Removing towing hitch gives better MPG?

[atalarico]

Hey all,

My brother said that if I remove my towing hitch I'll have better gas mileage.

Is this true? I can't find anything online to back this up, however, I have absolutely no need for the receiver hitch.

 

[domstriker]

Hey all,

My brother said that if I remove my towing hitch I'll have better gas mileage.

Is this true? I can't find anything online to back this up, however, I have absolutely no need for the receiver hitch.

Either you or your brother is very gullible. I'm not sure which.

It doesn't weigh that much. You never know, you might need it. It's not just for towing.

 

[KeatonMP]

Does he explain why it would?

I can't think of any reason how it would help. Leave it on...better protection if you ever get rear-ended.

 

[blcktpgsr]

All it is is that tow hitches do weigh quite abit and any shaved weight helps reduce engine strain which equates to better gas consumption..on the contrary to your new found belief, I am about to mount one up on my rig...mine didn't come with one.

 

[domstriker]

All it is is that tow hitches do weigh quite abit and any shaved weight helps reduce engine strain which equates to better gas consumption..on the contrary to your new found belief, I am about to mount one up on my rig...mine didn't come with one.

I'm guessing it weighs no more than 100 lbs. We're talking about an increase in fuel economy in the tenths of a mile per gallon. The way you work the throttle has a MUCH bigger impact on fuel economy than shaving 100 lbs of weight.

 

[atalarico]

Thanks! I was skeptical, but I've never owned a bigger vehicle before, so I don't know.

I'll leave it on.

Also, could you give me tips on throttling the right way? I live in Colorado, so there will be a lot of needed help as far as getting up the passes the right way.

:cheers:

 

[domstriker]

Thanks! I was skeptical, but I've never owned a bigger vehicle before, so I don't know.

I'll leave it on.

Also, could you give me tips on throttling the right way? I live in Colorado, so there will be a lot of needed help as far as getting up the passes the right way.

:cheers:

Just basic things that hold true for any vehicle. Conserve your momentum by scanning ahead and anticipating traffic. It takes way more energy to start from a stop than it does while you are still moving. Avoid stopping as much as possible. It does no good putting the pedal to the floor from one stoplight only to come to a stop at the next light a block away.

Generally, the further the pedal is pressed, the lesser the fuel economy is. Pull away from stops with gentle throttle pressure and let the car shift as soon as possible assuming you're on level road.

Basically, don't floor it and your fuel economy will be increased.

I'm assuming you have an automatic. When driving up I-70, make sure that overdrive is off when going up hills. Especially up Floyd hill and up to the tunnel. I usually switch overdrive back on when coasting downhill unless I need to brake or maintain a certain speed. Like when driving west coming out of Eisenhower tunnel and I'm trying to keep it under 65-70 because there are always state troopers writing tickets.

That last point is about keeping your tranny cool, not fuel efficiency. If you keep overdrive on going up above mentioned hills, your tranny will heat up in a hurry. If you have a 5 speed, disregard that last point.

 

[runrunner]

I'm guessing it weighs no more than 100 lbs. We're talking about an increase in fuel economy in the tenths of a mile per gallon. The way you work the throttle has a MUCH bigger impact on fuel economy than shaving 100 lbs of weight.

I've put a few on solo and they dont weigh more than 50lbs. I cant imagine they affect fuel mileage.

End thread?

 

[atalarico]

Well, let's not make too drastic of claims.

Sure, it might not affect it noticeably, but 100lbs on your rear will still affect it in some way.

Sure, end thread. I think I got a sufficient answer. I was just making sure it wasn't going to affect it in a 1-2mpg kind of way.

 

[domstriker]

Well, let's not make too drastic of claims.

Sure, it might not affect it noticeably, but 100lbs on your rear will still affect it in some way.

Sure, end thread. I think I got a sufficient answer. I was just making sure it wasn't going to affect it in a 1-2mpg kind of way.

It's not enough to notice.

 

[Qyota]

Agree that they don't weigh 100lb. 50 is more likely.

And domstriker is on point with the tips. Any time you are on the brakes, you are wasting gas. It's pretty much that simple. You'll not only save fuel, but you will rarely have to change your brake components. Two for one.

However, there is some data to suggest that pulling away from stops extremely slowly does not garner the best fuel efficiency. Unless you're talking block-to-block stop signs, the best method is to get up to speed moderately quickly, then coast for the greatest distance possible. The less time you are on the throttle (especially at slow speeds), the better. You'd be surprised how far you can coast between stops, without really screwing up traffic. That said, if you are in traffic, don't be "that guy" that holds people up trying to get 1-2 extra miles per gallon. These methods are best used in light traffic situations.

Have fun!

 

[BTO]

Tell your brother that you can save even more gas by making him walk.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Tell your brother that you can save even more gas by making him walk.

:lmao:

The tow hitch has no effect whatsoever,I removed mine and no difference. Very few subtractions will make a real world diff (removing the interior might give you 1-2mpgs) but it would take a few hundred pounds of additions also to hurt it. Even the roofracks don't affect MPGs like people say they do unless you are calculating all highway with a Loadwarrior or the like and those might only hurt your MPG by 2mpg at best and that if it's is truly all highway.

Realistically 3rd gen V6's mileage is 15-18city and 20-23hwy with a few that will see less and a few that will see better.

Mine with the bigger tires and with my penchant for quick acceleration I get 15-17city and 19-21hwy with my rack up top.

 

[jacob7071]

Hey all,

My brother said that if I remove my towing hitch I'll have better gas mileage.

Is this true? I can't find anything online to back this up, however, I have absolutely no need for the receiver hitch.

Tell your brother that removing the windshield and rolling down the back window would be a better way to improve MPG

 

[atalarico]

Tell your brother that removing the windshield and rolling down the back window would be a better way to improve MPG

:lol:

Ok, ok, guys I get it! I was just posting it because it sounded fishy to me too.

Hey on that note in the quote, I'll bet with the windows, sunroof, and rear window rolled down on the highway, there isn't as big of a drop in MPG above 60mph like the old addage says. That rear window is soooo refreshing. I was so exciting about finally getting a vehicle with A/C, but so far I've barely used it!

 

[brian2sun]

I ditched my trailer hitch to make a better departure angle for wheelin. I got sick of scraping my ass on every steep trail. I noticed zero difference in my MPGs, and yes it weighs ~40-50 lbs.

 

[AKAndy]

However, there is some data to suggest that pulling away from stops extremely slowly does not garner the best fuel efficiency. Unless you're talking block-to-block stop signs, the best method is to get up to speed moderately quickly, then coast for the greatest distance possible.
Have fun!

I totally agree with this, and would add that if you do have an auto tranny, turn on the ECT button to the "power" setting so that the shift points are adjusted to give more power when accelerating. I did this just to experiment, and it increased my mileage about 1-1.5 mpg. Another interesting thing I've found is that I seem to get better mileage when taking trips up into the mountains versus regular highway/city driving. I guess the coasting when coming downhill saves more gas than you lose while going uphill. Here's a graph of my mileage, showing the 1 mpg increase back in May when I turned the ECT to the "power" setting. Then in June I started going up to the mountains a lot, and my mileage increased even more.

 

[atalarico]

I totally agree with this, and would add that if you do have an auto tranny, turn on the ECT button to the "power" setting so that the shift points are adjusted to give more power when accelerating. I did this just to experiment, and it increased my mileage about 1-1.5 mpg. Another interesting thing I've found is that I seem to get better mileage when taking trips up into the mountains versus regular highway/city driving. I guess the coasting when coming downhill saves more gas than you lose while going uphill. Here's a graph of my mileage, showing the 1 mpg increase back in May when I turned the ECT to the "power" setting. Then in June I started going up to the mountains a lot, and my mileage increased even more.

That's really interesting!

I do have the ECT as well. So, use ECT when driving up the mountains and in the city?

 

[AKAndy]

Yeah, I leave it on all the time now. I figured having it off and being conservative with the gas would increase mileage, but my experience has shown the opposite to be true.

 

[daletehbest]

will leaving Ect on burn anything up?