Gas mileage&Race Trailers

[999Duc]

This last trip to Jennings made me start asking people about thier setups.
I have a 04 4 door Tundra pulling a 7x16 V nose tandem axle trailer with 2 bikes and more gear than I really need.The trailer weighs about
2500 lbs empty.

The truck pulls it ok , but at 70 mph we were at 3450 RPM sucking down fuel.6-7 MPG.

So , what are you guys setups and whats your gas mileage looking like? :shrug:
Im especially interested in input from those of you who have diesels......

[dumwinnie]

the beauty of a diesel.....throw 5 or 6 tons back there and unless there huge elevation changes, you will barely notice a change in fuel consumption. most diesels will get ya 13-19 mpg with or without load.

[999Duc]

Damn , thats more then I get without the trailer hooked up.hahaha

[ccs273]

when I pulled charles's 16 ft to savannah, I got 14 with the trailer , & didn't know that it was there, 'course the ford only gets 15-16mpg with out one hooked up anyways, yes diesels are the way to go!!!!!!!!

[CBRjunkie]

My dads Dodge Cummins gets about 12 with three bikes, tools, gear in our 24' enclosed. Cant remember what we got with my brothers powerstroke. And when it comes to diesel I'd rather be Cummin than Stroken. :hail:

[999Duc]

Rumor is the 6.0 liter ford deisel has issues , the Chevy 2500 HD has front end issues due to motor weight , and the Dodge has the best setup although I wont ever buy another dodge after the experience I had with my last one.

I have a gas f-250 crew cab and pull a 24ft enclosed with 3 bikes and gear for the weekend... there are some tricks however i still pay about $210 in fuel there. I draft and my rpms drop to about 2100. also dont fill the bikes up... 3 bikes with 5 gallons = 15 gallong at 8lbs a gallon 120lbs of fuel... you buying fuel to tow fuel.... also the generator tow it empty! cooler drain it and drive home. theres 200 to 250 lbs out of your trailer.

[Austin 414]

25 foot toy hauler around 7000#
pullling with a 05 F150
around 7-8 mpg
I am selling it to a diesel

[999Duc]

Whatcha gettin?

[Austin 414]

Probably a new 250 or 350
anyone in the market for an 05 F150?

[SUM650]

Nice! I've looked around and found that the 350's aren't much more than the 250's. Without a load I just don't like the ride quality of a 350, but the dually's sure do look nice.

I had the 350 250 option however the 250 can haul almost as much and is easier to park. however get the 7.3 turbo and the 4x4.

[DK]

Check out some of the used F 250's and 350's deisel ....

Ford has done a really nice job with the truck and they can be had for around
$18,000 - $26,000 used ....

I have tortured some of these things in years past , like Atlanta to Willow in 34 hours Non Stop .... With some small mods such as chip, exhaust and re-routing the pop off valve you can see 14-16 towing an 18,000 Lb load...

Banks Turbo make a ton of kits for the truck which will set you back $4,000 - $16,000.... But for towing the chip is a must .... Banks has built some of the Fords with over 700HP and 900 FT LB's Torque ....

The GP tech guys had a F250 Deisel and when driving it with a 24 ft trailer, 6 bikes, mopeds, canopy, generator and tools (19,000 Lb's ?) it would get 16 MPG over the flats out west at 85 MPH ..... The damn thing moved..... 0-60 in 5.7 sec..... It was as fast as your average Eclipse or Import ..... Just left nasty clouds of Black smoke every time you stepped in it ......

I have noticed that we could bring fuel mileage back up with clean air filters.... We would change them every 1500 miles or so and would pick us back up from 14-16 with a load ..... Clean filters helped a lot when you had to climb anything .....

Without a load with chip and exhaust mods only the 350 we own will get 22 MPG on the highway and 14 around town .... Oil changes can get expensive and should be done every 2,000 miles after towing.... Your oil ends up looking like tar ....

On the gas trucks you need to set up the tounge weight properly and draft evrything in your path.... I once drove a ford windstar to willow with a little 6X12 and after having the hitch put on they had asked me how much wieght I would be pulling.... I replied "4,000 lb's maybe.....", they were very concerned about the tounge weight as some people would tow boats with the windstar just like Ford had depicted it in their commercial.... These people would no longer be able to close the dual sliding doors as the frame /body would be bent.... Well how the hell are you going to tow a 22 foot cuddy cabin cruiser with 700 lb's of tounge weight? I had to unload half my stuff and put it in the van , so I had now lost my bed and would have to move crap every time I was STUPID tired .... The load did help later on as I was in a rainstorm, the front wheels were hydroplaning on a curved downhill section, once the boxes were slid toward the front the van would get better traction .... Beleive it !!!!!!! A windstar is a great shaped vehicle for the Western bound racer or road tripping.... It would do 88 mph with the 6-12 trailer in 40 MPH cross winds and would remain quite and steady....

Any big trailer over 14foot should get sway bars and an air ride hitch if over 10,000 lbs .... Air ride hitch will help you seperate the truck form the trailer over nasty bumps , and can also help you find your proper or desired tounge weight by filling it with compressed air , acting like a ride hieght adjuster ..... You can also air bag the rear of the 250-350's great for loads but garbage for the ride without a load ....

Check out the banks turbo website ...... Killer ................................ :hail:

[CameraTrick]

A Diesel Excursion will haul the bikes plus their owners.

[SUM650]

Oh this makes me sick. I absolutly love the ford and chevy diesels. There's a couple of people that I know of in town, that have f-250's that will hurt your little sport car feelings.

[CBRjunkie]

The Chevy trucks have a Isuzu motor.

Banks deffinatly know their stuff. They put a Cummins motor in a Dakota pick-up to brake a diesel speed record at the salt flats. They used the truck to haul the enclosed trailer with gear to the flats. Got 21.2 mpg on the way there and proceded to brake the land speed record and drove the truck back without any problems. Heres a quote from there website.

Surpassing Gale Banks' personal goal of 210 mph, the Banks Sidewinder smashed the world 159.647-mph record with an average speed of 217.314 mph, making Sidewinder the World's Fastest Diesel Pickup! Amazing Overall Top Speed: 222.139 mph!
Link: http://www.bankspower.com/sidewinder.cfm