
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Posts: 2 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 2:47pm
Be pulling it with a 2012 F-150 crew cab 4-wheel drive 3.7 EcoBoost that should be plenty
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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Posts: 204 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 3:12pm
That should work well. Congrats on your 180.
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DavMar View Drop Down
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Posts: 592 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2018 at 4:46pm
Originally posted by OldNeumanntapr

Just got back from our 1st out of the area weekend trip with the new 180. The V6 Tacoma pulled it great but we only got about 10.7 mpg, at a little over 60 mpg. I was hoping for at least 12 but I was carrying a full tank of fresh water, because I had just had the Equalizer WDH installed and wanted the trailer loaded for the hitch set up.


Don't know what year, model, ect of your Tacoma is but I've been able to average around 12 mpg plus pulling my 180. I assume if your Tacoma has an automatic transmission that your shifting it in manual between 3rd to 5th gear (sometimes on the super slab and long flat run I'll shift into 6th) and that you have the ECT on if have that feature? That seems to help increase my mileage with my Tacoma.
Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog.
2017 Rpod 180
2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4
Lexington, NC
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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Posts: 204 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2018 at 5:39pm
Originally posted by DavMar


Originally posted by OldNeumanntapr

Just got back from our 1st out of the area weekend trip with the new 180. The V6 Tacoma pulled it great but we only got about 10.7 mpg, at a little over 60 mpg. I was hoping for at least 12 but I was carrying a full tank of fresh water, because I had just had the Equalizer WDH installed and wanted the trailer loaded for the hitch set up.
Don't know what year, model, ect of your Tacoma is but I've been able to average around 12 mpg plus pulling my 180. I assume if your Tacoma has an automatic transmission that your shifting it in manual between 3rd to 5th gear (sometimes on the super slab and long flat run I'll shift into 6th) and that you have the ECT on if have that feature? That seems to help increase my mileage with my Tacoma.


We have a 2011 Tacoma PreRunner with the 4.0 V6. I shift manually and stay out of overdrive (5th gear).

On our recent trip to Oregon for the NW Meetup Rally at Cannon Beach we got as high as 13 mpg . That was on a tank of Chevron 87 octane if it matters .

I don’t know what ECT is but I don’t think my truck is equipped with that.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2018 at 6:14am
Just a comment. 

One reason why fuel burn numbers always seem to be all over the map even on dead flat roads with the same tow vehicles, same road speeds and even drivers is due to headwinds or tailwinds. Since at freeway speeds about 2/3 of your horsepower while towing is going to overcome air drag on that big box and only 1/3 goes to rolling resistance, even a few mph of wind added or subtracted from your road speed can make a huge difference. And air drag goes up 4x when you double your air (not ground) speed. Say you had an almost unnoticeable 5 mph headwind going one direction at 60 mph, then you turned around and went the other way, also at 60 mph. That would cause about a 4 mpg change in fuel economy even on a dead flat highway.  

First day I brought my 179 home I got 18 mpg. Whoo hoo! Thumbs Up. Next week I loaded up, went the other way and got 11. Thumbs Down, Thought at first it was the additional rolling resistance from the weight but nope, I had about a 20 mph tailwind the first tow and about a 10 mph headwind the 2nd. 

Might want to also consider slowing down when you have a headwind and speeding up for a tailwind. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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DavMar View Drop Down
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Posts: 592 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2018 at 10:15am
In newer models with 4 wheel drive the ECT is electronic control traction. I guess your older PreRunner doesn't have a 6 speed transmission like my model Tacoma. Having to run in 4th gear as your top gear all the time could very well be a cause for your lower mpg?
Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog.
2017 Rpod 180
2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4
Lexington, NC
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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Posts: 204 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2018 at 12:51pm
My Tacoma has a five speed auto trans. We tow at 55 to 60 mph and try to stay on rural two-lane roads.
I agree that wind resistance plays a big part. It's easier to go slower on country roads than the interstate, plus you see better scenery a lot of the times. I've never been in a big hurry. (I drove a VW bus for seven years in the 80s and 90s!)
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2018 at 1:08pm
I drove a 1960 VW camper cross country in the early 70's. You haven't lived till you drive a 40hp bus eastbound on the trans Canada into a freezing 30 mph north wind at 50 mph pedal flat on the floor. Like a 4 day continuous sharp left turn Unhappy.  I've never been in a hurry driving either. If you want to go somewhere fast, get an airplane. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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