An uneventful trip to the Aerie with the trailer in tow. I managed to get up and out at 0700 and made most of the trip in very light traffic. Even so, it took five hours to make the trip.
My route was primarily major highways: Rte 8 south to the Utica entrance to the NYS Thruway west to I-481 just east of Syracuse; I-481 south to I-81 south to Binghamton and Rte 17; Rte 17 west to Waverly/Sayre and Rte 220 south to Rte 6; and finally Rte 6 west to the Aerie. Only the first few mile to Rte 8 and the final few off Rte 6 were on back roads--not that 8, 220 or 6 are any great major freeways! My plan was not just to get home, but to check the mileage on the Tundra in preparation for a cross country trip. Certainly the grades of the roads (the hills and flats) were such that they give me a good idea of what to expect going across country.
Shocking how much the towing of the trailer cuts back on the Tundra's mpg. Instead of 18-19 mpg, I managed only 7.5 mpg. And having a smaller gas tank than the Silverado means even less range. (I think its a 24 gallon tank.) Looks like I'll be forced to stop every two hours (like my doctor once ordered me to do) when we start trailering again. Certainly won't make it passed the three-hour or 180-mile mark without really squeezing the last drop out of the tank.
I filled the gas tank when I started, topped it off at the Chittenango Rest Area on the Thruway (6 gallons) and once more when I was nearing home in Troy, PA on Rte 6 (another 21 gallons). The total fuel usage then was a little more than 27 gallons and probably just over 30 gallons door-to-door.
Backing the trailer into the driveway was a bit tricky, but I managed. Makes me appreciate the guys who delivered the Aerie's materials on the backs of the 18-wheelers. Of course, they were pros.
The weather was great! Cool and dew laden at the start but sunny and cool all the way home. Just a smattering of breeze once I got on to Rte 17.
2 comments:
That's a significant difference in mileage. Have you eliminated other possible causes?
Rev. I'm talking a 7000 lb travel trailer here. I got a similar drop in mileage with the Silverado when we went to Colorado a couple of times.
Can't think of anything else it might be.
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