Gas mileage while pulling a crank up house

[Dogzlife000]

I have a 6.5 x 14 house and I'm almost embarrassed to say what I get for gas mileage while pulling the thing. I don't know the weight on the house but I'm sure it's somewhat heavy with a heavy duty frame, four batteries and all the comforts of home. Probably a good 2500 pounds. Anyway, the house does not have a V front (if that matters), and I pull it with a 5.4 liter F-150 4x4. I also keep the overdrive off to prevent gear hunting. Overall results (eeeek) - I get about 8 mpg keeping it around the speed limit. What kind of mileage do you see on your rig?

Pete

[hoggs222]

'01 Jeep Grand Cherokee, V8, about 12-14 while pulling the 6.5x12 crank up house.

[Markerboy1]

Dodge-Hemi with 6.5 x 16 no-V front average between 9 to 12 MPG.

[smmurphy]

Not a fish house, but with the work trailer (6.5 x 10), I get 12-14 with my Chevy Colorado. (I get 22-24 hwy otherwise)

[crappace]

17 x 6.5 v front-

02 f150 super crew with a 4 inch lift 5.4 ltr = 7-9 mpg hwy

03 dodge 1500 5.7 = 7-9 mpg hwy

They both have 3.55 gears in them which I really think suck for pulling.

[trophyhunter]

I have a 6.5 X 16. Get between 10 and 12 with my Nissan Titan.

[Bigbartguy]

this one of the reasons that I've been hesitating on my own pull-behind. For me it's more cost efficient to rent a house. Of course, now I dont get to come up w/ great mods for a house either!

[JRS]

2000 F150--Pulling a 6.5 X 12 V-front. I've never paid attention to mileage now that I think of it. But--the guage does go from F to E pretty quick. I do the same with the O/D off and I'd guess 8-10. I look at it this way--I drive from St. Francis to Mille Lacs on average 6 weekends per winter to fish. Whatever I'm spending in extra gas money is well worth it.

[walksonwater]

94 F150 4 X 4, 10-11 MPG Pulling my 8 x 20 Hydraulic V-Nose.

All the amenities of home....except running water.

Major difference with the V-nose as far as pulling goes...75 mph with no problem...with no head wind that is!

[pikechaser]

6.5 x 12 no v front....2003 silverado 1500 5.3 v8 14 mpg 65-68 mph

[jltimm]

8x16 no V-front 14-15 with 1997 Toyota Tacoma!

[hawkeye43]

8x17 pulled by 02 duramax PRICELESS..... Nothing like have all the everything from home....

[Kaz]

Dog: I have a 7.5x16 non V nose and tow it with a 6.0 L Vortec. I get usually 13/14 in calm wind. with a tail wind it'll jump 2MPG, with a head wind 10/11... It's well worth it to drag it along though. Just remember how comfortable it is when you pay at the PUMP... LOL... Kaz

[Skyndalive]

if your 150 is a 04 or later the 5.4 is a gas pig without a trailer behind! I have a 04 5.4 and the mileage sucks. I pull a 6.5 x 16' and don't bother checking mileage....That way I don't have to think about it......lol

[ddsbyday]

Please tell me that you drive in the right lane and that if you are in a single lane, when you have a hundred cars behind you, you pull over to the shoulder. I can not pull my house more than 53 miles an hour. I Never thought about mileage, only trying to drive at off times and where to let traffic get around me.

[Dogzlife000]

Quote:

---

Please tell me that you drive in the right lane and that if you are in a single lane, when you have a hundred cars behind you, you pull over to the shoulder. I can not pull my house more than 53 miles an hour. I Never thought about mileage, only trying to drive at off times and where to let traffic get around me.

---

If by chance you're directing this comment at me, I am respectful of the drivers behind me. Fortunately, my house tracks well and I have no problem pulling it at higher speeds. I just generally drive around the speed limit when pulling the house for safety reasons.

The only time I don't give a darn what's behind me is when I am driving through an open stretch of road during a strong cross wind. Twice I've had the wind push the house enough to cause the rear end of the truck let go when I hit patches of drifting ice/snow on the road. Pretty unnerving. I slow way doewn at these spots now. Those behind will just have to be patient.

Pete

[ddsbyday]

Not directed at you at all. Not in the slightest. I hate hauling my ice house, my boat. My point is only the left lane. I only wish I did not have to worry about the trailer. My ice house waggles at 54 miles/hr. I can not even imagine thinking about mileage. When I pull the ice house I get the same feeling I get when I get off the bike, Im glad to be alive.

[waterwolff]

What is the reason for your house waggling, I was having a problem with mine fishtailing for a while. I found the problem to be too light a tongue. They say 1/3 the weight of your house should be on the tongue so to correct the problem I ended up relocating my batteries and went to bigger propane tanks also I pack as much to the front of the house as I can when in tow and that seems to have solved the fishtailing problem. Oh also I get between 12 to 14 mpg with a 6.0 liter 2500HD chevy pickup

[BLACKJACK]

DDSBYDAY, if you feel that its that dangerous pulling it down the road, do something about it, because what will happen is that you'll end up killing some unlucky smuck! Fishing isn't worth that!!!

As far as the gas milage while pulling a fishhouse, or in my case, a 24 foot travel trailer, who cares?? Its the price of having fun!! Most big trucks get less than 20 mpg anyway, did you think putting a big fishhouse behind it would improve the milage??? If we can't afford the gas, then we need to take shorter trips or go back to portables or tents.

[Dogzlife000]

DDSBYDAY, I agree that you may have a tounge weight issue. Perhaps a visit to an RV forum would prove most enlightening. There is a great site out there (I don't believe I can post it) that will give you a thorough education in towing....because the only time you should have white knuckles on a fishing trip is due to reaching in the bait bucket too much.

Well, it appears that if you're pulling with a 5.4L ford with 3.55 gears (like mine), you will pay dearly at the pump. It's just disheartening to realize that I'm paying about $50 more than most to do a trip to URL. Money that could be used to buy all you good folks a cold one at the Westwind. So keep that in mind when you see some poor chap walk in the bar with tears in his eyes. It's not wind burn - he's likely driving a ford like mine.

Pete

[ddsbyday]

As long as I go 54 miles/hr I have no worries and no danger. I will try to bring the tongue weight up. That makes sence and I did load the front up as much as I could. Maybe not enough. There is not even a shimmey until 54mph. Point is I drive 54mph,in the right lane and when people come up behind me I pull over so they can get around me. The white knuckles come from the 54 in the 65.

[Daveo]

ddsbyday

Is this a store bought ice house or a home made one? I had a store bought one two years agao and at a certin speed my ice house shimmyed so bad it took my duromax right off the road.It turned out ther was a little to much gap in the axel asm. I fixed it with just adding a washer to close up the gap..never had another problem even got it to 70 mph..I see you are not to far from me either Id be happy to take a look at it with yea to....good luck

[Kaz]

DDSBYDAY: You may want to check the wheel balancing. I had a shimmy at higher speeds and found out one of the tires was way out of balance.. Just a thought in the process of elimination.... My KC pulls very well with the weight more forward... Kaz