A new record for terrible milage

trvlrerik

trvlrerik

Well-known member
Last Friday I was going to try a tow/haul button experiment on a quick 277 mi run from Salina Ks. to Oklahoma City.
On Friday there was a constant wind out of the south at 35mph. Driving into the wind at 60 mph (keeping rpm under 2k) I got 3.1 mpg. On Sunday I drove home with no wind at 60 mph (again keeping rpm under 2k) and got the best milage I have ever gotten, 14 mpg.

We had to travel to attend a show early Saturday, but after seeing the fuel recipts even my wife will not want to travel in high winds. Usually 30 mph is my wind cut-off for travel due to safety, now my wallet will come into consideration. I now will keep a wind log in my milage book.
 
jmgratz

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
A similar thing happened to use in late March. We left Texas heading to Elkhart. The first tankfull we had a 15 mph tailwind and were getting 8.5 mpg towing our Landmark. Then the wind shifted and we were driving into a 20-25 mph headwind. Our mileage dropped to 6.2 mpg. Just goes to show how much wind affects your mileage. Moral - always try to drive with a tailwind.
 
Boca_Shuffles

Boca_Shuffles

Well-known member
jmgratz said:
A similar thing happened to use in late March. We left Texas heading to Elkhart. The first tankfull we had a 15 mph tailwind and were getting 8.5 mpg towing our Landmark. Then the wind shifted and we were driving into a 20-25 mph headwind. Our mileage dropped to 6.2 mpg. Just goes to show how much wind affects your mileage. Moral - always try to drive with a tailwind.
Click to expand...

At what speed? MPG info is pretty useless without the speed information.
 
Riverman

Riverman

Well-known member
jmgratz said:
Just goes to show how much wind affects your mileage. Moral - always try to drive with a tailwind.
Click to expand...
Could make for some interesting destinations - you never know where you may end up - but the mileage was awesome!
 
R

rustyshakelford

Well-known member
jmgratz said:
A similar thing happened to use in late March. We left Texas heading to Elkhart. The first tankfull we had a 15 mph tailwind and were getting 8.5 mpg towing our Landmark. Then the wind shifted and we were driving into a 20-25 mph headwind. Our mileage dropped to 6.2 mpg. Just goes to show how much wind affects your mileage. Moral - always try to drive with a tailwind.
Click to expand...

8.3 is the worst we've ever got and I thought that was the end of the world! We were coming from the woodlands to Fredericksburg! Normally we get a constant 10-11!

When I trade for a cummins I hope I can keep my duramax mileage!

Brett
 
JohnDar

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
When I pulled our BH to the dealer for service in March, I was getting about 8.5 mpg and very little wind. Then I looked down and realized I had driven 20 miles on the freeway at 65 mph in 4x4. Forgot to switch it off after getting the BH out of the muck at the yard. Past "normal" is 10 - 12 mpg.
 
M

MC9

Well-known member
Coming up I-25 in northern NM, terrible head winds, gusts to 45 mph at about 50 mph I was getting 4.6 mpg. Got over Raton Pass and it wasn't as bad on the CO side. Toughed it out another 50 miles to my daughters ranch. At about a dollar a mile it pays to hole up til the wind changes.
 
H

hoefler

Well-known member
The worse I have seen is 7.7 mpg driving across southern South Dakota running about 70 mph, didn't realize how windy it was until we stopped at Wall Drug. For that round trip from S.W. Mo., to Custer S.D., to Yellowstone through the Big Horn Pass, to Jackson Hole through the Tetons Pass, back to home, we had an average of 9.4 mpg for the entire trip of 3300 miles.
 
jmgratz

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Boca_Shuffles said:
At what speed? MPG info is pretty useless without the speed information.
Click to expand...

My speed was 63 mph. It really didn't change from 55 mph to 65 mph. It would drop above 65 even more and going below 55 mph made me a severe safety hazard on the interstate.
 
H

hoefler

Well-known member
For use with our set up, our best mileage is between 68-75 mph. 60-68 mph, the transmission hunts, locking it in 5th helps with the hunting, but either way drops the mileage. 50-60 we have to lock in 5th, mileage will stabilize but not as good at 70.
 
jmgratz

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
BTW I recently received a notice from Ford that I should take the vehicle to the dealer because the computer needs to be reflashed. We did and it helped mileage by about a plus 1 mpg. Also regarding speed and mileage remember the G614 tires are rated for 65 mph. Going over that could cause issues.
 
Bighurt

Bighurt

Well-known member
I hauled 15300 on a GN a few weeks past into a 35 mph head wind through Amarillo, 7.2 mpg at 55-65 mph depending on rpm. I managed 9.7 mpg pulling 18000 out of Salina into Fargo at 65mph.

Time to install the Titan! And find someone else to buy fuel... Getting tired of $4+ a gallon on my income...
 
P

Peteandsharon

Well-known member
South Dakota has also been the worst for me. I was pulling a 7000 lb. travel trailer through SD and turned south to go through Rapid City. Immediately upon turning south it felt like I hit a wall. The truck instantly dropped out of overdrive (while going downhill) and the drag was tremendous. I immediately thought something was wrong with the truck. It was like I entered a wind tunnel. The strange thing is that while travelling west, I had no idea that wind was a factor at all. Didn't even feel it. Luckily for me I didn't need to drive into this wind for long. We were staying in the area. Also couldn't have imagined hitting that wind with a high profile fiver.
 
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