MPG Whilst Towing

[Trevor_5077149]

I have just come back from my first weekend away in the lakes. The journey is 170 miles each way and on the way there I got only 28mpg and on the way back I managed to get 32mpg.

I drive a VW Bora TDi with the 130bhp engine. I didn't exceed any of the speed limits along the way and I did hit a little traffic on the way up.

I just felt this was a little low as the guy who sold me tha car towed a similar 'van and he claimed to get 38mpg.

Any one else care to post their towing figures?

 

[Dusty1]

I have the same engine in a Skoda Octavia and get similar figures to that. There are all sorts of factors that can affect your mpg like head wind or following winds, how hard you accelerate, etc. No one person will drive the same.

Don't forget if you are travelling south its downhill and therefore you would expect better fuel consumption!!!!!!

 

[Jonathan_5061656]

Trevor,

I have a Mondeo 2.0 tdCi (115 hp) which we towed a 1250kg van back and to Poole from Manchester recently. Both journeys 245 miles and we got 36 mpg both ways. Compared to the 50-52 mpg I get on average without the van, I thought this was excellent.

We had an jam-free journey on M-ways and A34 but I still diddn't expect to get this kind of economy.

I was kind of hoping it would be worse to help me justify changing to a Kia Sorento next year but I read on here that people only get approx 32 mpg solo with those (less with 'van ?) so that's that theory out of the window !

Jonathan.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi,

Before my current car, I too had a VW Bora TDI - with the 6 speed manual gearbox - right?

Towing our Eriba Triton (1000kg typical running weight), which is classed as "very good" for aerodynamics, we saw between 38 mpg and 42 mpg towing in the UK and Europe over my two years of ownership. That was according to the on-board computer.

My C270 automatic returns around 32 mpg to 35 mpg towing the same Triton, so you really should achieve a better fuel consumption.

Try adjusting your driving speed so that the engine is running at maximum torque - around 1850 to 2000 rpm.

Regards, Robert

 

[VonRyan]

Hi Trevor.

Your MPG return is not to be sniffed at I wish I had the same returns from my combo. I have over the years done the lakes run and I also notioced the return mpg was always higher with no change to loading etc. I discussed this with several fellow vanners who also are HGV drivers and both their replys were the same .Going north on the M6 is all up hill and the south is down hill and their HGV return the same more fuel used northbound than southbound.I did laugh at the time but many other freinds report the same.

Rob

 

[Mike_5041089]

Trevor - If you do a Forum search on MPG you'll see one of my earlier postings from late last year which had about 50+ responses from fellow vanners and their towing/solo mpg figures with their respective outfits. You're doing pretty well to get 30+mpg, as most petrol/diesel combos mpg increases to nearly twice the solo figure, which is not surprising given that your car is effectively pulling at least another 1-2 tonnes of vehicle. The trouble is with diesel averaging virtually

 

[jon_5062082]

these are the figures for my last 3 outfits.

Nissan terrano 2.7td towing 1200 kg , 20-22 mpg , solo 25 mpg

Xantia 1.9td estate towing 875 kg , 32-39 mpg , solo 48 mpg

Mondeo 1.8i 16v towing 875 kg . 25mpg , solo 35 mpg

 

[Award1]

The comments re climbing as you come North is true if my records of towing over the last 9 years is anything to go by. My current Mondeo Tdci 130/Provence 1375kgs solo 47mgp, towing 30-32mpg

Previous cars

Skoda Octavia 110/Ranger 1200kgs solo 53mpg, towing 35 mpg

Mondeo 2.0/Ranger 1200kgs 12kgs solo 30-35mpg, towing 20-22mpg

Rover 820/Abbey Vogue 416 1250khs solo 28-35 mpg, towing 20-22mpg

and previous 2.0 litre Honda Accord petrols all averaged around 22 going south and 20 mpg coming North.

unfortunately something you have to live with.

Andrew

 

[Tom_5073611]

Hi

One thinh worth a mention here which seems to have passed you all by is that on your return journey it's downhill. Just a thought

 

[VonRyan]

Hi

One thinh worth a mention here which seems to have passed you all by is that on your return journey it's downhill. Just a thought

Hi Tom,

Have a look at my posting earlier about uphill/downhill. 2 years ago with current combo I dumped 25% of my fuel through the exhaust climbing some heavy inclines coming out of Cherbouge and return down hill was great only 2%,o.k on petrol 4x4 but without question going over to deisel. Yep it,s dearer ( thank any goverment for that) but mile for mile more efficent and a heck of a lot cleaner than petrol and the goverment increase the bill with clean air tax.

Rob

 

[Trevor_5077149]

Thanks for all of your replies. I will keep on trying to eak a bit more out of it. I plan to take the van to northampton this coming weekend so I'll see if I can do any better then.