Thread: Draughting.
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Old 07-13-2017, 04:40 PM   #8 (permalink)
RedDevil
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cowmeat View Post
I drafted every big rig I could when I was driving Ron Burgundy out on I-4 every day between Tampa and Orlando.

I can tell you from experience that I was normally way over a hundred feet behind the semis and still in the bubble. I never had to get into what I would consider an unsafe distance to get the extra mpg boost, so I hung back at the furthest distance that would give me the higher mpg on my instant mpg meter.

Worst part of drafting the big boys was the amount of pebbles, etc . . that kept
taking paint off the front of the car. And occasionally I had to dodge something in the road that the trucks could drive right over
100 feet is short. I take 50 meter distance (150 ft) as standard for the 50 - 55 mph semis over here.
Anything the semis tires kick up has already landed back on the tarmac before I run over it, so no pebble showers. Plus, you generally see stuff on the road before the truck runs over it if you are far back enough.
Once a truck I was drafting lost a pellet. It slid to the side of the road without ado, but I'm certain I would have avoided it or stopped in time if it came straight at me.

If you go faster the distance needs to grow too - squared with speed.
With no wind, or straight ahead or aft, the draft will extend that far anyway.

Golden rule: always be able to see at least one of the semis mirrors, so you know they know where you are. Hmm, beer.
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