RTT Towing MPG.....My Results

[Rbertalotto]

Yesterday I took my new built RTT camping trailer on its first long trip. 50 miles each way. All highway.

The tow vehicle is a 2010 Toyota Venza V6 / 265HP.

Non towing I get 25 mpg ave, day in, day out...cruising highway at 70mph.

With the trailer I got 17 mpg for the entire 100 mile round trip.

I was surprised as the trailer weighs only 1300 pounds for this test and it is lower than the roofline of the Toyota thereby offering minimal wind resistance.

What are folks getting for MP{G towing comparable trailers with Subaru Outback, 4Runners, Xterras??? These are the three vehicles I'm thinking about getting in the future.

 

[Lownomore]

1) 1300lbs of additional weight is significant for a smallish SUV.

2) even being lower than the roofline it can alter the overall airflow as it would normally drop over the back of the vehicle.

 

[billiebob]

I was surprised as the trailer weighs only 1300 pounds for this test and it is lower than the roofline of the Toyota thereby offering minimal wind resistance

The aerodynamics have little to do with the trailer fitting in the shadow of the tow vehicle and everything to do with the turbulance in the void between the towee and the tower. Close coupled is what counts to reduce that drag.

 

[jg45]

I have a 2012 Xterra. Without my trailer I get 18-19 MPG on the interstate at 70. With the trailer, that drops to 15-16. The trailer is a modified M-416 with a tent on top and wider fenders with wider track width. It tracks close behind the vehicle. At 60 MPH, mileage is the same. As speed increases past 60, MPG drops quickly.

 

[(none)]

it doesn't take much. I tow the same 5x8 utility trailer with a Nissan Frontier and a Ford Edge. The extra 2 tires on the ground and the weight (i'm usually only around the 1000-1200 pound range) can really be felt in both vehicles. Mileage drops quickly, as noted, especially above 55-60mph.

 

[Airmapper]

I haven't crunched numbers, but I noticed a huge difference when I got my RTT off the roof and on my M416. Mostly in 6th gear on the interstate, I'd have to drop a gear on hills with the tent on top, with the trailer it seems to hold speed better.

As was mentioned as beneficial my trailer follows close, it's an unmodified tongue. That is one thing I don't get about a lot of trailer builds is the first thing they do is chop off the tongue and add 5 feet. It does make it easier to back, but I think the effort would be better spent learning to back a trailer, the short tongue M416 is not unmanageable, it's not that short.

I'd say my results are in line with @jg45 on mpg. Maybe a bit worse, I run pretty heavy. Overall though putting my RTT on a trailer has been a huge upgrade for me.

 

[ITTOG]

The aerodynamics have little to do with the trailer fitting in the shadow of the tow vehicle and everything to do with the turbulance in the void between the towee and the tower. Close coupled is what counts to reduce that drag.

And that is just half the story. The back of the vehicle, or trailer in this case, is just as important. There is a reason trailers have fins off the back. Or that tear drops are rounded in the back.

 

[billiebob]

And speed, speed over 50mph has an exponential factor on milage. With my trailer I get 18mpg if I stay under 55mph and never pass. If I cruise at 60mph and pass on every highway 3 lane I get 14mpg. Empty, no trailer, averaging 60mph I get 22mpg.

Speed is the easiest way to control gas economy.