MPG Testing Uphill Both Ways
 

My 65 MPH test run from Hatch to City of Rocks State Park was a bust. I left the house at 5:30 PM to do the scheduled astronomy program at the park. My house is at a elevation of 4,023 ft. Wind conditions were not good with 7 mph winds out of the west. However I had topped off the gas tank the previous day and I was going to top off the tank again in Hatch for the mpg test at 65 mph.

Hatch is at a elevation of 4,066 ft so my 18 mile drive was only a climb of 43 ft. After refueling in Hatch I begin the climb the hills west of Hatch on Hwy 26 which was a greater elevation change then I had remembered in my minds eye. I simply had never verified the 475 foot climb these hills require. Then I was in the open exposed to 7 mph head winds. This meant my average speed of 65 mph was really 72 mph of ground speed relative to the air the truck was passing through.

To reach Nutt, NM which is half way to Deming you have to climb some more
hills peaking out at 4,761 ft. Some more minor hills, but then the decent into Deming at 4,343 ft or a 413 foot drop so I did reclaim some of my energy budget. Then the turn northwest on to the highway to Silver City. More elevation to climb. By the time I reached the rest stop ten miles from the park I had climbed to 4,854 ft for a 511 foot climb all the while exposed to a seven mph quartering wind from the west.

The hills into the park top out at 5,234 feet just 46 ft short of being one mile of elevation high. I had driven 74.3 miles, climbing 1,168 feet, bucking seven mph head winds at 65 mph for a composite fuel average of 19 mpg.

I parked and did my astronomy program at the Observatory in the Orion Group Area. It was a clear night and a successful program done for a little over a dozen people. I was back on the road again by 10:10 PM.

My mythical tail wind to assist in on my drive home never materialized. Conditions were calm as I descended the long grade to Deming at 28 mpg on average. I stopped for 78 seconds at the turn off in Deming to retrieve a soda from the cooler in the truck. This short stop reduced my average speed from 65 mph to 60 mph. I only gained 3 mph of it back by the time I got to Hatch. On the down grade into Hatch I averaged over 30 mpg.

It was not enough. My refueling in Hatch required 6.914 gallons to replace the fuel consumed over 148.3 miles of fuel sucking, grade climbing, against the wind driving, only to not get any wind assistance on the return leg of the journey. My net average was a mediocre 21.45 miles per gallon at 65 mph with the Aerolid and boat tail combination.

When Bam Zip Pow visited me in January with his exotic air cheating rig I had recommended this route to him to get to Deming. "Take the scenic route", I said, "you will get to see the tracking solar PV arrays El Paso Electric has west of Hatch and then the giant windmill electric generating farm west of Nutt, NM. There is a reason they sited these wind generators where they did and wasn't lack of wind.

I apologize Bam Zip Pow, I did not have my mpg thinking cap on the day I recommended this windy route to you. Hell, I would not even recommend it to myself now knowing what I know from the hind sight of experience. We live and learn if we are lucky enough to do so.

I can recommend the journey traveling east on Highway 26 from Deming to Hatch however as long as it is daylight. I am afraid to say the light pollution industry just decided they had to sully this magnificent desolation with their wares at night.

So there you have it. Looks like another 65 mph mileage test is in order for the Aerostealth Ford traveling a different highway. I do have a trip to Los Alamos on May 9th returning on May 10th to make, so I will get back to you then. Until then happy trails mpg testing uphill both ways my friends.