Guess my fuel economy. Win fabulous prizes*

4

gixxeropa said:

9.7

Ding!

So from home to the South Carolina border, the thing was actually performing above expectations, averaging 10.3mpg. But that stretch of I-95 is all three lanes, making it easy to set the cruise and stick to a speed. Once the road narrowed to two lanes in SC, I lost about .2mpg until I hit I-26. 26 was pretty crowded, so more throttle manipulation and I dropped to an even 10 until I got to I-77. With 77 came hills and less efficiency, and the final number by the time I got to middle VA where I made the post was 9.7. 

Western WV was even hillier, though, and by my final destination with the car in the trailer I had dropped to an overall average since home of 9.5mpg.

Now I'm on a transit on I-70 west from Cambridge, Ohio to Indy with an empty trailer. It's about 250 miles total I think,and I did about 90 miles this evening after resetting the fuel economy meter. I'm still sticking with the 64-65mph cruise set, because that's still where the truck wants to run in a steady fifth gear with the converter fully locked. If anyone wants to hazard a guess of how losing 3000+ lbs but keeping the same aero will affect mileage, keep the thread going. Fair warning, I've heard traffic around the loop in Indy is brutal due to construction, so keep that in mind for your calculations.

Honestly, I kind of feel like that mileage figure isn't too bad, considering the Tundra is known as a rather inefficient gas hog. Completely unladen I get 17mpg on the freeway, and towing the open trailer I get about 12-13. But I can also tow the open trailer in 6th gear at 68-70 pretty easily. The enclosed trailer moves way too much air to want to go that fast without working real hard.

In Indy I'll be picking up another blue Corvette, this one a '65 that Tim just bought. Really excited to check it out. I like those cars a lot. Hoping I can make it home safe and we don't get into an awkward Corvette Summer-type situation that ends with me fistfighting my old shop teacher over a prostitute or something.

stafford1500 said:

JG you are gonna get 12.0mpg.

You should have stopped off at exit 25 on I-77 for a free lunch.

I actually stayed at exit 31, so I was close by. Unfortunately this trip is tightly scheduled, and even then everything is taking longer than expected. Like, I didn't realize WV was quite THAT hilly on I-77, plus construction, plus toll booths (?!?!?), and that really slowed things down a bit. Plus I drank a HUGE coffee when I first set out, which is why I was at that rest area where I made this thread to begin with.

Marjorie Suddard said:

8.8.

If I win, do I still have to do your mileage reimbursement? (Better offer: If I win, you bring me something from the Beef jerky experience.)

Margie

Honestly, it was a little underwhelming. I'm sure there are nicer franchises, but this one was like a little alcove on the side of a Shell station. Bucc-ees probably has a better selection. I got some "Cajun Spice" jerky, and apparently the only spices in Cajunia are salt, and more salt, and MSG. The first few pieces were great, then my blood pressure spiked to like 385/191 and my mouth had dried out anyway so it was time to put the bag down. I'm hoping I just got a weird batch, because it was like unnaturally salty. Like licking the ocean. The quality and texture of the meat seemed really good, though. 

10.1 for the next leg

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

All good. That tow from Central Florida to the Charlotte area pretty much wipes me out when I am solo. Have fun and dont forget pictures of other drivers doing stupid things while driving.

Your return trip will you will get 9.9mpg, since it's all down hill.

$1

I think when you get back home and you calculate your total miles driven vs. actual gallons used, you'll find that my guess of 9.8 (on page one, sorry Warren) is right on the money. 

JG Pasterjak said:

Honestly, I kind of feel like that mileage figure isn't too bad, considering the Tundra is known as a rather inefficient gas hog. Completely unladen I get 17mpg on the freeway, and towing the open trailer I get about 12-13. But I can also tow the open trailer in 6th gear at 68-70 pretty easily. The enclosed trailer moves way too much air to want to go that fast without working real hard.

It was this sort of experience that made me sell my early Tundra and get the Dodge diesel. While the gas truck could do what I wanted it to do at the time and it was a nice vehicle when not towing, it just felt like it was working hard when it was towing. The diesel is perfectly happy with twice the trailer behind it and just grumbles along getting similar fuel economy numbers and has a bunch of capability in reserve. It's not the choice for Home Depot runs and being used like a Normal Car, but since I bought the Dodge for towing (at least 75% of its mileage is with a two-car trailer on 1500+ mile trips over significant mountains) that's OK.

Keith Tanner said:

JG Pasterjak said:

Honestly, I kind of feel like that mileage figure isn't too bad, considering the Tundra is known as a rather inefficient gas hog. Completely unladen I get 17mpg on the freeway, and towing the open trailer I get about 12-13. But I can also tow the open trailer in 6th gear at 68-70 pretty easily. The enclosed trailer moves way too much air to want to go that fast without working real hard.

It was this sort of experience that made me sell my early Tundra and get the Dodge diesel. While the gas truck could do what I wanted it to do at the time and it was a nice vehicle when not towing, it just felt like it was working hard when it was towing. The diesel is perfectly happy with twice the trailer behind it and just grumbles along getting similar fuel economy numbers and has a bunch of capability in reserve. It's not the choice for Home Depot runs and being used like a Normal Car, but since I bought the Dodge for towing (at least 75% of its mileage is with a two-car trailer on 1500+ mile trips over significant mountains) that's OK.

I won't argue that diesel tows better.  But in the East right now, especially in the area that JG is traveling, the price split between ultra low sulfur diesel (rattle juice my wife calls it) and 87 gasoline is  nucking futz.  It negates a good bit of the diesel's advantage.  If it were priced like the old days before the ULS requirement, it'd be a no brainer.  

In reply to A 401 CJ :

That's today. In six months, it may be totally different. I've seen diesel below gas, above gas, about the same as gas in the last 12 years - all ULS. You can't really predict it. 

It was the ease of towing with diesel that sold me on it. It just works better, no matter how many bazillion gears you put in the slush box :) 

Modern gas trucks tow just fine, they just won't pass a gas station. Our f150 Ecoboost with basically the same trailer and load as this never felt like it was working hard outside of that one fifth gear hill going through wheeling wv. Other than that it just floated down the road at 2k rpm or less in ninth or tenth gear at 70-72mph.

We just upgraded to a 3500 truck because we're working on expanding to a two car trailer. The deciding factor between gas and diesel was pretty much having the ability to use the truck fuel lanes versus having to wrangle 40' of trailer through the car fuel area with a gas truck.

Yeah I really like having a half-ton truck, but I also realize that it's at the limit of its capabilities with a load like this. What's crazy is my Tundra is rated at a max capacity of 10,800 lbs, and I can't even being to imagine it pulling a load like that on the highway for any length of time. I'd happily haul this 7000-ish lb load, knowing it would take me some extra time to get where I was going vs. an open trailer or an Aerovault, but anything bigger I'd really think twice.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

You are absolutely right.  Towing with my 2500 diesel is almost...a pleasure...it's so easy to do.  There isn't a half ton truck regardless of powerplant that can do it better if you ask me.

And JG, your empty fuel economy has jumped up to...

9.875975444