WilliamA

As promised, I am posting a spreadsheet of my fuel mileage over the course of a 4,000 mile trip. First, the disclaimers:

I was pulling a 1,000 lb trailer (teardrop) with my bicycle mounted on the front of the trailer toolbox. Not the best aerodynamic use, but very functional.
I have different tires from stock. I'm running Firestone Destination M/T's in size 245/70/17.
I have a Yakima roofrack and was also carrying my Easy-up awning on top. So you can imagine it's not the most aerodynamic rig on the road.
Here's a photo of my rig:


Here's the spreadsheet of my fuel utilization:


It's mostly self-explanatory. There may be (is) some "rounding up and down" in there, but the differences are tiny. I also added in the tire diameter calculations to make it a bit more accurate. The new tires are 3% larger diameter than the stockers so I've reflected that in the adjusted totals. I have also added a few notes and another category (Octane rating) to help get a better picture.

The MPG adjustment calculates the fact that I actually traveled 3% farther than the odometer said. Therefore, my mileage overall was 3% better than the raw calculations show. I've added in that 3% (.48 MPG overall) at the end of the spreadsheet.

Overall, I am much happier with things now that I've done the math properly. I collected receipts so the numbers are very close. To be fair, the trip was pretty much a headwind slog in both directions: going across Nebraska and returning across Oklahoma and Kansas. Whether it is just my bad timing or it is that windy all the time I can't comment on. Suffice to say, it was mostly "beating to windward" in both directions. My overall number (MPG) is not nearly as bad as I imagined it to be on the various fuel stops. Actually, it's a little bit better than I had hoped for. Enjoy....

WilliamA

slauso

I would imagine you were in 5th or 6th gear most of the time. Excellent info. Thanks very much for the write up

WilliamA

Actually, it was in 7th most of the time. When it did shift down it would go to 5th.

Watchful

That's funny. I can't seem to get mine out of even-numbered gears.

Gatoraied

Thanks for sharing your milage data. I think your results become a subjective debate as to how good or bad your results. I posted my 8k cross country milage results @ a little over 27mpg which surprised the hell out of me to be honest as I thought there was no way I could get that milage, especially in the Rockies. In my case other than having my jeep loaded to to max inside I had a 5'x2'x2' hitch carrier w/ box with a couple hundred pounds camping gear, food etc etc. I also know about those headwinds as from Florida we went through Oklahoma & Kansas and it was blowing big time there as was the case on our exit via Montana and North Dakota, all very windy. You know one of the reasons I got my Trailhawk was its towing capability which is among if not the highest in its class @ 4500lbs. I tow a 26'camper with my Ford Powerstroke diesel and although it pulls it with little effort, my milage is anywhere from 11-13 MPG (no real surprise for such a large engine and combined towing weight of about 13k lbs) and since diesel prices have remained high relative to gas, the cost does factor into our trips. Weight of my camper is about 5k. That said I realized a couple things, one was I didn't need or want such a large camper and sold it and I'm looking for a much smaller lightweight camper around the 2k-3k range but likely prefer closer to 2k but to tow it with my Trailhawk. After reading your experience and realizing that this Jeeps milage varies considerably when having anything attached to it, such as carrying a couple of bikes on a hitch rack which seriously dropped milage. On the first leg of a 460 mile trip I barely got 17mpg driving @ minimum 75mph, Ouch! After seeing 27mpg on my 8k trip I was singing praises about my Jeep not anymore. On the last 150 miles of the first leg I dropped my speed to average about 65-67 and milage then increased to an average of almost 18mpg. Huge difference when dropping speed. On the return trip I stayed around 65 and averaged almost 21. Much better than first leg but to me, a rather disappointing result. Remember my benchmark comparison is my 8,000 pound Diesel 4x4 which can get as much as 13mpg, but Jeep was not towing anything, only carrying a couple of 25lb bikes, Yikes!
So in my case I'm not thrilled with the results and it is a game changer for me in terms of future towing. Its now clear to me that this Jeep can get good milage when not towing or carrying anything and keeping speed under 70mph. This, I think is the result of finely tweaked aerodynamics coupled with high transmission gears. Stay in high gear and attach nothing and good milage you can get. I should mention that on most of my trips including the 8k trip I mostly ran in 8th gear on the flats which was most of my trips.
Bottom line is I still love my Jeep but I'll rethink towing anything with it. My diesel can tow anything which now makes little sense to use the Jeep for towing because of the little benefit in milage.

gner

<a href="http://s108.photobucket.com/user/mariner_03/media/2017%20fuel.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n1/mariner_03/2017%20fuel.png" border="0" alt=" photo 2017 fuel.png"/></a>
This is a 2017 Cherokee with FWD and 3.2 engine. Lost the first few months of the report
due to computer problems, but this is how my fuel milage looks like now.
Most of my drive is short trips, lot of start stoping, so can't complain......Gordon

gner

WilliamA

Damn....I've never achieved your lowest mpg! Oh well....

WilliamA

Last entry on this subject (unless something changes drastically). I just did a 500 mile trip both with and without my trailer. Going up with the trailer: 16.5 mpg. Coming back without it: 19.6 mpg.

My results seem to be pretty much in line with what everyone else is getting. I guess we'll just have to live with it. So far, it's worth it....

WilliamA

gner

WilliamA
This week end i'm headed for Washington,Pa to meet friends from Indiana
and fuel mileage will be different. Going threw the mountains in western
Maryland, rt 68. It will be a challenge being this Jeep has never been in
mountains.Other vehicles i have had worked just fine with cruise control
on,they seem to hold speed even.
Around here when letting up on throttle it seems to coast for a long distance.
You probably had some experience with mountains and your Jeep.
I will let you know when i get back. Gordon

WilliamA

Gordon, I always enjoy western Md and those environs. I've been out through there many times and love the geology as well as a few historical side trips. As to the cruise in the mountains (I just did Vail pass with trailer in tow. 10600 ft or so) and the KL has more than enough beans, it's just that on the flat, the cruise control is always "hunting" for the right gear. The slightest upgrade or downgrade has it sifting through the gears looking for the right one. Most of the time, I'd just use my foot and let it slow down a mile or two an hour to avoid the flurry of shifts. It was most annoying in the wind across Nebraska where it seemed like it was never happy in any gear for long. If I have to say anything about the cruise in my KL, it's that the thing is TOO accurate. It won't tolerate dropping so much as a half mile per hour and wants to do whatever it takes (shifting down) in order to maintain the speed you set. To be fair, my previous vehicle (Toyota RAV4) was the same way when towing. Shift, shift, shift.... I'd almost never use the cruise in that when I was towing my trailer. Now that I've had my KL out in the rocks and sand, crawling around in low range I have infinitely more respect for the transmission and am more tolerant of the foibles it exhibits on the highway. In Jeeps and in life, you don't often get both. You have to choose and I'd say the 9 speed does an incredible job of being both a quarterhorse and a mule. Let us know how it works for you.
Is hwy 68 the road that has the deepest road cut in the U.S. I think so. There's a fine wayside there in both directions that has a great view of the roadcut with all of the background geology of the region. It's well worth a stop and gander...

Will

gner

Will, we got home this afternoon and i have to say the Cherokee handled
the mountains just great. I went west on I 70 then north to PA turnpike
and finished trip to Washington,PA. coming home we took I 68 threw the
mountains. I had the cruise set at 72 mph, and at times climbing mountains
it would downshift down 4th gear to maintain 72 mph. Going down mountains
the speed would climb above 72 to about 76 and would down shift into 4 th
to bring speed to 72. All this was done quietly and smoothly.
I got good mileage going out and fair mileage coming home.
Yes 68 does have the deep road cuts and a beautiful sight to see/
Gordon

WilliamA

Gordon, Glad you had a good trip and the TH behaved. Mine also likes going faster better than slower. I had no problems going over Vail pass in Co so I figured yours would cruise up and down the Ap's with no issues. The biggest devil to my mileage is wind. Nothing to be done about that though...
Will

Astro Anon

Wow and I thought my friend was the only one who did this! Awesome work.