Towing with Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

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Towing with Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Postby pfennigcat » Wed May 09, 2018 3:01 pm

I'm towing my whale of a teardrop with a 2018 Outlander PHEV. I've started a thread over in electrical secrets to share my experiences using it as a power source specifically: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=70360

I don't really have any experience with other tow vehicles or towing other trailers, but if anyone has any questions about my experience using it I'd be happy to try to respond intelligently.

I've made one trip with it so far, from Austin TX to Glen Rose TX (southwest of Dallas Ft Worth). At 65 mph, about 14 mpg on the way there with heavy winds and about 18 mpg on the way back. I had a couple of mountain bikes mounted off the rear of my trailer, so there was more wind resistance than "normal". And less tongue weight than I think would be ideal, but it was only noticeable at slow speed on rough roads. At highway speeds no problems at all.

My trailer is a (clone?) of a galvanized Thule EasyLine (125 I think, 4x7) with 12" wheels on a torsion axle. I am borrowing (i.e. "successfully stealing") it from my dad who bought it in kit form years ago.

I'll be taking it with the whole family to Pagosa Springs CO this summer, camping in Palo Duro Canyon state park on the way, and coming through Ruidoso NM and Carlsbad on the way back.
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Re: Towing with Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Postby kykate » Fri Jun 08, 2018 11:01 am

I am looking forward to hearing how things go on the longer trip. Have fun!
Kate
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Re: Towing with Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Postby pfennigcat » Mon Jun 11, 2018 11:47 am

Thanks Kate, we're looking forward to it too! There's some wildfires up near Durango in S. Colorado right now, but doesn't look like it'll stop us from going. We're putting the whale in the local 4th of July parade as a float when we get back (Wee Frilly, the Littlest Patriotic Whale!), so expect some updates around July 7th or so!
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Re: Towing with Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Postby pfennigcat » Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:13 am

Trip from Austin all the way up to Durango CO at 7000 feet elevation, and now back down to Ruidoso NM successful! Lots of climbs, lots of descents. The phev handled everything fine. Battery doesn't last long towing of course, and only occasionally could it charge the battery enough on the declines to have enough reserve on the next incline for "full power" (both battery and engine providing electrons to hit the electric motors' full capacity). I.e. most of the time it was just the engine driving the generator driving the motor driving the wheels with a fully drained battery. But it did that just fine! Even on the steepest parts could do 55 mph uphill and got around (very approx) 19-20mpg overall. Very stable, very easy.

And once camped in an RV spot with 30 amp service, we charge overnight and can cruise around town without the whale trailer without using a drop of gas! Well, except the time we went north of durango to 10000 ft elevation to ride horses. That took a bit of gas still (and we regenerated half a battery worth on the way back down).
Even here in Ruidoso we are plugged in to trickle charge.

I wouldn't recommend the phev for a "big" trailer, but for one like mine around 1000 lbs it's perfect so far.
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Re: Towing with Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Postby nedfunnell » Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:26 am

pfennigcat wrote:Trip from Austin all the way up to Durango CO at 7000 feet elevation, and now back down to Ruidoso NM successful! Lots of climbs, lots of descents. The phev handled everything fine. Battery doesn't last long towing of course, and only occasionally could it charge the battery enough on the declines to have enough reserve on the next incline for "full power" (both battery and engine providing electrons to hit the electric motors' full capacity). I.e. most of the time it was just the engine driving the generator driving the motor driving the wheels with a fully drained battery. But it did that just fine! Even on the steepest parts could do 55 mph uphill and got around (very approx) 19-20mpg overall. Very stable, very easy.

And once camped in an RV spot with 30 amp service, we charge overnight and can cruise around town without the whale trailer without using a drop of gas! Well, except the time we went north of durango to 10000 ft elevation to ride horses. That took a bit of gas still (and we regenerated half a battery worth on the way back down).
Even here in Ruidoso we are plugged in to trickle charge.

I wouldn't recommend the phev for a "big" trailer, but for one like mine around 1000 lbs it's perfect so far.


Neat! I am considering building an ultra-light trailer to tow behind my Volt. What kind of MPG do you usually get with your PHEV?
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