how to drive my cube van

[trikkonceptz]

Can you post a picture of the vehicle, it could help us help you ..

[bhazard]

a 94 should have an OD trans...

[lovemysan]

Originally Posted by bhazard

a 94 should have an OD trans...

I was thinking the same thing. But depending on the axle ratio it could still only top out at 65-70mph. I drove a f450 that was geared similarly. You could sell that van and buy a bread van with a 4 cylinder cummins 4 bt diesel. I'm told they get around 18-19 mpg at 55mph. Thats top speed at 2600rpms I believe.

Personally I'd try to save the easiest portion of possible savings and spend the rest of my time trying to move more product. You could also do a little freight hauling. There's a website where people give and receive bids for shipping items like water heaters, mowers etc. You could haul a little extra stuff and make up some fuel cost.

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[lovemysan]

For some strange reason I thought you used the van to do some type of sales at an event. Someday I'll learn to read. I don't think a bread van will hold a car.

[Tony Raine]

ok, this is pretty extreme, but......

cut down the box (especially the bubble top) to a more aerodynamic camper and parts/tools stash only. then haul the car in a smaller enclosed trailer (just enough for the car). aeromod the truck and trailer as a unit.

[MazdaMatt]

Okay, lets just reality check for a second here... I drive this truck to 3 events per year. A 2-hour trip, a 4-hour trip and 6-hour trip. I won't be doing any extreme modifications and the purchase of an extra trailer is a lot more than the entire gas expense of these trips. I'm just looking for some driving tech. This thing is BIG... doing mods to it would cost thousands of dollars.

The tranny is a 3-speed because it used to be a Hostess delivery truck. It was never meant for highways use. This thing handles GREAT in the city, even with 3000 pounds in the back. I am sorry, but I don't recall what the tree says... i think you're right, PRND2L, what could I do with that to help me?

As for coasting in N, that sounds scary to me with a 6000 pound weight rolling down the road... it isn't a metro.

Making up some money with some work on the side would be great, however this truck is insured as a "personal" vehicle so my rates are very low compared to a mover's. If it was discovered that I was hauling something other than my race car (condition of the insurance) I'd lose my coverage. Also, replacing the vehicle is a no-go because it has already been set up with a fold-down ramp door and die-downs for my car.

I'll try to get a pic posted. Its a big ugly beast.

[Tony Raine]

yeah, i figured my idea would not be feasible. but hey, someone had to throw it out there, right?

sounds like you already found your #1 way to save gas (slowing down).

hey, if you win more $$ at the races, you can use that to "save" on gas

[MazdaMatt]

Haha... these races have prize pools of synthetic oil, tires and safety gear. I'm not a pro racer.

I think i basically just have to stick to the highway and drive as slow as i can while remaining awake and not disrupting traffic. I'll get my air filter checked out. I'll also see if i can do ANYTHING for the airflow around the bottom and back of the truck.

[trikkonceptz]

Neutral coasting shouldn't scare you. We are not asking you to drive down mountains in neutral, your tranny does little to brake your vehicle unless the vehicle has some type of exhaust braking system. If you drive on level ground coasting to lights you should see a benefit in the tank, hopefully you shut it off when at a complete stop.

Also large trucks like yours should have proper tires for the load you are carrying, therefore inflating them to the sidewall max should also be a non issue especially since ride quality goes out the door. PLus it should extend the life of your tires by not bulging the sidewalls and reducing heat from friction. Those 2 alone should be enough for a mild bump in your beast.

On the aeromod side I don't know if side skirting the truck will be a benefit, but instead of using aluminum paneling which is expensive, consider Choroplast sheets, which are lighter, cheaper and can be braced with aluminum rods to the chassis for additional strength.

Once you get pics up I'll throw some more ideas at you ..

[MazdaMatt]

Ride quality was MUCH improved when I bumped up the tire pressure, actually. The biggest improvement was steering feedback and not acting quite as much like a sailboat. Yes, i gained some FE when i bumped upt he tires as well. I did not, however, put them to sidewall max, so i will do that next time I have my hands on the truck. This thing rides so smooth it doesn't need cupholders. You just put your coffee on the dash.

Simply dropping throttle brings the revs down to idle and allows the truck to coast. I would fear for the health of the tranny if i kept popping it from N to D.

In the drive from the shop to the highway I only see 2 lights, and from the highway to the track it will just be stop signs, so unfortunately i won't see any benefits from turning the engine off. Don't these big deisels idle on fumes (figuratively) anyway?

Is a MPG read-out possible on this thing? Anybody know the 1994 7.3L Ford engine?