MPG and Towing

I need to make a cross country trip next month and on the return trip I need to tow a vehicle that weighs about 3300 lbs. I’m looking to rent a car dolly from UHaul for this. How much of a hit to gas mileage should I expect? We also have a GMC Acadia I can use and have towed a trailer on this same route and took about a 5-6 MPG hit towing near its 4k pound limit.

 

Can the car in question be towed on a dolly?

Does the dolly have brakes? (Typically no)

If the answer to either is "no", this is a non-starter. And the good UHaul car hauler + the car is too heavy for the 4R to safely tow (2200+3300= 5500 lbs).

Past that, I would expect pretty bad gas mileage, ranging from 10-14 depending on how you drive.

If you go 55, you'll get on the better end, but spending 7-10 days driving like that with the trailer would make me crazy.

Edit: apparently some of the tow dollies do have brakes, didn't know that.

 

I've towed a 1st gen Miata on the U-Haul car carrier. It was slow and the mileage sucked but I got it done.

This past week I've towed my 900lb military trailer and average 19.5mpg on the highway but that's me keeping my highest speed to 65mph. I don't care if the speed limit is higher, people can go around me.

 

I’m not sure if their car dolly has brakes. The one I’m looking at tows where the vehicle being towed has the rear wheels on the ground.

UHauls website shows that both the 4Runner and the Acadia can do this. Only the 4Runner can use their car hauler though.

 

It looks like the U-haul tow dolly has brakes, just based on the picture.

I towed two vehicles on the auto transport. One was AWD so no choice. I was definitely over the limit, but didn't have many options. Both times I got around 11.5 MPG. I kept the speed around 60 MPH, and kept it in S4.

 

We get 10-11 MPG towing a 5000 lb boat and trailer on the interstate keeping it at 65 MPH. Level Ground.

A good rule of thumb. If you double your weight, your MPG will be close to half.

 

That's a great rule of thumb! Double the size = Half the MPG!

 

Thanks everyone! Part of the trip home would be going through the Appalachian mountains going through Virginia so I’d take an elevation hit there.

I’m curious why our Acadia tows so well with just a slight hit to the MPGs? I can still get 20-22 on the highway towing close to its 4k towing limit.

 

Helping wind or down hill?

 

I get about 12mpg pulling my 2000lb cargo trailer on the freeway but that thing is a tall brick in the wind. Car is heavier but but much more aerodynamic so less drag hit.

like other said my biggest fear would be stopping that thing if you don’t figure a way for brakes.

 

Below is the experience that most Acadia Owners have towing close to limit. It is about what you would expect, 50% or so of optimal Highway MPG. If you can get 22 MPG doing the same thing, something is amiss.



From the Acadia Forum:

“Just got back from a 1326 mile trip pulling my trailer weighing about 4000 lbs loaded.

The DIC showed as high as 15.9 on flat land about 200 miles into the trip.
Once I reached mountain areas it fell to 13 or so. long stretches up the mountains saw 11'ish.

However coming back home I went down the mountains and the average went up.

Totaling up all receipts I used 98.13 gallons of fuel over 1326 miles giving me 13.51 MPG.
Of that figure, the vehicle was driven about 9-10 miles without the trailer to get gas etc., so I think 13.4 mpg would be fair towing.”

 

Thank you for this!! I may be misremembering that trip then. Our Acadia goes into AWD when I put it in Tow/Haul mode. Not sure if that changes anything.

I’d much rather drive my 4Runner but am taking into consideration the cost of fuel.

 

Up and down. Part of my trip will be on I-81 through Virginia and that highway can get windy.