Gas Mileage Report

[Wali4vr]

Having driven commercial trucks many miles and many years I have to tell all of you. Don't - DO NOT ATTEMPT to draft a semi for ANY reason. If that driver has to make ANY sudden change in direction, speed or even just a 5mph increase in head wind there's a very good chance you will end up dead. Not a very good exchange rate. Happy motoring.
ps
Its also illegal!

 

[Adieu]

Having driven commercial trucks many miles and many years I have to tell all of you. Don't - DO NOT ATTEMPT to draft a semi for ANY reason. If that driver has to make ANY sudden change in direction, speed or even just a 5mph increase in head wind there's a very good chance you will end up dead. Not a very good exchange rate. Happy motoring.
ps
Its also illegal!

Only if he's running an empty container, you're not paying attention, AND your brakes are shit

Since ONLY sudden deceleration on his part can make you hit him as youre behind him matching speed


Should ACTUALLY read:

1) never drive ALONGSIDE a semi matching speed, his accelerations and decelerations can hit you with massive turbulence and if he doesnt notice you, a swerve from him could nail you with the side of a cargo container

2) never tailgate a SPORTSCAR like a bimmer/porsche/corvette, his brakes are twice your size for half your weight and if he brakes hard in front of you, youre hitting him 100%

 

[deweysmith]

I dunno, man. Modern trucks can stop surprisingly fast.

 

[JExpedition07]

I try to be as friendly to professional drivers as I can, reason being I see them dealing with selfish drivers all the time who screw them. Drafting up close behind them is a true annoyance and they can’t see you. Do you guys like it when a little Honda rides your bumber by 2 inches? I certainly don’t because the same applies, your worried about that driver paying attention when you hit your brakes or make a maneuver. We are driving 6,000 pound tubs down the road most of us probabaly aren’t all that concerned with every last drop of highway fuel mileage we can squeeze out.

 

[jeff kushner]

Agreed JL and good advice. Drafting came about in racing but contrary to what many believe, it wasn't just used as a means of staying with a faster rider/driver....it was ALL ABOUT FUEL USAGE.....in racing, fuel is GOLD and the difference between drafting and not can mean as much as FOUR TIMES the range. Do it correctly, and you can eliminate a gas stop at best or at least finish as worst.

It is NOT safe to do on the highways and byways of America though....those aren't professional racers out there.....you going to trust your life to anything less?

jeff

 

[Adieu]

Nobody drafts semis bumper to bumper, that math is for similarly sized small vehicles not for following something 15 times your size

Also the rock strikes would get you far faster than the recklessness

 

[MrTommy]

I know I'm a bit late to the party here, but regarding drafting semi's...
I retired after 35 years on the road. The biggest danger to drafting (or even following fairly close) a 'big truck' is when it blows a tire - an event that happens more than you know. When a tire goes, it can take out everything on the tail end of the trailer. Tail lights, mud flaps, any bits and pieces of whatever holds this stuff on the rear end - and throw it all over the road, especially if you're following too close. Not to mention the "gators", which is what we call those huge strips of thick, metal lined rubber that used to be the tire. It's amazing to watch in the side mirror as we truck along.

When I was teaching my kids to drive I told them to NEVER, NEVER follow or pace a big truck at high speed.

Rant over.

 

[mossback]

Best fuel economy I’ve seen thus far (almost a year exactly owning the truck) is 20.8mpg on the highway. That’s going an average 70mph. 2017 EL LTD. I’m very happy with it.

 

[Oldnerdguy]

Usually 18 - 19 on the Interstate at 75 to 78 mph.
17 - 18 combined hwy and city. But the city driving is not big city stop and go. Just reduced speeds with a few stop lights.
I have seen as good 24 on a secondary hwy at 55 - 60 mph for about 100 miles. Road was flat and straight and boring.

The best mileage in all scenarios for me is when I have 91 octane in the tank. 87 octane is consistently 1 - 2 mpg less. 93 octane does not seem to be any better at all and is more money.

Lately, as the weather is turning cooler the mpg is dropping.

2017 XLT non-EL 4x4.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

On the subject of gas mileage if I were really concerned about it I would have bought a Prius or some other hybrid vehicle. I bought my Expedition for the size and for comfort. I'm happy I that I get better gas mileage than my 05 but I like to drive fast so I'll take what I get in gas mileage.

 

[jrc50]

As for being alongside a semi for too long...When I was still working and driving 50K/yr I was passing a semi on an interstate and his rear tire on my side blew, the description of pieces going everywhere is correct and wow did it snap me to attention! You just do not know about a semi or their driver and always, always give them plenty of space!

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

As for being alongside a semi for too long...When I was still working and driving 50K/yr I was passing a semi on an interstate and his rear tire on my side blew, the description of pieces going everywhere is correct and wow did it snap me to attention! You just do not know about a semi or their driver and always, always give them plenty of space!

I follow way behind them or I get around them quickly and get out of the way.

 

[chuck s]

I just read a recent test that indicated the 2017 F150 3.6 EcoBoost engine got a whopping 5% better fuel economy using 93 vs 87 octane. Prices here have 93 costing roughly 25% more per gallon. $2.90 vs $2.30 last week. So yeah, you get better fuel mileage.

-- Chuck

 

[Oldnerdguy]

I just read a recent test that indicated the 2017 F150 3.6 EcoBoost engine got a whopping 5% better fuel economy using 93 vs 87 octane. Prices here have 93 costing roughly 25% more per gallon. $2.90 vs $2.30 last week. So yeah, you get better fuel mileage.

-- Chuck

You just hit the nail on the head of why I switched to run 87 octane most of the time.
5% increase in fuel mileage for a 25% increase in cost. The math does not add up.
And from all the varied reading I don't think there is anything detrimental to vehicle running 87. I do think the performance is noticeably less.

Similar to ExpeditionAndy, we did not get the vehicle to get great mileage. It is a people hauler and sometimes a camper or boat puller.
But getting decent mpg compared to my truck is always a plus.

 

[Muddy Bean]

Sometimes I hypermile just for fun...rarely. Most of the time testing the acceleration limits of my EL is way more fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Sometimes I hypermile just for fun...rarely. Most of the time testing the acceleration limits of my EL is way more fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I like going wide open throttle for short distances to blow the carbon out of the engine. Plus I love the acceleration.

 

[bobmbx]

I like going wide open throttle for short distances to blow the carbon out of the engine. Plus I love the acceleration.

Thats old school, Andy. I admit I find myself doing from time to time also out of habit, but, the engines of today don't produce any where near the carbon that they did back in the good old days, when you could produce a dust cloud worthy of a James Bond smoke screen.

Its been a long time since I've been able to "roll coal" from one of my cars.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Thats old school, Andy. I admit I find myself doing from time to time also out of habit, but, the engines of today don't produce any where near the carbon that they did back in the good old days, when you could produce a dust cloud worthy of a James Bond smoke screen.

Its been a long time since I've been able to "roll coal" from one of my cars.

Last time I did that was about13 years ago. My wife took over driving my old Mercedes Turbo Diesel and I had to run it up the shop for some work. I stomped on it to downshift and kick in the turbo and when I looked in the rear view mirror there was a ********* cloud so dense I couldn't see anything behind me. It would have put a trucker to shame. Fortunately nobody was behind me or they would have driven into a a James Bond smoke screen. From that I could tell that my wife never floored it when she was driving. It ran better afterwards.

 

[jeff kushner]

OK, I admit it....I BROKE 100mph on Sunday when returning home from Kerry's house. Truck acted like it was on a Hot Wheels track....not bad, not too bad at all.

I had thought that I'd read where there was a speed limiter set at 90mph...blew that myth to hell!

Did it right here with my Escort 8500 providing cover for me..

https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...2773301690aed4!8m2!3d39.0971804!4d-75.9579358


BTW, my mileage-since-new is still at 17.9 combined!!

jeff

 

[jeff kushner]

Thats old school, Andy. I admit I find myself doing from time to time also out of habit, but, the engines of today don't produce any where near the carbon that they did back in the good old days, when you could produce a dust cloud worthy of a James Bond smoke screen.

Its been a long time since I've been able to "roll coal" from one of my cars.

Bob,

You should be so lucky to be behind one of my Two stroke triple H1's or H2's....We used to call it "the deadly blue cloud" and would leave sports car drivers covered at the red lights....because NOTHING back then (bike or car) could match the 0-80mph acceleration.....


Here's a vid of one of my engines......nasty, very nasty.....the entire rear of the bike drops when the throttle is cracked....caused by the sudden and violent acceleration of the crankshaft!

http://s808.photobucket.com/user/jeffkushner1/media/102_5016_zps25f5b2f7.mp4.html

jeff

This is the bike in the video but it's getting it's carbs switched along with a newly setup set of cylinders...