Recent Trip Gas Mileage

[GSU4x4]

Well I decided to go visit some family up in NC this past weekend, so I pulled my new (to me) enclosed trailer because while I was up there I picked up some furniture. The trailer is a Haulmark V-Nose 6X10 (12' to the nose) that weights about 1200 lbs and is 6' high on the inside.

I wanted to see what kind of mileage I would get while pulling it...spoiler alert...not to good. I've shown some pics during the trip:

EMPTY - Mileage averaging 60-65mph on a rural road for about 120 miles

EMPTY - Mileage averaging 70-75mph on the interstate for 130 miles

WITH FURNITURE - Mileage averaging 70-75mph on the interstate for about 150 miles

WITH FURNITURE - Mileage averaging 60-65mph on a rural road for 120 miles

My reaction was probably the same as yours, shocked at such low numbers. I didn't run the truck hard at all, and tried to baby it as much as possible but I still spent a ton of money on gas. I love my ST but if gas prices continue to climb I don't know if I can afford trips like that when I haul my atv or motorcycle around.

 

[Austin77]

V8 or V6?

 

[LONO100]

holy smokes! im in an 03 trac 4.0L so im not too familiar with the V8 tracs, but i thought they were much more efficient than that. maybe an investment in gearing may help?

 

[ahodges]

You must have a seriously low gear in that thing because I see you are almost doing 3k at 70mph... That's insaine for a highway vechine with the 4.0 or V8... especially the V8. My 96 explorer would get 21mpg on the highway at 71 with the 4.0OHV doing around 2.5k. Now on the other hand my 99 ranger (which is much lighter) which has the 3.0 V6 with a 5 speed with only get about 20ish if I push anything over 70. The 3.0 does just about 3k at that same speed which explains the fuel mileage..

That's terrible man..

 

[dpirie]

I have a 2009 Adrenalin with 80,000 miles on it. I get about 21 mpg unloaded on the highway at 70 mph. When I'm pulling our 5,000 pound Outback trailer I get about 12 mpg, but it varies depending on winds, mountain passes, etc.

I have found that if you're going to use the computer to figure out fuel economy, you have to hold the reset button down for several seconds to wipe out the history so that it only uses current data. I also have to do this when I start towing the trailer to make the distance to empty values more accurate since that distance is the fuel economy multiplied by the remaining fuel.

Your first two empty values seem very low to me.

 

[06bluez]

judging by your RPM's id guess you have OD off? I imagine that has a lot to do with your mileage. The 6R transmission has 2 overdrive gears, so when you have OD off it is limited to 4th gear. The only reason I would tow such a small trailer with OD off is if I was going thru the mountains or the trans was downshifting frequently...

 

[GSU4x4]

V8 or V6?

V8 4x4

You must have a seriously low gear in that thing because I see you are almost doing 3k at 70mph... That's insaine for a highway vechine with the 4.0 or V8... especially the V8. My 96 explorer would get 21mpg on the highway at 71 with the 4.0OHV doing around 2.5k. Now on the other hand my 99 ranger (which is much lighter) which has the 3.0 V6 with a 5 speed with only get about 20ish if I push anything over 70. The 3.0 does just about 3k at that same speed which explains the fuel mileage..

That's terrible man..

The gearing is completely stock, 6-speed tranny w/ 4x4

I have a 2009 Adrenalin with 80,000 miles on it. I get about 21 mpg unloaded on the highway at 70 mph. When I'm pulling our 5,000 pound Outback trailer I get about 12 mpg, but it varies depending on winds, mountain passes, etc.

I have found that if you're going to use the computer to figure out fuel economy, you have to hold the reset button down for several seconds to wipe out the history so that it only uses current data. I also have to do this when I start towing the trailer to make the distance to empty values more accurate since that distance is the fuel economy multiplied by the remaining fuel.

Your first two empty values seem very low to me.

I reset the computer mpg calculator before I left and then again when I changed the road type (rural and highway)

judging by your RPM's id guess you have OD off? I imagine that has a lot to do with your mileage. The 6R transmission has 2 overdrive gears, so when you have OD off it is limited to 4th gear. The only reason I would tow such a small trailer with OD off is if I was going thru the mountains or the trans was downshifting frequently...

O/D was on the entire time, the truck was downshifting every once in a while. I tried to use cruise while on flatter sections and used my foot during the hilly sections to minimize the higher rpm's


I think my biggest issue with this trailer is the drag, maybe because its about 2' taller than my truck?!?

 

[ahodges]

ok.. then do you have any idea what stock gear you have? And what is your normal fuel mileage?

 

[mrlarrys]

to be honest I did not buy my STA for it's towing capacity - I bought it because it was one wild looking sharp vehicle. It's nice to have a PU bed to throw things into every once in a while, and the STA rides well. if it was gas millage I wanted I would have bought a ugly prius.I notticed a drop in gas millage towing my Greenwood vette to PA but it was only a few miles per gallon.My 6 cyl Isuzu Vehicross in the driveway only gets 17 mpg also!!

 

[JohnnyO]

All V8 Gen 2's have a 3.55 gear. All V6 Gen 2's have a 3.73 gear.
I borrowed my bro-in-law's motorcycle trailer to move my kids to my house from their mom's in NY a few years ago. Trailer was pretty packed, I didn't see better than 12 mpg. V6 4x4, OD off except on the long flat stretches.

 

[ahodges]

All V8 Gen 2's have a 3.55 gear. All V6 Gen 2's have a 3.73 gear.
I borrowed my bro-in-law's motorcycle trailer to move my kids to my house from their mom's in NY a few years ago. Trailer was pretty packed, I didn't see better than 12 mpg. V6 4x4, OD off except on the long flat stretches.

Are you talking ALL Gen 2's or Gen 3's? That might be true for Gen 3's but deffinatly not Gen 2's.. I have two Gen 2's that prove an exact opposite point

 

[GSU4x4]

This may be a stupid question but how do you find out what gearing you have? I've looked in the manual and I didn't see it (maybe I missed it). I have an early 2007 V8 4x4 with the 6speed transmission

edit: My normal gas mileage is around 13.5 in the city, 18-21 on rural and highway (I drive mostly city, its only 5 miles to work)

 

[06bluez]

the door sticker should have an axle code on it

43 Open 3200 3.08
41 Open 3200 3.27
42 Open 4.10
46 Open 3.73
45 Open 3200 3.55
D4 Limited Slip 3200 3.73
D2 Limited Slip 4.10
L73 Limited Slip 3.73

 

[GSU4x4]

thanks! axle code is 45, so I've got the 3.55

 

[JohnnyO]

Are you talking ALL Gen 2's or Gen 3's? That might be true for Gen 3's but deffinatly not Gen 2's.. I have two Gen 2's that prove an exact opposite point

There are no Gen 3 Sport Tracs. For Gen 2 Sport Tracs ('07-'10), according to showroom brochure and ordering information, all V6's have a 5 spd auto and 3.73 gears and all V8's have 6 spd autos and 3.55 gears.

 

[ahodges]

There are no Gen 3 Sport Tracs. For Gen 2 Sport Tracs ('07-'10), according to showroom brochure and ordering information, all V6's have a 5 spd auto and 3.73 gears and all V8's have 6 spd autos and 3.55 gears.

ohhh. sorry about that. I was think about the different generation explorers in general starting in 91. I didn't even think about the fact that Sport Tracs havn't been around as long and the different generation coding that goes with it.

 

[JohnnyO]

No prob, a common misunderstanding. Us Sport Trac folks are in our own quirky little corner where many things are the same...but some things are not.