Crazy mpg
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2013
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Crazy mpg
1651 mi rd trip, pulling 5th wheel about 10,000 lbs + gear, family etc
Day 1) Leave San Antonio > Angel Fire NM: Began at temp 34 F, drove at 66 mph, 349 mi day 1
Day 2) 751 mi temp in the 20's, 66-68 mph, total miles 759 upon arrival.
Mileage: Steady drop from 15.7 down to 8.6 mpg (note this is the LOWEST mpg I have ever got and I usually am hauling heavier around 12,000 lbs on business trips this was vacation, so no inventory.
Day 3 and 4 return) Temps 30's thru 50's, mpg steadily increases to 11.4 then dropped down to 11.0 on day 4 and stayed there, total miles 1651. Averag
Have almost 20,000 mi on truck about 9500 mi in actual towing miles.
I have never seen this variation. Almost always, it starts in the 14's or 15's from local driving, drops to around 10-11ish depending upon traffic and wind and stays there for the duration of the trip, then picks back up when I go local.
I drive at or cruise control a 62, 66, or 72 mph on all trips depending upon traffic and weather.
NEVER saw mpg in the 8's or ever drop down and then go back up?
Any thought on? Long regen maybe????
Day 1) Leave San Antonio > Angel Fire NM: Began at temp 34 F, drove at 66 mph, 349 mi day 1
Day 2) 751 mi temp in the 20's, 66-68 mph, total miles 759 upon arrival.
Mileage: Steady drop from 15.7 down to 8.6 mpg (note this is the LOWEST mpg I have ever got and I usually am hauling heavier around 12,000 lbs on business trips this was vacation, so no inventory.
Day 3 and 4 return) Temps 30's thru 50's, mpg steadily increases to 11.4 then dropped down to 11.0 on day 4 and stayed there, total miles 1651. Averag
Have almost 20,000 mi on truck about 9500 mi in actual towing miles.
I have never seen this variation. Almost always, it starts in the 14's or 15's from local driving, drops to around 10-11ish depending upon traffic and wind and stays there for the duration of the trip, then picks back up when I go local.
I drive at or cruise control a 62, 66, or 72 mph on all trips depending upon traffic and weather.
NEVER saw mpg in the 8's or ever drop down and then go back up?
Any thought on? Long regen maybe????
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2013
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Should have mentioned, but since there was no wind either coming or going I forgot. Yes that wind can eat your lunch. Even driving into a head wind going to Houston I was still getting high 9's, about 9.8 or 9.6 the worst I have ever exp before this...
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,420
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From: Minnesota
And I'm guessing that you were climbing in elevation as you went West. It's gradual but it makes a big difference. And wind is almost always a westerly direction. Think of the way back; downhill and with the wind . .
Your variation is totally within the realm of what actually happens.
Your variation is totally within the realm of what actually happens.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 6,840
Likes: 4,131
From: Jacksonville
^^ This, probably ^^. You had quite the change in elevation from SA to Angel Fire. Probably 7000' or more.
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Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 10,107
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From: Hempstead, TX
Don, it may seem odd, but I can have variations of a couple MPG just based on what the ambient temp is for any given day. This is making the same exact round trip with the same wind and same traffic, on the same tank of fuel. It seems that temp starts to affect my mileage once it goes below about 60°, and gets slightly lower as the temps drop further. Likewise, they begin to rebound as temps come up. Regen is not an issue for me, so that isn't changing my mileage at all. Since it is the same tank of fuel, it is not summer blend versus winter blend.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Mills River
1) It's a long uphill climb from San Antonio (650 ft elev) to Lubbock (~3300) to Angel Fire (8400)
2) (Unusually strong) Headwind?
3) Cold, dry air is more dense than warm, humid air... higher than normal aero drag?
HTH,
Jim / crewzer
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2017
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I recentlyly completed a non towing trip 3,000 miles and noticed a 3% drop in mileage when forced to use B20 instead of B5 or less due to different regulations in different states. Winter blend in northern states could have also been a factor as well as travel was from the Canadian border to California and Arizona. B20 more expensive and lower mileage?
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 566
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From: Florence SC
It could be a lot of things. Many already mentioned, plus my regens are longer and less predictable (start at 75% and continue for tens of miles after hitting 0%, for example) in the winter. I don't know if that's a fuel difference or an ambient temp difference.
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Logistics Pro
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I think we can all agree on elevation as it was uphill all the way and we made trips to Red River and Taos putting me up over 9000 ft.
When I used to got Moab to Jeep from Tx I would do a hard reboot on the ECM wen I arrived to force a faster adjustment to the elevation as those old Jeeps and that straight 6 were sensitive to changes.
Thanks to ALL for your contribution, you guys as aways got the answers...
When I used to got Moab to Jeep from Tx I would do a hard reboot on the ECM wen I arrived to force a faster adjustment to the elevation as those old Jeeps and that straight 6 were sensitive to changes.
Thanks to ALL for your contribution, you guys as aways got the answers...
