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Old 12-02-2010, 12:55 AM   #1
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I noticed on some of the threads there was discussions on gas mileage onthe new Cruisers that are 5" higher to reduce the step in the bedroom. It seems most people are under the assumption that you will save a lot of gas if you pull a mid-profile. I have pulled high profiles for the past 15 years and when I compare mileage with people pulling mid-profile or even travel trailers there is no clear difference. I have noticed when I pull my tandem utility trailer the mileage is about as bad as pulling my 5th wheel. Has anybody else got any input to the myth "Hi-profile means less gas mileage?" Edited by: calliopeguy
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Old 12-02-2010, 01:31 AM   #2
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my PP is 13'4" to the top of the 2nd A/C unit, I pull with a soon to be gone 6.0 Ford it has 4.10 gears and I don't relly think my mileage is much difference with or without the camper, I get about 10.5 either way...I only use the truck to tow, I did have a cruiser and the mileage was the same,
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Old 12-02-2010, 01:35 AM   #3
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I can tell you we towed an 05 Cruiser 29RK (mid profile) and now a PP (high profile) and with the same truck at 60 mph I would get 12 to 13 mpg pulling the Cruiser and I get 10 to 11 mpg pulling the PP. Now granted the PP does weigh a little more than our Crusier did but I think the profile has more to do with the loss of mileage than the weight did. I have tested the mileage on the same road we travel to get to some friends property we go to several times a year so the figures are based off that route.
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Old 12-02-2010, 02:19 AM   #4
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I like Keith's answer! If you stop and think about it---A higher rig is going to be pushing more wind. Plain and simple. You guys that are wondering about it, just stop and think about the times you pulled into a really stiff head wind or one that hits you on one of the front "corners". It's about the same theory as higher verses lower. Either way it amounts to more wind resistance, and less fuel mileage.



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Old 12-02-2010, 05:12 AM   #5
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I agree with Keith and Lloyd, When we had the Zinger travel Trailer, I got worse gas milage than I do with our Cruiser, some of it might have to do with the aro dynamics of the front cap over the bed. But I had to pull half a dozen Fema Trailers this year for a friend, and the fuel mileage there was way down compared to the Cruiser

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Old 12-02-2010, 08:58 AM   #6
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In my mind it is a no brainer. The more wind resistance the lower the mpg will be. I chose my Cruiser mostly in that it was less than 12 feet tall. Am able to store it in my shop building that has a 12 foot high door. The dressing area of my bedroom in my 26RK is 6'5". Good enough for most american men. The lowest in the main area is 6'11". Themain thing that would help our problem would for the trucks to go back to the bed levels of 30 years ago. I do not understand the race to have the tallest truck bed rail. Lowering the bed rail height would allow the 5th wheels to have a higher bedroom ceiling with less overall heigth.
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Old 12-02-2010, 09:11 AM   #7
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I'll be honest, if we could find a mid-profile 5th wheel in the 34' to 36' range with 3 to 4 sildeoutsand W/D connections for a stacked unit we would go back in a minute. We are at 13'4" at the front AC unit with the trailer hooked to the truck and we had to go under a bridge one time that was 13'6". We made it okay but it took about 20 miles for my butt to turn loose of the seat fabric in my truck. The Crusier had plenty of head room for us and an extra couple ofmiles to the gallon now days would be nice.
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Old 12-02-2010, 10:30 AM   #8
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No they keep making the beds taller so they can have bragging rights on payload area (IE Cubic feet in the bed.

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Old 12-02-2010, 11:24 AM   #9
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I agree with all on the drag. It looks like the newer cruisers are are more rounded in the front to make the drag less. My PP is like a big box on wheels. I have seen other makes with the more aerodynamic front ends so may be this will be the future. But then again we stick air vents and A/c on the roof that blocks the airflow over the top. Also the higher the bedroom gets more storage goes under it.




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Old 12-02-2010, 12:53 PM   #10
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I'll Keep my "old" Patriot edition Cruiser. I have modified the bedroom floor with carpeted fillers so the floor is level all around the bed. That was most important along with the true mid-profile height. I've never towed a high profile 5'er, but I have to believe if you have more square feet of frontal area you will have more drag on the tow vehicle. JMHO.
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Old 12-02-2010, 11:41 PM   #11
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Our 04 Silverado is a high profile and because we have a Ford F550 with a Reyco Granning air suspension we had to add a couple inches to the frame of the 5ver to pull level making our height 13'8." Our milage pulling is around 9 depending on how much mountain driving we are doing and almost 13 without towing. For us the added height, (we have a front living room and basement storage the entire length of the trailer) is worth the extra comfort because we go south every winter. If the additional comfort is worth it to you the extra gas doesn't really matter.
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Old 12-03-2010, 12:13 AM   #12
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We had a high profile HH. I remember well the first winter we hooked up and headed for AZ. The Duramax had about 5000 mi. on it and it was the maiden voyage for everything.
We got over to MN. and headed south on 35W and the wind was coming out of the SE hitting us on the left front corner at 25--30 mph, and it stayed there until we turned west in OK. WOW!! 7--7.5 mpg. Under normal conditions with that rig we could get 9--9.5 once in awhile 10.
When we got the Cruiser we went out to WA. On the way out we were running anywhere from 10--12.5
On the way back home we picked up a real stiff tail wind, 14--15--and 16 MPG. I just wanted mention this to show what wind resistance or lack of, can do for you.



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Old 12-03-2010, 01:20 AM   #13
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all of you are correct as to the frontal area. for those of us that have bumper pulls it is evenmore of a big deal due to the waythe air comes off the back ofthe tow vehicle. there is a company www.nosecone.com that makes the aerodynamic additionsfor box trucksand cab tops for semis. theyalso makeaerodynamic noses for trailers.

over the last few years they have also entered the RV market for people that are astute enough to recognize and or put enough mileage on towing to justify that they need to add additional aerodynamics to the front of their RV.



our new Cruiser CT30QBX is better than our old Forest River. The slant on the nose of theCruiser shouldallow air toflow better than the front face of the old one did. It was like dragging2 sheets of plywood behind thetruck, simply a big air brake.



I have read that most RV's don't go any further than 50 miles away from home, so there is no real big incentive to design in "airslipperyness" but it does seemto be changing. I think down the road there will be an addition to ours once the warranty runs out.



below is a picture I swiped from their site



dc





Edited by: drcook
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Old 12-03-2010, 03:51 AM   #14
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I agree with others, I'am of the opinon that the frontal area is more of a MPG factor than the weight. MyBIL almost doubled his weight buttrailer did not get any higher, he saysMPG dropped by 1 MPG.



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