Gas Milage for 3500 mile road trip

[Stebo19]

I just finished a 3500 mile, 10 state road trip where I drove from So Cal to Missouri. I took the southern route through the desert and plain states on the way out and the northern route in the mountains for the ride back. I tracked my mileage on the Fuelly App and had a total average of 19.87 MPG for the entire trip. About 80% was highway driving from 65-80mph. The best MGP I got on a tank was 23 mpg and I that was all freeway at 65mph. I ran one tank of premium 91 driving similar conditions and actually got .6 less mpg. Other notes, I was driving with a full bed and backseat. It was a great trip and my truck help up like a champ!

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[Tungstenisw]

Great post! love seeing Taco's out in the wild.

 

[Superhereaux]

My family and I will be making a 4 day, 30ish hour trip from South Texas to Ontario, Canada at the end of June. We're aiming for about 8-9 hours a day and then a shorter drive the day we reach our destination.


Any Tacoma specific travel tips?


Unfortunately, we'll have a 16' travel trailer behind us so I'm thinking 8 hours at 65 mph is probably gonna be my daily limit.

 

[IttyBittyFitty]

Should have left on the factory snowplow, you would have got 40 mpg.

 

[TFOUTS]

Should have left on the factory snowplow, you would have got 40 mpg.

That is funny!

 

[LincolnSixAlpha]

I tend to run premium in my when on trips, although not required of course, but prefer it for some reason. That said, like most vehicles, wind, road surface (tire friction) are going to be the biggest detriments to fuel milage. I noticed this back in October when I did a 5K trip from the west to east, and back again. I noticed on certain highways I had excellent fuel economy, and other not that spectacular. Because it was such a long trip I was able to discern that the types of road surfaces was causing me to either have really good fuel milage numbers, or just so-so numbers.

Where I live, her in Phoenix, we have good roads -- for the most part, either asphalt, or concrete but both are smooth and finished well and I generally get good numbers when motoring around the city. Highway, like down to Tuscon, or elsewhere -- crapshoot if I'm in heavy wind.

 

[Gearman]

I just finished a 3500 mile, 10 state road trip where I drove from So Cal to Missouri. I took the southern route through the desert and plain states on the way out and the northern route in the mountains for the ride back. I tracked my mileage on the Fuelly App and had a total average of 19.87 MPG for the entire trip. About 80% was highway driving from 65-80mph. The best MGP I got on a tank was 23 mpg and I that was all freeway at 65mph. I ran one tank of premium 91 driving similar conditions and actually got .6 less mpg. Other notes, I was driving with a full bed and backseat. It was a great trip and my truck help up like a champ!

Curious, how many miles were on the ODO before you started the trip?

Did you notice a sweet spot MPH wise, and what tires are you running and at what PSI.
thanks

 

[TheBandit]

I just finished a 3500 mile, 10 state road trip where I drove from So Cal to Missouri. I took the southern route through the desert and plain states on the way out and the northern route in the mountains for the ride back. I tracked my mileage on the Fuelly App and had a total average of 19.87 MPG for the entire trip. About 80% was highway driving from 65-80mph. The best MGP I got on a tank was 23 mpg and I that was all freeway at 65mph. I ran one tank of premium 91 driving similar conditions and actually got .6 less mpg. Other notes, I was driving with a full bed and backseat. It was a great trip and my truck help up like a champ!

Really curious if your odometer is mechanical, or GPS backed. Are those stock tires? When I increased tire size on my SR, speedometer reading high was fixed (it was reading about 3 mph high at highway speeds, but now it’s dead on), but odometer reads about 1/20th low. Whenever I calculate fuel mileage now, I have to multiply my gas mileage by a factor of 20:19 distance-traveled : distance-recorded

 

[Stebo19]

Truck ran real good, I checked the oil a few times and watched my temps but had no issues. I used google maps but plotted the trip ahead on google My Maps. I was traveling alone and sent a map link to my sister each day so she knew my route. Also used app MyRadar for storm tracking. It helped me out for a wicked storm in AZ where I got off the road and let it pass. Good luck on your trip!

Curious, how many miles were on the ODO before you started the trip?

Did you notice a sweet spot MPH wise, and what tires are you running and at what PSI.
thanks

I have the stock tires for the Sport. I believe they are 285/65/18

Really curious if your odometer is mechanical, or GPS backed. Are those stock tires? When I increased tire size on my SR, speedometer reading high was fixed (it was reading about 3 mph high at highway speeds, but now it’s dead on), but odometer reads about 1/20th low. Whenever I calculate fuel mileage now, I have to multiply my gas mileage by a factor of 20:19 distance-traveled : distance-recorded

Really curious if your odometer is mechanical, or GPS backed. Are those stock tires? When I increased tire size on my SR, speedometer reading high was fixed (it was reading about 3 mph high at highway speeds, but now it’s dead on), but odometer reads about 1/20th low. Whenever I calculate fuel mileage now, I have to multiply my gas mileage by a factor of 20:19 distance-traveled : distance-recorded

I am running stock tires that came with my sport. The odometer is digital.

 

[Bcphoto3]

Pulling a trailer will kill your MPG. I was finally getting 18-19 on the highway (65-75) from TN to Moab the around Moab and finally up to SLC and down to St George. There we picked up our TetonX. ~ 3500 lbs and 150-200 in bed. MPG plummeted to 10-12 MPG. What hurts even more is the stinking tiny gas tank Toyota thought was a great idea. Those engineers seem to not have ever done any Overlanding. My TH is not stock. Sags like crazy in back with load ( yes, I am following thread on Dobson coils). Just be forewarned, if you use this as an Overlanding vehicle towing a trailer or loading up, your MPG will suffer and you will need new coils.

 

[Madmez]

Nice, I'm planning a trip from socal to grand teton this summer.

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