26 to 34ft tt fuel economy

[Bbouch84]

Pulling our 32ft bullet with a 14 ram 1500 3.23 gears 8spd in tow haul im getting between 9 and 12mpg.. Totally think on upgrading to a 2500 or 3500. So what do you ram diesel guys get pulling a similar sized travel trailer?

[travelin texans]

Those mileages are about the same regardless of truck or RV, not much in the way of aerodynamics in a long square box. You may notice a slight mpg improvement going from gas to diesel, but you will definitely notice a huge difference in pulling power.
My last 2 GMC dually diesels towing 40' 5th wheels got between 9 & 12 mpg, typically at 68 mph 1700 rpm which was the sweet rpm spot for those diesels, all depending on wind, terrain & my right foot.
If you're getting a new truck anyway skip the 2500 & go with the 3500, very little difference in price, mileage, ride or options & you're ready for the next rv upgrade.

[sourdough]

I'm thinking you'll see a mileage increase. Probably not significant but currently towing with a 3.21 (albeit an 8 speed) it might get you 2-3 mpg considering that's a smaller trailer than most diesel HD trucks pull - terrain would make a difference I figure. How effortless the diesel pulls your trailer will really surprise you I think.

All that said, I don't own a diesel. I have driven them and towed with them. The last was a 17 F250. Going from the 1/2 ton to an HD truck will however provide you with an increase in towing stability and handling that is hard to imagine. Having made the transition I would say just go with the 3500 if you are already looking at both 3/4 and 1 tons. Loved my 14 2500, hated to get rid of it and figured I would hate the 3500. Love it as much as I did my 2500 - and I'm pretty finicky.

[ctbruce]

3 mph would be a slightly significant increase of 33%. Not bad really.

[JRTJH]

I think "between 9 and 12 MPG" is fairly close to the "medium size gas rigs and medium sized diesel rigs". Smaller gas/diesel rigs are getting "very slightly better mileage" and larger diesel rigs are getting very slightly less mileage"..

Where the disparity falls is in "larger gas rigs". Some barely get 5 or 6 MPG, some get around 7-8 MPG and some get "around 9 or so MPG in good conditions and fall significantly on hilly roads or when facing strong sidewind/headwind conditions....

If you plan on 9-12, you'll probalby, within reason, get close to that with an "average, mid-size rig, gas or diesel.

[Getn off]

Not sure if this even helps, but I will give you my results of 2 diff 5ers...
Towing my 40’ Keystone at 13k with my 2018 F350 TD drw was a precise 10.5.
My new 44’ Cyclone at 19k, has been 8.5 so far. Granted only about 300 miles towing so far.
Troy

[tech740]

Originally Posted by Bbouch84

Pulling our 32ft bullet with a 14 ram 1500 3.23 gears 8spd in tow haul im getting between 9 and 12mpg.. Totally think on upgrading to a 2500 or 3500. So what do you ram diesel guys get pulling a similar sized travel trailer?

Skip the 2500. In a couple years you will be looking for a 3500 if you go that route. I get 9-12 towing at 15.5K. 12 at 55-60mph. 9 at 75mph.

[Bbouch84]

Ok but what about the guys who have TRAVEL TRAILERS like i stated in my original post. Ill worry about the 5ver when we upgrade in like 10 years.. looking to hear from the diesel guys with travel trailers.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Bbouch84

Ok but what about the guys who have TRAVEL TRAILERS like i stated in my original post. Ill worry about the 5ver when we upgrade in like 10 years.. looking to hear from the diesel guys with travel trailers.

With a diesel there is VERY LITTLE difference between towing a travel trailer and a fifth wheel. It's more about the weight (at 55-65 MPH) than it is about the aerodynamics (frontal area restrictions are not "critical" with diesel power, although they do have a minor impact on towing aerodynamics).... Where "wind and buffeting" do impact all towing is sidewinds and crosswinds. That's a function of the type hitch, not the type of engine in a tow vehicle.

I found that towing a 10K travel trailer (Holiday Rambler 34CBFK) with my F250 and towing a 10K fifth wheel (Cougar XLite 27RKS) with the same truck resulted in much less than 1/2 MPG on extended towing.

[ctbruce]

I pull a travel trailer. My gasser averaged 6mpg on a trip to and from Yellowstone. Cost a fortune in gas cost and time stopping to fill up. Switched to diesel and got 11mpg. Needless to say, I was a happy camper.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Bbouch84

Ok but what about the guys who have TRAVEL TRAILERS like i stated in my original post. Ill worry about the 5ver when we upgrade in like 10 years.. looking to hear from the diesel guys with travel trailers.

Same here, 9-12 depending on conditions. The "sweet spot" on my truck is right around 60 - 63 mph. I'm not aware of any wind tunnel tests comparing tt to fiver.

Any large trailer pulled by a "larger" pick up is moving a lot of air out of the way. Simple physics will say the faster you move it the more energy it will take.

[skids]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Any large trailer pulled by a "larger" pick up is moving a lot of air out of the way. Simple physics will say the faster you move it the more energy it will take.

Wind resistance goes with the square of velocity for a given profile.

[Mmeyer]

I have a 2014 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel 6 speed with a 342 rear end. I get about 13mpg while towing 14000 lb 40’ 5th wheel keeping speeds around 67mph. I used to have a forest river Salem 33’ bunk house about 10000 lbs I got about 13.6 mpg with that.

[uechikid]

A couple of months ago we bought a 2019 Ram 3500 crew cab diesel 4x4 long box single rear wheel. In june we towed our Bullet 269RLSWE 400 miles each way to Crater lake. At fill ups I averaged 13 mpg both ways. I kept my speed at around 60.

[Roscommon48]

my rule of thumb is figure about 10mpg when you pull

[ADQ K9]

I get between 9 and 12 depending on wind and terrain. There was only like $300 difference in price between a 3/4 and 1 ton identicaly specd when I ordered my truck, I imagine it is similar now . My trailer has a GVW of 8800# and is 36 FT hitch to bumper.

[Texas Steve]

I pull my 25' Hideout with a 2500 diesel and got 13 mpg on the last trip. That was in the hills but on flat ground it went to around 15 mpg. That is towing a 7K trailer.

[B-O-B'03]

Originally Posted by Bbouch84

Pulling our 32ft bullet with a 14 ram 1500 3.23 gears 8spd in tow haul im getting between 9 and 12mpg.. Totally think on upgrading to a 2500 or 3500. So what do you ram diesel guys get pulling a similar sized travel trailer?

If you are getting 9 - 12 MPG pulling your trailer with a gas 1/2 ton, it will take a very long time, if ever, to pay for the upfront cost of the diesel engine and the higher fuel cost solely by increased MPG.

If you need the bigger truck, then get it, but don't think it will pay for itself.

-Brian

[JRTJH]

Brian "hit the nail on the head" in post #18. If you're looking for improved towing performance or need a larger truck to obtain payload/GCWR increases, you might consider a diesel.

On the other hand, if you're considering a diesel as an "economy measure" then you'll need to tow with that truck for several hundred thousand miles or more to "break even". That $9000-$11000 optional diesel engine takes a long, LONG time to pay for itself when only fuel costs are considered.

[markcee]

First trip with 2019 F350 SRW, 6.2L gas, 4.30 gears. 8 mpg average from Phoenix to Missouri. Towing a 33.5’ TT, approx 8500 lbs loaded. Towing at 65-70 mph.