trailer pulls hard

[yarcraft91]

In my experience towing 18'-19' boats, a truck that gets 17-19 mpg unloaded will get 10-12 mpg with the trailer. That's 10 mpg (or less) at 70+ mph to 12 at 60 mph.

Your results don't sound that different.

Don't strip the brakes off that trailer until you check state laws re: trailer brakes. Your trailer may be heavy enough to require brakes. IIRC, GM wants to see brakes on any trailer weighing more than 1500 lbs.

[bloodman]

Keep a tight fitting cover on the boat and reduce your speed to 65mph. Your tires should be at 50-60psi. It doesnt have anything to do with the trailer.

[Drummer Boy]

Originally Posted by blood money

Keep a tight fitting cover on the boat and reduce your speed to 65mph. Your tires should be at 50-60psi. It doesn't have anything to do with the trailer.

If you want better gas mileage slow down,have your tires inflated correctly and a cover may or may not help.When I haul my boat to my cabin I drive around 60mph and get 14 mpg when I drive out west I get 10 at 75mph.

[Nosebleed]

thanks for all the replies. Seems sto be a lot of common sense.

I'll try covering it and see if that helps. HRG-I do remove the windshields on the hwy but my boat is still 5-8" above the tailgate (no topper). your setup looks smaller and more areodynamic. esp. with the cover on the boat.

As far as the truck..... It's a max tow pkg, 6spd, 3.73. 4th gear? never. 5th gear up hill, 6th on the flats/downs. The trucks rated for almost 11,000 lbs. (10,400-10,800 don't remember exactly) I don't think that's the problem.

What's the best way to check alignment? tape measure to the rims? what if it's off? sledge hammer? new axle?

What about the guys with experience with tandom and single axles with same truck/similar boat. How much harder do the tandoms typically pull?

I'll try-

Tarp/cover
Max tire pressure
Level trailer

Hopefully that makes a difference.

Otherwise, I have a gut feeling the guys who say "that's about right" I'm afraid you may be right. I hoped for better though.

We took my dad's 1990 hydrostream (20' glass bassboat, Musky boat) to canada last year, heavy'ish boat, 3 guys lots of gear/food/etc.. His crewmax toyota got 14mpg with a tailwind on the way up and 12.5 avg of the 2500 mile drive.... His gears are 4.30's.... I think that helps a lot.

[Pezman38]

Is there anyway to attach some balloons to that Honda? I think it is just weighing down the boat too much and creating drag.

Thing looks massive on the back of that alumacraft, I'm impressed.

[REW]

1. Check your trailer hubs and brakes after towing for 10 miles at 70 mph.
If the hubs are warm or hot, the wheel bearings are too tight.

2. If the brakes are warm or hot, they need to have the braking adjustments changed.

3. To roll easier, you can air up your trailer tires to as high as the tires will safely hold. Generally, you can safely inflate tires to double the inflation pressure that is marked on the sidewall. But, use your head when making this adjustment. Make sure that the tires can handle the pressure. If you do that, the tire friction will be close to zero.

4. If the tires can't hold that pressure, put on tires that can hold and are rated to run with higher pressure.

5. Lighten the load that you are pulling. Reduce the drag of what you are pulling. Use covers, or no covers depending on the drag ratio of each.
Leave as much stuff as possible at home to lessen the towing load on your rig.

If you are pulling a rig with a 450hp motor, I am surprised that you get even 6 or 7 mpg.

Out of curiosity, have a friend who gets 14 or 15 on his rig when towing, and have him pull your rig when you go fishing one day. See what his vehicle gets towing your rig; compared to his own rig.

I am really guessing that the main issue is the vehicle itself with the motor and the way that it is set up; as opposed to any real issue with the trailer or what you are pulling.

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Out of curiosity. when your rig is unhooked with the tongue jack on the pavement, can you easily move the rig around? Or, is something dragging or causing issues when you try to move your rig around by hand?

Good luck
REW

[REW]

Nosebleed.
Out of curiosity, on your next trip, drive the entire trip but never exceed 50 mph. Then, measure the fuel mileage of your rig when you keep the top speed of your rig to 50 mph or under.

See if by reducing your speed to 50 mph, that you don't end up with fuel mileage in the 15-18 mph range.

Take care
REW

[bloodman]

One other thing is dont drive with the cruise on. Uses way more gas towing.

[Nosebleed]

Originally Posted by REW

Nosebleed.
Out of curiosity, on your next trip, drive the entire trip but never exceed 50 mph. Then, measure the fuel mileage of your rig when you keep the top speed of your rig to 50 mph or under.

See if by reducing your speed to 50 mph, that you don't end up with fuel mileage in the 15-18 mph range.

Take care
REW

Thanks for the advice but 50mph is dangerous on the interstates around here traffic is 75-80 so I need to do 68 to avoid being a hazard.

I'll get my brother to tow it with his tundra and we'll see what he gets.

The thing that doesn't add up in my head is that even on a medium down hill it never want's to coast it will decel when I let off. Seems like it should glide down hill. makes me wonder how much wind i'm pulling in and around the boat. I'm hopfull the tarp will help.

I checked the tires and they're rated 50max and they had- 46,46,41,37.5. set them to 50, sounds like maybe i should go more? they're new and not weather checked or anything. Maybe i could go 60psi

And as far as the motor looking big it IS! 600lbs. I'm glade the cowling is so V shaped. It's up there all alone in the wind on the road.

[Nosebleed]

Originally Posted by bloodman

One other thing is dont drive with the cruise on. Uses way more gas towing.

pretty flat on the prairie out here. But I know what you mean.