Hypermiling - I'm Getting 28.8 MPG

Minnvmax · October 29, 2019

The ones in town coasting the last mile to a stoplight or take a mile to get up to speed limit are the ones that bother me the most. Situations where I cannot get past them.

Cpl_Punishment · October 29, 2019

3 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684 II is not a car tire. It's a light truck tire with more load capability than the truck is rated for. 2,337#

This OEM set now starting it's fifth year will time out before they wear out. At 105,000 miles I have a measured 6/32 left. They've wear even. Balance perfectly. Quite. Fuel efficient. Stop on a dime wet or dry. Handle nice. Reasonably comfortable. Good in the rain even now. It isn't snow tire so I don't care about that.

So.....what makes them 'junk' and 'over kill' normal?

I'll keep my junk tires and their performance, thank you very much.

Aren't you supposed to replace your tires when they hit 8/32? Or am I misremembering?

Cpl_Punishment · October 29, 2019

2 hours ago, Minnvmax said:

The ones in town coasting the last mile to a stoplight or take a mile to get up to speed limit are the ones that bother me the most. Situations where I cannot get past them.

What is the value in racing up to be the first one sitting at the stop light?

Grumpy Bear · October 29, 2019

1 hour ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

Aren't you supposed to replace your tires when they hit 8/32? Or am I misremembering?

2/32 or 1.6 mm. in the lower 48. No idea your area. Tires new were 10/32.

Cpl_Punishment · October 29, 2019

19 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

2/32 or 1.6 mm. in the lower 48. No idea your area. Tires new were 10/32.

Maybe it was a stealership that told me 8/32, which would explain it. I don't think our winters up here are much harder than the ones in Illinois.

Grumpy Bear · October 29, 2019

4 hours ago, Minnvmax said:

The ones in town coasting the last mile to a stoplight or take a mile to get up to speed limit are the ones that bother me the most. Situations where I cannot get past them.

It's 1,000 feet not a mile rural. 500 will get it done in town with slower limits. This 'trick' isn't solely about mpg. Brake life can be tripled (or more) pretty easy. My ex-wife drives as you indicate you do. Brakes every 35-45K. She gets to do both fronts and rears every time. $600 a pop minimum. I get 150,000+ on front brakes. Rears are hardly ever in service. Fact is my current truck at 105K has over 90% of the front pad left. NO idea how long these will last.

You burn $$$ (gas) to get to speed as quickly as possible then instead of using that energy for forward motion you waste it generating braking heat. Those are the only two options in physics. Those are the practical reasons which extend to tires, shocks, suspension components and even the rattles in your dash

Then there is legality of speeding. It isn't. You have no argument in 'well everybody speeds" nor the police don't enforce the limits either.

Finally people who fly the 'speeding is my right banner' are telling everyone that THEY are the most important person on the highway. I disagree. Ditto the 'flow of traffic' crowd. Your not all that. Not enough so that I need to quadruple my maintenance and operating cost.

Additionally, and correct me if I'm error here, guys like me, according to you, are RARE birds. How so? The flow of traffic argument implies that we are the exception and not the rule. So....how does one guy you meet once a day, a week or a month get so under your skin you can't control yourself? All he is really doing is not what you wish he would. WOW. Put on your big boy pants.

Wiggums · October 29, 2019

7 hours ago, Minnvmax said:

To all hypermilers-get the hell out of my way. You are a hindrance on the road.

Actually, hypermilers aren't the problem. It's the left lane hogs.

The left lane hogs are a hindrance. I always treat the left lane like kryptonite and that's the way it should be, irregardless of the speed.

Living in Germany, I regularly drove in excess of 100 mph and still used the left lane strictly for passing. Do NOT stay on it.

Wiggums · October 29, 2019

4 hours ago, Minnvmax said:

The ones in town coasting the last mile to a stoplight or take a mile to get up to speed limit are the ones that bother me the most. Situations where I cannot get past them.

I do that all the time especially when there's nobody behind me. If there is a left lane open, use it, don't get behind me and get pissed.

Grumpy Bear · October 29, 2019

6 minutes ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

Maybe it was a stealership that told me 8/32, which would explain it. I don't think our winters up here are much harder than the ones in Illinois.

If you look at those tread depth gauges you buy in the parts stores, the cheap ones, you will see the 'yellow' caution at 6/32 on some and 5/32 on others. That is were tire sales people and dealerships will start bugging you. The red starts on these gauges at 3/32 but the law is 2/32.

Here's a rough rule of thumb. IF ALL SEASON tires are your only tires 5/32 is time to change in the snow belt.

That time between 5/32 and 2/32 is the most fuel efficient time in a tires life.

Cpl_Punishment · October 29, 2019

6 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

Actually, hypermilers aren't the problem. It's the left lane hogs.

The left lane hogs are a hindrance. I always treat the left lane like kryptonite and that's the way it should be, irregardless of the speed.

Living in Germany, I regularly drove in excess of 100 mph and still used the left lane strictly for passing. Do NOT stay on it.

I consider myself a slow driver, though I'm rarely below the speed limit if road conditions are good, and even I have to pop into the left lane from time to time to pass someone who's driving even slower than I am.

Wiggums · October 29, 2019

5 hours ago, L86 All Terrain said:

There are the Hypermilers that dont pull on to the shoulder of the road when they finally look in their mirror and see 21 cars backed up bumper to bumper with people losing their marbles at 10mph under the limit on good road conditions? Slow drivers are much more dangerous than people that drive with the flow of traffic. Some people develop road rage and will pass up hills or on corners in my area when this is the case. No multi-lane highways here, so when you get a geezer driving 75kph in a posted 90 when the flow of traffic is travelling 105kph, you are hindering people, and increasing danger on the road to all.

Believe me, they piss me off too. I try to stay at 55 mph even on the twisty Ortega Highway. If any car gets behind me, I will use the turnout and let them pass. A lot of times, I travel during odd hours so that's not a problem, nobody gets slowed down and I achieve my 31 mpg. Easy peasy.

Spending quite a bit of time in Europe, believe me, I hate it when I am costing somebody else time and will get out of the way.

KARNUT · October 29, 2019

As far as tires are concerned they have wear bars. Right? As far as holding someone up, in the left lane I don’t. In the right on the interstate 2-4 miles over usually. On two lanes weather permitting I do the speed limit or a few over. Why ruin someone’s day? Hyper mile, cruise control is as close as I come. Taking off from a stop. I’ll go pretty good getting up to speed, especially ifs some ones behind me. I have no trouble meeting or exceeding the manufacturer MPGs posted on my vehicles.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Grumpy Bear · October 29, 2019

10 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

Actually, hypermilers aren't the problem. It's the left lane hogs.

The left lane hogs are a hindrance. I always treat the left lane like kryptonite and that's the way it should be, irregardless of the speed.

Living in Germany, I regularly drove in excess of 100 mph and still used the left lane strictly for passing. Do NOT stay on it.

The Autobahn has got to be the most perfect example that HUGE differences in speed can be totally safe IF everyone does as they ought instead of insisting on everyone else treating them as 'privileged'.

Know what is really slow? Some 85 mph traffic weaver rolling his Escalade into a ball of tinfoil and shutting a six lane Interstate down for three hours while your between off ramps. Can't 'show' a dead man how upset you are with his Rights to Privilege.

10 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

Believe me, they piss me off too. I try to stay at 55 mph even on the twisty Ortega Highway. If any car gets behind me, I will use the turnout and let them pass. A lot of times, I travel during odd hours so that's not a problem, nobody gets slowed down and I achieve my 31 mpg. Easy peasy.

Spending quite a bit of time in Europe, believe me, I hate it when I am costing somebody else time and will get out of the way.

X2. Rush hour avoidance is part of my routine. If I get trapped I do an alternate route. I use turn outs.

US 6 and Interstate 80 are about 200 yards apart or less in rural Illinois. Ditto Illinois 38 v Interstate 88. Illinois. Ill 251 and I-39 and so on. 38 is posted 55 and I drive it 50/55 mph. You can move 200 hundred yards to the Interstate and drive 80. Be my guest.

Illinois 2 is actually decommissioned and a state scenic highway. Even it has third lane passing and several clear passing zones. Speed limit is 50 through the state parks, 55 general and 45 or less through small towns. as low as 40 'yellow' sign limits. I do 50 on this road. With all those options anyone thinking I inconvenience anyone needs a head examination. You can wait the 90 seconds it will take for your next illegal pass.

Cpl_Punishment · October 29, 2019

Actually, I tend to have to change lanes a lot on the freeways around here due to all the hills. Everyone else is braking when going downhill so, as long as there's no one behind me, I'll move over to the left lane to build momentum down the hill then I slip back over to the right once the cruise control drivers pass me on the way up the next hill. I just hate when people on cruise control pass me then get in front of me just as we start going down a big hill.

Wiggums · October 29, 2019

7 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

The Autobahn has got to be the most perfect example that HUGE differences in speed can be totally safe IF everyone does as they ought instead of insisting on everyone else treating them as 'privileged'.

Know what is really slow? Some 85 mph traffic weaver rolling his Escalade into a ball of tinfoil and shutting a six lane Interstate down for three hours while your between off ramps. Can't 'show' a dead man how upset you are with his Rights to Privilege.

X2. Rush hour avoidance is part of my routine. If I get trapped I do an alternate route. I use turn outs.

US 6 and Interstate 80 are about 200 yards apart or less in rural Illinois. Ditto Illinois 38 v Interstate 88. Illinois. Ill 251 and I-39 and so on. 38 is posted 55 and I drive it 50/55 mph. You can move 200 hundred yards to the Interstate and drive 80. Be my guest.

Illinois 2 is actually decommissioned and a state scenic highway. Even it has third lane passing and several clear passing zones. Speed limit is 50 through the state parks, 55 general and 45 or less through small towns. as low as 40 'yellow' sign limits. I do 50 on this road. With all those options anyone thinking I inconvenience anyone needs a head examination. You can wait the 90 seconds it will take for your next illegal pass.

Many seem to be unable to wrap their heads around that, mostly Americans who have never been to Europe. Trucks can't exceed 62 mph (100 km/h) and there are cars barrelling on the left lane, easily exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h). It's not privilege, some want to go slow, some want to go fast, it's all about harmony.

It's sehr verboten to pass on the right lane so people MUST get back to the right and allow the faster cars to pass. I have absolutely no problem with people wanting to go faster and will even speed up if I'm on a one-lane road then use the turnout. Driving back and forth on the 74, I can say with certainty I have never had more than a car behind me for more than a few minutes. If two cars come up, I will go faster. Fortunately, multi-lane highways are very common here in southern California.

Ortega Highway is some of the most dangerous in the U.S., about 99% is one-lane and speed limits range from 55 mph to yellow signs showing 25 mph. I'm not kidding, it is really twisty. By law, people must use the turn out if more than three vehicles are behind. I still do it when there's a single car. Even if one car comes up, I will go faster, perhaps exceeding the limit, then getting off to let it pass then I am back on it going lower than the speed limit and hoping nobody gets behind me.