New to forum, want better mileage!

[NatureBitz]

Hi, we don't own (yet) a TrailManor, but we currently tow an 18 foot trailer that weighs around 3300-3500 lbs with our Highlander Hybrid tow vehicle. We use an extremely heavy WDH which I might change out for an Anderson hitch soon.

I've put a picture of our current tow vehicle and trailer in my photo album on here but can't seem to link to it.

We're getting 12-14 mpg towing and 28-30 mpg without. So we're interested in increasing our mileage and TrailManor's look like a good way to accomplish this.

I'm aware of member "inghamn" who tows a 2720 with their Highlander Hybrid and also of this thread ( https://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17827.

So just wanted to introduce myself and say hello! Look forward to attending a meetup someday!

Dave (NatureBitz)

 

[inghamm]

I know most people on this forum think I am crazy, but yes I tow my 2720 with a Highlander Hybrid. I've been doing it since 2015 with no issues. The HH is a 2010. I don't get as good non-towing MPG as you do. I am very careful in not over-packing the TM. Fully packed for a trip to the east coast we weighed in right around #3500 for the trailer. The second to last trip I took was to Wallowa Lake State park, OR. I took my son's family, so we had 3 adults and 3 boys in the HH. I did go through and took everything out of the TM that wasn't essential. No issues going up over the pass at 5100 feet. I'm sure you've noticed this - because of the CVT and the electric motor available, you can actually accelerate going uphill, and I'm guessing it does that better than a regular Highlander. Anyway, bottom line, you would be safer than you currently are because the TM is lighter, and you would get better gas mileage.

 

[Wavery]

Be aware of a few things.
1. Towing is more about being able to stop in a panic situation.
2. https://lifeonfour.co/car-talk/towing-with-a-cvt-transmission/
the most important part of this article is: don't push the limits on your CVT transmission.

 

[NatureBitz]

Thanks for the encouragement!

I would be towing in flat Florida, at least at the outset, so no mountain passes to deal with. I agree with Waverly that stopping is most important, and have to remind myself at the start of any trip to leave a ton of stopping distance. Of course that means people will tend to cut me off and pull in front of me; just back off and arrive safely if lately.

About Toyota's eCVT transmission:

For hybrid models, Toyota actually uses something called an e-CVT system. This is nothing like a classic CVT system. The electric part of the hybrid powertrain uses single planetary gear sets that simulate various gear ratios that efficiently use all of the engine’s power. This combined CVT system is incredibly reliable with many Toyota Hybrids like the Prius covering more than 300,000 miles with no problems at all. With proper maintenance, any Toyota CVT system should last you for a lifetime of the car.​

I couldn't find a video that deals with the Highlander Hybrid transmission, but here is one that tears down the equivalent Prius unit. Changing the fluid every 50k is important if towing.

Thanks again!

 

[Larryjb-HILO]

You will get better fuel economy with a TM, but don't expect miracles. You're not going to get close to your 28 mpg. You're still going to be towing 3500 lbs + the weight of all your stuff, passengers, propane, etc etc. It's surprising how much the weight adds up.

As for braking, yes, the weight of the TV is important, but a good trailer brake module that adjusts the amount of braking goes a long way to safe braking.

 

[Imfrugal24/7]

Fuel Milage Toyota hybrids

I use a 7.3 L diesel 2000 F250 and see no loss of fuel Milage while towing my TrailManor. I have to look to make sure it’s still attached. Your slightly underpowered for the tow at maximum capacity of the vehicles limit. I would not worry about your gas mileage but would be more concerned about the wear and tear the engine and transmission is receiving. Braking is critical for your trailer nothing worse than having your trailer pass you in your truck or pushing you into the intersection. You’ll enjoy your trail manor it’s great and better than pulling a full sized billboard down the road.

 

[Shane826]

I use a 7.3 L diesel 2000 F250 and see no loss of fuel Milage while towing my TrailManor.

Sure but that thing gets what, 3 gallons to the mile?

 

[Bill]

I use a 7.3 L diesel 2000 F250 and see no loss of fuel Milage while towing my TrailManor.

Thank for your response. It makes sense - a car so small that it has trouble hauling itself around will have a challenge when asked to haul something that weighs more or less the same as it does. On the other hand, a vehicle so big that it has enough reserve to haul a semi will see a much smaller challenge when asked to pull the same load. I am somewhere in the middle of that range. My F-150 5.0L gets about 15.5 mpg overall. When we hook up the TM, it drops to about 14.0-14.5 mpg. Both of these are long-term averages, over thousands of miles, and include both flatland and Rocky Mountain travel.

NatureBitz, your Highlander is somewhere toward the light end of this range. Your upright travel trailer weighs about the same as a TM, but presents a much bigger challenge compared to a TM because of the wind resistance of an upright trailer. You should expect better results with a TM. In the end, it is obviously a tradeoff between non-towing and towing mpg, and there are many factors other than mpg that will drive your choice. It is up to you to choose where you want to be.

Bill

 

[Imfrugal24/7]

Sure but that thing gets what, 3 gallons to the mile?

I only calculate hours of operation per fueling (40 gal tank) but I did in the past calculate MPG and run 17 in town and 21 open road/freeway with full load. So not horrible.

 

[NatureBitz]

As for braking, yes, the weight of the TV is important, but a good trailer brake module that adjusts the amount of braking goes a long way to safe braking.

I"m currently using the Curt wireless brake controller which works pretty well. Running it on an old Android phone so I can keep the app running in the foreground while using Google maps on the "main" phone. Did have to run a 12 volt power lead to provide power, but it was a short run since the 12 volt battery is located inside the cargo area.

Thanks to everyone who has replied with helpful suggestions!

 

[Bill]

Did have to run a 12 volt power lead to provide power, but it was a short run since the 12 volt battery is located inside the cargo area.

I'm not sure I understand the added 12-V power lead. Where does this power lead come from, and where does it go? When you say "the cargo area", are you referring to an area in the tow vehicle, or in the trailer?

The Curt wireless controller should get both operating and braking power from the 12 VDC charge line that is part of the 7-pin trailer connector. In other words, the needed power should be coming from the tow vehicle, not the TM. Perhaps you are saying that the 7-pin connector on your Toyota did not have a 12 VDC charge line, so you had add to a wire to bring power to that pin?

Bill

 

[NatureBitz]

I'm not sure I understand the added 12-V power lead. Where does this power lead come from, and where does it go? When you say "the cargo area", are you referring to an area in the tow vehicle, or in the trailer?

Perhaps you are saying that the 7-pin connector on your Toyota did not have a 12 VDC charge line, so you had add to a wire to bring power to that pin?

Bill

Our Highlander came from the factory with a 4 pin trailer plug, which probably indicates what sort of towing the manufacturer envisioned. So I had to install a 4wire to 7wire adapter. That required running a 12 volt lead from the battery compartment, which fortunately is located nearby in the tow vehicle's cargo area.

 

[Shane826]

If you installed a 4-pin to 7-pin adapter hopefully you also added a brake control line. Otherwise that Curt controller is doing nothing for you.

 

[Bill]

Curt wireless brake controller

If I am reading the info on the Curt site correctly, the brake controller - meaning the accelerometers and the associated circuits that actually activate the brakes - resides within the barrel-shaped adapter that gets plugged into the 7-pin trailer connector (aka Bargman connector) on the back of the tow vehicle. This is done specifically to avoid the need to run a wire from a cockpit-mounted brake controller. Of course the connector-mounted brake controller has to have a source of 12 VDC, both to power its own electronics, and to power the brakes. Since the tow vehicle does not have a 12-volt charge line in the four-pin connector, he had to add one.

It is a clever idea. I'm not sure why I am so uncomfortable with it. I guess it is because I am a crusty old guy, resistant to change.

My question was meant solely to confirm that the required source of 12 VDC was the tow vehicle, not the TM.

Bill

 

[rich2468]

Dave (NatureBitz),
I'm towing a 2922KB with a current generation Highlander V6 and have observed 15 MPG as an average with just a little over 17MPG for a high while towing.

The highest MPG I've gotten while towing occurred, ironically, at moderate altitudes/ grades due to being in somewhat congested highway conditions. It seems with the V6 ICE I get the very best mileage with little stopping and keeping speeds below 65 MPH.

My MPG drops more from stop and go traffic (like you get on secondary state highway segments) than driving a more or less constant 65-75 MPH speed on federal highways.

Since you benefit from regenerative braking and electric motors at start, I wonder if that stopped/ started scenario will be where you see your best mileage.

 

[FllyboyTR]

So just wanted to introduce myself and say hello! Look forward to attending a meetup someday!

Dave (NatureBitz)

Dave,
Welcome aboard. You will find a lot of knowledgeable people on this site.

In regards to MPG... We tow our 3023 with a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Summit 4x4 with the Ecodiesel engine. We get close to 29 MPG without and 21 towing at 65 MPH. Our engine has been deleted and tuned for better performance. Sadly...due to a terrible diesel splash-back accident (while filling our diesel Ram truck), my wife got covered in diesel. So she wants us to sell all our diesel powered vehicles. So I guess they will be up for sale.

I am often amazed and puzzled at the MPG highs and lows that people report. Finding the right combination is possible. Good luck!

Travis