Hit 20.6mpg!!

[Ed-in-Maine]

Yeah I know to you guys in those little Civics and Metros that number would be appalling, but for my 3.5ton Iceberg like pickup it's a new high This was only over a 43mile run in about 40degF temp with rolling hills between Annapolis MD and Timonium MD. But this is 1.6mpg or 8.4% better than I've ever gotten before So I'm PUMPED.
Changes-Installed Scangauge II, folded right mirror, removed chip guard from hood, blocked 80% of grill opening, tightened nut behind wheel. No good ABA test but I'm sure it's probably 80% just watching that ScanGuage.

More easy mods to come and my ultimate goal is 25mpg at 62mph.
Ed

[JethroBodine]

Nice job. Does "ultimate goal" mean you'll stop trying to improve once you achieve it?

[Ed-in-Maine]

Jethro- "Ultimate" no not the end. I'm just a guy who needs goals. I've tried the Zen "no goals" thing but it doesn't work for me. But I do think from reading that getting my 4x4 CrewCab with tall cap up to 25mpg while doing 62mph might not be too easy. Most treads I seem to find show trucks like mine that get better than that are going on average at much slower speeds. I picked 62mph because I travel I-95 a bit and any slower seems too dangerous to me.
Ed

[skyking]

way to go Ed, keep chipping away at it.

[Diesel_Dave]

Way to go, Ed. Keep up the good work. Most people have no idea how much improvement can be had just watching and focusing--that's the first big step.

[slowmover]

Am pleased for you. 20-mpg is unbelievable for those of us who grew up around big block powered trucks with 3.54 or greater. Claiming 12-mpg would have had others thinking well, okay, but 14 would have had others muttering, even in the 55-mph days. Some cars would hit 16 with those motors, but that was with better aero and 3.0 gears. 10 at 65-mph would have been seen as acceptable, but it would have been 7-8 mpg while towing.

I find that 58-mph is my fastest slow speed. The curve really works against anything above 60. This is where an Aerolid may give some leeway (as I hope a gear change to 3.42 from 3.73 will also help). As to worrying over others I just don't. Not after speed-limited big trucks. One just becomes better with mirrors and with how to move others around one. Traffic management. "They" are just none too bright, overall, and prone to being manipulated in one's favor.

What I like best is being able to predict nice low fuel consumption numbers consistently. I've made two out-of-town runs this week totaling 900-miles or so (will re-fill truck tomorrow). At 4-gls/100-miles it's easier to factor the utility of the trip. Even at 5 per 100 it's a country mile from 8-gls/100 of the old days.

Over multiple fills the satisfaction of seeing the fuel cpm decline is great.

My goal, overall, is this year is to get the truck/travel trailer combination down to 6-gls/100-miles on average.

.

[ever_green]

that's nice, i remember my friend bragging about 11mpg with his el camino rofl.

[Ed-in-Maine]

Yep I can remember my 396 BB Chevelle SS with the go fast goodies, 8mpg IIRC, 12mpg if I was careful. But what 21 year old is ever careful But that was also the time(early 1980s) when gas had just dipped below $1/gal and was to stay there for some time.

slowmover- I haven't used the ScanGuage enough to know my sweet speed. I haven't found a good test road in the Annapolis area. But then we're migrating back to Maine in less than a month so I'm not too concerned. I think I'll get to work on the Duck Tail today.

Ed

[slowmover]

If it wasn't clear about my choice of 58-mph, then let me say that 55 is better for mpg than 58. But after 58 the consumption curve becomes steep. Thus, "fastest slow speed".

[Kincurd]

Any plans on slapping together a nice aerolid for the back?

If I had a truck, I'd be obsessed with that particular mod. Even if I only got to use the lid sometimes.