MPG: Speed vs. Weight
#11
#12
RE: MPG: Speed vs. Weight
ORIGINAL: msm_portata
Just FYI -- Speed kills mileage, not weight.
I get 17 MPG on a flat, straight freeway going 65 MPH with a stock 2006 Mega Cab 4x2, 3.73 rear, Hemi.
With a 7,000 lbs. trailer (V-nose, 22-foot) loaded with race car and stuff, I get 11 MPG at 55 MPH on the same freeway.
With the same trailer unloaded (3,200 lbs), I get 9.5 MPG at 65 MPH.
If you want to get better mileage when towing, just slow down.
Just FYI -- Speed kills mileage, not weight.
I get 17 MPG on a flat, straight freeway going 65 MPH with a stock 2006 Mega Cab 4x2, 3.73 rear, Hemi.
With a 7,000 lbs. trailer (V-nose, 22-foot) loaded with race car and stuff, I get 11 MPG at 55 MPH on the same freeway.
With the same trailer unloaded (3,200 lbs), I get 9.5 MPG at 65 MPH.
If you want to get better mileage when towing, just slow down.
What wieght takes away from you going up hill it will give you back on the other side going down hill provided you are not using the brakes.
Every time you touch the brake pedal you have wasted the fuel required to get up to that speed.
One of the easyest ways to improve milage is to watch the lights and if one up ahead is red take your foot off the go pedal and try to get to light when it is green with the most speed still on whiout ever useing the brakes. This saves you fuel two ways, the fuel required to accelerate and the fuel wasted when you use the brakes.
#13
RE: MPG: Speed vs. Weight
I think they should do a study. Puttwo trucks on a rear wheel dyno or something like it. One with no weight added and one with a 1000lb load. They should drive them both at 50-55-60-65-70MPH. This would eliminate hills and stop lights and all other "x" factors that figure in to the gas mile equation. Seeing that the truck it self would not be moving there would be no wind resistance either. I'm betting thatboth trucks would get better gasmileageat lower speeds
#14
RE: MPG: Speed vs. Weight
ORIGINAL: tinyfxds
I think they should do a study. Puttwo trucks on a rear wheel dyno or something like it. One with no weight added and one with a 1000lb load. They should drive them both at 50-55-60-65-70MPH. This would eliminate hills and stop lights and all other "x" factors that figure in to the gas mile equation. Seeing that the truck it self would not be moving there would be no wind resistance either. I'm betting thatboth trucks would get better gasmileageat lower speeds
I think they should do a study. Puttwo trucks on a rear wheel dyno or something like it. One with no weight added and one with a 1000lb load. They should drive them both at 50-55-60-65-70MPH. This would eliminate hills and stop lights and all other "x" factors that figure in to the gas mile equation. Seeing that the truck it self would not be moving there would be no wind resistance either. I'm betting thatboth trucks would get better gasmileageat lower speeds
The greatest factor in speed increase is still wind resistance.
#15
#16
RE: MPG: Speed vs. Weight
ORIGINAL: tinyfxds
Ya. I kinda realized that after I posted it. But I'm sure some one really smart----(not me) would be able to come up with some equation to take that small difference and calculate it into real world terms. Or just come up with a better test.
Ya. I kinda realized that after I posted it. But I'm sure some one really smart----(not me) would be able to come up with some equation to take that small difference and calculate it into real world terms. Or just come up with a better test.
Flush head rivets vs button head makes a large differance in the top speed of an aircraft.
Just adding wheel pants to a Cessna 172 adds 4mph.
Adding flap gap seals adds another 2-3mph
Adding vortex generators also increases speed
All of the above decreases wind resistance but adds weight except in the rivet change the weight differance is nill but still increases speed with the same power input.
#17
RE: MPG: Speed vs. Weight
Wind sucks! When I go to work ,the normal wind direction is west to east. I drive pretty much the same way every day. When the wind direction is from the east, I notice I'm downshifting more on hills my average mpg is lower. It's like driving into wall it makes a huge difference
#18
RE: MPG: Speed vs. Weight
ORIGINAL: Captain Squalus
At a steady cruse Air speed and wind resistanceare the most critical factors in mpg.
What wieght takes away from you going up hill it will give you back on the other side going down hill provided you are not using the brakes.
Every time you touch the brake pedal you have wasted the fuel required to get up to that speed.
One of the easyest ways to improve milage is to watch the lights and if one up ahead is red take your foot off the go pedal and try to get to light when it is green with the most speed still on whiout ever useing the brakes. This saves you fuel two ways, the fuel required to accelerate and the fuel wasted when you use the brakes.
At a steady cruse Air speed and wind resistanceare the most critical factors in mpg.
What wieght takes away from you going up hill it will give you back on the other side going down hill provided you are not using the brakes.
Every time you touch the brake pedal you have wasted the fuel required to get up to that speed.
One of the easyest ways to improve milage is to watch the lights and if one up ahead is red take your foot off the go pedal and try to get to light when it is green with the most speed still on whiout ever useing the brakes. This saves you fuel two ways, the fuel required to accelerate and the fuel wasted when you use the brakes.
Whenever I drive I do not tailgate if at all possible. This helps with what you said above about coasting through green lights as opposed to waiting for red lights to change. Maybe the posted speed limit is 45 but if you travel at 45 you hit every red light however if you drop your speed to 40 you hit every light green. Those little times when you don't need to accelerate from 0 mph really help improve your gas mileage. It takes less gas to accelerate from 30 to 45 than it does from 0 to 45. Look ahead. If you see the light changed to red, take your foot off the throttle. Too many people today want to race to the next red light and slam on the brakes.
While this has not been mentioned yet, the rate of your acceleration does effect your mileage. Every time you put the pedal to the metal when you start you burn more gas than if you moderately accelerate from a stop. I get a big **** eating grin every time the light turns green and the car beside me hits the gas like he's a drag racer to the next red light. This is followed a few seconds later by me pulling right up beside him, again. This will go on as long as the red lights cooperate with me. Each time it does I get a bigger grin than the last time. Each time he hits the gas harder in an attempt to get away from me.
Dropping your tailgate or adding a tanneau (however you spell the damn word) cover will decrease the wind resistance and thus increasing your mileage.
#19
RE: MPG: Speed vs. Weight
ORIGINAL: Pirata
If everyone followed this logic no one would ever tailgate again.
Whenever I drive I do not tailgate if at all possible. This helps with what you said above about coasting through green lights as opposed to waiting for red lights to change. Maybe the posted speed limit is 45 but if you travel at 45 you hit every red light however if you drop your speed to 40 you hit every light green. Those little times when you don't need to accelerate from 0 mph really help improve your gas mileage. It takes less gas to accelerate from 30 to 45 than it does from 0 to 45. Look ahead. If you see the light changed to red, take your foot off the throttle. Too many people today want to race to the next red light and slam on the brakes.
While this has not been mentioned yet, the rate of your acceleration does effect your mileage. Every time you put the pedal to the metal when you start you burn more gas than if you moderately accelerate from a stop. I get a big **** eating grin every time the light turns green and the car beside me hits the gas like he's a drag racer to the next red light. This is followed a few seconds later by me pulling right up beside him, again. This will go on as long as the red lights cooperate with me. Each time it does I get a bigger grin than the last time. Each time he hits the gas harder in an attempt to get away from me.
Dropping your tailgate or adding a tanneau (however you spell the damn word) cover will decrease the wind resistance and thus increasing your mileage.
ORIGINAL: Captain Squalus
At a steady cruse Air speed and wind resistanceare the most critical factors in mpg.
What wieght takes away from you going up hill it will give you back on the other side going down hill provided you are not using the brakes.
Every time you touch the brake pedal you have wasted the fuel required to get up to that speed.
One of the easyest ways to improve milage is to watch the lights and if one up ahead is red take your foot off the go pedal and try to get to light when it is green with the most speed still on whiout ever useing the brakes. This saves you fuel two ways, the fuel required to accelerate and the fuel wasted when you use the brakes.
At a steady cruse Air speed and wind resistanceare the most critical factors in mpg.
What wieght takes away from you going up hill it will give you back on the other side going down hill provided you are not using the brakes.
Every time you touch the brake pedal you have wasted the fuel required to get up to that speed.
One of the easyest ways to improve milage is to watch the lights and if one up ahead is red take your foot off the go pedal and try to get to light when it is green with the most speed still on whiout ever useing the brakes. This saves you fuel two ways, the fuel required to accelerate and the fuel wasted when you use the brakes.
Whenever I drive I do not tailgate if at all possible. This helps with what you said above about coasting through green lights as opposed to waiting for red lights to change. Maybe the posted speed limit is 45 but if you travel at 45 you hit every red light however if you drop your speed to 40 you hit every light green. Those little times when you don't need to accelerate from 0 mph really help improve your gas mileage. It takes less gas to accelerate from 30 to 45 than it does from 0 to 45. Look ahead. If you see the light changed to red, take your foot off the throttle. Too many people today want to race to the next red light and slam on the brakes.
While this has not been mentioned yet, the rate of your acceleration does effect your mileage. Every time you put the pedal to the metal when you start you burn more gas than if you moderately accelerate from a stop. I get a big **** eating grin every time the light turns green and the car beside me hits the gas like he's a drag racer to the next red light. This is followed a few seconds later by me pulling right up beside him, again. This will go on as long as the red lights cooperate with me. Each time it does I get a bigger grin than the last time. Each time he hits the gas harder in an attempt to get away from me.
Dropping your tailgate or adding a tanneau (however you spell the damn word) cover will decrease the wind resistance and thus increasing your mileage.
I can't spell it either the damm French never could do anything right including making a word easy to spell
#20
RE: MPG: Speed vs. Weight
Mythbusters did a show on tonneau covers. They actually did it two shows on it because after the first show, so many viewers calle in complaining about their results that they had to come up with a better way to do the tests. What they came up with was Tailgate up, Hard tonneau, and No Tailgate at all were pretty much the same. Tailgate down got worse gas mileage and believe it or not, that net tailgate actually got the best.
Now they were using some sort of fuel flow meter wich measured the fuel being used over a given time. Theydid this because the first time they did the experiment the calculated the mileage and people complained it wasn't accurate enough. I still think to many factors play a part in their experiments. They were driving on a public highway with traffic that could affect them. Also the wind is not always constant so that could cause some errors.
Now they were using some sort of fuel flow meter wich measured the fuel being used over a given time. Theydid this because the first time they did the experiment the calculated the mileage and people complained it wasn't accurate enough. I still think to many factors play a part in their experiments. They were driving on a public highway with traffic that could affect them. Also the wind is not always constant so that could cause some errors.