Buyers remorse? MPG

[Jhbryaniv]

Well at least on this thread no one yet has cited what the TFL guys say about towing with turbos as happened on another towing thread. I'm sure the TFL guys could get 30+ mpg towing out of the Ranger, they are so good at everything and use scientific methods in their testing. I recall a guy who bought the v6 Touareg and he whined al lot about gas milage and he wasn't towing.
Most of us who tow travel trailers in excess of 4k lbs including Grumpaw seem to consistently report 10 to 12 mph going 65 mph, and on a recent trip thru SW Colorado taking roads less traveled and keeping speeds around 50 mph I was able to get around 17 mpg towing, I also notice that on flat stretches not using tow mode does help with mpg.
But IMO there are better vehicles to tow with than our Rangers.

show me on the teddy bear where the TFL guys hurt you -

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[Friday yet?]

It is all dependent on what you want to tow, and an SUV is not a proper tow vehicle for a lot of trailers, and perfectly fine for others.
Your buddy's VW may be fine with a flat bed with a car on it...it's low to the ground and probably tows great.
Hook my 7000 lb, 28 foot long camper up to it, and he's going to have all kinds of problems, and I guarantee his mpg will take a big dump.
Our Rangers are notorious for getting crappy mpg's especially while towing. It is not a "small" truck at all, and weighs more than an F-150 from just a few years ago. Add a large trailer, 4 cyl turbo== bad mpg.
But, it fits in my garage, tows my camper just fine, is comfortable for me, wife, two pups, and I can easily do an 8 hour day driving it if needed...usually 6 or so. It "checks" all my boxes.

Plus many SUV's don't allow a WDH. Not sure about the VW.

 

[dtech]

show me on the teddy bear where the TFL guys hurt you -

Clowns , with the exception of John Wayne Gacy aren't supposed to hurt people , but to make them laugh. I can't say I've watched anything from TFL in several yrs but when I did failed to find their videos entertaining, mostly pitiful and just plain dumb.

 

[Grumpaw]

Plus many SUV's don't allow a WDH. Not sure about the VW.

Yeah....that has always had me stumped....
Lot of them come with a 2 inch receiver, but it's on a uni-body. Just how well would one hold up with a WD hitch transferring 700 lbs thru a uni-body rear to front. Thats gotta take a tole on it over a period of time.

 

[Big Blue]

towing with an itsy bitsy 4 cyl with turbo = horrid mpg.

When I drug a small uhaul box trailer across the country I was getting dashboard readings of 5mpg going up some hills . . .

my overall mpg was probably mid upper teens.

shrug.

You want those 20+ mpg numbers when towing get a massive truck, pay ~100k for it and put diesel in it, while paying the premium for owning a giant truck...

Face it towing 7000 lbs with a F350 diesel will get you horrid mileage. Then you need to live with it 24/7/365.

The worst thing to look at towing is instantaneous mpgs. Come to think of it, don't look at it anytime, towing or not. It will drive you crazy.

 

[dtech]

Face it towing 7000 lbs with a F350 diesel will get you horrid mileage. Then you need to live with it 24/7/365.

The worst thing to look at towing is instantaneous mpgs. Come to think of it, don't look at it anytime, towing or not. It will drive you crazy.

Lots and lots of stories on facebook travel trailer user groups about people towing with stuff like Tacomas, Rangers, KIAs, Hyundais , Explorers, etc only to eventually throw in the towel and move up to a full sized pickup - not so much owing to gas mileage but just a better towing experience with a full sized vehicle.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

Face it towing 7000 lbs with a F350 diesel will get you horrid mileage. Then you need to live with it 24/7/365.

The worst thing to look at towing is instantaneous mpgs. Come to think of it, don't look at it anytime, towing or not. It will drive you crazy.

I do believe you will still get better performance and MPG's on a large motor that can't tell it is towing a smallish trailer vs a 4 cyl turbo that is working to get it done. . . (A racecar on a flatbed would be light work for a large diesel)

and if we are honest, the interior of a full size truck is more comfy than the interior of the ranger - bigger is better (inside) but driving that pig everyday would suck.

I only remember the 4 mpg because we were coming up out of a low area and the grade was steep - like 8* or 9* . . .

 

[Grumpaw]

Face it towing 7000 lbs with a F350 diesel will get you horrid mileage. Then you need to live with it 24/7/365.

The worst thing to look at towing is instantaneous mpgs. Come to think of it, don't look at it anytime, towing or not. It will drive you c

Face it towing 7000 lbs with a F350 diesel will get you horrid mileage. Then you need to live with it 24/7/365.

The worst thing to look at towing is instantaneous mpgs. Come to think of it, don't look at it anytime, towing or not. It will drive you crazy.

As you and I know, towing with the Ranger=bad mpg....all of us here know it.
I think it's only the new members who are starting out or are planning on towing are shocked by the low numbers.
I guess I'm fortunate as I do not concern myself with mpg, needing to stop frequently, or the cost involved...but I know there are many who have to count their coin carefully.
Just be aware that having to buy more fuel, even over a 1000 mile trip, is not to much more $$$ between 12 mpg and 15-16 mpg....certainly not enough to cancel or cut a trip short.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

smiles per gallon is more important than miles per gallon . . .

 

[Cabose-1]

Yeah a buddy if mine got a new f350 to tow his tt. He has the ford diesel engine in it and we get about the same mpg towing and empty. He just carries a lot more weiggt than i do. You gonna tow, it needs power, to get power you need fuel. Even evs use energy towing. Just enjoy your truck, its a much better beaut than a vw.

 

[Big Blue]

Lots and lots of stories on facebook travel trailer user groups about people towing with stuff like Tacomas, Rangers, KIAs, Hyundais , Explorers, etc only to eventually throw in the towel and move up to a full sized pickup - not so much owing to gas mileage but just a better towing experience with a full sized vehicle.

Granted the towing experience will be better with a larger/heavier/longer wheelbase tow vehicle. Most of those people are also full time or high percentage towing people. For the more intermittent tower that just wants a little larger TT, having a large dedicated tow vehicle doesn't make sense, won't get you more mpgs either. Especially if it also needs to be you personal daily driver. And, as has been said many times if you towing a TT or heavy, or both, mpg is the last thing you should be thinking about. I'm in the same range as Grumpaw towing my 4200 lb TT. Mid-teens at 60-65 mph, and it goes down hill from there.

 

[moorejl57]

It seems like it's down to physics. It will take about the same amount of energy to tow a load regardless of the vehicle, unless the engine/transmission is really inefficient. Our Rangers are pretty efficient, turbo and all. Also, I am not sure how much having the SCR and DEF on a diesel effect the mileage. I would get a larger truck for heavy towing so that the tail isn't wagging the dog.

Diesel: 138,700 Btu/gallon
Gas: 125,000 Btu/gallon

 

[mtbikernate]

if you towing a TT or heavy, or both, mpg is the last thing you should be thinking about

I would disagree about this. economy does matter. but you do have to understand that with any engine, you're going to lose fuel economy with a load, towing or hauling. you might be able to eke out slightly better fuel economy by getting a more aerodynamic trailer or a few other things.

for me, fuel economy while towing matters inasmuch as it relates to the fuel tank size and the range I'm going to get while towing. if I'm dealing with a load in town or going relatively short distances, I don't much care. it is what it is, as you've said. but I start to care more on a long road trip, the sort of thing where my load is more likely to be a TT of some sort. how many fuel stops am I going to have to make during the time period I've set for myself to be driving? extra fuel stops eat up time where I could maybe arrive at my destination a little earlier or put down a few more miles in a day.

now, this thought process plays a role in what I tow as well as what I tow with, among other factors that I consider. since I value fuel economy on long road trips, I'm never going to tow a TT as large or heavy with my Ranger as some do here. I'm going to choose smaller, lighter, and more aerodynamic trailers every time. I'm more likely to tow heavy when I'm getting supplies for projects at the house. those trips will be short, and I won't care what my range is.

 

[KJRR]

You all are you nice and we need to address the source of the problem which isn't mpg.
Buyers remorse most often occurs when the proper research isn't done in advance of a major purchase.

 

[Grumpaw]

You all are you nice and we need to address the source of the problem which isn't mpg.
Buyers remorse most often occurs when the proper research isn't done in advance of a major purchase.

I posted that back in #19, but was a bit more verbal about it.
But it is true....I'd guess that a lot of buyers buy on impulse or instant gratification instead of doing some research into their needs, not just in the now, but for future endeavors.

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