Gas Mileage Question

[f8l vnm]

Just filled up 91 here in (So Cal China) 6.29 

[Grumpy Bear]

On 3/6/2022 at 11:54 AM, GN2018 said:

Obviously driving a truck means we’re not going to get the best gas mileage but I recall a post about getting the best gas mileage out of our trucks and can’t find it now. The general conclusion was something like driving around 65mph was the sweet spot.  Does anyone recall that post or what the actual conclusion was?  I have a long road trip ahead.  While I’m not thinking about driving 55 (ugh, shoot me now), if I can maximize my mileage and not drive too slow, I could do that.  I know I’m not going to be cruising at my typical 10 to 15 over.  Thankfully, I’m retired and in no hurry on this trip.  All tolled, should be around 2500 miles 

 

ETA - I have the 5.3L with the 10 speed and have averaged just over 20mpg on my last highway trips.

 

Read the red sections as one sentence and you have what you WILL do and that is the best you're going to get out of it.

 

[TNTSierra]

6 hours ago, f8l vnm said:

Just filled up 91 here in (So Cal China) 6.29 

Man that sucks. Another reason why I moved out of the LIBERAL west coast.  You pay $2.00 more than me. Makes me angry.  No need for this, but that’s what we get when an Alzheimer’s patient gets into office. 

Edited March 18, 2022 by TNTSilverado

[Wiggums]

2 hours ago, f8l vnm said:

Just filled up 91 here in (So Cal China) 6.29 

 

At least if you're a homeowner, you enjoy significant savings on property tax, thanks to Prop 13. I currently pay an effective tax rate of 0.25% ($2,300 a year) on my home that's almost a mil.

 

Can't win them all, ya know.

[KARNUT]

8 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

 

At least if you're a homeowner, you enjoy significant savings on property tax, thanks to Prop 13. I currently pay an effective tax rate of 0.25% ($2,300 a year) on my home that's almost a mil.

 

Can't win them all, ya know.

I have 2 houses on 3 Acres at 2300$ a year in taxes and 20K a year in rent. Live in the other. Gas is 3.68. Texas. You can have it all.

[Wiggums]

1 hour ago, KARNUT said:

I have 2 houses on 3 Acres at 2300$ a year in taxes and 20K a year in rent. Live in the other. Gas is 3.68. Texas. You can have it all.

 

If I rented out my house, it's an easy $70k a year. I pay $35 a month for electricity, around $20 a month for gas, never needed air conditioning or heat since it rarely falls below 50 or exceeds 80. I still pay $2,300 a year in property tax. Gas is $4.99 at Costco. I don't drive much so I'm good. And I'm retired. And CCW's easy to obtain here in Orange County, it was always the case even back in the 1990's when CCW was illegal in Texas. Ironic, I know.

[KARNUT]

16 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

 

If I rented out my house, it's an easy $70k a year. I pay $35 a month for electricity, around $20 a month for gas, never needed air conditioning or heat since it rarely falls below 50 or exceeds 80. I still pay $2,300 a year in property tax. Gas is $4.99 at Costco. I don't drive much so I'm good. And I'm retired. And CCW's easy to obtain here in Orange County, it was always the case even back in the 1990's when CCW was illegal in Texas. Ironic, I know.

You have the life. It’s hot in the summer June- September electric bill around 250 per month. Nice Oct-May. Retired too. The house I live in would bring about 50K a year when I moved to the back house. In today’s market. I rent the back house on a 6 month lease. Usually people looking to buy a house. The housing market is nuts here. We raised the rent 300$ per month in a year. Texas housing isn’t as high as California. Lots of California people are moving here. 

[Wiggums]

1 hour ago, KARNUT said:

You have the life. It’s hot in the summer June- September electric bill around 250 per month. Nice Oct-May. Retired too. The house I live in would bring about 50K a year when I moved to the back house. In today’s market. I rent the back house on a 6 month lease. Usually people looking to buy a house. The housing market is nuts here. We raised the rent 300$ per month in a year. Texas housing isn’t as high as California. Lots of California people are moving here. 

 

It is going to be a problem in California. The ultra-wealthy are moving in while the middle class is being priced out. The 99¢ Whoppers from the nearby Burger King are now $9.99 cheeseburgers from the Habit. The dive bars are being replaced by clubs and I can't stand them. I grew up here when it was rural. At least it's tolerable with lenient CCW laws. I own a lot of land around here as well, am in the middle of selling one to a development company that will secure my retirement. My neighbors used to pay $3,400 a month, now it's $5,800 a month. I am still amazed how people can still afford it, I don't make a lot every year.

[GN2018]

** Update on my trip. **

 

Well I didn't do as well as I had hoped.  I drove about 2700 miles and averaged 21.9 mpg.  In looking up the rated mileage for the vehicle it appears to be 16/22.  So all I accomplished was getting the rated milage out of the truck.  Still, 22 mpg out of a full size truck is not to bad.  Gas averaged about $4.12 so that's about .19 per mile for gas.  Not too bad even in today's crazy gas environment.

 

But here's the story.  It is really hard to drive slow.  I tried to drive around 65 in a 70 and that didn't go well at all.  I'm not used to being in the middle lane and having people passing on both sides and dealing with the very slow traffic in the right lane was not pleasant.  Then, I figured I'd try to at least hold to the speed limit.  I did that pretty well, especially on the two lane stretches.  I could not drive with gas mileage in mind in the crowded (urban) parts of the trip.  I do not have the mentality to handle being calm in a busy traffic situation.  For me, it's actually much more calm over in the far left lane keeping pace with traffic.  I'm sure those moments hurt my gas mileage some - maybe a lot.

 

Still, I'm sure I did better than I would have had I drove my normal way the entire trip.  Each mile per gallon is worth about $50 so I think I saved at least $50 and maybe a bit more compared to my normal driving, but there's no way I maxed out my mileage.  My bad. 

[Wiggums]

1 hour ago, GN2018 said:

But here's the story.  It is really hard to drive slow.  I tried to drive around 65 in a 70 and that didn't go well at all. 

 

I know it is mind-numbing to remain 10 mph below the limit. It's pretty easy to do that here in Los Angeles with six lanes, but not out in the desert. I found it easier just to stay on the right lane and stay behind 18 wheelers going 60 mph (speed limit for trucks in California is 55 mph, not 75 mph like the neighbouring states). You still need the willpower not to pass them and go even faster.

[KARNUT]

Damn not the double nickel again! It was brutal. People were so bored not paying attention all over the road. Running CB radios in packs with the hammer  down and more disparity in speeds. It wasn’t pretty. Now add road rage. It’ll be like mad max.

Edited March 24, 2022 by KARNUT

[Wiggums]

37 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

Damn not the double nickel again! It was brutal. People were so bored not paying attention all over the road. Running CB radios in packs with the hammer  down and more disparity in speeds. It wasn’t pretty. Now add road rage. It’ll be like mad max.

 

I was told trucks are to keep it at 55 since there's much heavier wear and tear from such heavy vehicles at a higher speed.

 

Nobody can ever convince me 55 mph saves lives. I can and will always call bullshit on that.

[Grumpy Bear]

20 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

Nobody can ever convince me 55 mph saves lives. I can and will always call bullshit on that.

 

Pick One

 

Six pound medicine ball hits you at 29.33 fps. Impact energy is?  80 foot pounds

50 grain 222 Swift hits you at 3947 fps. Impact energy is?             1800 foot pounds. 

 

 

 

 

 

[shakenfake]

 

You're dead anyway.

 

 

 

55 MPH is a sleepy speed. I agree with that statement because there are more factors than just you hitting a wall. 

[Wiggums]

Numbers are always distorted. Same thing with guns, Australia banned guns and the gun murder rate (emphasis on gun) declined. Sure, it works, yay, but at the same time, overall murder rates increased. So taking the guns away didn't have the Aussies holding hands and singing Kumbaya. If you piss off somebody and that person wants you dead, Sonny, you sure as ****** are gonna die, gun or no gun.

 

There are numerous variables at play here. We increased the speed limit in 1985 and 1996. The death rate still dropped. Driving at 55 mph out in the desert, I nearly crashed once because I fell asleep. So glad to see it is at a more sensible 75 mph now.

 

In Germany, trucks aren't allowed to exceed 60 mph while cars barrel at 130 mph on the left lane. The average speed on some stretches is 100 mph. I am constantly switching lanes as Germans strictly adhere to "left only for passing" road etiquette. I think that's what keeps me constantly alert, it's a lot more work to drive on the German autobahn, but the German highway death rate is better than most of Europe despite the lack of speed limit. That's per highway mile driven, not per habitat, which paints a different picture.

 

Here in the U.S., it's get the speedometer up to 75 mph, then hog the left lane. Disgraceful.