After some TDI towing MPGs

[ChoonDoode]

Evening all,

 

I'm after what MPG people are getting with TDI engine cars with their trailers / caravans, to anticipate what I'm looking at seeing myself

 

I'm hopefully buying another motorbike orientated trailer for doing the mileage around Europe in the car, unloading the bike and then riding around on that around the area. It's also so I can start to get back to track days, both in this country and possibly abroad.

The box trailer I'm looking at getting when fully loaded with the bike and all ancillaries is looking to be around the 900kg mark and has an 'aerodynamic front' with a 3 meter squared front face, with 1.3 meters squared above the roofline. 

 

My current motorbike is just a frame allowing my bike to sit in on and doesn't both weigh a lot (400kg (trailer and bike only)) and doesn't stick above the car's roof, so no real wind resistance. Because of that, I'm happily getting 50+mpg when I'm towing that. That's of no real comparison to what I'm looking at towing.

 

 

Peoples' figures and thoughts please

 

TIA

 

[J.R.]

48mpg at 130kph towing an Ifor Williiams GD85 8'x4' 400kg? trailer on autoroutes.

 

A few mpg more when towing my much lighter 5'x4' goods trailer, a little less when I have it converted to a van trailer with a 4' high box extension, it does not drop the MPG much & I think it is running in the hole in the air made by the Yeti, it dropped more with the Octavia.

 

Recent 500 mile removal runs towing massively overloaded (a couple of tonnes and some) removals trailers (they are mobile site cabins) flat fronted 1.8m wide by 2.5m high towed at 90-100 kph (much less on hills) 28-29 mpg there have been some 6 return trips always at the same mpg unladen or laden although I go slightly faster unladen.

 

Towing a 1700kg twin axle 7.9m doasyoulikey caravan (what I am currently living in!) at 80kph on B roads 30mpg.

Edited 9 March, 2022 by J.R.

[GreenMachine1.6]

In a 1.6 DSG TDI, 2 passengers, 280 miles on the A1 and trying to maintain 70 to 75 mph, trip computer says 63 mpg.

Same trip towing a 1150 Kg caravan @ 60 mph, 34 mpg.

[3rdoctavia]

I get about 30 - 32mpg with a caravan in my 2.0tdi 150 scout on a long run.

 

I have a 1973 land-rover too which does 16-18mpg normally,  and the same with a caravan attached 🤔 😅

 

Cheers

[ChoonDoode]

the MPG's which I'm hearing are comparable to the ones which I've seen on whatcar towing reviews back when the Octavia was the towers choice in that weight category.

[burno20v]

We have a 2014 Octavia Vrs 184 Tdi & tow a 2008 Eriba Troll 552 GT, regularly average 38-40 mpg going back & forth from the North East to the Lake District at motorway speeds, good stable towcar with plenty of poke in reserve....😁

[J.R.]

I presume that is a low roof poptop type Eriba?

 

When I used to tow my Esterel Caravane Rigipliante the MPG barely dropped at all.

[Swirly182]

Seeing these 30mpg+ comments makes me feel a bit sick - I'm lucky to average 22mpg whilst towing the caravan 😩 and it's been down to 16mpg into the wind.

 

I'm sure the vRS TDI will return decent mpg with the relatively small, lightweight trailer.

[jordy_wd]

Did a recent 150-mile motorway trip with a small trailer on the back. Just a steel-frame 8' x 4' trailer with plywood floor and siding so not sure how much it weighs - maybe 400/500kg? Only had a small load in it and I got about 38mpg in my 2014 Octavia VRS TDI. It has a remap to approx 220bhp too.

[3rdoctavia]

I would think most of the loss when towing would be due to wind resistance so a caravan would be more detrimental on mpg than a trailer weighing the same.

In the 70s as a kid I remember seeing cars with deflectors attached to their  roof racks when towing caravans in order to streamline things better. Wonder if you can still get them ??? 🤔 

[J.R.]

Not needed, the lowest modern car is taller and wider than a caravan from the 70's.

 

I struggled to fit towing mirrors before I moved the doasyoulikey caravan that I bought recently and will soon be living in, I had 2 different pairs in stock and neither would fit the mirrors on the Yeti, I gave up and set off only to find that I did not need them, I could see quite well down both sides.

 

For all the ridiculous width & height of modern cars its not as if there is any more room inside for the driver or passengers.

[Paulatic]

Not a diesel but get between 31-33 towing our 2 berth, 1100Kg,  caravan with a 1.4 tsi. That’s very close to our last diesel Spaceback pulling the same van. 

[ChoonDoode]

23 hours ago, Swirly182 said:

Seeing these 30mpg+ comments makes me feel a bit sick - I'm lucky to average 22mpg whilst towing the caravan 😩 and it's been down to 16mpg into the wind.

 

That was one of the reasons I chose to have a diesel. I know the turbo petrols are a bit more efficient, but they're still able to guzzle fuel when they're under load.

 

No, to be honest, I'm happy hearing the figures which are coming back. It's looking like I'm going to get around 400 miles out of a tank, which if I'm happy about.

I'll be driving 100kph max, don't fancy trying to control a trailer at 130kph.

[New8avia]

2.0 diesel estate towing an Eriba Triton 430 sees about 36mpg, if I try and maintain the legal max speed limit. If I sit behind lorries and drive very sedately, I get over 40mpg with the same setup.

[ChoonDoode]

Well, I return from holiday with some numbers.

 

From towing a Debon C1300 with my bike and a few bits and bob within (700kg), plus luggage in the boot (10kg ish) and I've just refilled.

 

45 litres to get it back to near enough brimmed and I'd done 383.5 miles works out at 38.7 MPG. The MFD says 38.1, so near enough there.

 

That trailer was more than big enough for my bike and the bits I'd need on a bike trip with the car, so that's certainly the one I'm more than happy to rent again (hell of a lot cheaper than buying).

 

The car was faultless towing that weight and only once going up a steep incline at 50mph did it require a knock down from 6th to 4th. Accelerating was hampered by the trailer, but I was still more than capable to get giddy on from the lights / onto a motorway.

 

As is obvious, the motorway driving was the best and on the flatter sections I was getting into the 40's. I was just the country lanes where the drop came because I was trying to both keep a constant speed both time and the people behind me, but I was being mindful I was towing and my pride and joy was strapped in the back, so was slowing a little more for any sharper bends.

 

I'm disappointed in myself it's taken me this long to try such a holiday, but from that, I'd be more than happy to venture across the channel and go around Europe.

 

But all in all, job's a good un!!!

[Swirly182]

Good result! They do seem to be decent tow cars, mine copes remarkably well with a 1420kg 'balloon' on the back. I tend not to do any real acceleration below 2k rpm and prefer to use the revs more.