This blog is about my search for better fuel economy for my truck. I have a 2004 Toyota Tundra Double cab with a V8 engine, four wheel drive, and a four speed automatic transmission. Of all the years the Tundra has been available it appears that the 2004 DC truck, because of its size and engine/transmission configuration, gets the worst mileage of all the Tundras. The Gross Vehicle Weight of the truck is 6600 pounds and the EPA fuel economy rating for the truck is 14 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the freeway. In all honesty these fuel economy figures are both generous and unrealistic.

I have a personal Blog with more detailed information about my testing and my findings. Detailed spreadsheets of my fuel economy and test conditions can be emailed from my email account at highwaylizard@gmail.com

Please feel free to subscribe to my blog here on this forum through the RSS feed or my personal Blog.

Thanks for looking and ask any questions you may have.

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MPG Numbers 4-19-2009A

Posted 04-19-2009 at 04:16 PM by Highwaylizard
Updated 04-19-2009 at 04:58 PM by Highwaylizard

Filled up today:

All city driving with trailer
76.4 miles
6.898 gallons Shell87
11.0757 MPG
.7544 decrease in MPG since last of highway driving
5.0202 decrease in MPG since last tank of city driving

Excluding the miles generated pulling a trailer on the highway:

Overall average city driving for this month 14.0290 MPG
Overall average highway driving for this month 15.3607 MPG

These numbers were generated on our mowing route from yesterday. We pulled a trailer with all the mowing equipment including three mowers, one string trimmer, two backpack blowers, tool box, and three 5 gallon fuel cans. The trailer plus the equipment listed grossed at 2700 pounds. There were 23 stops on the mowing route and all driving was stop and go in the city.

Not the kind of mileage I want to be getting but considering the circumstances I guess it is right about where it should be. I am hoping that the addition of some headers will help out with the in town mileage through increased low-end torque. In the meantime I am still researching other means to improve the fuel economy of my truck.

Tomorrow I am running a friend up near Syracuse, Indiana, to pick up a lawn mower he bought online (isn’t the internet fantastic?) This will be the first significant distance on the highway with the trailer and I am eager to see where the mileage comes in at. I am expecting between 8 and 10 miles per gallon dragging my trailer on the freeway.

I have a personal Blog with more detailed information about my testing and my findings. Detailed spreadsheets of my fuel economy and test conditions can be emailed from my email account at highwaylizard@gmail.com

Please feel free to subscribe to my blog here on this forum through the RSS feed or my personal Blog.

Thanks for looking and ask any questions you may have.

Comments 1

Total Comments 1

Comments

I just took a two hour trip up to Blue ridge, with a loaded bed and trailer. Im guessing the load was in total about 3k lbs. This is the most i have towed for a highway, i also tow mower and landscape equipment often, but i got 160 miles to this last tank, whick included some off road driving. This was a 25 gallon tank!!! so i averaged around 7 mpg's, keep in mind that on the way back i had an empty trailer. I have resolved that know matter how you put it, tricks towing dont get a lick of mileage, Im going to try to make some cash and drop it all on a smaller car to do all of other driving. I do love my 2006 2WD DC tundra, but its getting pricey at 70 bucks a week on gas

Posted 05-04-2009 at 09:13 PM by trirunner trirunner is offline

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