Deen
Vancouver, WA
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Joined: 12/07/2000
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Too much trailer for the TV as equipped. You could go to a Class 8 truck and get better towing mileage.
Our DSDP with Honda on a dolly gets that good a mileage and doesn't slow down much in the hills now (thanks to the Banks system).
But you'll likely never get 14-15 as an overall average with anything towing a TT.
Deen - Vancouver, WA
'02 Dutch Star 4090 (41+', triple slide)
435/1200 ISC Cummins/Banks PowerPak
'08 Honda Civic/dolly
'05 Honda Odyssey/dolly
NRA Benefactor Life Member
FMCA f47302s, Life Member: Good Sam,
Newmar DP Owners Group
51st yr of RV'ing
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10tca01
Columbia Missouri
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Joined: 02/25/2008
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If you want suggestions to improve your fuel mileage, check out this thread!
HERE
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campercajun
Central Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 08/09/2007
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Your full-size van, with 5.3L V8, 3:42 axle ratio, and 6200 lbs. dry TT weight to tow, is pretty well maxed out. A 3:73 axle ratio might gain you 1 MPG or so when towing, because you wouldn't be using as heavy a throttle setting to achieve a certain speed, but your unloaded, solo mileage would most probably drop.
Our 33-foot Dutchmen Tundra weighs 7,075 lbs. when fully loaded for at least a week's trip. My 6.0L w/3:73 gets 7-8 MPG in our Texas Hill Country, where some of our grades are steeper, although much shorter, than many in Colorado, and rarely do I use Overdrive. I have gotten as high as 10.5 MPG when using Overdrive on fairly level ground (to the Northeast of Waco) little wind, and little traffic.
Putting a near-maximum load on a small engine can use more fuel than the same load on a larger, more powerful engine, especially if the small engine must use a lower gear (usually Drive, or 3rd) to hold the desired speed. A lower (numerical) gear ratio uses even more fuel, because it takes a wider throttle setting to maintain speed than it does with a larger engine/higher (numerical) gear ratio.
Peak torque isn't reached on the 5.3 until over 4000 RPM, and the faster an engine runs, the more fuel it can consume. So, unless you drive only downhill with tail winds, I don't think you can improve much on your towing mileage. It would take a long time for gas savings to pay for a rear axle ratio change. Next time around, you will want a larger gas engine and a higher (numerical) gear ratio for towing. Or a diesel.
2003 GMC Sierra Crew HD; 6.0L; Prodigy
2006 Thor Tundra 30RL-DSL; Reese Strait-Line & Dual-cam HP
2001 Honda Elite Scooter
Jim & Gayle Bryant
Murphy's Law: "Anything that CAN happen, WILL."
Bryant's Law: "31 years of RVing? Probably already HAS."
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Mic_bug
S.E. Mi --- U.S.A.
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Joined: 06/05/2003
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rear end axle swap to help with towing mileage..
don't tow with full tanks.
and pack minimal 'stuff'
2001 CC/SB...& 5 wheels
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dodge guy
Chicago, western subs.
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Joined: 03/23/2004
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Definitely a switch to 3.73`s gears is due! maybe even 4.10. when I had my Dodge van with the 5.9 and 3.90 gears I would get approx. 7 1/2 mpg. towing don`t expect 10mpg. I don`t believe it will happen, unless you consistently tow at 50mph.
Wife kim
Son brandon 7yrs
Daughter marissa 6yrs
Dog shadow
07 Cherokee 32B
02 Excursion 4X4 V-10 4.30 gear
Reese HP dualcam,Prodigy brake controller,
Air lift air bags.
Better to have a bad day of
camping than a good day at work!
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Clattertruck
Centennial Colorado
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Joined: 06/19/2003
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The Caterpillar Company says in reference to large fontal area vehicles: “…that above 55MPH the Aerodynamic Resistance horse power becomes more significant than the Rolling Resistance horse power…. The horsepower needed to overcome Air Resistance increases as a cubic function of vehicle speed.”
http://ohe.cat.com/cda/files/287140/7/legt5364-01.pdf
Clattertruck
2008 SD F450 PSD 6.4L CC 4X4 DRW, Lariat Auto trans 4.30 LS, 2008 Snowriver 108 truck camper. Jeep Unlimited Rubicon as toad.
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WTTCS
freedom , U.S.A.
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Joined: 07/28/2003
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I suggest you get an Oklahoma credit card.
Uh, thats a siphon hose. I cant think of anything else that would help your situation .
1997 chev crew cab 454, 5 sp. 4.10
2000 Fleetwood Caribou 11.5
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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Scnagage II
A TV Station recently did a test of several "Gadgets" all guaranteed to improve your fuel millage. The SCAN gage is not so guaranteed.
However it was suggested to them
And they found of all the devices, all of which were SUPPOSED to improve your fuel economy the Scangage did the best job
It is just a gage,
It changes nothing
All it does is give YOU THE DRIVER information
Information which includes the current instant fuel economy
So that YOU can modify your driving to be more efficient
And they thus found that the best improvement you could make was .. to modify your driving habits Using the scan gage as feed back
The Glass Dash for Diesels is perhaps a better idea (Silverleaf Electronics if I recall correctly.. However that's not etched in silicon or anything)
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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