Didn't die.
 

So I figured I would post this as a success even though I was deer/elk hunting and returned empty handed. Had an exciting day today. Was hunting 2 miles south of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. I followed a couple of whitetail deer up the side a a hill and upon cresting the top at an angle toward where the deer were heading I paused to try and spot where they went over the other side. When I glanced over my other shoulder there stood a mamma grizzly with an older cub 30 yards away. I was not ready for that, she would have been on my back before I even new she was there if she wanted. Thankfully the mamma turned and ran and the cub followed. Beautiful sight, knew it was possible in that area but just didn't expect it. Had a rifle but would have been tough to get off a single shot that close and impossible to aim through a 9 power scope. Had a .40 S&W but it didn't even have a round chambered (a practice I will change). Came home early empty handed but pretty excited about the bears. I have tomorrow and Tuesday off so may go try a different area LOL!

Anyway on actual topic I got my best MPG towing the camper there and back. 14.5 mpg up and 16.8 mpg home! I had a bearing go out last trip and so I replaced all the bearings on that side. I didn't have time to do the other side but look forward to maybe even better next time. The 14.5 came Friday afternoon with heavy traffic across town and then 55-60mph on the highway which follows a river uphill a bit. The return trip was obviously slightly downhill and with light Sunday afternoon traffic across town.

Congrats on surviving! Lol.

Somewhere, in white tail deer society, a deer has posted this story from its perspective, wit the same subject line!

BTW, I don't hunt but deer tastes good. I hope yu eat what you kill.

Oh yeah, it's all about the natural, healthy food, and exercise and excitment it provides. I have a pile of antlers in a box in the garage (because you can't shoot does here) and one set of elk antlers hanging in the garage as well. I would never want to shoot a bear, especially a grizzly. I always tell myself I would give a warning shot into the dirt nearby first but who knows. In this case she could have had my back without me even knowing she was there.

Here's to situational awareness and understanding appropriate technology based on good training. Guns and vehicles are both criticized are "crazy and dangerous" usually by those who are only partly informed or driven by ideology not facts. A death wish is the opposite of an adrenaline rush.

Hersbird, what's your rig?

I tow a 27-foot, 6000-pound camper trailer with my 1996 F250 7.3 diesel and average around 14.5 mpg at my normal cruse of 55-60 mph. As you noted, the mileage for any given trip is greatly dependent on prevailing conditions: elevation change, wind, rain, average speed, and traffic.

I used to tow my camper with a 1983 one-ton Chevy crewcab equipped with the 454 gasoline V8. The big Chevy towed as good as my diesel, but man-O-man did it like to drink. At the rate of about 8 mpg.

To me, a diesel engine in a rig used for towing is more important than in a passenger car. The difference in mileage seems to be more pronounced when a lot of heavy work is involved.