We just bought a 2010 RPod 177 and towed it home (185 miles) using our 2015 Honda Pilot with factory tow package, and only got 7.5 mpg!  I read the posts here about what kind of mileage most people get, so I was expecting 10-12 mpg.

What is going on???  Any ideas for me?

The nose of the trailer is angled slightly up at the hitch because I need to get a different draw bar with a deeper drop, but probably only 2" more I'd say to get to level.  Could that be part of the issue?

A few noteworthy points:  I used regular fuel, we did not have a heavy load otherwise, I did NOT go over 60mph, and there were only a few big hills to climb.

Last Thursday we drove across UT on US 50 to the NV border in a strong headwind and I could practically see the gas gauge dropping.  The next day we continued west in the early morning and avoided the afternoon wind, with a significant improvement in mileage.  It was worth the drive as Great Basin National Park is a hidden jewel.

I try to think of my motor as me pedaling a mountain bike.  I just go to a lower gear to avoid straining my old knees.  My old motor has a lot of miles on it like my knees.  

It seems that in western CO, UT and parts of northern AZ, they sell a lot of 85 octane gas as "regular."  I also switched to the normal 87 that we have in NV and CA. Can't say there was a noticeable difference, but I really wasn't paying particular attention; and, there are so many other variables, such as wind and terrain, that it's hard to know if it makes any difference.

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I didn't use cruise and I didn't notice much wind that day.

We're heading to Bar Harbour in 2 weeks, definitely gonna try the high octane and see if that makes a difference.

Super Duty is a badge. Diesel or Gas either way. And there actually IS such a thing as premium diesel with higher CETANE ratings (usually over 50). Typical cetane for diesel is advertised on pumps a "40 minimum cetane rating". Around here (Connecticut) there is no premium diesel available. I've looked.

And a gas vehicle WILL tow better and maybe have a VERY small increase in fuel economy using premium fuel (91 and higher). Higher octane resists pre-detonation. Most gas engines make their maximum rated horsepower and torque ONLY using premium fuel. They will all run on lower octane fuels, just not the same power due to the ignition timing (spark) being moved to prevent pre-detonation. Modern cars are good like that now, largely unnoticeable driving characteristics using low octane fuel.

But the OP should not expect huge improvements in fuel economy. Make sure tire pressures are at max cold PSI all around , car and trailer. You might get 1mpg more from that alone.  Definitely pump premium 91+ Octane when towing. Go back to 87 when you're not towing.

We had some head and cross winds with some gradual hills but all highway. In my estimation, it burned gas a twice the normal rate.

I drove no more than 100-105km/hr (62-65mph).

I watched my RPM and it averaged 2600. 

I plan on filling up with premium gas next time to see if it makes a difference.

I haven't to date - this post is the first that I've heard about it. We're going back out next week, will try it with the next tankful of gas.

Thanks for the response @Markie

On our Frontier, I find that if I am in mountains or hills, turning overdrive (OD) off helps. I leave the transmission in Drive otherwise unless I am on a 6% or more downward slope. On this trip so far, mileage has varied between 10.6 and 14 (one exception of 17) mpg per tank. The low ones had lots of climbing and/or headwinds. The high ones were aided by a tail wind and/or more generally downhill. So far, we have been from near sea level to about 8,000 ft in elevation.

Also, I noticed that gas octane ratings out west were different.. Instead of regular being 87 octane, I have seen 86 and 85 octane. Since the Frontier specifies 87 octane, I have been using mid-grade which has been 89 or with the last one, 87 octane. Performance has been better. I should try premium when we fill up next to see if that also makes a difference.

Just got home from our trip to Bar Harbor and we had beautiful weather and wonderful week.

Before we left I pumped the trailer tires to 50psi, filled the Pilot with 91 octane, and used a lower ball mount so the pod is nice and level now.  I made sure to keep it <60mph.  But even with all that I still only managed to get 9mpg

Oh well, it's still an improvement and we don't plan any crazy long trips with this setup anyway, so we can live with it.

One thing I was wondering, if the wheel bearings haven't been greased in a long time could that slow down the roll of the camper?  Or do bearings just either work or seize up completely?

Thanks.

We just goy back from a 500 mile trip and before we left I accidentally filled the truck with high octane fuel. My truck went from around 12 MPG to nearly 15 MPG.  I need to test it because once in a row isn't a trend but the higher octane suggestion may be a good one.  In this case the gas was also ethanol free instead of the normal 10 percent.

If it is your wheel bearings causing drag they are shot now.  Your hubs would have been hot and most likely you wouldn't have gone far.  Jack up a wheel and spin the tire listening for noise in the hub.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

Ethanol free would give a higher mpg than gas with ethanol because ethanol has less BTUs per gallon than gasoline. See this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent - Gasoline gallon-equivalent article for details. It also helps explain why Diesel engines get better mileage.

We just finished a trip of about 6,500 miles. I had greased the hubs before we left. I don't know what you mean by "a long time." If the grease is still good, it would be okay. As stated by Keith-N-Dar above, you would have felt heat and likely not completed the trip. The brakes dragging could be a factor if they are too tight and causing drag or if the pin had been pulled and they were having to overcome full-on brakes. If that were the case, I think you would get less than 9 mpg.

What speed were you driving? Anything above 55-60 mpg and you are looking at a very significant mileage hit due to wind resistance. Wind resistance is not linear, meaning that it does not increase proportional to the speed, but exponential, meaning it increases much more than the speed. There is an http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27849660.cfm - article on RV.Net that you should look at to help understand this.

Originally posted by Keith-N-Dar We just goy back from a 500 mile trip and before we left I accidentally filled the truck with high octane fuel. My truck went from around 12 MPG to nearly 15 MPG.  I need to test it because once in a row isn't a trend but the higher octane suggestion may be a good one.  In this case the gas was also ethanol free instead of the normal 10 percent.

It could be that the higher octane allowed you engine management computer to advance the timing more than with regular. That could easily explain the difference in mileage. OTOH, maybe you had a tailwind for most of the trip?

Our owner's manual recommends premium fuel when towing. So I generally fill with premium before and during a trip. We typically get 14 MPG (MOL).

A great example.  I recently drove to Ontario Canada and back, but only with a motorcycle on a hitch carrier (300 pounds max).  It was 428 miles each way. But I noticed that from central Connecticut, it was FLAT driving, with almost no grades whatsoever through NY and Canada. My fuel economy was 32 MPG vehicle indicated, and 31.5 MPG actual calculated. 

I have NEVER gotten that kind of mileage on highway from Connecticut to Vermont. Ever. Maybe 28 MPG best, with a mountain bike on the back hitch. Hills make a huge difference, and head winds are just as brutal. 

 Were you in the next lowest transmission gear (if a 6 speed, use 5th, never 6th). Allow the engine to make more power by running higher engine RPM's. If your transmission hunts 5th-6th, don't let it. Constant gear hunting will also cause worse fuel economy and more transmission heat too.

 Is your Pilot brake system in good shape? Have you check pad thickness to see if you have  stick caliper piston? Does it pull when braking? The tow vehicle is just as important as the trailer. 

If you hitch your R-Pod to your Honda Pilot, then use an auto jack to raise one R-Pod tire of the ground, and see if it spins free with no bad play or grinding noises. Being hitched makes for safer jacking of the trailer.

Using a different octane rating than your vehicle is tuned for will get you NOTHING. Period. 

What you may want to check is the trailer brakes. If one or both wheels is dragging, it's going to eat more fuel to pull.