Gas Mileage Difference with Camper

ski3pin

ski3pin

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Since getting our camper and using it on several trips, I have been curious about the actual difference in gas mileage that can be honestly accounted to packing the FWC/ATC along.

We take an annual summer vacation that includes exploring/hiking/adventure with the main focus a multiday backpack trip into one of the West's Wilderness areas.

I figured comparing last years trip to Idaho without the camper (but similar water, food, ice chest, supplies) to this years trip to Colorado with the camper would be a good indicator. Last year we drove 2200 miles and averaged 19.21 mpg. This year we drove 2885 miles and averaged 16.6 mpg. The difference is 2.61 mpg.

Curious about current fuel prices around the west (unleaded regular)? The lowest we paid was $2.55 a gal. on the north side of Dillon, CO on Highway 9. The most expensive is always here at home, currently $3.25. Average we paid in Colorado was $2.75. Utah was the worse for gouging on the prices along Interstate 70. Prices at the exits in Green River and Salina were $3.17. Drive into both towns and pay $2.94.
 
Since getting our camper and using it on several trips, I have been curious about the actual difference in gas mileage that can be honestly accounted to packing the FWC/ATC along.

We take an annual summer vacation that includes exploring/hiking/adventure with the main focus a multiday backpack trip into one of the West's Wilderness areas.

I figured comparing last years trip to Idaho without the camper (but similar water, food, ice chest, supplies) to this years trip to Colorado with the camper would be a good indicator. Last year we drove 2200 miles and averaged 19.21 mpg. This year we drove 2885 miles and averaged 16.6 mpg. The difference is 2.61 mpg.

Curious about current fuel prices around the west (unleaded regular)? The lowest we paid was $2.55 a gal. on the north side of Dillon, CO on Highway 9. The most expensive is always here at home, currently $3.25. Average we paid in Colorado was $2.75. Utah was the worse for gouging on the prices along Interstate 70. Prices at the exits in Green River and Salina were $3.17. Drive into both towns and pay $2.94.


Interesting data. All in all it doesnt look like you are affected that much. I'd say the 2.61 mpg loss is well worth it for the comforts you are carrying!
 
Interesting data. All in all it doesnt look like you are affected that much. I'd say the 2.61 mpg loss is well worth it for the comforts you are carrying!


Mr. Sun, we agree completely and are not complaining! :)
 
My calculations with the F150 w/o camper = 18/19 mpg. With camper about 15/16 mpg. So I've lost about 3 mpg putting the ATC shell on the Ford but I have (some of) the comforts of home.

Stew
 
My calculations with the F150 w/o camper = 18/19 mpg. With camper about 15/16 mpg. So I've lost about 3 mpg putting the ATC shell on the Ford but I have (some of) the comforts of home.

Stew


My F150 does close to the same.
 
I've lost about 2.5 - 3 MPG on my 2005 GMC 2500 6L gas engine. I don't know exactly because I didn't drive it much before I put the camper on and it hasn't been off since.
 
One thing I noticed with my rig is I'll swing that much depending on my speeds. I'll get into the 14-15mpg range doing 45-55mph high way driving but when hauling down the highway and climbing passes, etc. at 80-85mph it'll dip down in the 11.8-12.3mpg range.
 
One thing I noticed with my rig is I'll swing that much depending on my speeds. I'll get into the 14-15mpg range doing 45-55mph high way driving but when hauling down the highway and climbing passes, etc. at 80-85mph it'll dip down in the 11.8-12.3mpg range.


Same here.
 
When I used to keep close track of my mileage, a 3mpg loss was what I noticed with my 3.4ltr V6. With some recent additional mods, but removing some dead weight from the camper, I would guess it's about the same.

After Hurricane Katrina, when gas zoomed up to $4+ a gallon, I stopped watching. Too depressing... We've surprisingly held steady here at $2.74 all summer. It didn't fluctuate at all around Labor Day or the 4th of July, like it usually does in the summer. Utah is typically a .20-.30 cent jump per gallon from what I pay in WY. Colorado too, but SW Montana is usually within .10 of what I pay here. Nevada was similarly priced as Utah, on my four trips across the Big Empty last Spring.

.
 
It didn't fluctuate at all around Labor Day or the 4th of July, like it usually does in the summer.

.



I figure this is because of the gulf oil fiasco.
 
Well that's what didn't make sense to me... When Katrina hit, gas prices jumped to over $4 a gallon before the storm even blew out. But BP has a well that leaked out 5 million gallons of oil for 3 months and gas prices never changed by even a penny...?

I'm sure there is more to both stories but that just didn't compute to me... :unsure:

.
 
I figure - oil company causes major disaster, if gas prices (and profits) go up, the consumer would scream, and rightly so. This one is all about image and keeping your head down.
 
on a 2007 5.7L Tundra w/ a Grandby went from 16mpg highway to 10 mpg! I probably had my tires a bit underinflated but whew... quite the drop.
 
on a 2007 5.7L Tundra w/ a Grandby went from 16mpg highway to 10 mpg! I probably had my tires a bit underinflated but whew... quite the drop.


I have the same truck, but with a Bobcat that doesn't stick out over the sides so much, so less wind resistance. I get about 16-19 without the camper (depending on how fast I'm going) and about 14 with the camper. Did you have the jacks on? If so, that would create a lot of wind resistance.
 
I have the same truck, but with a Bobcat that doesn't stick out over the sides so much, so less wind resistance. I get about 16-19 without the camper (depending on how fast I'm going) and about 14 with the camper. Did you have the jacks on? If so, that would create a lot of wind resistance.

I do have the jacks on. I'm afraid i wouldn't be able to change a flat or get at the spare w/o the jacks given the tailgate being down w/ my larger camper.

m
 
I do have the jacks on. I'm afraid i wouldn't be able to change a flat or get at the spare w/o the jacks given the tailgate being down w/ my larger camper.

m


Good Point. Looks like I'll be removing the tail gate when the new Cougar is installed. Since 90% of the camper is in the bed of the truck it's not an issue. I leave it on for asthetics but it wouldn't do me much good if I got a flat. I figure the tailgate weighs in around 50 lbs and the camper jacks are probably in the neghborhood of 300 lbs for the four. That's a lot of unnecessary weight to haul around.
 
We've only done two trips with the new camper on but out Nissan Titan with the Hawk and jacks is getting about 13.5mpg, down from about 16'ish for the same trip without camper. It's still early on in our ownership so I'll continue to monitor.
 
Good Point. Looks like I'll be removing the tail gate when the new Cougar is installed. Since 90% of the camper is in the bed of the truck it's not an issue. I leave it on for aesthetics but it wouldn't do me much good if I got a flat. I figure the tailgate weighs in around 55 lbs and the camper jacks are probably in the neighborhood of 300 lbs for the four. That's a lot of unnecessary weight to haul around.


With thanks to Alley-Kat for not pointing out publicly what an idiot I am. OK the jacks are about 35 lbs each. They seem like 75 when I'm moving them. But as The Kat says still more weight you don't need to haul around..
 
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