Best way to Carry Boats for MPG

woodsy · Post by **woodsy** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 1:24 pm

We just got back from Colorado. We drove my wife's Rav4 (4 cylinder) which can get as much as 28 MPG on 2 lane roads and will drop to 25ish on the interstate. This trip we had my OC1 and a car top carrier (torpedo) on top, plus a load of gear in the back. Mileage dropped to 19/20. When we used the cruise, it downshifted at any slight hill. I'm wondering if I wouldn't do better with a small trailer so I'm not bucking the wind. Anybody here tried this and seen an improvement?

ESP · Post by **ESP** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:03 pm

At ALF some folks from Canada had a small trailer and said it made a huge difference.

Post by **sbroam** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:11 pm

I imagine trailer weight matters, especially with a smaller engine. We have a 6 canoe trailer that isn't particularly light (nor heavy) and I suffer a couple of MPG at highway speed. I borrowed a friend's 4 boat trailer once that his father-in-law had built as a welding project - overengineered is putting it kindly - i lost 8mpg going up the mountain (central SC to Asheville) empty and 10 mpg coming down with a load of boats.

ESP · Post by **ESP** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:15 pm

The trailer the Canadians used had one set of crossbars and it was made from aluminum I think.

bkebs · Post by **bkebs** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 5:17 pm

On a trip to the BWCA, we used a utility trailer to haul 2 minn2 canoes and a weeks gear for 4 people. 4 people in the subaru Forester. I normally got 28 to 30 highway mpg and got 24 or 5 with the trailer and a pretty big load. That was with a 5 speed stick. We ran from Ohio to Minnesota so we did not have to deal with many hills, but did have to downshift a few times on long hills.

A 4 cylinder just does not have the torque needed to move a heavy for engine vehicle and a bunch of weight. The stick really helps because you control the downshifting. I have an automatic forester now and long for the days of the stick.

h2sk1 · Post by **h2sk1** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:56 pm

ESP wrote:The trailer the Canadians used had one set of crossbars and it was made from aluminum I think.

Yup, it is an aluminum trailer that Dave used. It is similar to the Yakima Rack and Roll trailer that is available through RackAttack and other places that carry Yakima. The reviews on the longevity of the trailer are mixed, but the one you saw has lasted very well. Apparently some part of the suspension was poor on the original ones, but that's been improved.

arhdc · Post by **arhdc** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:58 am

A lot depends on the vehicle. I had a rather aerodynamic car that just adding an empty roof rack cut 2-3 mpg. On my full size truck I can haul a classic canoe on a ladder rack and only loose 1-2 mpg highway with a full load and a motorcycle in a receiver hitch rack. The less aerodynamic the basic shape of the vehicle the less difference I think it makes. Larger reserve capacity of engine power will make a difference also because you are more not going to be downshifting as much. Also, I guess on my truck the front of the boat is about even with the front of the roof and that helps too.

One other thing that I have noticed is that just dropping a little speed can make a huge difference with a canoe in the roof.

Aric · Post by **Aric** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:06 am

I used to have a Jeep Wrangler and putting our MR Explorer on the roof actually helped the mileage.

A solo boat didn't seem to effect it.

Aric

Bill M · Post by **Bill M** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:24 am

A toyato Tacoma with shell with the boat on the roof+1" just behind the windshield cost 1 mpg. I think the automatic Tranny is the real problem. Same truck with a 5 speed lost same but was still 2 or 3 better!
Bill
Oh auto was 18 stick was 20-21.

craig · Post by **craig** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:42 am

inside my sprinter van. I drove 1000 mi with 3 boats no difference in mpg

cmnypny · Post by **cmnypny** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:14 pm

when gas is under 5 bucks a gallon like it is in the usa

i dont worry about it ... i laughed when i git gas for 3.27 a gallon and people thought that was expensive

i find that if i have both my thule box and gf on top i get the same mileage as if i only had either one

comes down to this ... are you gonna whine about mpg and price of gas and stay home or get a life and go boating

cmnypny · Post by **cmnypny** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:15 pm

craig wrote:inside my sprinter van. I drove 1000 mi with 3 boats no difference in mpg

Craig ... my new gf should hopefully fit inside next time

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:23 am

woodsy wrote:Best way to Carry Boats for MPG?

....obviously it's best

to let Colin (Moneypenny) carry them for you.

elunopaddle · Post by **elunopaddle** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 3:00 am

Two things seem to separately control reducing MPG. If you have a large displacement engine (I've been driving a 5.7L v8) the aerodynamics take a backseat to the engine displacement, besides all trucks are boxes on wheels and you've already lost the MPG's you gonna loose in regards to aerodynamics.

The other side of the coin I've just run into, having bought a Prius. Aerodynamics play a huge role in these smaller vehicles. The empty rack shaved at least 3mpg, and putting a 17' Old Town lake canoe up there brought me from 55 mpg to about 40. What's really cool though is that I then added an Ocoee, two other big guys, and overnight canoe camping gear, and drove the mountains around Clayton (Chattooga) and it didn't really drop more.

I have been told a small trailer in the slipstream makes a huge MPG difference, but I think this really jsut applies to smaller engine vehicles. Another example, a friend has a VW TDI and lost then regained 10 mpg just because a mountain bike wheel was sticking out from his small trailer outside of the "slip-stream".

The dude in Canada must have cash to burn. I miss my big bad butt truck, but here's the math: Drive a smaller car = I never hesitate to drive 6 hrs round trip for a day trip to North Carolina, every weekend if I have the time. ie, since changing over to a gutless vehicle makes me paddle 3-4 times as much.

cmnypny · Post by **cmnypny** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:41 pm

The dude in Canada drives a ford taurus and does not have cash to burn as he has to pay the ex $30,000.00 a year in support payments.

Therefore he has no money to fly to exotic places like Cuba for vacays.

He also loves paddling in the USA and therefore drive 14 to 15 hours one way to paddle with his friends who think driving 50 miles is like an eternity.

He can also only paddle the Ottawa river so many times before getting bored with it.

He has a choice sit at home and feel sorry for himself or hit the road and paddle about 70 days a year.

He will be picking up his new GF from Mohawk in august on another 12 day roadtrip to the south east.

signed

The Dude in Canada

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Best way to Carry Boats for MPG

Best way to Carry Boats for MPG

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