To draft or slow down?

[R.I.D.E.]

My best mileage was following a trailer about 125 feet behind at 65-67. The trucks are slowing down for the same reason you are.

304 miles on 4.627 gallons of gas, most of it on I64 and 95 just south of DC.

I dont have a scanguage, my car is a 94 VX with just over 30k actual miles, on the original tires.

regards
gary

[racertim]

To throw a third option into the mix, will P&G work better than either of these? Can anyone post links to the articles on CleanMPG?

[palemelanesian]

I'd love to have the gearing in your VX. Mine's running over 3,000 rpm at 65mph. Racertim, your automatic has longer gearing than mine, too, so you can use steady-state cruise up to a higher point than I can, as well. If I'm going more than 50mph, I use P&G the whole time.

Just go to CleanMPG.com and click the Articles link on the side. Here's the main one, though: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510

[McPatrick]

These days I drive pretty much 55 mph on the highway where 65 mph is alowed and sure, everybody pases you but I don't think I have ever felt unsafe.

I have a computer on one of my cars that shows the instant mpg and drafting does save gas for sure, but at some point, when a truck goes too fast I am better of just doing 55 mph (which is a bit more relaxed than drafting as well which I find I can do only for so long at the time). I would say that if a truck does more than 62/63 I am gonna let it go and go back to my 55 mph as that seems to be the spot where drafting no longer saves me gas as opposed to going 55 mph.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

I don't remember the exact numbers, but in my Odyssey, 70mph with a 3-second draft was slightly better than 65mph in the open.

What, really? I thought you had to be much closer to benefit from drafting. I think I can handle 3 seconds. I know that at non-highway speeds I'm quite comfortable at 3 seconds.

One thing to consider when drafting, especially when drafting big trucks: Road debris kicked up by tires will chip away at your paint and windshield. If something big enough to put a chip or crack in your windshield hits, you've just blown a year's worth of drafting savings...

[McPatrick]

@theholycow: yes, but think of all the excitement

[palemelanesian]

Yes. There's a clear benefit out that far. Of course, you'll get amazing results 10ft off the back bumper, but that's just stupid. I read a study using 2 semi trucks, and at 10ft, the trailing truck got a 50% boost in mileage.

[monroe74]

I recently drove across Nevada, Utah and Wyoming on I-80. A lot of this driving was right after dawn, on a weekend, and the road was very, very deserted. I was doing about 55. A few times I did something very unorthodox: I moved to the left lane to let a truck pass me on the right.

I did this only under circumstances that I almost never encounter in my normal driving: there was no one else around, and I could see from literally a mile away that he was approaching me, so there was plenty of time and space for both parties to understand what was going on.

I kept a constant speed, and I moved way over to the left edge of the left lane, to make it easier for them to understand my intentions. I moved to the left when they were about 1/4 mile behind me.

They appreciated it.

"Road debris kicked up by tires will chip away at your paint and windshield."

Good point. I've had windshield damage that way. It's one reason I'm reluctant to get into drafting.

[Hateful]

More than road debris, I'd worry more about those chunks of rubber ( known as gators in circles I don't travel in) that come off the tires; or worse yet,as a result of a blow out. That might do a lot more than crack your windshield.
I do draft at times,but on a long stretch of highway, I like to P&G behind the truck. The fast traffic will most likely see the truck at a greater distance and get into the other lane before getting close to you.

[racertim]

Originally Posted by McPatrick

These days I drive pretty much 55 mph on the highway where 65 mph is alowed and sure, everybody pases you but I don't think I have ever felt unsafe.

I guess that depends on the road you are traveling. I am on a 3 lane interstate which has zero congestion. While traveling at 62mpg for an entire week, 130 miles round trip, I passed ONE vehicle. It was a beat up Oldsmobile that I don't think was capable of 60mph.

Many times I see trucks coming up behind me at around 70-72mph and when there is a car in the middle lane, I see them get very close to me and have to use their brakes. I know they don't like this and it sure makes me nervous every time I see this in my mirror.

I just feel much safer when I am in control and I am doing the passing. That's one reason this style of driving is difficult for me. However, after putting gas in my car today, it was hard to argue with a 23% increase in fuel economy. I spend about $350 a month on gas right now, this is going to save me about $80 a month.