Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **Rem** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:49 pm

How does this sound. 2006 PT Cruiser , 1400 pound trailer, 17 mpg minumum at 50 to 65 mph. Automatic with cruise 90 mile test run. Lookin for opinions from more experienced td&ttt owners and maybe PT owners.
Thanks everyone this is almost the only place I go for advice anymore.

by **Boodro** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:54 pm

I get about 19 with my Ford Explorer ,2000 , V6 , 4x4 . My Dew Drop Inn is about 1400 loaded.I did a test last year on a 365 mile run to Indiana & back. I went down to Indiana at 50 mph , when I came back I did 60 & used 3 more gallons .

by **mfkaplan** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:15 pm

Dosen't sound so good. Your trailer weight sounds a little much for the PT. What do you get without the trailer? My trailer is under 500 lbs, I think. I get about 25 mpg pulling the trailer with my 02 PT at about 60 mph. No turbo. Without the trailer on long runs I get a little better. As my car ages, it seems to get better mileage. A few weeks ago without the trailer, I got 29mpg on a run of 300 miles up and back on Interstate 5. Of course around town, I only get about 20mpg. When the car was new, I only got 17 mpg.

Mary
Mom's Nest

by **bledsoe3** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:34 am

I got 21+ mpg at 70+ mph coming home from the IRG in my '04 Outback. I'm not sure what my trailer weighs.

by **asianflava** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:46 am

We averaged 19 with the Highlander on the way home from IRG. 2.4L engine the trailer probably weighed 1500lbs but that is a guess.

by **Joseph** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:24 am

roger l wilkinson wrote:How does this sound. 2006 PT Cruiser, 1400 pound trailer...

Since the 2006 PT Cruiser's towing capacity is only 1000 lbs, it sounds to me like you're headed straight for a trashed transmission.

Joseph

by **Tear Fan** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:59 am

Just tested our "new" 2002 4 Runner with 6-cylinder engine, from Ellijay to Tallulah Gorge, up and down the mountains across the top of Georgia. 5 X 8 Yoder Toter weighs 1,300 lbs. with everything in it. Got 18.5 mpg - averaging 20 mpg without the trailer.

Marvin

by **mfkaplan** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:25 am

Me again. I was wondering why your teardrop weighed so much. I looked in your album. It's a big one! My tear is one of the smaller ones. I think that 1400 lbs is quite overweight for a PT. A lot of people pull with PTs, but I haven't seen any one with one of the really big boxy tears. Just my thoughts. :thinking:

Mary
Mom"s Nest

by **Rem** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:39 am

just filled the tank averaged 19mpg. Weight of trailer is a guess. It weighs 980 empty. Plan to build lighter hatch and counter top. Empty is no water pots and pans jackstands stove cooler gas. everything else was in there when weighed

by **Joseph** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 1:45 pm

roger l wilkinson wrote:Weight of trailer is a guess. It weighs 980 empty.

At 980 lbs you're still pushing the envelope. Keep an eye on your transmission fluid - it should be red. If it's brown and smells burnt, you have a problem. A transmission cooler MAY help, but frankly, the PT Cruiser was designed for one thing and one thing only - to look cool. It's really just a Neon with a sexy body. It was never really intended to be a tow vehicle.

Good luck,

Joseph

by **madjack** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:34 pm

...yep, you are pushing the PT to its limits...an aux trannie cooler would be a must in my book as well as keeping a sharp eye on the fluid as has been suggested above...we tow with a 2001 Pontiac Aztek w/3.4l v6, it has a tow rating of 3500#s and FULLY loaded(12-1500#s of tear and gear) we get 22+mpg at 60mph and 19+ at 75-80mph...empty we get 26 mpg at 75mph and 20 around town...
madjack

by **Gaston** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:35 pm

I guess I'm glad my PT Cruiser (HO Turbo, stick) can't read. I get about 23 mpg most the time and average 19 towing the teardrop. the trailer weights 1100 empty and will weigh around 1300 with all the stuff I'm taking to the Damn Gathering. then on to Florida
as a side note: at a sustained 118 mph average, on one stretch, going to Sturgis last year(using my aircraft gps) for 1 tank I averaged 9mpg. The extra fuel stops negate the time saved but the Harley group behind me loved it

by **Dixie Flyer** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:01 am

Lord I hate to even say anything here and probably shouldn't ...but what the hell...

My Jeep Unlimted got TERRIBLE gas mileage. Wth the OD off it was 11.3 mpg @ 70-75 mph. And it stayed at around 3100 rpms.

With the OD on, I got 15.6 mpg @ 70-75 mph. (At 2100 rpms) The only thing with the OD on though, any hills I came to it'd kick into passing gear and I'd have to clear the cruise.

Reckon I could've slowed down a bit...... :thinking:

naw.......that wouldn't be right....

by **surveytech** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:09 am

2003 PT N/A with a 5 speed.
trailer is 750lbs

Average 25-27mpg on 200 mile trips with trailer.
Trip is a lot of straight road, non stop and flat as a board.
(are there really any hills in Florida?)

At 1400 pounds I would worry about the tranny and trying to stop it.

by **Joseph** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:48 am

Gaston wrote:I guess I'm glad my PT Cruiser (HO Turbo, stick) can't read.

Sticks may be another matter - I was talking about automatics. I drive a stick but I still won't push the envelope on my towing capacity.

Anyone with expertise or advice on manual transmission to offer?

Joseph

Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

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