We can all agree to disagree to some extent on gas mileage and of course the weight and over all design of a tear does have a direct affect. We tow a Little Guy Silver Shadow with a dry weight of approximately 1000 Lbs. We tow with a 2002 Ford Explorer. No trailer we get a consistent 23-24 mpg. With trailer empty 20-21 and loaded about the same. I'll take that mpg all day long over what some towing other types of trailers get. When we tow with our 95 Nissan Pathfinder slightly under 19 with no trailer, about 14-15 with. I can feel the trailer with the Pathfinder, like its not even there with the Explorer.
It depends on the TV and the trailer. My Subaru gets 24 MPG on the highway with the tear which is 6' wide (wider than the car) I get 3MPG less towing at 65 to 70 MPH. Ours is however a grasshopper design which is less aerodynamic to begin with.
I have a 2005 Little Guy 4 wide.. dry , it weighs 785...never weighed it LOADED, but figure I carry at least a couple hundred lbs in the trailer AND car..
I tow it with a 1965 VW Beetle that gits 23-24 mpg and about 20-21 when towing..
The FUN factor... PRICELESS !!
I go to the local mtns. a LOT and the beach as well. Climbing the mtns.I can "feel" the weight behind me, but that little VW will HAUL it and has NO problem .
I've been 85 mph while passing a motorhome or a 5th wheel trailer and it goes straight as an arrow !!
I haven't weighed my teardrop but am guessing it is around 1200 pounds. Towing it with my F-150 at 70 mph, I get around 16-17 mpg, which is 1-2 mpg less than not towing the trailer.
Tom (& Linda) For build info on our former Silver Beatle teardrop: Build Thread
We tow our LG Rascal (dry weight of 460 lbs - LOADED, I would estimate it weights about 550 lbs) with a 2006 Ford Focus 2.0L 4 cyl Automatic. Without the trailer at 63-65 mph we get 36-38 mpg consistently. Towing at 63-65 we get 28-30 mpg. The Rascal is no wider than the body of the car.
The Focus tows and handles it just fine on the flat land of the Midwest and also in the Mountains of SD and WY.
Black Hills of SD last fall:
Terry & Lisa -------------------------------- From our LG Rascal to the Cabin-A.....The LG found a good home!
"When employed, live like your unemployed....so that when your unemployed you can live like your employed!!"
your home built td is 6ft wide and 8ft long weighs about 1000lbs wet. towing with a suzuki grand vitara we average about 23 mpg. It makes no difference if I am towing or empty but I keep my rpms below 3000.
In general, the larger the vehicle/engine the less it is affected by the trailer. We've towed our extensively with both our vehicles. With my wife's 4-cyl Highlander it drops from 24-25mpg to around 19. My V8 Tundra gets around 17-18mpg drops down to 16.