fuel consumption when towing

[Whyman]

Just returned from a 4 week trip to France, Switzerland, Germany anf Belguim towing a 1480 kg caravan. (The joys of being retired). Achieved an average of 30.6mpg for the whole trip of 1900 miles 75% which were towing. First time with XC60 D5 Auto and new caravan. Very pleased with the result, much better than expected.

The worst mpg was to and from Hull for the ferry to Zebrugge. Roads were very poor and noisey. Roads on the continent were much quieter and smother - mpg was also better.

[Father Ted]

I was looking for a V70 D5 to replace my last car, but as I didn't get as much as I'd hoped for the old car, my budget was lower. So, I ended up with a petrol, 2.4L 170BHP.

I know it's a bit of a gas guzzler, but it's better than my last. Anyhow, I haven't really towed with it yet, but I did a trial last night. Only about 7 or 8 miles, with traffic lights and roundabouts. I reset my trip computer before I started and when I'd finished it was showing 28 MPG. I can live with that. If I get it to 30 on the motorway I'll be ecstatic.
(I reckon my last car was about 19MPG when towing).

[keith1963]

I use both my cars to tow our van a 1994 Eccles Topaz, with the Mondeo 2.0 manual petrol I get 31mpg round town whilst working as a taxi, 40mpg solo motorway and 26mpg towing.

With the V70 T5 auto I get 24mpg around town. 33mpg solo on cruise on the motorway and 24mpg towing according to both the on car computers at least.

[FullEnglish]

Seeing as I'm currently caravan brake obsessed, I'd say it's well worth checking to see that the brakes on the van aren't dragging. That's going to eat mpg.

[mordred1973]

Update on latest trip.

100 miles each way, c75miles on motorway and 25 on smaller roads with roundabouts etc.

Weather was high 20s, so aircon working about 50% of the time and stuck in 2x 20minute traffic james.

Overall MPG towing 1750kg of caravan for this trip was 24mpg. The best I have had towing so far.

[labtech]

I used to get 30 mpg solo with my D5 Geartronic XC90 and 22 with the caravan on the back (about 1300kg loaded).

I've now got a Ford Kuga which gets 40 mpg solo and 25 mpg with the caravan on.

[clarkey1984]

My old peugeot 406 2.1td used to do about 45 mpg solo and around 30 ish with my 5 berth abbey 516GT weighing in at 1250kg fully loaded behind it, ill be intrigued to see what my current MPG of around 33 in my v40 2.0i petrol non turbo will drop to with the 'van on the back.

[lyron]

towing with our discovery 300tdi elddiss odesy van on the back we dropped to about 32 towing and get about 46 solo considering the weight of thre disco is two and a half tons a think that aint bad,we got about 28 towing the same sized van with the s 60 d5 185bhp.


ron.

[Ian HT]

My V70 D5 163 bhp (manual, 2004) will do an indicated 55 mpg on a sensible open road solo long journey.

With the caravan (say 1200 kg; 4 people and luggage in the car), keeping up about the same speeds - 60-65 and accelerating briskly so as not to be a mobile road-block - it does 29-30 mpg according to the computer.

I would expect say 32 mpg towing if we went a bit slower.

By the way, the best I have seen on the computer was 66.7 mpg door to door, 200 miles Leicester to Iver and back: straight onto A46, then motorway almost all the way, using BP Ultimate diesel. It did involve cruise control at 60 mph all the way. Very frustrating but an interesting experiment!

Ian

[senior]

Just done 1050miles UK to Italy over the Simplon pass in my manual superchiped 09 XC90 towing a 1500kg caravan at 27 mpg fill up to fill up
Happydays!!!