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One way to play with fuel mileage would be like this: Choose a refuel stop about 45-miles from home with the intention of stopping short of Portland travelling the IH-5 Route. Maximum use of cruise control. Re-fill at the best choice near the stopping point for the day. Same on second day.
This eliminates the factor of warmup of all but the tires (about 75-miles; this may be the T/A at Redding, CA) and thus maximizes the “per tank” number. One would be looking for the highest at that speed and for that route travelling north. Choose the re-fuel stations well as they can serve in the future for the same purpose. (Same pump, etc). I’d want at least 300-miles for comparisons. (There’s a Pilot just N of Salem; find the stops you’d want, but make the distance worthwhile).
YC to P is 534-miles according to map service. Grab a room south of town. And according to the recommended roadfood website, there’s a local favorite called Annie’s Donuts just off the 205 near 84 in Portland. Surprise your girl. (Fullers Restaurant or Original Pancake House are others).
Fill again at the recommended Hermiston, OR truckstop if that’ll get you to a station near destination. Lancaster Market at Hayden looks good for travel in both directions. It’s only about 200-miles, but that’ll work.
In every event just fill to first automatic shutoff. Consistency every time that way.
IOW, ignore the middle of the drive from approximately Salem to here. You’ll be driving for economy as always, but have had both the warmup penalty and the couple of miles OOR for breakfast; it’ll show in trip average, same as all other miles till you’re back in YC.
Redding to Salem.
Hermiston to Hayden.
Whatever station you choose, make it just far enough to zero out the warmup penalty. Minimum about 25-miles. Don’t need more than 75. Every time this trip is made, one has references to work from. Note weather and set speed differences; and check actual travel time. Find at least one rest area in southern portion for mandatory break.
Second part is breaking the habit of “white line fever”. I’ve a friend who runs out of New England. We were just discussing this phenomenon. He has the habit of barely stopping till his destination even if days away. Isn’t aware of the how it goes past. He sorta just “wakes up”.
It’s dissociation. The concious mind is no more present than in watching TV. The house next door could halfway burn down with the proper breeze and we’d not notice.
WLF will get ya killed. It’s a form of contempt. “Well, I’ve driven this road a thousand times”. X-ray vision that can see that stranded school bus full of children around a blind curve. Right.
Making the choice to not pull over until tired is well past the point of driving for safety or economy. Contraindicated.
With a reasonable daily distance and all stops planned, FE will go to its highest. Same for safety.
I’m not trying to make your trip a higher out of pocket expense. But the long term point of a percentage gain to the annual average is that it alone (not just other owner and operator expenses reduced) will cover what’s needed for safe travel.
Start with new habits. Throw in some fun. And run the isolated miles at the highest skill level. Outside of maximizing cruise control and travelling at a lower speed, don’t take on new ways of driving you won’t keep. Just do these simple items and be fanatic about maintenance & repairs. Then your aero mods will stand out.
Believe me that what I’ve tried to be persuasive about more than works. It’s setting a new baseline.
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