IMO neither is a factor worthy of mention regarding MPG.
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rhagfo wrote:
The total package is less aerodynamic, the 5er has smoother air flow than a PU and TT.
The total package is less aerodynamic, the 5er has smoother air flow than a PU and TT.
This ^^. There is much less of a gap between the cab and the front cap of a fifth wheel than between the cab and the front of a travel trailer. The longer distance with the TT setup allows turbulence to set up in the bed of the truck (coming over the cab) and air to slam into the front of the TT. On the fiver setup, the air flows more smoothly from the top of the cab up and over the front cap of the fiver.
Rob
U.S. Army retired
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My opinion may be skewed by the tow vehicle (pick up truck) having a topper, which may have positively affected the air flow across the tow behind camper.
On a slightly different issue, unless extreme, weights are not a significant issue pertaining to mpg. If the same unit is used in a comparison, wind resistance due to increased speed is much more of a factor in mpg than is a few hundred to a thousand pounds of carry weight. Many folks will not fill their fresh tanks prior to travel. I would dare to suggest that under identical situations, the difference in fuel mileage is near immeasurable!
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2007 Bigfoot 30MH26Sl
rhagfo wrote:
The total package is less aerodynamic, the 5er has smoother air flow than a PU and TT.
The total package is less aerodynamic, the 5er has smoother air flow than a PU and TT.
True story, can't fool physics.
And there could be other more subtle differences that contribute to fuel mileage as well.
However I seriously doubt 3mpg difference simply due to the trailer.
I don't get 3 mpg different or anywhere near that much between hauling the TC. TC & 6klb boat. Boat by itself, or 32' v nose enclosed trailer.
What can and sometimes does make that magnitude of difference though is ground speed, terrain, altitude, fuel type and wind speed/direction.
Caveat, I'm not an obsessive fuel mileage checker. Generally I may flip to the mileage screen during a trip, say, "Yup getting bad mileage..." and flip it back to the compass/temperature screen.
(Watch your language please.)
* This post was edited 09/28/20 12:48pm by an administrator/moderator *
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time2roll wrote:
3 mpg seems a bit much to lose. From 12 down to 9 mpg is 25%. I think speed, wind, terrain might also be an issue. See how next trip goes.
3 mpg seems a bit much to lose. From 12 down to 9 mpg is 25%. I think speed, wind, terrain might also be an issue. See how next trip goes.
Who gets 12 mpg towing almost 10,000 with a gasoline fueled tow vehicle? "gets less gas mileage by about 3 mpg". Probably lucky to get 8 mpg which resulted in 5 for the travel trailer. Since we don't know the route or even the average speed, simply saying 40% less gas mileage is meaningless.
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/9G0vgMTl.jpg)
Jerry
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FIRECHIEFBUBBA wrote:
To answer some of the questions in this topic. The truck has a cover on the bed to keep wind drag down. The first trip out was a 300 mile round trip to a campground we go to couple times a yr. With in the same state of Michigan. Speeds of 62 to 65. Mid grade gas. All same factors that we did with the 5th wheel. My thought would have been with less weight-1500 pounds and lower trailer, better gas mileage. I have to wonder if the difference being hitch over the wheels sets up different than just dragging it behind you. Leaving for 2500 mile trip next week we'll see what this shows..
To answer some of the questions in this topic. The truck has a cover on the bed to keep wind drag down. The first trip out was a 300 mile round trip to a campground we go to couple times a yr. With in the same state of Michigan. Speeds of 62 to 65. Mid grade gas. All same factors that we did with the 5th wheel. My thought would have been with less weight-1500 pounds and lower trailer, better gas mileage. I have to wonder if the difference being hitch over the wheels sets up different than just dragging it behind you. Leaving for 2500 mile trip next week we'll see what this shows..
I watched a show once (mythbusters?) where they illustrated that truck bed covers actually make MPG worse. Something about an open bed creating a "ball" of air that forces air up and over as opposed to a covered bed which created more down force. As far as MPG trailer vs a FW, I would guess MPG has more to do with the Tow vehicle, terrain, wind, and driving habits than splitting hairs about which type of condo you are pulling - lb for lb of course.
2023 FR Sunseeker 2400B MBS
I had a 29 foot 8000 lb trailer and I got about 12 mpg, then I got a 39 foot 14000lbs 5th and I went up to 16.5 mpg.
Steve
2014 F350 6.7 Platinum
2016 Cougar 330RBK
1991 Slumberqueen WS100
Jerry
MFL wrote:
Wow Steve...that is terrific mpg towing a 14K FW! I'm not sure my gas 6.2 will get 16.5 mpg running empty? Maybe on a still day at 55 mph.
Jerry
Wow Steve...that is terrific mpg towing a 14K FW! I'm not sure my gas 6.2 will get 16.5 mpg running empty? Maybe on a still day at 55 mph.
Jerry
Maybe an issue with metric to imperial conversion.
TomG2 wrote:
We still don't know the numbers or how it was calculated.time2roll wrote:
3 mpg seems a bit much to lose. From 12 down to 9 mpg is 25%. I think speed, wind, terrain might also be an issue. See how next trip goes.
Who gets 12 mpg towing almost 10,000 with a gasoline fueled tow vehicle? "gets less gas mileage by about 3 mpg". Probably lucky to get 8 mpg which resulted in 5 for the travel trailer. Since we don't know the route or even the average speed, simply saying 40% less gas mileage is meaningless.3 mpg seems a bit much to lose. From 12 down to 9 mpg is 25%. I think speed, wind, terrain might also be an issue. See how next trip goes.
12 is high? Sure. Say it was 9 and dropped by 3 to 6 mpg. That is a 33% drop. Seems high percentage for like conditions.
StirCrazy wrote:
I had a 29 foot 8000 lb trailer and I got about 12 mpg, then I got a 39 foot 14000lbs 5th and I went up to 16.5 mpg.
Steve
I had a 29 foot 8000 lb trailer and I got about 12 mpg, then I got a 39 foot 14000lbs 5th and I went up to 16.5 mpg.
Steve
No you didn't. Maybe once, going downhill from the gas station... unless you have one of those super carburetors the govt tried to destroy...
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Yes, A 5th wheel has a considerably better aerodynamics flow being a continuous surface for air flow than a TT which is located behind the tow vehicle and thus the flow is disrupted along the surfaces.
BTW, perhaps your brother and his wife each drove Ford diesel trucks and kept a trailer down at Old Town Campground n Retreat at Old Town FL where they'd stay at in the winter often between RV hauling trips back when Joe and Linda owned the CG. They lived in Muskegon. Had your Bro passed several years ago and his wife still hauled RV's for a few years and later had a smaller trailer at the CG? We live in Grand Haven about 13 miles south of Muskegon and have been going to Old Town CG for about 10 or so years now for about 2-1/2 months in winter. Just wondering.
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MFL wrote:
Wow Steve...that is terrific mpg towing a 14K FW! I'm not sure my gas 6.2 will get 16.5 mpg running empty? Maybe on a still day at 55 mph.
Jerry
Wow Steve...that is terrific mpg towing a 14K FW! I'm not sure my gas 6.2 will get 16.5 mpg running empty? Maybe on a still day at 55 mph.
Jerry
that is Canadian gallon and a modern diesel truck. empty I get 21 to 24 mpg depending how I drive.
Steve
spoon059 wrote:
No you didn't. Maybe once, going downhill from the gas station... unless you have one of those super carburetors the govt tried to destroy...
StirCrazy wrote:
I had a 29 foot 8000 lb trailer and I got about 12 mpg, then I got a 39 foot 14000lbs 5th and I went up to 16.5 mpg.
Steve
I had a 29 foot 8000 lb trailer and I got about 12 mpg, then I got a 39 foot 14000lbs 5th and I went up to 16.5 mpg.
Steve
No you didn't. Maybe once, going downhill from the gas station... unless you have one of those super carburetors the govt tried to destroy...
Diesel. and I get 16.5 mpg (canadian gal) all the time in the mountians. on the praries it goes down because of wind and long long slight inclines.
Steve
FIRECHIEFBUBBA wrote:
We just sold our 2011 Crossroad Cruiser Patriot 5th wheel for a 2020 Winnebago Voyage travel trailer. The 5th wheel was 34 foot and weighted 9700 pounds. The new Winnebago is 36 foot and is 1500 pounds less at 8200 pounds. The question is the t re mailer gets less gas mileage by about 3 mpg that the taller heavier 5th wheel. Both pulled by same truck .My thought is the weight distribution and pulling of hitches? Any thoughts?
We just sold our 2011 Crossroad Cruiser Patriot 5th wheel for a 2020 Winnebago Voyage travel trailer. The 5th wheel was 34 foot and weighted 9700 pounds. The new Winnebago is 36 foot and is 1500 pounds less at 8200 pounds. The question is the t re mailer gets less gas mileage by about 3 mpg that the taller heavier 5th wheel. Both pulled by same truck .My thought is the weight distribution and pulling of hitches? Any thoughts?
Back in the day I went from a tag toyhauler to a conventional 5ver. 5ver was longer (by like 7') and was taller than the toyhauler. I got at least 3mpg better going to the bigger & taller 5ver. I also was able to crest many hills in a higher gear than I could with the tag behind trailer.
2015 Itasca 25b Ford E350 V10
33 ft. 5th wheel. 12,500 lbs. loaded. 13.5 ft. high: ~11.2 MPG's.
33 ft. TT. 10,000 lbs. loaded. 12 ft. high: ~10.5 MPG's.
Typically towed at 60-65 mph.
Bill..
2017 Bigfoot 10.4 camper...2016 GMC 3500 4x4 Xcab Duramax Dually...
Z-Peller wrote:
No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.
No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.
not that your post is worth anything to the topic, but the problem isnt in weather it is sold in L or Gal but ratxher how fuel milage is expressed. franly I got more than a few years on ya being in Canada and L/100 km is not a friendly fuel milage exparession, so since we are on a board that is largly americans I use mi/gal. as for imperial vs canadian, if we put 14mpg (cdn) we know it is bigger than the US gal for fuel numbers, so get over it as my driving is in Canada.
Z-Peller wrote:
No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.
No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.
Actually it is 3.785 not a big difference, but daughter lives in Ireland, and did mileage calculations.
samsontdog">">
Quote:
Z-Peller wrote:
No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.
Actually it is 3.785 not a big difference, but daughter lives in Ireland, and did mileage calculations.
Z-Peller wrote:
No such thing as Canadian gallon (Imperial gallon) in Canada for 40 years now!...time to get over it (-: In Canada all gas/ diesel is sold in Litres at the pumps!....1US gal = 3.8 Litres.
Actually it is 3.785 not a big difference, but daughter lives in Ireland, and did mileage calculations.
Ha Ha...can't fault her for being precise....difference is a hair over one tablespoonful.
travelnutz wrote:
hornet28,
Yes, A 5th wheel has a considerably better aerodynamics flow being a continuous surface for air flow than a TT which is located behind the tow vehicle and thus the flow is disrupted along the surfaces.
BTW, perhaps your brother and his wife each drove Ford diesel trucks and kept a trailer down at Old Town Campground n Retreat at Old Town FL where they'd stay at in the winter often between RV hauling trips back when Joe and Linda owned the CG. They lived in Muskegon. Had your Bro passed several years ago and his wife still hauled RV's for a few years and later had a smaller trailer at the CG? We live in Grand Haven about 13 miles south of Muskegon and have been going to Old Town CG for about 10 or so years now for about 2-1/2 months in winter. Just wondering.
hornet28,
Yes, A 5th wheel has a considerably better aerodynamics flow being a continuous surface for air flow than a TT which is located behind the tow vehicle and thus the flow is disrupted along the surfaces.
BTW, perhaps your brother and his wife each drove Ford diesel trucks and kept a trailer down at Old Town Campground n Retreat at Old Town FL where they'd stay at in the winter often between RV hauling trips back when Joe and Linda owned the CG. They lived in Muskegon. Had your Bro passed several years ago and his wife still hauled RV's for a few years and later had a smaller trailer at the CG? We live in Grand Haven about 13 miles south of Muskegon and have been going to Old Town CG for about 10 or so years now for about 2-1/2 months in winter. Just wondering.
No that wasn't my brother. He lived north of Louisville at the time and drove a Chevy. He's also still above ground as is his wife who didn't haul.
Durb wrote:
I towed a 6,000# travel trailer and averaged 13.5 mpg on round trips (up mountains and down mountains). With the same truck I now pull a 10,000# fifth wheel and average 11.2 mpg. I will say I did have a cab high canopy on the truck when I towed the TT. This might have cut down on some turbulence. I'm pretty happy with both numbers.
I towed a 6,000# travel trailer and averaged 13.5 mpg on round trips (up mountains and down mountains). With the same truck I now pull a 10,000# fifth wheel and average 11.2 mpg. I will say I did have a cab high canopy on the truck when I towed the TT. This might have cut down on some turbulence. I'm pretty happy with both numbers.
That is great mpg with both units! The FW in sig is nice looking, and the quality is visible. I like that rear cap, and wrap around window. The older cummins made good mileage at moderate speed. The rear cap will even help a little for mileage.
Nice rig,
Jerry