1kotonk
Senior Member
Just wondering what type of gas mileage is about normal while towing. I have a 2013 Honda Pilot 6 cylinder pulling FF139X about 3k lbs loaded, iam guessing..
Just wondering what type of gas mileage is about normal while towing. I have a 2013 Honda Pilot 6 cylinder pulling FF139X about 3k lbs loaded, iam guessing..
Eagle, did the KN filter make a difference? Since we so often travel in the dust, I go through a lot of air filters. The KN is washable, right? (I could be confused here.)
Dang, my Pilot usually get about 22 mph on the highway. Towing I am getting 11 if I am very careful. The mileage was shocking I was expecting at least 17 mpg. Wow guess Ill just have to get used to it.... Years ago I had an Explorer with the 5.0 engine, I would pull a 5x7 trailer loaded with to the max, 4 kids, 2 adults and a dog. I didn't even notice a gas difference.
Gearing makes a huge difference but the engine power/torque ranges seem to be different on today's vehicles than those built several years ago.
With the government fuel mandates, they are all built to get maximum mpg empty to meet gov't requirements and limited attention is paid to pulling power with decent mpg.
That is my opinion on that.
John- Your right, since a vast majority of SUVs and trucks sold in this country never tow anything, therefore why put the engineering into better tow mileage? But the biggest issue of towing comes down to the drag of the trailer, because once the trailer is moving on level ground, its the drag pulling it thru the air that limits the mpg. When I pulled my Coleman popup camper with my Highlander, I was getting 15-16 mpg. When I pull my FF 189, which weighs about the same as the popup, I get around 10 mpg. The difference is the drag created by the face (sail) of the trailer, and that cannot be engineered out of the tow vehicle. TT designers could make their trailer more aerodynamic, but that would limit usable space inside. That is why i stated that towing any TT with any TV will result in a mpg between 8 and 11. Its funny because I thought I was going to get much better mileage with my Highlander when I towed my FF, but I get about the same mileage as everyone else who pulls even bigger trailers with trucks.
It seems most vehicles, especially trucks, today have a tow/haul feature. The towing mode changes, among other things, the transmission shift points.
Our '95 towing van would benefit greatly from such a option as it "short shifts" from low to second. The factory set/programmed quick shifting may have helped the advertised MPG or maybe emissions ratings but is bog city while towing. I will, most times, manually shift to prevent dropping too far below the torque curve. And downshifting when stopping helps some also.
In hilly terrain, which is most all the time, I tow in drive instead of OD as it prevents the constant downshifting and reduces wear and tear. Cruise control is impossible to live with when towing so it's off even on flat land.
I'm sure that not having a tow mode affects the MPG.
But at least it keeps me busy![]()