[Frontinator]

AZ-KS-AZ journey... currently in Santa Rosa, NM

Full on truckish things pending. Meanwhile, some observations:

* Cheap seat cover gel stuff... works! As expected the effect is overcome with enough seat time. Doesn't seem to get hot though. Wasn't tracking closely but cooling seemed to work 30min+

*Mileage. Climbing out of Phoenix to Flagstaff hurt mpg but good after that. 16.6mpg then 21.53mpg. Should be even better on current tank

* Sumu blue with spacer is just fine unloaded. I might have 50-100lbs back there so far

* 12yo 80lb kid LIKES riding in back seat when front is pushed up. Still ok if front seats in normal spots. When I was that age front seat was the goal.

* Sound meter app is showing 75-80db on I40 eastbound. Same app was less in the 2wd I test drove back at launch... but at a lower speed.

 

[Frontinator]

312miles... 11.61g = 26.873385mpg. Yeah baby! Yeah! This matched the truck estimate exactly. Often doesn't match but has several times.

Across all tanks on this trip, avg speed is 62mph per the display.

All data was reset before journey

 

[Frontinator]

This top off was with headwind and hills on US54 eastbound stopping at Hooker OK.

19.43mpg. Wouldn't hold 9th with wind and hills so rpm spent time above 2k.

Avg speed (all tanks) is 60mph.

 

[shift_RUSH]

Cruising speed is obviously the key!
What happens at a continuous ~80mph?

 

[Frontinator]

Ha! Didn't try that and dashcam records my crimes. Lol. Cruise is set to limits when traffic allows it

Short durations over 80 happened several times on the way into Oklahoma with one over 90. Lots of time over 2k rpm

 

[Frontinator]

14.521g and 280.7miles for 19.33mpg. Some of that around town after arrival Saturday. Nothing unusual but the last of anything close to "good" for a while.

I pick up a trailer and load it Wednesday. With ambient temps low, mpg is going to suck.

 

[Frontinator]

Scoped out a local cat scale I might use. Haven't tried one before.

While trying my luck to get a day early, inspected the uhaul trailer I have booked - quick check for leaks and tire condition. Early collection denied!

 

[Grampy Matt]

nice mpg, interested to see what you get with the trailer, please post.

 

[busemans]

The speeds are that low on the interstate where you are at?

I would have to drive on the feeder road if I drove those speeds here in texas. I was hoping to see your gas mileage at 80, also, since that is the average actual speed here. Posted is usually 75 but you know how people are. We do have some 80 and 85 posted too, though.

That is south of Austin \/

 

[Frontinator]

No, I set cruise at limits when possible. I have be careful here in that I don't recall how much of that stretch has a posted limit of 75mph, but even if it was 80 I did not set cruise there... if so, one cannot maintain it consistently anyway.

This (cruise) is likely the most comparable way others will track speed because without GPS data, nobody is manually logging actual speed over time. You WILL have traffic, hills, etc where speed can scrub or increase. Unless I passed someone or ran into traffic, cruise was 75.

The average speed comes from the info screen and includes ALL driving. This is the only other measuring tool we each have in common so I shared that data. If you never looked at it before or reset it before a trip, you might be surprised at the value displayed.

Worth mentioning again that I'm doing math at pump for mileage. Filling with two clicks. Not being any more precise than that.

 

[Frontinator]

I maybe wasn't clear enough on avg speed... this is what I show in the driveway right now.

 

[GreyFox]

Last 3 hour trip with my P4X, I do believe between 75-80mph will keep you at the 2000 rpm threshold?? I think I was toying with the CC at 77 and then adjusted to see what happens at 78, etc. Depends on whether or not your going into the winds, outside temp, etc. I was comfortable with the 77mph setting and still did well on mpg (20 or 21)?? This was my experience, and YMMV.

 

[Frontinator]

I was at or close to 2k, when I hit the windy area it was above and mileage dropped, appears it was dropping to 8th.

Don't want mix the two stretches though... diff speeds, wind, passing zones, hills etc. <20mpg

I think around 2k rpm on highway with bar graph maxed is your max mileage sweet spot - whatever that mpg turns out to be. Or skip rpm and just keep graph maxed treating it like an old school vacuum gauge.

 

[Frontinator]

And so it begins

 

[Frontinator]

Wind is 25-40 with gusts to 50mph. Truck alone couldn't hold 9th at 66mph. Heh.

Empty trailer on return was better with more of a tailwind.

As for trailer this is my first go. Not difficult and uhauls video were helpful so far.

 

[Frontinator]

 

[GreyFox]

View attachment 367536

Family friend had the 450SL in White with brown interior. That was THE car in our area back in the 80's

 

[Frontinator]

Family friend had the 450SL in White with brown interior. That was THE car in our area back in the 80's

Awesome!

 

[Frontinator]

Didn't weigh the truck alone prior, and lack car weight or precise trailer weight. Making estimates I'm 13ish% tongue weight.

Moved a good 50lbs from the bed to car trunk. As 3500lbs is technically 66lbs over.

The front heavy car and forward position is the limiting factor. Didn't have much wiggle room anyway.

 

[wooden bowtie]

Nice tread Frontinator! You have crunched the numbers. Thanks to share your weights scale. I am smiling because I have also obtain a trip with similar weights results, but with my RV!! It was our most heaviest and farest trip of the season. Two different ways of towing. 30 sq.ft. vs 60 sq.ft. lol

Post some pics (weights are in Kg, so X 2.2 = Lb)