Efficiency When Pulling A Trailer

[Clev]

Out on the San Joaquin delta, there are so many boats (from sailboats to container ships) that watercraft are but a small buzz in a big cacophony. I make do with an inflatable boat with a 5 hp 4-stroke Honda that basically goes the whole summer on a tank. That certainly compares favorably to an Aquatrax that gets about 12 mpg max at 35 mph.

[Clev]

I saw a PWC glider (chassis, pump and dead motor) for free on Craigslist about a month ago, but I don't have a place to store/work on it. I was thinking about a variety of conversion possibilities, from a G10 to a Kubota diesel to electric.

[MadisonMPG]

Pulled a trailer with my Dakota, got like 16 MPG or so. 3500 pound loaded trailer and big long hills. I get like 18 w/o a trailer...

[Christ]

I just pulled my wife's Saturn all the way to Binghamton again... there was a total of ~5,000 lbs. I got 23 MPG in my dad's 1998 S-10 2.2 4cyl/5speed. He usually gets 27ish.

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by Christ

I just pulled my wife's Saturn all the way to Binghamton again... there was a total of ~5,000 lbs. I got 23 MPG in my dad's 1998 S-10 2.2 4cyl/5speed. He usually gets 27ish.

I'm doubting that severely. With 120hp you'd have to be dogging it most of the time, unless you drove 45 in 4th and the ground was flat the entire time.

[grease87]

the trailer im talking about isnt going to pick up 5000lbs but how often do most people trailer cars anyway...

[Christ]

Originally Posted by MadisonMPG

I'm doubting that severely. With 120hp you'd have to be dogging it most of the time, unless you drove 45 in 4th and the ground was flat the entire time.

Most of the ground is flat, there were 60 miles of his driving on the tank before I picked up the truck, and I put just over 225 miles on it, then filled it up before I gave it back to him.

We just towed the car back 4-flat, with a bar bolted to the bumper, but I'm not filling the truck this time, so I can't tell what mileage we got. It really doesn't affect the truck cruising that much, just accelerating is slower than a dog, and it's mostly highway.

I hypermile while towing, accelerating at ~80% throttle, short shifting @ 2k-2.5k, engine braking to stops, engine braking to slow down, driving like I don't have brakes, upshifting and downshifting without the clutch, EOC to stops (after I'm below 10MPH), etc. I'm a VERY conservative driver when I'm towing something heavier than the normal load capacity of the vehicle I'm using to tow.

I guess if you don't believe it, that's your perogative, but I've got no reason to lie about it, and couldn't care less if anyone is impressed with my mileage figures... so take your pick.

[MadisonMPG]

Well good job!

Do you happen to know the tow rating?

[Christ]

Not entirely sure, but I know the hitch is rated to 10,000 or better... it's a tow-motor drag-hitch, used to move steel carts with insanely large injection-type plastic molds, which are heavy steel, often weighing 5,000 or more.

The truck, OTOH, I don't think is supposed to tow more than 2,500# with 900# payload capacity. It's technically a 1/4-1/2Ton pickup, I guess. I know damn well I was over rated towing capacity for the truck, though, which is why I periodically stop to check the load. (About every 30-45 mins, usually.)

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by grease87

the trailer im talking about isnt going to pick up 5000lbs but how often do most people trailer cars anyway...

We don't really care about your trailer, we've established it's not safe or much, if any, more fuel efficient.