Trip results
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Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Westfield, MA
Trip results
Well back from my 4000 plus mile trip from KS to VT and back. I got 18.5 mpg going up but only 16 mph coming back pulling a pop up camper. I thought the truck worked harder then I thought it should have to pull such a small camper and was disappointed that it affected the mph so much. Soot stained the camper on the passeger side too. Is this normal? Really need that turbo!!
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
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From: Nutter Fort, WV
Something with frontal area is harder to pull than weight until you get on a rather steep grade.
I learned all about frontal area drag the hard way many years ago when I was running with a bunch of trucks out in the Rockies.
I was running with a bunch of box trailers going up on my first trip over the Rockies.
When they topped the mountain they just let it roll and about 70 MPH the wind held them back to a managable speed.
I had a load of pipe on a flatbed, it didn't work that way for me.
When you look at the trucks, the box trailer was only 4 feet taller than my tractor, so 32 Sq. Ft. more frontal area catching wind resistance was the difference between being in control and smoking brakes almost out of control going down the same grade at about the same weights.
As I look at some of the RV's out on the highway today, I sometimes wonder how some of them run as fast as they do.
I learned all about frontal area drag the hard way many years ago when I was running with a bunch of trucks out in the Rockies.
I was running with a bunch of box trailers going up on my first trip over the Rockies.
When they topped the mountain they just let it roll and about 70 MPH the wind held them back to a managable speed.
I had a load of pipe on a flatbed, it didn't work that way for me.
When you look at the trucks, the box trailer was only 4 feet taller than my tractor, so 32 Sq. Ft. more frontal area catching wind resistance was the difference between being in control and smoking brakes almost out of control going down the same grade at about the same weights.
As I look at some of the RV's out on the highway today, I sometimes wonder how some of them run as fast as they do.
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Gary Lewis
1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
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Aug 30, 2010 03:31 PM
