Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Dave
I can time the lights pretty well, although this isn't easy in Indiana as they have no standards of light timing.
I use the A/C as needed.
I count my errands in with commuting and treat long trips as a separate set of data.
I have alternate routes that are slower and involve less stop-and-go but I don’t use them unless I have to (Indiana has two seasons – basketball season and road construction season) because they are 10-14 miles longer and the whole point is minimum fuel burn.
Most Ford guys view me as an oddball. I suspect the majority of the Dodge Cummins community see DD the same. They like to drive like Tony Stewart, then belly ache when they can’t get over 15 MPG.
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I am getting better at timing lights. It takes practice. I've also found a longer route to work (12 miles vs 7 miles), but on the longer route there are only a couple stop signs and one light. And no traffic. The truck hits 5th at 45 mph and I can dawdle along at 40 after that. It takes the same amount of time either way because the shorter route is so congested... I hear you on the irate driver stuff.
Hadn't thought about separating long trips versus commutes, at least not formally.
Whole-heartly agree on the Tony Stewart mindset out there. In fact, I can't even get my wife to understand my truck will get 30 mpg OR go 70 mph. It can't do both (yet).
Congrats DD on the super tank! And I thought I was doing good getting my first tank (ever) over 500 miles this year...see attached.
My condolences on the pooch. We lost our beloved Maltese in 03, and my wife has refused to get a dog since.
I do have some side-skirt envy, as yours are taller than mine are. I'm looking to build hinges into mine, so I can flip them inward and slide under the truck for mx. You might look at getting a front aero splitter also, to better control airflow under the truck.
I might be able to dig up the part number for the lower grill block--between the tow hooks, as my truck has one installed from the factory. I've toyed with opening that, and blocking off everything else a daytona nose or bird beak of some sort. I tried to run a nearly full block like yours, but found my truck was losing a couple percent of mpg... Now I only run a small piece in front of where I have my warm air intake drawing air through the radiator. Good for a MAP vehicle, not so much for MAFs.