[slowmover]

Wow, great answer. Thanks. Even around here these things can’t be taken for granted.

Clarification: TARE weight is, again, driver plus max fuel PLUS gear kept permanently aboard (clarification from my end). While it’s interesting to know the dead minimum, it isn’t useful.

It’s the weight ABOVE the TARE to see where steady-state is affected that matters. And only steady-state.

I don’t know what feedback gauge would work for you, but nearly anything that will give an instant or average reading and that is accurate against itself shows me in 18-wheeler or personal vehicle where “the weight problem” fits in. As adverse winds exact a higher penalty directly after travel speed, being able to understand the loaded weight against the conditions at hand make it a problem in deduction.

Thus my emphasis on dead-nuts steering. That otherwise skews all other measurements.

One doesn’t automatically get worse MPG being heavier.

There is a sweet spot (with high cylinder pressure) of, “up to XXX pound Payload is free”.

With 1,200lbs extra against ship weight, I’m penalized with current TARE. (Ha! Penalized for an EcoModder contributor, that is).

To offset that was to clean up steering/handling.

I haven’t tried to correlate 15% heavier against what percent fuel burn increase.

The improvements make for easier transitions from one stage to another. As we both have high center of gravity vehicles (relatively crude suspension) the attendant decrease in ride comfort is about getting tires EXACTLY to load, and slowing even earlier (as one can now accelerate with less penalty).

The very best shock absorbers should be on your list. Better than entry-level KONI or BILSTEIN. FOX and KING worth a call once up on applicable tech terms.
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