Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

[halfmoa]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

How many kidneys do you have?

LOL No doubt. Just last week we were camping at a local state park and the couple next to us were on "holiday" from Holland traveling from Chicago to Las Vegas through New Orleans over the course of 5 weeks (what a trip that'd be, huh?) in a rented RV. I commented to him that the price of fuel was a little high for that kind of thing and he reminded me that it's nearly $10/gal in Holland. I guess it's not too bad here after all....

 

[MarkSee]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

Here in most Southern California places, the max speed while towing any kind of trailer is the same as big rigs: 55mph. I stay at that speed but not over 60 no matter what the price of diesel fuel would be. I also drive in the right lane as much as possible even if there is no traffic and the police/chp just cruise right by me. For me it's just not worth the cost of a speeding ticket (around $400-500), especially when towing to get to the ramp 5 minutes earlier. Should there be some type of accident, I want to be able to honestly say I was not speeding.
Mark

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

The price of fuel has taken my MPG drastically because I can't afford to tow the boat to the lake or put fuel in the boat nearly as often...

you got that....I tow it the shortest possible distance and motor as little as I must....to enjoy the water

 

[QC]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

Here in most Southern California places,

Hey neighbor.

My experience has been they leave you alone below 64 MPH even with a trailer. Also, for clarity, you legally must cruise in the right lane in CA if the highway is three lanes or less. Four lanes or more, it is recommended to cruise in the second lane from the right as that limits issues with traffic coming onto the freeway. Just a CA FYI.

For me 10 MPH means 40 minutes earlier to the launch ramp

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

My experience on the road has taught me that in most cases if the police are not doing speed traps they generally will give you up to ten mph over as long as you are not driving recklessly and certainly if you are at or slightly below the pace of traffic. I usually run about 8 over without the boat and 5 over with it. For the most part I don't think about fuel price when boating because I boat to have fun and if I think about fuel prices I will not enjoy myself I'll just be pissed off.

 

[jkust]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

I've always driven trucks like gas was $10/gallon, which is more about my respect for driving big heavy objects than my wallet guiding my decisions. My cabin is 250 miles away so I routinely make 500 mile round trips. The highway is 70mph half of the way and 65mph the other half. I usually keep it between those two speeds the entire way.[/QUOT

Captain C, what lake is your cabin on? Gas prices don't affect my driving while towing only my common sense for the road and traffic conditions really changes my behavior much.

 

[90stingray]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

No, I'm not going to slow down and no I'm not going to boat less.

Amen to that!

I tow at the same speed i drive w/o a trailer... just 5mph over the posted limit. Never have any troubles. MPG's seem to be the same either way. I do have to buy preimum which is the same cost as diesel right now.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

Last week I towed my 38' triple slide fifth wheel AND my jeep on a towbar 1000 miles.... I scaled at a truck stop out of curiosity. With about 60 gallons of fuel in the truck and room for 80 more I weighed 27,060 lbs..... My truck does best right around 75 mph which is just fast enough to stay in overdrive on the hills and keep the egt's within a safe range.
I got 6.7 mpg and no, it costs what it costs.... I could probably get 10 at 55 but the trans would be hunting AND I'd have to drive an additional 5 hours.... no way, that makes it a 2 day trip instead of 1 day. I can buy more fuel but I can't buy another day on god's green earth. aye?

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

That is too true smoke fuel is cheaper than time.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

Well in typical cars the TCM shifts based on target speed (throttle position) and actual speed, plus a million different calculations between those two numbers. ie. quick increase in target speed and slowing actual speed = downshift, when approaching a hill etc etc.

My point was that I could not get the thing to up-shift when taking my foot almost off the accelerator, it still continued to increase rpm till it reached a specific number, NOT a specific speed or level of acceleration. I know what you're trying to say about load, but usually if you've got it mashed down and need to coast or stop increasing speed, taking your foot nearly off the pedal always results in an up-shift (at least if you're already over 3-3.5krpm!). Some of the guys on the rover forums hinted that the TCM senses load and calculates the required shift points so that the vehicle can achieve adequate acceleration in the NEXT gear after the shift is completed, but that the calculation is directly related to weight and not pedal position.

It does have a decent sized cooler from the factory, but fortunately it will also change shift maps if temperatures become too hot.

As far as TC lock-up is concerned, this is the only info I could find (from Jaguar but it has the same ZF 6HP trans I guess)



I believe the vehicle sensor inputs and TCM software is a little more complex in the rover over the jag because it also has input data such as rear shock air pressure etc to determine load, but finding these internal component PDF documents is hard!

OK then !!!

 

[Davem3]

Re: Do gas prices affect your towing speed?

i dunno, i only have a 15 foot tinner, but i get about 25 MPG towing it, it is what it is, but the 6 and 9.8 burn racing fuel ONLY, that is fuel with NO ethanol at all and that is currently 12 bucks a gallon .............will i change when and how i go on the water? NEVER!!!