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Milage drafting... odd results

jetboat

jetboat

I wanna be Dave
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Messages
2,289
Location
Tax Nation
So Ive been bored on my drive to and from work so I decided to do some "scientific" study. So I chose a 10mile stretch of road that is the same going to and from and decided to follow a different kind of vehicle and see what kind of milage I get.

Baseline:
22.2 mpg on the lie-o-meter (hand calcs to about .5 gallon less not that it matters)
2005 f250 4 door 4x4 on 35" Dueller revo 2's 6.0 diesel running bio blend

always maintain a consistant 3-4 car lengths (really long in Chicago standard)

Behind a normal suv/truck 22.2 mpg (give or take .2)

Behind Semi 22.7 mpg

now heres where it gets weird

Behind Prius or Fit 22.9 mpg

How the heck is a supposed econo car punching a bigger hole in the air than a semi???
 
my only thing i can conger up would be the cleaner emissions and their more aerodynamic desgin as air behind a semi trailer wants to rush right back into where your truck is, where it is a little more stable behind a prius.
 
You gotta get closer than that distance.

Get way close to the 18 wheeler and get out of the turbulent air.
 
EeePee said:
You gotta get closer than that distance.

Get way close to the 18 wheeler and get out of the turbulent air.
Click to expand...


I played with that... sitting on the backdoor I can get up to prius milage but, I have to be basically connected. Between 3 car length and about 10' I didnt notice any change in milage.
 
EeePee said:
You gotta get closer than that distance.

Get way close to the 18 wheeler and get out of the turbulent air.
Click to expand...

Didn't Mythbusters do that? They had to get really, really, really close to make an appreciable difference.
 
Maybe it's because the Prius sucks? :mrgreen:

Mythbusters? I gotta see that then.
 
Harley said:
Actually I think they found it made a good difference even at a further difference I thought.
Click to expand...

Could be, its been quite a while since I saw that episode. Or I've got it confused with something else they did.


edit: MB's results...

55mph control: 32mpg
100ft: 35.5mpg, 11% improvement
50ft: 38.5mpg, 20%
20ft: 40.5mpg, 27%
10ft: 44.5mpg, 39%
2ft: 41mpg, 29%
 
Last edited:
I was a bike messenger for 6 years. You get your front tire right on the back bumper of the public transportation buses and you didn't have to pedal. You'd even get sucked in. Pushed actually, but yeah.
 
EeePee said:
I was a bike messenger for 6 years. You get your front tire right on the back bumper of the public transportation buses and you didn't have to pedal. You'd even get sucked in. Pushed actually, but yeah.
Click to expand...


They did that on Mythbusters too, was going 55mph on a bike without pedaling (might have been on the webisodes).

Im prolly running closer than you would think, its 3-4 prius lengths so under 50'. Any further than that and your getting cut off all the time, any closer behind 1 of those little cars and I cant stop if they do.

Ive been looking for a smart car but they dont seem to take 294. I would try behind a minivan but, they dont do over 55.
 
You can do a lot better than a Smart car. Look for an old VW diesel. My bro gets 50+ mpg in his '88 Jetta without even trying, and doesn't look like a douche like the Smart weenies.
 
microgoat said:
...and doesn't look like a douche like the Smart weenies.
Click to expand...
Haha.....a while back, I saw a smart car driver cut off an 18wheeler...the plate on the yellow smart car said "Gas Lol". Sadly there was a "man" driving this thing. As I passed I thought to myself......smart car, dumb driver....:ror:
 
those old diesel Jetta's are pretty sweet, Ive seen a couple turned up smoking the tires at 40mpg. I love my big Diesel, wife is already saying when its time to get rid of her TrailBlazer were getting another diesel.
 
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