Purely Hupothetical: BabyMax Cannonball Run

[Transient]

The question is basic:  How much fuel would need to be carried in the bed of the truck for a successful nonstop cannonball run with the 3.0 Duramax?  Assume the truck would not be a WT, Trail Boss, or GMC equivalent.  Just a RST, LT, LTZ, or even High Country.  I'm familiar with just about every stretch of interstate in this country having driven the majority of them, including all of the highways in the cannonball runs.  To achieve the time they are setting records with, speeding is required.

 

This question was inspired by this YouTube video from VinWiki:  

 

[gemarsh]

110 gallons.

[Transient]

1 hour ago, gemarsh said:

110 gallons.

That's a considerable weight savings conmpared to the truck in the video.  Now to deal with the DEF issue. 

Edited October 20, 2023 by Transient

[redwngr]

9 hours ago, Transient said:

That's a considerable weight savings conmpared to the truck in the video.  Now to deal with the DEF issue. 

Def usage is 2% of fuel used.

 

110 (tank) +24 (truck) = 134 gallons fuel

 

134 gallons x 2% = 2.68 gallons def 

DEF tank on 1500 holds 5.4 gallons -- twice as much as is needed. 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by redwngr

[MrMagloo]

I'm not so sure 110 would be enough.  I did watch some of the video, but didn't study every word.  But at ~2,800 miles at 110 gallons, that would suggest an MPG of 25.45.  Seeing these guys are often running at 100 mph+, even with the great mileage of these 3.0L's, we all know they are a brick and the mileage drops pretty quickly at elevated speeds.  I would guess he used a fair amount more than 110 gallons.

[redwngr]

110 in bed and 24 in truck is 134

 

2800/134 is about 21 mpg...

 

 

Your point is still valid

 

OTOH, perhaps the target isn't to 'win' the cannonball, but just to complete it.

[MrMagloo]

Yes, at least we know he was able to make it with the 200 gallon auxillary tank + 24.  So the answer lays somewhere between 110 and 200 for sure.  But regarding speed, even with all of the traffic jams and delays, he still averaged 80MPH so he was definitely doing over 100 mph in some stretches. Kind of fun thinking about this feat, but definitely not for me.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by MrMagloo

[Black02Silverado]

Of course, anything over 100mph he had to have the speed limiter disabled. 

[MrMagloo]

It was a 2014 which is pretty easy to crack.

[Transient]

If you leave at the right time traffic isn't much of an issue on the Old Spanish Trail.  You don't really have a lot of traffic in northern Florida once you leave Jacksonville.  Tallahassee and Pensacola are fairly small towns with populations under 400,000.  Time it right and there won't be much traffic at the tunnel in Mobile, AL.  After Jacksonville the next big city is New Orleans, then Houston, and then San Antonio.  West of San Antonio is pretty much nothing until you get to El Paso.  You can get lots of speed there.  Also in New Mexico, Arizona, and eastern California.  There's a few tiny towns after El Paso, but it's really wide open until you get to Tuscon, AZ.  You basically bypass Phoenix and pickup I-8 and head straight to Yuma and then right into San Diego.  From west of San Antonio to the Pacific ocean the majority of law enforcement you'll encounter is CBP.  They aren't looking for speeders.  They're looking for overloaded vehicles full of illegal immigrants. L  New Mexico runs speed traps on I-10, but you pretty much bypass half the state by staying in Texas all the way to El Paso.  Due to heat I think it would be best to do the run in the winter, but that slightly hurts your mpg due to cooler and denser air.  If you left Jacksonville in the early afternoon you'd hit Mobile, Biloxi, New Orleans, Houston, and possibly San Antonio after the evening rush/before the morning rush.  I also wouldn't want to do the run right now because I-10 is currently tore up and shut down in Tuscon, forcing you onto surface roads.  There is a CBP checkpoint on I-8 east of San Diego that will bring you to a stop.  There are probably a few other "obstacles" I'm not remembering right now, but I think that pretty much sums it up.  Timing is everything so you don't reach those obstacles at their most congested time. 

 

I'd be interested in doing something like this, but I lack 3 essential things: the truck, the time, and the money. 

Edited October 20, 2023 by Transient

[4banger]

every 1000 miles at 26 mpg (quick look at fuelly.com on the duramax filter shows a likely hwy average around 26 mpg) would consume 38.5 gallons, I don't know what a cannonball run is in miles but would be easy to math that from the data given 

 

I do something similar, go into the bush country for a week of exploring and hunting, I got tired of all the 5 gallon jugs and now have one aluminum in my box with a little drop in battery operated pump (or you could syphon) that is about 55 gallons and can play around in the bush for a week and still come out and make it the 60 or 70 miles to the nearest town with zero sweating about fuel while enjoying the time away. And I run the 2022 refresh 2.7 turbo gasser, I use a little less than my buddy with a 2014 5.3. In diesel you'd go an awful long ways with my fuel tank in the back. 

 

Also, I saw this one day, 53 gallon replacement tank! Doesn't look like available in our part of world yet or diesel approved which is odd as in our part of the world diesel gets the nod before gas, but cool af. Wouldn't need a tank in the back with this sucker and the diesel for a highway long hauler. https://uroffroad.com/silverado-sierra-1500-202l-replacement-fuel-tank/

[Rocz3cqg]

Did a Trip this year to Yellowstone and down thru Utah to Nevada and back to Michigan which came to around 7000 miles and 200 gallons of diesel. Carried total of 4 adults and luggage with a tool box and other support amenities.

[Transient]

On 10/24/2023 at 10:16 PM, 4banger said:

every 1000 miles at 26 mpg (quick look at fuelly.com on the duramax filter shows a likely hwy average around 26 mpg) would consume 38.5 gallons, I don't know what a cannonball run is in miles but would be easy to math that from the data given 

 

I do something similar, go into the bush country for a week of exploring and hunting, I got tired of all the 5 gallon jugs and now have one aluminum in my box with a little drop in battery operated pump (or you could syphon) that is about 55 gallons and can play around in the bush for a week and still come out and make it the 60 or 70 miles to the nearest town with zero sweating about fuel while enjoying the time away. And I run the 2022 refresh 2.7 turbo gasser, I use a little less than my buddy with a 2014 5.3. In diesel you'd go an awful long ways with my fuel tank in the back. 

 

Also, I saw this one day, 53 gallon replacement tank! Doesn't look like available in our part of world yet or diesel approved which is odd as in our part of the world diesel gets the nod before gas, but cool af. Wouldn't need a tank in the back with this sucker and the diesel for a highway long hauler. https://uroffroad.com/silverado-sierra-1500-202l-replacement-fuel-tank/

Double OUCH on that.  1) Is not available in the US.  2) $639 Kuwaiti Dinar converts to almost $2,100 USD.  That's before shipping to the US, which isn't even an option in the website. 

 

Bonus OUCH!  It needs a Skid plate, imo.

[redwngr]

Titan has a replacement fuel tank for the 1500 duramax.

41 gallons, but it is available -- and alot cheaper

 

https://titanfueltanks.com/7010519sd