Towing will severely impact the avg MPG. Consider your school test exams. One 50% test result result severely impacts your final grade point avg, even if you ace several tests.
My 1977 350 V8 Chevy pickup with "fulltime" 4x4 got 10-12 mpg no matter the speed, go up hill or down hill didn't matter, and it had dual saddle tanks - 44 gallons to fill it up. I had to take out a loan to fill the thing up. Went from Colorado Springs Co, to Charleston SC and back. Gas alone was $400 back then!
Like the truck version of Mr TThat's why Soupie has that front chain - damper mass offsetting! =p
You have the weather affecting you more than anything. That extra snow and stuff on the road makes big impact. When I was in Arizona it was common to have better MPG in the winter due to the cooler temps and no AC usage. The Engines loved the cooler weather down there.
Wow, these things are affected by either the summer gas or the temperature outside alot!
The drive is pretty much identical since March, the only difference is the change over to summer gas in April, and the warmer weather outside.
The cold affects gas milage dramatically. I had a trip that got 3 less miles per gallon in the winter VS summer and on the winter like trip I stl had summer gas. I can see the difference too by observing the trucks milage graphic that shows gas use at any given moment. In the winter the same hill and gas show a lot lower milage than in the summer.
Perhaps your truck has a Major problem? In cold weather vs hot weather an internal combustion engine will have more available power in cold weather vs hot weather. This is thanks to to much cooler and denser air.
I chalked it up to thicker grease and oils. My truck passes all its checkups but does use more gas when it is cold out.
In the colder winter environment all the fluids in the engine, tranny differentials will be thicker which results in reduced gas mileage. Wheel bearing grease is thicker and reduced gas mileage. Tires are stiffer which increases rolling resistance and reduced gas mileage. Engine runs longer in an enriched state that reduced gas mileage. Winter blend gas has higher levels of high volatility compounds to assist in starting the engine but these compounds have less BTUs per unit volume reducing the BTU energy in a gallon of gas resulting in reduced gas mileage.
Remote start probably has to be the biggest killer for anyone. I know when I had the Ranger I used the hell out of it.
