Calling all TV opinions

mickietucs

Was wondering what all you experienced T@B and LG owners consider better for towing - a truck or an SUV in relation to better fuel economy. Hoping to find something that can tow my T@B easily but also get the best fuel economy when I'm not towing. I know I'm going to get a 6 cyl (whether it be a truck or SUV) and I tried to look at only 2014 models to compare --- but should I also be looking at HP, engine liter size and torque? Does higher torque mean easier on the engine? Perhaps that doesn't matter? If one vehicle's mpg is listed (as an example) at 18/24 but another is 16/21 are those differences considered big? I know gas mileage while towing is dependent on many factors (speed, hills, etc.) - but if you tow your T@B in the exact same conditions will one find much difference between a truck and an SUV? Look forward to what everyone has to say! Michele

Michigan_Mike

I don't tow a T@B but have a custom 2014 Silver Shadow with an extended frame and plenty of gear.  There are obvious differences/advantages between an SUV and a truck and with added horsepower you will see differences in both fuel mileage and the ability to get your trailer up and over mountains, etc.  I tow my trailer with a 2009 Chevy Equinox SUV and the gas mileage does drop down when I add my trailer to the rear of the vehicle and take it out across the western US and south from Michigan and up and over the Rockies.  I get normally around 26 mpg without the trailer and it drops down to around 19 mpg pulling the SS.  Of course this also changes some when you nurse the trailer along the highway, keep your speeds down to around 60-65 mph, coast when stopping and minimize any quick take-offs, etc.  Air pressure is something to monitor as proper inflation does help.  I also use a fuel additive too (Chevron Techron that can be purchased at Walmart, etc.) around every 3K miles to keep the fuel injection system clean and the plugs firing properly and this does help.  This was recommended by a former engineer I know who worked at Delphi.  

I believe a larger HP pick-up truck would definitely pull a T@B easier but am guessing that the fuel consumption on a V-8 would be greater but I will leave that to those who drive pick-ups.  I like my SUV as it provides me some versatility in that I can take passengers with me comfortably when I am not towing, but also know that crew cabs also avail that option too.  My seats fold down and I am able to carry additional gear and cargo without dealing with a topper too.  But on the flip side I do like the looks of the new Chevy Silverado's and even the larger Ford pickups and can see some advantages of owning these style vehicles too, so as you can see I am on the fence with this topic.....  It boils down for me to personal preferences and what uses you can derive from either vehicle, but for now my 6 cylinder Equinox is getting the job done!  

IACamper

If you drove 15,000 miles using $4 gas, the difference between 24 and 21 mpg would be just shy of $360--so that would be the difference with that, but the chances that would be your actual experience would be is nearly impossible!

mickietucs

I think I pretty much ruled out a V-8 because of the greater fuel consumption. Will see if any truck owners chime in --- yea, I'm on the fence too, Mike! If I go the truck route I will need the second cab so I can take passengers (I know the grand kids will want to go with me sometimes!) - and will need a topper. When it gets closer to purchase time, I'll test drive both (and several types - I personally like Honda and Toyotas but will keep an open mind to possibly others).

tb19

i have a kia sedona van 2012 and just bought a T@B max and towed it home for 5 hrs and found the mpg dropped by half from 26 to 13 i was disappointed because the trailer only weighs 1600lbs, i thought i would get better mileage, also i found the kia was in 5th gear alot instead of 6 gear.i drove 65 to 70 mph on an interstate.

mickietucs

tb19 - I plan on not taking any interstates (if I can help it) and keep my speed at about 50-55 as much as possible. I THINK that'll help with the mpg. Maybe I should just count on half mpg whatever I buy!

T@Balong

We've taken a few trips this summer with our T@B and have made some mileage and power comparisons between towing and not towing.   Ordinarily, my 2.5L Subaru Forester with a manual transmission gets at least 28mpg without towing.   With the trailer behind us, we run in the 15-16mpg range, traveling around 60mph.  That was more of a drop than I expected, but seems fairly consistent with other users.   Regarding power, there is no problem running in 5th gear while in the flatlands, but any kind of hill requires downshifting to 4th gear.   We haven't done mountains yet.   Last summer we took our previous teardrop (about a 1000 pounds and a profile no higher than the car) on a 12,000 mile trip to Alaska and back.    The four cylinder Forester performed very well including visits to Glacier NP and the Canadian Rockies.   However, in a few years on our next Alaska trip, we plan to take the T@b, and I think we will upgrade to something with more horsepower than the current 170hp we have.   With any tow vehicle decision, you have to weigh your towing conditions with your non-towing experience.

Kates_Moby

We just switched from a 2007 jeep liberty to a 2011 ford edge. The liberty gas mileage was awful the power was ok but we wanted more hp for towing in the mountains. The Edge is great. 278 hp and you don't even know the tab is back there. We have not been on a long trip yet to calculate gas mileage but it is way better than the Jeep. Both cars are 6 cylinders.

mickietucs

KatesMoby- thanks for that insight and showing the hp on the Edge. It seems (although it may just be the advertising) that newer models are getting better and better gas mileage. So at the moment I'm looking at 2013/2014's. The Jeep LTD (diesel) is listed as 32 mpg (combined, but obviously not towing) but it's way up there in price so I doubt I could afford that. From most folks' posts it seems no matter what they have, the mpg is cut to about half of the non-towing mode. I was hoping to compare a 6 cyl SUV to a 6 cyl pick-up. I THINK an SUV gets better gas mileage but then trucks (depending on what options one wants) are less expensive. So hard to decide so I'll have to look at many brands and models. Ah, decisions, decisions!

XPADREX

I use a 3.8L V6 JK wrangler. Normak mileage is 18 to 20, with the tab its 12 to 14 (depends on your right foot).

I am into Jeeping, so that prompted my choice (I had the JK well before I even thought of a camper). Otherwise, I would frankly choose some form of extended cab pickup or minivan, to extend the "space" available to using the Tab.

What really sucks is the listed towing capacity of a lot of smaller SUVs and saloons (wagons) that I like. They max out at 1500, which is clearly not enough.

RZRBUG

I drive a 2012 GMC Sierra with a V8.  If I'm careful, I get about 18 MPG when not towing.  That drops to about 14 MPG when towing the T@B.  I also have a cap on the truck so I don't need to worry about a place to store things when I'm camping.  This also decreases mileage some.  I drive very little when not on a camping trip, so total cost for fuel is not that bad.

Bottom line is I've had a similar vehicle for years, long before I bought the T@B and started camping, and would have it even if I weren't camping.  There is very little drop in mileage, but I don't get very good mileage to start with.  On the plus side, there is plenty of power to go wherever I want to go and pulling the T@B is hardly noticeable.

One thing to consider is how much camping will you do and how long will the trips be.  If you take short camping trips or don't go very often, the mileage should probably not be that much of a consideration.  On the other hand, you need something with enough power to pull the trailer safely without overly straining it when you do go.

Sounds like you've already done more research than most of us probably did, so I'm sure your decision will be a good one, once finally made.

Good luck!

mickietucs

Thanks everyone for your input. I also just found the Trailer Life Towing list (of 2014 vehicles). Will compare ones listed there (of a towing capacity of no less then 3500lbs) against the fuel economy.gov site to narrow down some choices and then go for test drives. Since I hope to be staying in places for more than a few days (and perhaps a week or more), I will not be towing every day.