I doubt you will save enough with any add-on that will save you money in the long run,
I did a calculation on the Banks System a year ago, and it would take me about 10 years at 5000 miles/year to pay for the 1 mpg savings I'd get with the investment.
Just do your routine maintenance....keep your filters clean, and slow down, and maybe shift to a lower gear (keeping your rpms down to that 1600 range, and things should stay about the same......increase rpms, and mileage goes down....it's that simple.
What the heck, "investment" automatically gets some link??? what is with that?? I sure didn't link anything??
Bill & Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris / GS MJ Dogs: Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie, Annie, Maggie, Tugger & Beau RIP: Cookie, Foxy & Gidget @ Rainbow Bridge.
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April 2008 FMCA# F407293 The Pets
Claude B wrote: ''Getting the best mileage possible''
Well, I just sold my 25' TT and my Path will follow soon. It was a very great combo for the last 10 years.
I just got a new Passat 2012 TDI 6 speed manual tranny and I will take delivery of my new TT (VISA 19ERD 2013) in june from Can-Am RV in London Ontario (Andy Thomson, the best of the best specialist in towing). I saw so many of these type of combo in Europe and if it work so well over there, it will work well over here too...
BTW, the Passat TDI has a tow ''capacity'' of 2,000 kg (with brakes on the trailer) on the other side of the Atlantic ocean...
My fuel consuption will be better WITH the TT than ANY PU solo in the best conditions !
And believe me, this is not a troll.
I agree with you, hence my diesel swap into my car, with the custom hitch fabrication I already did. I full well expect to get twice the MPG, empty or towing, versus any full-size late-model pickup truck. Thing is, my car isn't costing me even a twentieth as much as yours is costing you. If you have to spend thousands to get MPG, you're just jumping over dollars to pick up pennies. Plus my car is far more fun, a good bit more stable, more easily and affordably upgradeable, infinitely more serviceable and repairable, and is actually appreciating in value, rather than yours depreciating.
Seems to me you got an important part of the right idea, but way-wrong application of same.
'06 GMC C2500HD RCLB gasser 4.10:1, 4L80E, custom camshaft
'84 Trans Am 6.2 diesel, 700R-4, custom Class-3 receiver
'69 F350 dually. GM 6.2 diesel, turbo, 700R-4, NP208 all pending.
Claude B wrote: ''Getting the best mileage possible''
I just got a new Passat 2012 TDI 6 speed manual tranny and I will take delivery of my new TT (VISA 19ERD 2013) in june from Can-Am RV in London Ontario (Andy Thomson, the best of the best specialist in towing).
My fuel consuption will be better WITH the TT than ANY PU solo in the best conditions !
Sweet! Congratulations Claude. Doesn't get much better than that.
Airstreams.... the best towing trailers on the planet!
I agree with you, hence my diesel swap into my car, with the custom hitch fabrication I already did. I full well expect to get twice the MPG, empty or towing, versus any full-size late-model pickup truck. Thing is, my car isn't costing me even a twentieth as much as yours is costing you. If you have to spend thousands to get MPG, you're just jumping over dollars to pick up pennies. Plus my car is far more fun, a good bit more stable, more easily and affordably upgradeable, infinitely more serviceable and repairable, and is actually appreciating in value, rather than yours depreciating.
Seems to me you got an important part of the right idea, but way-wrong application of same.
Both are cars but totally different concepts as far as TV are concerned.
A. New Passat... A modern state of the art vehicle with all the benefits of that technology (too much to list).
VS
B. 30 year old Firebird heavily modified with super heavy duty parts/configuration.
Since I to am a custom car builder and a user of a modern car for a towing I can see and appreciate both vehicles.
The issue is they are apples and oranges which makes them very different vehicles and difficult to compare.
Items like handling, stability, fun to drive, reliability, etc are all opinions and subjective.
I guess the only way to compare you would have to hook up the two vehicles with the same trailers, connection, etc and go out on the road and do some travelling.
Dessertfirst wrote: I am trying to increase my mpg when towing. Currently get 19 at 1600 rpm about 50 mph, any downshift ups the rpms to 2100, mileage drops to 10.5.
Anyone with experience re k&n filters, aux radiator fans, computer chips, exhaust systems , air boxes?
Which e the most effective?, cost effective?
Thanks,
John in Tucson
2000 Chevy Blazer(max towing 5500)
Kodiak 215 hybrid (3700 loaded)
Here are some proven methods that are also fairly low cost to gain
the best/highest MPG....
Go to the narrowest tire rated for your loading.
Get a highway tread with the fewest sipes, lugs (spaces between the
tread blocks), or better yet no tread blocks but contiguous ribs
Air them up to their max listed PSI. Don't worry about wearing out
the center rib...remember you are going to the narrowest section width
Get the highest aspect ratio, say an 80% or higher
Get the widest rim width recommended for that tire size
Make sure your air profile is smooth and unencumbered by things like
aux lamps, roof rack, extended mirrors, etc, etc
Lower the vehicle and/or install a chin dam as low as possible to pinch
off any air flowing underneath the vehicle.
Maintain your vehicle well and use the best lubricants you can afford
Flush them often (engine, transmission, power steering pump, diff, etc)
Keep it in tune and do NOT go the 100K most manuals say your plugs
are good for...change them at 50K mile or sooner
Air filters should be changed often and if in dusty/dirty/etc conditions,
change them even more often
Then driving style
DO NOT 'drive' to a stop, but coast to a stop.
Accelerate as if an egg is between your foot and throttle
The boy racer stuff does give a seat of the pants impression, but
rarely higher MPG, as they are by definition (boy racer stuff) designed
for WOT most of the time
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...
Best way to increase mileage is to SLOW DOWN and DONT DRIVE AGRESSIVELY. Speed and aggressive driving are the worst killers of gas mileage. Like Ben said, do a lot of coasting and pretend there is an egg between your foot and the gas pedal. That will get you greater mileage increase than any kind of add-on equipment will ever do, at any price.
SoCalDesertRider wrote: Best way to increase mileage is to SLOW DOWN and DONT DRIVE AGRESSIVELY. Speed and aggressive driving are the worst killers of gas mileage. Like Ben said, do a lot of coasting and pretend there is an egg between your foot and the gas pedal. That will get you greater mileage increase than any kind of add-on equipment will ever do, at any price.
A wise man has spoken...
Rather than spending $ on gimmicks, re-assign those funds to tires, fluids, etc. etc.
BManning baking in Phoenix
2008 Ford Super Duty F250 XLT, 4x4, crew cab, 6.75' bed
5.4L V8 300hp/365ft-lb, 5sp Torqshift, 4.30 AAM gears
9400lb GVW 11200lb tow
2007 Volvo XC90 AWD V8
4.4L 311hp/325ft-lb, 6sp Aisin, loaded
6100lb GVW 5000lb tow
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