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Fuel Consumption Towing ??? (Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot)

31K views 230 replies 38 participants last post by  sport_4x4 
#1 ·
Morning everyone...

I'm curious what you see fuel consumption wise when towing. I'm mostly interested in insight from the 3.2L TH owners, but feel free to comment for others that may search out or be interested.

I have never been satisfied with our KLs economic performance, but this weekend was our first time out with it while pulling our ~1600lb overland trailer. I averaged 10.1 MPG on a largely interstate trip where my speed was kept between 70-72 MPH. It seemed our little KL just didn't have enough grunt and spent large amounts of time in 4th and 5th gear (3000-4000 RPM). I know our trailer is by no means aerodynamic, but this is absolutely absurd. We purchased our KL TH to be a forestry road light overlanding rig, but with a 200 mile range there is no way I can use it for this.

On the way home I did everything I could get the best fuel economy; no cruise control, easy on hills, lots of coasting... Still I only improved the return trip's economy to 12.8 MPG.

If this is what I can expect on fuel usage I fear both Jeep and we made an EPIC mistake on vehicle selection.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Morning everyone...

I'm curious what you see fuel consumption wise when towing. I'm mostly interested in insight from the 3.2L TH owners, but feel free to comment for others that may search out or be interested.

I have never been satisfied with our KLs economic performance, but this weekend was our first time out with it while pulling our ~1600lb overland trailer. I averaged 10.1 MPG on a largely interstate trip where my speed was kept between 70-72 MPH. It seemed our little KL just didn't have enough grunt and spent large amounts of time in 4th and 5th gear (3000-4000 RPM). I know our trailer is by no means aerodynamic, but this is absolutely absurd. We purchased our KL TH to be a forestry road light overlanding rig, but with a 200 mile range there is no way I can use it for this.

On the way home I did everything I could get the best fuel economy; no cruise control, easy on hills, lots of coasting... Still I only improved the return trip's economy to 12.8 MPG.

If this is what I can expect on fuel usage I fear both Jeep and we made an EPIC mistake on vehicle selection.
Speed will kill fuel economy when towing. I personally wouldn't tow faster than 60-65Mph on a KL. It's too light and small to control a trailer at that speed.

1600lb should hardly be noticeable to the KL; potentially need bearing lube and axle adjustment. The brakes or axle could be dragging.

If your trailer is "by no means aerodynamic" it sounds like you may have a large frontal area. Wind-resistance is going to contribute significantly to fuel economy and perceived power, especially as your speed increases. It's not a linear change. There is a bigger impact going from 60-65 than there is from 55-60.

Don't be in a rush when towing. Don't let other drivers "push" you into going faster. That's what pullouts and passing lanes are for. Take it easy on hills. Speed limits aren't a goal. You don't have to, and generally shouldn't, be traveling the same speed while towing as when not.

EDIT: One of the formulas I found on horsepower vs towing has a 3rd-power exponent for speed which equates to a 36% increase in power needed from 65 to 72Mph, or a 73% increase from 60Mph to 72Mph.
 
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#172 ·
Out of curiosity, I used this link you shared a while back... Since I know our KL's exact weight, dimensions, and I know how fast we are going, I used the AFE the Dyno Chart to solve for our coefficient of air drag.

In order to get a HP number close to where our KL runs at 70 (I did account for transmission gearing), We need to have a coefficient of drag near 1.4. This is off the charts and higher than the "high" tractor-trailer.

Interesting....
 
#4 ·
Personally, I average between 6-10mpg at 65mph tops. I can go faster but why? It's just easier to let everyone go around.




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#9 ·
Personally, I average between 6-10mpg at 65mph tops. I can go faster but why? It's just easier to let everyone go around.
That is crazy... 6-10 along with the small gas tanks and I can't get between some fuel spots in my area... As to why go faster, well... Our interstate speed limits are 70, but since there are no points on a ticket for 10 over everyone (including trucks) goes between 75-80. At 70-75, the world is already going around me. Lower and I nearly cause accidents.
 
#5 ·
@Rojhan

I am not new to towing... I disagree on the speed. 70-75 should be no issue and the trailer is plenty stable. IMO slower and you are a nuisance and dangerous on the interstate. The trailer has no brakes and the bearings are new (I just built it). I am guessing at the pull weight a bit, but if anything the 1600# is heavy. The trailer is ~750# empty. I just built this trailer. I have used it twice with our JKU and only saw a 1 MPG hit driving the same speeds.

The only area that is outside the vehicle is the tent... and there isn't much I can do about it. (It stands a but higher then the top of the JKU as well.)

 
#10 ·
@Rojhan

I am not new to towing... I disagree on the speed. 70-75 should be no issue and the trailer is plenty stable. IMO slower and you are a nuisance and dangerous on the interstate. The trailer has no brakes and the bearings are new (I just built it). I am guessing at the pull weight a bit, but if anything the 1600# is heavy. The trailer is ~750# empty. I just built this trailer. I have used it twice with our JKU and only saw a 1 MPG hit driving the same speeds.

The only area that is outside the vehicle is the tent... and there isn't much I can do about it. (It stands a but higher then the top of the JKU as well.)
Rojhan said:
I personally wouldn't tow faster than 60-65Mph on a KL
Nice trailer/setup, BTW. However, consider that the height of the trailer with the exposed tent is also adding probably somewhere around 40% to your frontal area.

YMMV, and it does. :) Math doesn't lie on energy needed to tow vs speed. If you want better than 10-12Mph, change your speed. :)
 
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#6 ·
My experience for towing and fuel economy is not KL related, my 5.4l v8 f150 would regularly see 21mpg hwy 18 city, towing would be 13hwy, 16 city. Speed obviously being the driving force here. The reason I bring this up is you may actually see a mileage improvement once you hit the forest service roads that may increase your range a bit, unless of course you've already factored that into your range. Why oh why didn't Jeep see fit to give the V6 Trailhawks the 4:10 final drive the 2.4 gets?....
 
#7 ·
My boat and trailer weigh in at about the same as your trailer. With 20 gallons of gas a bit more.
I will average about 19 mpg keeping it at or under 65 mph. Anything over that the mpg crashes. That is normal even without towing.
I will average consistently 29-32 highway without towing. So you can see that is still a 10-13 mpg drop.
Now the over 65, actually 62 mph the mpg will drop regardless.
Now I am in 8th without towing on the highway. That is 8th from 57mph and up.Towing I am in 7th and 6th depending on conditions.
I know just being in 7th even without towing will cost you mpg.
The RPM at 3-4000 seems high but at 70mph in 4th or 5th that seems correct. I would question the gearing working correctly.
Mine seems to adjust the gears in order to keep the rpm at around 2500. Thats the sweet spot. The 3.2 has more than enough power to handle that under 2000lb tow.
That 3.2 is no wimp in towing. I came from a V8 Grand Cherokee tow and there is not much difference being under 2,000lbs.

Improve mpg while towing. (1) Tire pressure should be adjusted to towing weight. If you hook up to your normal psi then you might actually be under inflated. I usually run mine at 36-37psi.
Your tires will run cooler under load and offer less resistance to the road. The faster you go the hotter those tires will get, especially the trailer tires if they are underinflated.
(2) Use the speed control it does help in my opinion. That is all I use on the highway. I have ACC cruise.
(3) The big one: Speed. Try it at or under 65. That is the biggest improvement you can make.
My State limits trailers to 55 mph. The next state over its the speed limit, generally 65 which is generally 2/3 of my trip to go fishing. I still keep it under 65 as possible.
Also you may want to reconsider your actual total weight. That is cargo in the trailer + anything loaded in the vehicle. It adds up fast and impacts mpg.
One of the reasons I gas up by the lakes so as not to haul an extra 10-15 gallons of gas along in a 21 gallon tank.
Also if you are dealing with mountains/lots of hills thats a mpg hit.

My Cherokee is a 3.2 Limited with AD2.

Good luck
 
#8 ·
I should add, here in Texas I can tow faster. But at 75mph towing my trailer the bearings get too warm for comfort and I get below 6mpg and frankly, stoping every 60 miles for gas is crazy. Also, at that speed the Cherokee is in fourth gear and gets very hot very fast. So I cruise at 65 where I can get about 10mpg and between 100-120 miles per tank. And the jeep will be in 5th or 6th gear.


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#93 ·
Absolutely correct.......
At those higher speeds trailer tire psi and the bearings come into play very fast. If those two items are not optimal the odds increase for either a blow out or bearing failure. Neither are a pleasant experience.
Also those trailer tires will heat up very fast if the proper psi is not maintained. In most cases psi is close to the max sidewall pressure. On my boat trailer the tire manufacture told me to run sidewall pressure.
My utility trailer is the same. I usually run them at 10lbs under sidewall as I do not max load the tires. Those tires will get pretty warm if under inflated to the load. :smile:
 
#12 · (Edited)
I wonder if some skinnier highway tires on the trailer would help a bit with reducing rolling resistance?

Those are some pretty pitiful MPG towing results. My uncle tows a 28 foot 5th wheel with his Ram Cummins 2500 and can get 12mpg while towing.

Yet another reason why the Cherokee needs a larger tank... 20gals would be about perfect. Even empty, we do good to get 300 miles range on our '15 TH 3.2L. I can easily go over 500 miles in my '17 Subaru Outback with its 18.5 gal tank.
 
#13 ·
Oh and here in Texas we have 85mph speed limits. I don't feel at 65 I'm a road hazard. Reason being a good portion of company trucks are limited to 62mph. So I'm just fast enough to pass the limited trucks and slow enough for the ones that aren't to easily pass.


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#14 ·
I would give anything for an extra 10 gallons of fuel. I'd love the extended range fuel tank that's available for the WK2. 15 gallons sucks and having to add fuel on the roadside isn't fun.


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#15 ·
I tow a 7 X 14 utility trailer with an expanded mesh loading ramp that acts as a huge sail. I use this for my 100 pound kayak so it's likely less than 1000 pounds total. This gets pulled through the mountains here in Utah and the speed limits are between 55 and 80. It drops me from just over 20 mpg to as low as 12... For reference I have the 3.2 V6 TH with a Gobi stealth rack and it has lights, Hi-Lift, axe, shovel, two jerry cans, HAM antenna, and my spare tire mounted to it. I barely noticed a change in mpg with adding all of that to the top.
 
#17 ·
I should add that once to our destination I still averaged 12.3 on the roads ~45 avg.

I agree on the bearing temp issue and tire pressures. I adjust my tire pressure and my bearings run cool at 70.

This is my beef... The KL was advertised (based on the window sticker) at much better fuel performance. It was the sole reason we opted to buy the KL. We have a MUCH more capable rig for our leisure time but thought the KL would make trips that didn't warrant that capability more economic and allow us to travel more.

Even without towing the KL only barely beats our JKU. With the trailer behind it, it is actually WORSE. It's a bunch of BS that a rig build the way that one is can beat out the KL.... and in truth, is rendering our KL as completely useless.

We a have a large summer trip planned that will take us over 1200 miles of the midwest (ending north-west of Yellowstone) with only 34 of it being on pavement. It has been our plan all along to use the KL, but with it's fuel consumption we have to review our route to add stops or carry more fuel. Alternately, I we may just take the JKU.
 
#19 ·
I believe if we want better fuel economy while towing we are going to need to be able to regear. My Cherokee gets 16mpg here in the south without my trailer and 21 up north (for whatever reason). I don't need the gearing to be able to go 120mph. I'd settle for a gear limiting speed of 100 and have more torque available. Assuming of course the ptu could handle it lol.


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#21 ·
I believe if we want better fuel economy while towing we are going to need to be able to regear. My Cherokee gets 16mpg here in the south without my trailer and 21 up north (for whatever reason). I don't need the gearing to be able to go 120mph. I'd settle for a gear limiting speed of 100 and have more torque available. Assuming of course the ptu could handle it lol.
I think you hit the nail on the head... MY JKU is geared with 5.13s. 80-85 is within reach, but not for long. It spins just under 2800 at 70MPH. I set the cruise at 72-73 (3000 RPM) and she pulls an average of 15-5 to 16 with the trailer and 16-17.5 alone.

This is also my beef with rarely seeing 8th and never seeing 9th. I think Jeep did a piss-poor job of gear selection for KL TH 3.2L
 
#24 ·
I'd love 12mpg while towing. It's only 4 lower than my average without a trailer.


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#26 ·
When towing the KL behind a 400 HP turbocharged Cummins, moving up to 70 mph from 65 is a 1.5 to 2 mph penalty depending on head or tail winds. Nice looking trailer @SS_Syndicate. Does the cover over the top fill with wind? Could it be acting like a drag chute?

We travel across the country at 65 mph regardless if the limits are higher. I don't recall drivers getting angry as long as it's in the right lane. In cities where the speed limit drops to 65 or less I move it into the middle lane to avoid mergings at entrance ramps. I usually pick a tractor-trailer that's pegged at 65 (becoming more of a challenge with low fuel prices) and stay behind him/her. Easy driving and most drivers don't try to squeeze between us.
 
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#29 ·
@edge600

Our JKU hits the scales when loaded out at 6300 pounds. Our KL when I hit the scale with the empty trailer for tags was 4800. So there is nearly a ton difference, but I hear everything else you are saying.
@Array

No, the top stays just as you see it. It is zipped all the way around the bottom and it pretty heavy fabric, it doesn't even flap.

Also, Thanks on the trailer complement.... a few have made one so thanks to everyone. I was just keeping to the grumbling at had LOL) Now that I've derailed a bit... It was our winter project. You can see the build HERE if you want.
 
#32 ·
During my last road trip my KL tipped the scales at 6100lbs plus my trailer of 3500. Weighed separately.


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#35 ·
What's your driving style, @SS_Syndicate? If you are mashing on the gas to pass, go up hills, or just to maintain speed, the KL seems particularly unforgiving.
 
#39 ·
I'm 40 yrs old this summer and drive like I'm 80 LOL. Seriously, I have lived a lot of vehicle lives... I've been into drag racing, road racing, bike racing, and also been an off-roader through all of it. After pushing vehicles to their limits in so many ways, the road is just about getting to/from places. ACC/DEC is average to slightly slow, but speed runs a bit to the north side of posted limits. The wife drives a bit more spirited, but not much. Neither one of us has ever had a problem getting close to or at advertised fuel economy on anything we have ever owned. TBH, there are times we have driven and not cared, but if we try we can often get VERY good economy numbers. Even when we were running several tanks trying for the best fuel usage we have not broke into a tank average of 20 or more.

The other factor, cruise control. People have reported considerably less fuel economy using cruise.
I've read this too and it's why I didn't use it much on the return trip. There have been several instances where I see the KL holding onto a gear that seems to low (numerically) and as soon as I turn the cruise off (cancel) I will get 1-2 upshifts and maintain speed. This seems silly too.
 
#36 ·
The other factor, cruise control. People have reported considerably less fuel economy using cruise.


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#46 ·
I have a similar set up to Len with about 1500 lbs less overall weight with a flipped axle from the factory on the travel trailer. I get an average of 12 -13.5 while pulling it. I tend to be on mountain highways and off road trails. I agree speed is the biggest issue, the trailer I pull is larger than the suggested max frontal area in the owners manual. I have been toying with how to install a auxiliary fuel tank for the KL. I have added rock rails and RRO bumper since the picture was taken at the top of Alpowa Summit outside Lewiston Idaho. I go though allot of the mountains here in Washing ton while pulling it and yes keeping track of gas stops is needed.
 

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#47 ·
I'm thinking about flipping my axle.


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#61 ·
It's interesting you bring that up, because I calculated that you could easily a fit (provided the fuel cell is the same shape and size as the spare tire) around a 30 gallon aux. tank to the mix (exact size as the tire was something like 28.6 gallons), which of course will get you over 45 gallons of gas. Under normal driving conditions without a trailer, that would equate easily of over 1000 miles on a tank. With a fully loaded trailer, and car though, less than half.

Now, this does bring another question because I think I never saw it brought up. Is everyone driving in Auto mode? I ask this because my Dad's Chevy Tahoe, which has the tow package, has a towing mode, which takes away the overdrive gear, and the shift patterns are different. Obviously, the gas mileage does get effected, but I wonder if maybe if you put the KL into sport mode or snow mode, it might handle the towing overall a lot better due to the power band it's in.

Then again, gas mileage might go down further, but I tend to notice that part of the reason the KL will sometimes get less mileage in cruise is because the car continues to change gears all the time. If the Cherokee were in the same gear throughout, then maybe a more consistent gear and rev might result in better mileage. I honestly don't know, nor can I try this out for myself as I don't own a trailer.

All I know is during some usual Chicago traffic, Sport mode is quite nice to have. >:D
 
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#53 ·
The fix is better gearing or whatever it takes to improve economy where/how the vehicles are actually used. I personally have put all building and vehicle tinkering development for the KL on hold. The fuel usage is a deal breaker to us. There are too many other vehicles with better aftermarket support to bother with the Cherokee further. The only real thing it had going for it was it not being as thirsty. Once that is gone, why not just use something that is more capable off the line?

Carrying fuel is horrible. It's heavy, smelly, and it's tough to use without making a mess. I don't want to be alongside the interstate (in goodness knows what kind of weather) dealing with it. Yes, we carry fuel, but as I mentioned earlier, thus far has only been needed when extending our range in remote areas, not when making an urban interstate commute.

I'm sorry to beat a dead horse... but we are totally bummed.
 
#55 ·
We've been thinking about selling our fifth wheel and downsizing to something the Jeep can pull... but I'm getting 12-14mpg pulling my fifth wheel and the truck has a 36 gallon tank. Sounds like towing with the Jeep makes a game of connect the gas stations.
 
#56 ·
Depending on wind and weight of the trailer there will be places you simply can't get between in the southwest. Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas and Nevada definitely have gas stations that are too far apart.

Tucumcari, NM to Santa Rosa, NM is too far apart if you hit a headwind even rolling at just 65mph. I know, I rain out of gas 3 miles short of the gas stations in Santa Rosa.


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#63 ·
I've noticed a similar experience with towing, even when the trailer is empty. we have similar mods to our cars (although your tires are larger than mine). i had to rush to get to a furniture store last month, and hooked up my 5'x8' utility trailer that has 4' tall sides. i was booking it down the interstate and think i got 10-12 mpg during the trip. i might get low teens with it loaded up.

has anyone ever though to try one of those hydrogen upfits that you see online? do those really work?
 
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