Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post

slowmover · 03-18-2019, 08:20 AM

I use a dead-stock common-rail CTD to pull a 35’ travel trailer at an average 15-mpg. Engage cruise control. That’s it.

4WD was a mistake. Not needed for trailer hauling. The penalties can be line-itemed large & small as to why. Percentage of total engine hours while engaged is first. Crap steering is second. These can be adjusted, but not overcome. The rest of the list follows.

So look instead to annual miles EXPECTED. You’ll need to do baseline testing, first, and plan mods second. Once SOLO miles are baselined, predicting Towing MPG is an extrapolation.

The trailer is aerodynamic, or it isn’t. There’s no magic state in-between that isn’t insignificant pennies.

1). How many years of ownership?

2). How many nights aboard, annually?

Until you’ve settled on these, you’re tail-chasing. MPG, by itself will not free up additional miles for the same expenditure. It’s marginal.

And a truck that old needs to be COMPLETELY re-wired. That’s the second starting point.

I don’t want you to have to re-invent the wheel. Where you’re presently headed. I’ve been involved fifty-plus years besides being a professional driver.

Fuel is less than half the daily cost of RV travel.

Your starting point is TOTAL COST OF OWNETSHIP over expected time and miles. You MUST be able to translate that into a cents-per-mile basis for ALL vehicle use. RV travel is only a subset, full-time on the road or not.

.
.

03-18-2019, 08:20 AM	#6 (permalink)
slowmover Banned Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 2,442 2004 CTD - '04 DODGE RAM 2500 SLT Team Cummins 90 day: 19.36 mpg (US) Thanks: 1,422 Thanked 737 Times in 557 Posts	I use a dead-stock common-rail CTD to pull a 35’ travel trailer at an average 15-mpg. Engage cruise control. That’s it. 4WD was a mistake. Not needed for trailer hauling. The penalties can be line-itemed large & small as to why. Percentage of total engine hours while engaged is first. Crap steering is second. These can be adjusted, but not overcome. The rest of the list follows. So look instead to annual miles EXPECTED. You’ll need to do baseline testing, first, and plan mods second. Once SOLO miles are baselined, predicting Towing MPG is an extrapolation. The trailer is aerodynamic, or it isn’t. There’s no magic state in-between that isn’t insignificant pennies. 1). How many years of ownership? 2). How many nights aboard, annually? Until you’ve settled on these, you’re tail-chasing. MPG, by itself will not free up additional miles for the same expenditure. It’s marginal. And a truck that old needs to be COMPLETELY re-wired. That’s the second starting point. I don’t want you to have to re-invent the wheel. Where you’re presently headed. I’ve been involved fifty-plus years besides being a professional driver. Fuel is less than half the daily cost of RV travel. Your starting point is TOTAL COST OF OWNETSHIP over expected time and miles. You MUST be able to translate that into a cents-per-mile basis for ALL vehicle use. RV travel is only a subset, full-time on the road or not. . .