If you are running manual and need to come to a stop, put the truck in nuetral and take your foot of the clutch completely. This reduces the premature fatigue on the clutch pressure plate fingers. I have 143,000 miles (in town) on my 1997 Toyota Xtracab Taco 4x4 and can still spin the tires in 3rd gear, and/or pull the boat out of a steep boat launch without the clutch slipping. I am going to shoot for 200K miles before changing the clutch.
So, over a 400 mile trip, how many MPG am I saving by using my foot and not the cruise control? I get about 12 mpg now and I run the cruise control unless it downshifts three hills in a row.
Also, anyone know how much worse it is on my engine to lug it going up hill instead of letting it downshift? Anyone watch their EGT gauge when you do this?
2002 Ford F-350 CC LB PSD
2007 Travel Lite 960rx Ultra
1998 Starcraft Superfisherman 170
It aint like you got to do it all the time, but isnt it a cool thing to try to conserve energy? Isnt it reasonable for people who arent under time pressure to get a kick out of seeing how many miles they get get with their campers?
I can bang the ell out of my best mileage loaded with camper on, of 21.3 mpg anytime i want. That was over 600 miles on one tank. You cant fake going over 600 miles with a 36 gallon tank. You are either banging over 20 or you aint.
Why does that enrage people so much? They aint got to do it but why does it make them so mad? We need a group of truck camper people who want to transit with their campers using minimum fuel. We aint throwing drinks in anyone faces. We aint trying to fight anyone. we just get a kick in the A$$ out of seeing what the max mpg we can get out of our rigs loaded. I had an old lady go berserk the other day when I was trying to let her know she would save fuel if she just parked and went in the mall instead of idling her vehicle to save 4 feet of walking time link
* This post was
edited 07/14/08 10:44am by jponder *
SPACE SHUTTLE
2001 4X4 ETH/DEE Reg Cab
Ricksons 285/70R19.5
US Gear Ex Brake
*NO CRUISE CONTROL!!! *
*MANUAL THROTTLE CABLE for 21.3MPG!*
*DRW WORST NIGHTMARE MONSTER TRUCK!*
Camper:
94 Lance EU2000
11700 gw tc+t.
Soon:
Cat Heat& MO BATTERIES!!
cewillis - wouldn't it be great if we made people learn to fly their cars rather than allowing them to be their own passengers. The lack of situational awareness on our roads is amazing.
What would be great is a cruse control system that allowed you to set power, rather than performance (mph), with preprogrammed settings for best economy and best power.
Eric -- I watch and play with EGT / boost alot.
Running 55-60mph into a 6-7% grade. a down-shift (4th-3rd) will drop the EGT 2-300 degrees, and get the boost up to my personal max of 28-30#. In this configuration I'm at 50-75% of full-throttle, turning around 3200 rpm, at about 8-900 degrees pre-turbo; 1000 degrees on a hot day.
Conversely, adding the throttle required to maintain speed in 4th will cause me to back-out as the EGT trends over 1200 degrees.
I watch the boost gauge kind of like I would a vacuum gauge on a gasser. If you are making boost you aren't helping you mpg any. I use my exhaust brake and manual tranny all the time to avoid touching the service brakes till the last few feet. I checked my rear brake pucks recently when I was replacing a axle seal. Looked like they will go 200,000 miles.
Good stuff here. I tried the conservative driving approach on a recent 2,000 mile 11 day trip completed yesterday. Averaged 14.2 mpg for whole trip. Usually average between 11-12mpg . For the 1st portion of the "getting there" trip I was near 15 mpg. I usually stayed between 55-62MPH for highway driving, used the manual transmission, truck momentum to increase mileage. I did not use the cruise control at all. I did not use exhaust brake on interstates (to conserve momentum) unless needed.
Hawthorne wrote: cewillis - wouldn't it be great if we made people learn to fly their cars rather than allowing them to be their own passengers. The lack of situational awareness on our roads is amazing.
Right -- that's the drill (in another world), drive like a good pilot would fly.
Situational Awareness?? Surely you jest! Many (most?) drivers don't even know what it means.
JPonder, you have struck some nerves I think. I think the perpetually frightened feel the monetary effects but can't deal with the logical changes you recommend and flip out. Those who seek a constant,"no changes for me", world often can only muster anger rather than consider a new approach. I've upped my average from 11.5 to 13 by staying under 62, no cruise on the hills, just being aware. I'm thinking of installing the veggie oil system that Gordon of Truck Camper Magazine used on his recent long haul. The only constant is that everything we know and understand is alway changing.
Love to all,
skip
skipbee
2004 F350 Diesel CC SRW 19.5" Rikson W/T 4WD
2005 Lance 1121 with a little less of everything
12' Porta-Bote alongside
All that glitters is not gold. All who wander are not lost. Wm. Shakespeare
INSAYN wrote: If you are running manual and need to come to a stop, put the truck in nuetral and take your foot of the clutch completely. This reduces the premature fatigue on the clutch pressure plate fingers. I have 143,000 miles (in town) on my 1997 Toyota Xtracab Taco 4x4 and can still spin the tires in 3rd gear, and/or pull the boat out of a steep boat launch without the clutch slipping. I am going to shoot for 200K miles before changing the clutch.
It also reduced throwout bearing wear.
I've been practicing that since I learned to drive. (Other than for the driving test, where coasting is a no no.)
I just redid the transmission on my little cr@ap commuter car. One of the bearings on the input shaft went out. At 221K the clutch was at 35% left, and the synchros were all above 50%. New clutch, new throwout bearing and now I'm sure I'll never have to do it again!
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