First time experience with towing a 25 ft 4200 lb trailer

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jruppert

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I picked up a travel trailer this weekend with my gf. I had some questions as to what I should be expecting with towing a trailer of this size with weight. My 2010 Navigator does have high miles. It is reporting at 202,000. I am aware that I cannot be expecting the world with that mileage. That being said, the vehicle has been very reliable since I bought it in 2018.

It didn't seem to matter as to the speed that I was driving. If I drove anywhere from 60-75, it wanted to get 9 mpg. Is this typical for a 2010 Navigator/Expedition? Also, I noticed that it was constantly shifting from overdrive and down a couple gears more than I felt it ought to.

I will be making a trip from Michigan down to Georgia at the end of July and will probably put new plugs in it. I installed new ones around 120k. Would a tuner help my situation any with the mpg or at least the unnecessary shifting of gears?
 

Matthew Marlowe

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Expedition towing is typically 8-12mpg. 45-60mph sweet spot depending on trailer. For safety, good hitch plus under 30ft and 7,000lbs helps...most important is balancing weight and adjusting trailer brake setting.
 
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jruppert

jruppert

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It does have an EAZ Elite distribution hitch. I need to get it onto some flat surface to make sure it is set up correctly.

Would a tuner help with the shifting strategy? It seems like it shifts in an out way too much.
 

JasonH

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It does have an EAZ Elite distribution hitch. I need to get it onto some flat surface to make sure it is set up correctly.

Would a tuner help with the shifting strategy? It seems like it shifts in an out way too much.
If you have tow haul mode, it will hold gears longer and downshift on grades for engine braking. Not sure about a tuner on that model, but naturally aspirated engines need to use the gears more to maintain speed because they don't generate enough torque at low RPMs. My neighbor tows a trailer that is 7K, same as mine, with a late model lifted Ram 1500, and he complained that engine screams. Another option might be just locking out the higher gears. For a vehicle with that number of miles, make sure you get it checked out. Nothing like breaking down on a road trip.
 
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jruppert

jruppert

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I do have the tow haul mode. I tried it but I didnt seem to notice much except slowing down.

Thanks for the advice
 

ManUpOrShutUp

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I've got an EL and my mileage towing ~4,000 lbs is usually around 13 mpg (almost all highway) doing around 60mph. When I get up to 6,000+ lbs it starts to drop off considerably and I have seen the 8 mpg before while towing in the 7,000-7,500 lb range. It's also worth noting that the highways I'm usually hauling on have very modest grades.
 

ManUpOrShutUp

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Any recommendations? I know with my mileage, I can't expect the world.

I have 189k, so I'm not that far off from you. I imagine the difference in gearing and wheelbase are part of it, as are the driving conditions. If you have the AC going, have a lot of hills, etc. the engine is going to working harder and sucking down more fuel. Also, are you sure the trailer is only 4,200 lbs? Did you take it to a scale?
 
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jruppert

jruppert

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I did not take it to scale. Only going by manufacturer specs. It's a 2011 Rockwood roo.
 

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Snidley53

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I have a 2016 EL and last October drove our 25' Rockwood Mini lite out to Colorado from Indiana staying between 60 and 65 mph and averaged close to 10 mpg for the whole trip. On mostly level highways I would average around 12 mpg but once in the mountains all bets are off and the mpg drops like a stone. I always did my own calculations on mpg as the built-in mpg gauge is never truly accurate.
 
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