Quote:
Originally Posted by aerostealth
I have been on trailer towing sites looking for comments on how to get better mpg while towing a trailer and they seem fairly clueless about aerodynamics. About all they can tell you is drive slower. I typically do only about 62 mph if conditions warrant it. Slower in head winds or side winds. I once got over 15 mpg towing Apex with the 4 Runner with a nice tail wind. But 12 mpg is my baseline I am looking for improvement on.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aerostealth
If I were to use 12 mpg as a baseline 13 mpg would be a 7.7% improvement. At $2.699 a gallon (current price) it would cost me $22.49 per 100 miles at 12 mpg. It would cost $20.76 per 100 miles at 13 mpg. Savings $1.73 per 100 miles. Our coming trip to Roper Lake SP in AZ is 448 miles which would amount to a savings of $7.75 at 13 mpg. This mpg improvement amounts to reduction in HP to do 62 mph from 62.65 RHP to 57.83 RHP for a 4.82 RHP reduction. This is speculative of course as I have yet to gather the data. Gathering baseline data will take a while.
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23-cpm versus 21-cpm. About ten percent. It'd make me happy!!
448-miles at a travel speed of 58-mph is 7.75-hrs. With a fifteen minute safety break at the two hour mark (110-120 miles), and a one hour break at the four hour mark (220-240 miles) and another fifteen minute break at the six hour mark (325-350 miles) plan these stops using whatever combination of rest areas or other that appeals. The one hour break is where to refuel and take a meal even if they are a few miles apart.
The ideal spot is
In the same direction of travel
Has easy ingress and egress for a combined rig (check overhead satellite view)
Is beyond any traffic control devices to re-enter highway.
Has parking that allows that easy egress without much steering input.
When I follow this I can occasionally lose only tenths from my trip average when towing. Always when solo.
I set the cruise control using rpm versus speed.
That's the norm as I do it were I on your r trip. But I do think it's fair you not begin the test until you're more than an hour down the road to account for full op temp on vehicle and tire stability. Just note the number of acceleration and deceleration events (entering and exiting highway for the most part).
The safety breaks are par for the course. 80% fuel range on a EB F-150 with 26-gl tank at 12-mpg is 250-miles. If one made the two fifteen minute breaks at hours two and six the refuel points I know I'd find it a good test. That they coincide with range is lagniappe.