We have a 38ft 5th wheel.We are full timers,and I have pulled it across most of the country.After I modded my truck,the mileage,went from about 8 or 9 to around 15.This is hand calculated mileage.It weighs about 17,000 lbs.Have wondered about the wing myself and have heard both pros and cons about it.

 

This guy get 50mpg towing...with the brakes on.

http://thxforthe.info/blog/wp-conten...mate-ricer.jpg

 

That thing looks like a cricket mated w/ a van.

 

Yep. Thats them.

 

You get 15 MPG towing 17k pounds?!?

I can't get kind of fuel mileage towing my 5th wheel unless I'm going down hill. What mods do you have?

 

the air tabs work and i called the person with the black truck in the add and ask him why he had them on his hood he said they helped and also kept bugs off of the windshield. i placed his picture beside the truck and placed mine as close as i could to the picture, they work very well. $200 did the 5th wheel and truck. only drawback is the kidding you get about the petticoat lace look. i have about the best wing made. it is the taylor wing same as used on tractor trailers it is adjusted properly, but was hard to calculate if i had a increase in mpg worth the effort and as stated if you run headless a lot you need to remove it or you will drop your mpg about 2 to 3 mpg. there are things you can do to the truck to get good gains in mpg but for air dynamics the air tabs and proper use of the wing is only going to get you 0.5 to 0.75 mpg

 

I think you mean "if you deadhead a lot"

Side Note: Reminded me of "Mike the Headless Chicken"
http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/index.php

 

My TH is about 12.5 ft tall and all I can get out of it is around 10mpg as well. That's at about 60mph steady. I think it's just the amount of air that's being displaced...

 

My toyhauler is pretty tall too... like 13' or so. Loaded it's between 16-17k. When I tow it, I run at 62-65 mph. Across Nevada on I-80, I average around 8-9 mpg, given the various grade changes and varying winds.

Going through Utah on I-15, where it's flat and the wind isn't much of a problem, I've done slightly better than 12 mpg.

That was with a 100% stock truck; since then I've done a Smarty, and am curious to see if there's an improvement. I just haven't had the time to go on another trip to see.

I too have wondered about the wings, and now this airtab thing has me wondering too.

Rob

 

I'm, too, waiting for the answer to this one! I barely get 16mpg at 70mph SOLO. pcm

 

16 mpg at 70 unloaded?? WOW! I wish I got that. I get about 13-14 at that speed unloaded. I get up to 18 unloaded running <65 but it takes a very gentle foot to accomplish that.

Like I said before though, I have managed 12 mpg on flat ground with no headwind, running 62 mph towing 16-17k... that was impressive. That was over a 150 mile stretch of I-15 near SLC.

Rob

 

The guy I bought my 5er from had a wing on his 93 Dodge. He said it helped his towing mpg about 1mpg and if he didn't put it down when not towing, it hurt his mpg by 1.25. Craig

 

The mods are in the signature.My truck is a 6 speed 2 wheel drive with 3.55 rears.

 

I have a next level toy hauler that's 17000# my fuel mileage varies from 9.7 to 11.5 with the cruise on in fifth gear ,tail wind. If I even try 6th O/D it drops in the 9mpg range . with the 285s on my best mpg is right at 60-62 mph I just cant see 15mpg towing 17k? I drive down to BAJA and so cal every year (about 2500 mile trip ) with 6 friends with everything from Dmax,6.5LTD ,5.9s 6.0 7.3. and I get the second best mpg my friends 05 5.9 3500 DRW gets the best,but... he is pulling only 10k but has my roof rack with 4 quads on it (wind drag bad) the 7.3 gets the worst at 8-9 mpg, he has the second heaviest rig I have the heaviest. with all that said we all have to stop for fuel at just about the same time so no one can lie at the pump! we drive from point A to point B and then calc the fuel. the only real way to calc best mpg is to have same exact trailers .same weight. personally I think once you get over a 14k trailer your only going to get 10mpg+- 1
MY.02

 

What part of Texas is this?