[wmjinman]

OK, so this tank was started near Auburn at the west base of the Sierras on I-80. I was returning from Sacramento, and I got the mpg to 57+/- in the next few days driving around. Then I had to go to Sacramento again.

Problem - Snow storm and Donner was either closed or chains required, and neither one would give me good hypermiling opportunities. So I took my "snowy day alternate route" through the Feather River Canyon, a good 100 miles out of the way. But it was raining constantly, with an almost constant headwind - and I was running late, so had to hurry. I was actually going 60 and 65 mph during parts of it. ScanGauge dropped below 54 mpg by the time I got to Sac. - at 630 miles or so on the tank.

Heading back home the next day (on I-80 over Donner, as the road was clear now), I was calculating where I would have to eventually get gas. I knew my tank held at least 11.8 gallons, as I'd put that much in it before. And I had a filled "emergency" gallon gas can behind my seat - but that gas was a year old, too.

As I pass each exit, and the ScanGauge gets to 11.8 gallons used, I grow - "anxious" -. And I was now over 650 miles, but is another 700 mile tank even possible? So I continue - past Auburn. Where will the next station be? - but I've got that gallon behind the seat - will it be good enough to start the car on if I run my tank dry? And - oh, yeah -I'm also climbing one of the highest passes in the Sierras now!

I start pondering where I might have to pull over once the tank runs dry. Some spots have guardrails without much shoulder - on some pretty steep grades. I'm thinking, "Wouldn't be too nice to run out here".... Soon I'm at 691 miles - maybe I'll actually make it, but where can I duck in to get gas? Should I turn around at the next exit so I can coast back down to the last station I passed? Or will I still be short of 700 if I do that? - - - mental math - - -

Well it happens: 702.1 miles on the tank, and the engine dies. Furtunately, it's a nice, flat, wide spot. How lucky!! I write down the miles, pour the spare gallon in & take off again. Oh yeah - it's showing 12.6 gallons burned since my last fill-up, so I guess that's my tank's actual capacity. OK, so now I've got a gallon in there - that should be good for 50 miles +/- (well, ok, maybe more like 40 - or less - climbing this hill), and - no more spare gas!!! When I run out this time, it'll be for real!!!

But then I wonder if I can make it to the Soda Springs/Norden/Sugarbowl exit (basically the summit, and the highest elevation gas station on that road). So I make it to Sugarbowl, gas-up there, re-filling the gas can first. MPG works out to 55.43, which is a little less than I'd been getting, but considering the tank started at 1000 ft. and ended at 7000 ft, plus having 100 miles of it in a storm at higher than typical hypermiling speed, I can't complain.

And as the title of this post suggests, I think my biggest "success story" from that tank is now knowing my tank's limit - or maximum capacity: 12.5 gallons (had to adjust the 12.6 because at fill-up, the ScanGauge said 13.4, but it actually took 13.263...)