olyelr
Senior Member
I have driven the route from Kansas City to the Front Range of Colorado during the winter while towing my 15 Travel Trailer on I-70 several times with my PW. Even though it's around 600 miles, the majority of this route is up hill. Roughly 99%. It averages out to just 8 feet per mile, but then it's an approximately 1 mile of elevation gain. Every time that you're going down a slight hill, you've got to go up an even bigger hill more often.
The speed limit is 75 MPH. So being just barren grass with no trees you do 80 MPH plus to keep your sanity. Afterall, the other traffic does. With the usual eastern hard blowing wind at a steady 35 MPH, this headwind sucks the gas down to 5.7 MPG and lower when you're floored trying to maintain the speed while towing. Even empty it isn't easy on the gas consumption. The barbed wire fences don't slow the wind down, neither do the 400 foot high wind farms which aren't out there due to any lack of wind to turn those huge blades.
Add to that during the winter some 20 degree Fahrenheit temperatures and below these cold conditions suck the gas even more due to the denser air. Engage the 4 wheel drive to drive through the unplowed snow and even unloaded I have seen under 10 MPG with my 34" 285 75R17 tires while empty.
There's no need to purchase the higher than 87 octane gasoline out here due to that's the mid-grade and there's less atmospheric pressure higher up to ping on it. Also, our winter blend fuel and high elevation just cuts the power in the Power Wagon. Floor it to get to Colorado and then floor it up our mountains to make it over the 11,000 foot passes to find even more mountainous terrain to suck down the gas.
You're MPG is good.
I wouldn't say good... but it is close to normal LOL.
Now, my wifes yukon xl denali that feels like it has twice the horsepower and gets 18-20mpg... now thats good!