Tow Vehicle Effiency
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15983
Printed Date: 02 May 2025 at 12:42pm
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Topic: Tow Vehicle Effiency
Posted By: CUGrad90
Subject: Tow Vehicle Effiency
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2024 at 8:38pm
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I'm wondering what kind of MPG some of you are getting behind your tow vehicle? I tow my 171 with a 2011 Honda Pilot. It gets the job done just fine, but a recent mostly flat run from NC to FL showed 10.6 MPG for the nearly 1000 mile trip. And that's on the liar meter on the dash, not my calculation at the pump. Whose getting better fuel efficiency, and with what tow vehicle? Been thinking about upgrading, either my pickup to one of the Ford ecoboosts, or my wife's Pilot for a SUV with better MPG, if there is such a thing.
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Replies:
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2024 at 7:36am
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we tow our Vista Cruiser 23 foot with our Ford F-150 with the V-8 engine. Depending on the wind, we average 13.5 on our trips up and down the east coast. We had tail winds this last trip in the spring we averaged 14.5 down and 14.7 coming home.
we use exxon/mobile mid level gas. we average 60 mph. I use both the little trip computer in the truck and double check it the mileage and gallons used. ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2024 at 1:13pm
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We get 14 MPG towing with the 3.5L EcoBoost for the most part (depending). If we're doing hills, it will be a little worse than that. If we have favorable terrain/wind conditions, it can be a little more than that. I use the lie-o-meter (which I have corrected through Forscan), and also have an app on the phone that tracks it on a per-tank basis. After correcting the lie-o-meter, it matches very close to actual. When we're not towing, we get between 18 and 22. 18 when around town doing starts and stops. 22 when we are cruising on the freeway with favorable conditions. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2024 at 2:19pm
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When we lived in NV we routinely got around 14 mpg towing our trailer with our F-150 2.7 ecoboost. Now that we live in the east, all of our mileage is worse, and we get closer about 12.5 to 13 mpg towing. I wonder if the gasoline formula differs and if there is more ethanol in the gas here. We've lost about 4 mpg for regular driving compared to what we got out west. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: gpokluda
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2024 at 8:42pm
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We tow a small, fiberglass fifth wheel (tandem axle, 5500lb GVW) with a Ford 3.5 Ecoboost with 10speed tranny. We're having a bad day if we get bellow 12mpg. Usually closer to 14mpg in varied terrain and weather. The mileage you get with your Pilot is about what we would get when we pulled our 179 with a Nissan Frontier 4.0L. I know it doesn't make sense, but when an engine can spend more time in the lower RPM range, it's going to get better mileage. ------------- Gpokluda 2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023) 2022 Escape 5.0TA 2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB Kawasaki KLR650 |
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2024 at 10:08am
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We have towed our 179 for 7 years with both a 2012 Ford Expedition v8 and our new to us 2022 F150 3.5L Ecoboost. We have always used regular gas with 87(?) octane and have not tried higher rated fuel. The Expedition V8 usually gave us about 9-10 mpg depending on travel conditions. We recently came back from a 3 week round trip from NC to Texas. Towing with the F150 Ecoboost was much easier and we averaged 14.2mpg over 2500 miles. When not towing, we just averaged 21.9mpg on a weekend trip to the NC mountains We find the F150 to be extremely comfortable, easy driving/riding and a great tow vehicle. We added an ARE camper shell and Bilstein shocks on the rear. Everything else is standard Ford 10 speed I hope to keep this F150 as our tow vehicle for the rest of our trailering days Travel often and safe Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2024 at 1:38pm
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Same 177 has been used for 13 years, loaded weight is 2940 lbs. and that includes the 36 gallons of water located behind the axle. Tongue weight is 340 and a Curt friction bar is utilized. First 8 years - .'08 and '13 front wheel drive Explorer's - average was 12 mpg. Next two years '11 F-150 with the 5.0 V-8 Coyote engine - 11 mpg. Last 3 years '17 F-150 3.5 V6 with ecoboost - 13 mpg. In all cases 87 octane (a couple exceptions we went with premium but only saw a 1 mpg or so increase, not worth the added cost, also all above include a lot of driving in the Rockies) was used, our destination from northern Michigan. Speed is normally 60 - 65 mph. ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: CUGrad90
Date Posted: 01 Oct 2024 at 9:25pm
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Just a follow up, however many months later... Just made pretty much the same trip from NC to Fl and back...and this time got 12.6 on the Pilot. I definitely took it much easier on the accelerator. Maybe that's the reason. I also had 2 kayaks strapped on a kayak rack top of the pilot. I'm not aeronautical engineer, but I'm wondering if that might have actually helped break up the air in front of the camper and contributed to the improvement. I'm heading back down to Jacksonville in a few weeks without the kayaks, so I'm going to see if that changes things.
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Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2024 at 10:38am
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I wouldn't think that a couple of kayaks on top of the tow vehicle would help. Some kind of air tunnel tests would be needed to confirm. Most of the drag from a trailer is actually the vacuum bubble behind that big box. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2024 at 9:11pm
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Just returned from a 30 day, 6000+ mile trip towing a loaded 177 (2940#) from MI to IL to IN to IO to NE to CO to UT to AZ and then returned home going thru CO to NE to SD to MN to WI and back to Michigan. Used 87 octane (never more than 10% ethanol) and averaged 13.2 using the trailer towing mode. Gas prices ranged from 2.79 in Iowa to 4.49 in Colorado and 4.19 in Arizona. ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: gpokluda
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2024 at 9:25am
We have an F150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost motor and 10 speed tranny and we are in the same ball park as you are with regards to mileage. Truly a wonderful motor and transmission combo. Towing with that combo is stressless for both the driver and the truck. ------------- Gpokluda 2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023) 2022 Escape 5.0TA 2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB Kawasaki KLR650 |
Posted By: scroc
Date Posted: 19 Oct 2024 at 6:59pm
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We just finished a trip from western Idaho back to the southern
Oregon coast, R-Pod, 2024 RP194 came across the scale at 3550 lbs and
tugger, 2013 Nissan Frontier at 5400 lbs. Averaged 13.2 for trip using
true gallons and miles, several 5k+ passes and some bad winds between
Burns and Lakeview. The Nissan does a good job, maintains
48-55 on the uphills at 2700-3200, could spin it and go faster but were
retired so wandering easy is fine with us. Steve, Cheryl, & critters. ------------- 2024 R-Pod 194C 2013 Nissan Frontier 4X4 1 big cat travel bud |
Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 20 Oct 2024 at 7:40am
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That's really good mpg WOW. But I think your secret trick is driving below 55 mph. Enjoy your travels. ------------- Jay 179/2019 |
Posted By: gpokluda
Date Posted: 20 Oct 2024 at 8:36am
Wow. You must be living right to get that kind of performance out of the Frontier. We never got close to that and we travel lighter than some backpackers! Good for you! ------------- Gpokluda 2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023) 2022 Escape 5.0TA 2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB Kawasaki KLR650 |
Posted By: scroc
Date Posted: 20 Oct 2024 at 10:35am
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We run the OBD link app with their MX BT hooked into the scan port on the Frontier. This gives us real time info on whats happening with the Tugger so you can adjust driving habits accordingly. We started with this tool in 2016 on our old Trek and found it was a great help with maintaining and monitoring the power train systems so we have continued updating and using it on all our tow rigs since then. With the electronic throttle controls on most rigs today small incremental movements of your foot make a considerable difference in amount of fuel being used to cover the distance. Enjoy our new Pod, Steve & Cheryl ------------- 2024 R-Pod 194C 2013 Nissan Frontier 4X4 1 big cat travel bud |
Posted By: gpokluda
Date Posted: 20 Oct 2024 at 8:55pm
I admire your dedication to data. I usually just put gas in the tank and point the thing in the direction I want to go and press on the accelerator. You all take it to a whole new level. ------------- Gpokluda 2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023) 2022 Escape 5.0TA 2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB Kawasaki KLR650 |