Towing: 6 MPG @ 70 MPH

I'm towing a 7500 lbs travel trailer. Gas mileage is ridiculously low (6mpg). Normal highway I am getting 11.5 mpg (not towing). Any thoughts or recommendations to increase this would be appreciated

 

I'm guessing you're pulling a shoe box? if so, 60-65 is the sweet spot. have a lift? bad. Mud tires? Bad.

 

Check tire pressures, alignment, air filter and condition of spark plugs.

 

Slow down. Tow in s4 or s5.

 

Sounds about normal, maybe a little on the low side but if there's lots of hills and stuff sounds right

 

I tow that same weight through the hill country and average 8 or 9 mpg with 70 mph max.
You’re towing something with the aerodynamics of a brick. I don’t think you will do much better but, try slowing down to 65 and keep the transmission in S5, downshift early to S4 or even S3 for hills.
Also, we need more info about your truck. Is it stock? Have you done a tuneup recently? Where are located and what’s your average route look like?



EDIT: Also your story is why toyota added the 38G tank in 2014.

 

This ^^^^

 

Sounds about right. I barely make it to the river on a tank towing my boat. 286 miles and 38 gal tank.

 

They added the 38gal tank in 2016.

 

I have a 2011 5.7L crew max with a tow package. It has a 3/1 level and AT tires. Needs a tune up for sure. 234,000 miles on it. No after market except for a K&N air filter (so no after market really). Pulling a 30 foot travel trailer. In Texas, drove from San Marcos (650 ft above sea level) to the gulf coast (about 150 miles). Mostly flat terrain. Trailer weight about 7500 pounds. (Crewmax cab, 20 gallon tank (BULLSHIT))

 

Last time I went to the coast from Austin I remember it being very hilly.
You have a 26.4 gallon tank.
I’ll echo my previous post.. slow down.
Your 3/1 lift doesn’t help.
Your post is not surprising but I think you’ll find a couple MPG by following the recommendations already posted by everyone.

 

Try to tow downhill.

 

You've got a few hills down I-37. Speed and headwinds off the gulf are your killer with that TT. I get 9-10 with a 4500# boat going the same route at 60-65 in 5th. You wont do any better unless you slow it down.

 

11.5 normal highway?
Hmm something seems off unless u are going 90...
My Sequoia, which gets worse mileage than the Tundra, averages 16.5mpg combined (probably 60/40 highway/city)

 

What tires are you running

 

You should first address why you’re only getting 11 mpg normally.

 

I agree with this but I also think a lot of people aren’t calculating the percentage difference in to their mpg factors.
You can look at your heads up and see 11mpg all day but if you’ve got tires that are 2” taller than stock and no speedo calibration, you’re actually getting 12 or 12.5.
Hand calculating mileage between fill ups is the only way to get these figures accurate.

 

Probably the weight, speed and needing a tune up.

However... I would also go get a stock paper filter for the air box. Any changes you make to that thing will cause you to lose low end torque. k&n, afe, anything to try increasing air flow... Bye bye low end.

 

I’m leveled with bigger m/t’s and average 16

 

It's all that Hawaiian air

 

Lol. Maybe

 

I have general grabber AT/x. 275/60/18 if I remember correctly.

 

I have a stock 19 TSS Tundra and took my RV up the Hill country in Texas. RPM's were at a steady 2900/3000 is that normal? also mpg was ridiculous 8/9 mpg!! after trip I started to think of trading in for diesel!! but lover my Tundra but the mpg six, I knew getting my Tundra would be a killer of gas but now that I want to travel it's got me thinking of trading in? hoping Toyota comes out in 2021 with a better mpg Tundra..

 

Normal.

 

We all drive jacked-up-4x4-heavy-ass-3.5 ton-high-drag low speed-monsters.
Its not mileage , its yardage.
Im sorry , but if you can afford a boat or toy hauler trailer and a newer Tundra , you should be able to feed that bitch's 38 gallon guts.
Yeah , mine sucks too! 12 on the highway is about average.

 

I've saved myself a lot of stress over the years by NEVER calculating mpg.

Now, I do often calculate my beer temperature.

Life is a matter of perspective ...

P.S. Seriously, I used to calculate mpg obsessively. One day I was like, "Why am I doing this?" Make choices. Live with them. Move on.

 

I have found that pulling my travel trailer (about 5500lbs) causes MPG to be cut in half from unloaded MPG. Across the range of speed, hills, or terrain. It is frequent that I pull the camper to places early, then return home along the same route. This is how I was able to notice the comparison.

17 empty at 70, 8-9 towing camper is most typical.