Towing an Airstream with Gen14, and ProPower 7.2

[dog_tired]

We did have an early mileage report from a member here who towed his 7,000# trailer from Phoenix up to Sedona and back, so that mixed together climbing some grades, higher elevation impacting horsepower to some degree, and his speeds were pretty high at 70-75. As I recall, he reported mileage of ~8.5 mpg for the trip. That doesn't seem inconsistent with the mileage report above of 10.5 mpg at sea level with no elevation gains and mostly at 65 mph while towing the Airstream @ ~5,000# loaded for the weekend.

Climbing up/down the Rocky Mtn spine I can imagine averaging 8-9 mpg while towing. I don't think I would want to be traveling with less than 5 gals in the tank. That suggests, for mountain region towing, a range of ~212 miles (8.5 * 25) and doesn't take into account the additional fuel burn required by the ProPower system while boondocking, which is our preference. I find this disappointing.

Jack

Jack - We are going to head out again in a few weeks, and this time I'm going to fill up with Premium and see how the mileage goes. I'll get back here and will let the group know.

Range is a big issue for all of us. I too was hoping for a bit more with the hybrid engine, but 300 will get me pretty far (although not quite to my mother-in-laws house in Mississippi which is 500 away ). As my truck is also a daily driver, it was a tough choice between non-hybrid with a larger capacity fuel tank when towing, or the better gas mileage when not towing. As most of the time the airstream is sitting in the driveway, I went with the hybrid. If I was retired with more time to be on the road, I'd go with a different engine and larger capacity tank (and I'd have some jerry cans in the back for the boondocking!).

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[daemonic3]

Will be very interested in the premium report!!

Out of curiosity, I have never mixed fuels and wondering if that matters? I assume it is perfectly safe since all fuels are technically a mix but just curious if the strategy is to run down the cheap tank as low as possible before filling with 91+.

 

[dog_tired]

Will be very interested in the premium report!!

Out of curiosity, I have never mixed fuels and wondering if that matters? I assume it is perfectly safe since all fuels are technically a mix but just curious if the strategy is to run down the cheap tank as low as possible before filling with 91+.

I'm near the end of the tank with about 87 miles remaining since the trip this weekend. There's no issue with mixing, but I'll probably wait until I'm under 50 and then fill up.

 

[i2oadi2unnei2]

That's a great point about boondocking. Typically we get where we want to get, and the first time unhitching and taking the truck into town or whatever is when I will gas up. But boondocking you want it full at the destination and will need to plan. I hadn't considered that since I'd only thought of boondocking as a quick overnight at a walmart or a local dry camp on a weekend that is <1hr anyway. There are so many amazing state parks here that have no electricity in the best sites.

I concur that some if not most of the best sites are generally boondocks regardless where its located and that is our goal in a few years. How one boondocks is very subjective therefore only you will know how much power, water, etc, you will consume when you're out there. The PB is awesome feature w/o having to lug around a gas tank and generator. We have thought about buying an LP genny because it works on several level vs gas, again to their own right? As much as I'd love to get a PB, I can't and won't give up my 36g tank and HDPP. I personally would love to read other folks experience boondocking with their PB and how they are managing things can be a valuable info for everyone. Safe travels to all!

 

[Jack in Prescott]

IME within the U.S. having a larger tank is principally about convenience (fewer refills) or/and reducing cost (using Gas Buddy/whatever app is your favorite, or filling before departing a big city for a large rural region). If planning for remote area travel (we're considering an Alaskan run in 2022), where ProPower use is a given and gas stations are infrequent, that's where a larger gas tank becomes essential if wanting to avoid carrying fuel jugs.

So it would be great to just add a larger aftermarket tank, which some serious RV'ers do. But oh boy, where do you put another 5 gals of gas tank on a Powerboost?!

 

[daemonic3]

IME within the U.S. having a larger tank is principally about convenience (fewer refills) or/and reducing cost (using Gas Buddy/whatever app is your favorite, or filling before departing a big city for a large rural region). If planning for remote area travel (we're considering an Alaskan run in 2022), where ProPower use is a given and gas stations are infrequent, that's where a larger gas tank becomes essential if wanting to avoid carrying fuel jugs.

So it would be great to just add a larger aftermarket tank, which some serious RV'ers do. But oh boy, where do you put another 5 gals of gas tank on a Powerboost?!

If payload wasn't an issue, they have those range extenders that go in the truck bed. You can get simple storage tanks, or ones that work with your tank automatically. https://www.transferflow.com/shop/refueling-transfer-tanks?noncompat=False

If payload isn't an issue (like it is just driver and passenger no other cargo) then this is a great option for PB boondockers. A gallon of gas weighs 6.3 pounds.

 

[Waxer]

I've been following this thread while waiting for our Lariat to be built, as we'll be towing a 5,700# Lance. I've noticed almost all the posts concern either mileage (mostly) or payload By contrast, my biggest concern is range while towing. As daemonic3 mentioned above, I originally thought a 300 mile range was a reasonable expectation when towing...but I now doubt that under some conditions. And that range becomes important when taking the trailer back to the northern sections of BC and western Alberta.

We did have an early mileage report from a member here who towed his 7,000# trailer from Phoenix up to Sedona and back, so that mixed together climbing some grades, higher elevation impacting horsepower to some degree, and his speeds were pretty high at 70-75. As I recall, he reported mileage of ~8.5 mpg for the trip. That doesn't seem inconsistent with the mileage report above of 10.5 mpg at sea level with no elevation gains and mostly at 65 mph while towing the Airstream @ ~5,000# loaded for the weekend.

Climbing up/down the Rocky Mtn spine I can imagine averaging 8-9 mpg while towing. I don't think I would want to be traveling with less than 5 gals in the tank. That suggests, for mountain region towing, a range of ~212 miles (8.5 * 25) and doesn't take into account the additional fuel burn required by the ProPower system while boondocking, which is our preference. I find this disappointing.

Jack

Jack - I pull a 2018 Lance 1995 TT so am in pretty close to the same situation. With my 2018 3.5L Ecoboost and 36 gallon tank, I consistently got 12 to 13 mpg pulling around the flat parts of Southern California and that dipped down to about 11 mpg when I threw in a trip up and over the Cajon Pass getting out of the basin. I've never dropped below 10 mpg. I just took delivery on a 2021 Powerboost and had similar concerns with the smaller gas tank. Made my decision based on the ProPower benefit and the fact that I am using as a daily driver more than towing. So far, non-trailer towing looks to be in the same 21 mpg range that my 2018 Ecoboost got, so I am expecting a similar result with the Powerboost. That's a bit disappointing because it will cut my range somewhat, but the 7.2 ProPower option outweighs that issue (and probably even makes the range reduction second to the reduced payload numbers on my PB (1365 lb) versus EB (1650 lb)).

 

[Jack in Prescott]

Waxer, couldn't agree more with you re: the PB's ProPower feature. Getting another real world data point is always helpful (especially when it comes from someone with the same exact trailer model and TV) so a little more info please. What speed do you typically tow at? And would you guess you typically tow close to the 1995's GVWR? I'm familiar with Cajon Pass; that's a tough tow. But I'm assuming the 11 mpg was for an extended number of miles, and with flat topography on both sides of the Pass on that trip. I realize we have somewhat unusual circumstances with most of our travel (and camping) routes being north & south, on one side of the Rocky Mtn. spine or the other. It seems like there's always another pass to climb over when we go out on the road, so I probably shouldn't grumble about a truck that already has 4 gals more gas than the old Tahoe we're currently working with. And thanks for jumping in with the trip report.

Jack

 

[dog_tired]

Quick supplement to my post about towing over the weekend:

I had set up the trailer option with the length of our AirStream as 24'. We have a factory back up camera and display which mounts in the front. NOTE: With the only cigarette socket being in the rear seat, to attach your display you need an extension, or an adapter to plug into the socket on the passenger side of the dash.

Curious as to the BLIS system and the trailer tow mirrors? Sure enough, when looking at the rear camera on the trailer, as soon as a passing vehicle came into view of the rear of the trailer, the BLIS indicator on the Driver Side tow mirror illuminated. I monitored this on and off during the 6 hours of drive time and it was always accurate.

Peace of Mind.

Can't wait for the ProTrailer Back Up Assist update to drop so I can place the stickers and practice backing into tight camping spaces (at my local, and now abandoned, Sears parking lot)!!

 

[Jack in Prescott]

"Can't wait for the ProTrailer Back Up Assist update to drop so I can place the stickers and practice backing into tight camping spaces (at my local, and now abandoned,"

Karl, I wasn't aware Ford was shifting back to stickers and that there was some timetable associated with that. Could you explain? Or perhaps there's a thread on that here? Thanks.

Jack

 

[dog_tired]

"Can't wait for the ProTrailer Back Up Assist update to drop so I can place the stickers and practice backing into tight camping spaces (at my local, and now abandoned,"

Karl, I wasn't aware Ford was shifting back to stickers and that there was some timetable associated with that. Could you explain? Or perhaps there's a thread on that here? Thanks.

Jack

Jack,

My understanding is that the trucks are being shipped with a sensor and cable to use now. With the Sync4 System being new, and the F150 getting the ProTrailer Back Up which has been on the super duty models, they are going to be providing a software update in the near future (hopefully OTA) so that we'll be able to use the stickers, and avoid the need to have an additional cable running from the trailer to the truck. The information provided with the truck has this information, along with about 6 stickers for future use.

I confirmed this with my service guys when I went in Monday for the trailer module flash. The thought was that it's only a matter of time.

 

[Jack in Prescott]

Thanks, Karl. Good news IMO; I had seen the second pigtail and associated box that needed mounting and wondered why 'simple' wasn't good enough.

Jack

 

[Rich55Marshall]

Thanks guys, I picked up my new PB Platinum today and it came with stickers and a sensor. My Airstream isn’t due to arrive until July so it looks like I’ve got a little time to figure this out.

 

[Truman]

Holy cow what is the GVWR on that bad boy? It sounds like a beast!



Is your power plug near the front of the rig? I may have considered plugging while driving but the power routing or re-tooling the electric on the trailer is not worth it, we have a dual mode fridge (propane while driving). The only 2 things potentially for running the 30A while driving are the small outdoor fridge, or the A/C. We are migrating the dogs into the trailer with dog beds and maxxfan for airflow to take weight off the truck axles, but A/C would be a bonus so we can drive mid day on 100 degree days if required. (today we cannot due to them going in the camper shell with no A/C)

I have an Imagine 2800BH (32ft, 7995# GVWR) and it has towed beautifully for 6k miles so far. I hope that the upgraded creature comfort truck will make >5hr trip legs much less complainy. I am upgrading the tires and axles on the trailer this winter, and looking at possible ways to move heavy stuff from the tongue storage to the rear. I bought a tongue scale after reading all these forums and was in shock it was 1000# (with the WD hitch placed on the tongue to include). I am removing 400# of shell and dogs from my XLT to offset the lower payload of the new truck. My teens would love it if we dropped them as cargo but I'm stuck with them for a few more years (they will be glad someday!)

Towing features I'm looking forward to:
* 600 more pounds of curb weight on the truck for less being tossed around in winds
* 4WD and hill descent control (I had 2WD before)
* Trailer BLIS (was not an option for <Lariat trims)
* Integrated tow mirrors (I used snap-ons before)
* Obviously the 7.2kW pro-power for boondocking or quick lunch breaks at a rest stop, with A/C and microwave!
* As a 2nd order to Pro-power, if we are plugged in I can use the app (I think?) to monitor the current consumption and write down what every appliance consumes using my handy dandy label maker! (my wife is gonna HATE all the labels I will print for each appliance) This current is much harder using my Surge protector, which displays both 50A circuits but only rounds to whole Amps, and I have to have a partner or keep walking outside to the pedestal and back inside. It is sometimes surprising how much a coffeemaker consumes and it will trip your 15A GFI if you have an electric heater running while making coffee (yes has happened twice but NOT from me)
* Hitch assist with even better camera (I just used my backup camera and guided myself trial and error)

remember the electric can't total more that a 7.....you will have to be a Green Acres fan to understand that LOL

 

[Truman]

Thanks guys, I picked up my new PB Platinum today and it came with stickers and a sensor. My Airstream isn’t due to arrive until July so it looks like I’ve got a little time to figure this out.

Mine has stickers and a sensor too and I can't find anybody to answer the (OVER THE AIR) download question required to be able to use the stickers. I heard in one place that the sync 4 system won't yet play nicely with the stickers and that are working on a solution. I have 4 trailers and don't want to buy 4 sensors

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