Headed South

[Cactusmonkey]

Happy New Year everyone! We are on our way to Arizona from Washington state. Loaded more than usual but not over the limit by any means. I did put more water in the fresh water tank than we needed so will dump some this morning. We have pulled this trailer with the 1500 Hemi before but is the first long trip we have taken. Driving from Yakima Washington to Bend Oregon we drove over Satus pass. The pass is about 2500 feet. The truck has 3.92 gears. Stopped at weigh station, we weighed 7,100 pounds. The truck got 8.4 mpg. Is this what you are getting? If it is then I will just not look at it any more. Ran most of the time on cruise, we pulled every hill without slowing down. Awesome truck in everyway but mileage.

Hemi etorque
3.92
wife (120 pounds)
two smaller dogs (60 pounds)
me (220 ponds)
camping gear in truck bed
90 gallons of water

 

[MADDOG]

I am assuming you meant the truck weighed 7100 pounds with the load described?

How much does the combined vehicle (truck + trailer) weigh?

 

[Cactusmonkey]

I meant the trailer was 7100 pounds the scale didn't show total weight

 

[Farmer Fran]

8mpg sounds about right in the hills. I get 10 - 12 with a lighter trailer. My trailer is ~4000

 

[Cactusmonkey]

Thanks, today was better not as many hills and California as a 55 speed limit when pulling. Drove almost 300 miles today and got 10.3 mpg. That is about what the F 150 got on this same route.

 

[Mustangmike66]

What trailer are you towing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cactusmonkey]

Pulling a 2020 Outdoors RV. 22FQS. It has 16 inch wheels and stands pretty tall.

 

[Different Drummer]

Where you heading in AZ. We spent quite a few winters along the Colorado river in Southwest AZ. It's a small world, we might know some of the same people.

 

[Cactusmonkey]

Florence AZ. but have spent a number of winters all over. Have friends in Yuma and Surprise.

 

[runamuck]

your mileage is about what I get..our trailer is around 6000# when towing and 28' long. I set cruise for 68-69 and get 8.5-10 depending on the terrain.

 

[Cactusmonkey]

Yesterday pulled the trailer from Redding to Stockton around 60 miles per hour and got 11. Today pulling to Bakersfield about 250 miles and then across the Mohave desert. Windy now so that will change everything.

 

[Farmer Fran]

Be safe and have fun!

 

[Elkman]

Nobody observes the 55 mph speed limit for towing in California. I just keep at the speed of the tractor trailer rigs and then there are no worries about the CHP.

A trailer is like a brick and at 75 mph there is 4x as much air drag as at 38 MPH so your fuel economy depends most on how you choose to drive. Same big rig with same load on same route can show 6 mpg with one driver and 9 mpg with a different driver. Guess which driver the fleet operators want to hire.

 

[Different Drummer]

Heading to Slab City and Salvation Mountain?
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Curious though, where are you heading? I spent quite a few winters down in that area with an RV. The winds can be horrible unless you are fortunate to catch it square in the butt. Then it suddenly becomes your friend!

 

[Cactusmonkey]

We made it to Florence Arizona. A little cool and windy sometimes but beats shoveling snow for us. Looking for warmer days soon.

 

[wgreggking]

Nobody observes the 55 mph speed limit for towing in California. I just keep at the speed of the tractor trailer rigs and then there are no worries about the CHP.

Got a 400 ticket in Ventura county doing 65 in the right lane pulling a tent trailer, by a female cycle cop, who lectured me that is is unsafe to pull over 55. She had no answer why It,s OK in AZ, at 75mph