SomeGuyInTexas
Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2014
- Posts
- 80
- Reaction score
- 17
- Location
- Central Texas
- Ram Year
- 2014 Laramie
- Engine
- Hemi 5.7
Mods, if this belongs elsewhere, please move.
Due to a death in the family, last week I found myself on a very long road trip. Since my parents do not fly, I would up driving from Central Texas (Round Rock/Austin area) to the Mississippi Gulf coast to pick them up, and then up to North Carolina for the funeral services. Total round trip mileage for me was right at 3100 miles.
My 2014 Laramie 1500 - 4x4 w/5.7L Hemi w/Vararam, PTB, and Trinity w/93 octance HF tune - managed 19.1 mpg (hand calculated) / 20.5 mpg (according to trip computer) for the round trip. All fill ups were at Shell gas stations, and 93 octane used. (Amazing the price deltas in the same grade of gasoline. Cheapest was in Biloxi, MS at $2.609 per gallon. Most expensive was in Orange, TX at $3.399 per gallon.)
Driving was predominately interstate, mostly flowing very well. Except Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge never, ever seems to flow well. Everywhere else, flowing with traffic, generally the travelling speed was speed limit +5 mph. This meant quite a few miles travelling at 75 - 85 mph (gotta love Texas SH130 toll way for 80 mph speed limit).
For the speeds I traveled, I'm dang impressed with the overall mpg I got in a crew cab 4x4. My parents loved the comfort of the interior.
One other item to note - since the trip wasn't really planned ahead of time, I went past my normally scheduled catch-can check and dump. While on the trip, after I started the truck in Atlanta I noticed that it just didn't sound right upon starting. I later remembered that the catch-can was overdue to be checked, and sure enough it was completely full. Upon emptying it, no more funky sounds at startup. I'll be making my interval of checking much more frequent.
Non-RAM observations...
Waze is a very useful app for navigation, particularly with its re-routing feature for traffic jams. I did note, though, that Waze definitely "learns" your driving habits. The ETA that it calculated, at the start of each day ASSUMED that I'd be driving 5 mph over the speed limit. I've got some concerns about how that date could be used against me one day... Food for thought.
I-20 was in fantastic shape, and the best stretch of Interstate I was on (from Atlanta to South Carolina where I got on to I-95.) I-95 was by far the most congested stretch of Interstate. I-10 flowed very well, except for Baton Rouge (I reaaaalllyy don't like driving through Baton Rouge) as well as Beaumont where there was lane closures due to some construction.
Bojangles rocks! I'd heard a ton about Bojangles fried chicken from colleagues at the office, so I made sure to stop for some - which we did in Columbia, SC. Very good fried chicken and biscuits.
The people in North Carolina are phenomenally friendly. I'm from and have lived in various parts of the south (LA, MS, AL and TX), but have to tip my hat to the folk in NC who were amazingly gracious and hospitable to us.
Due to a death in the family, last week I found myself on a very long road trip. Since my parents do not fly, I would up driving from Central Texas (Round Rock/Austin area) to the Mississippi Gulf coast to pick them up, and then up to North Carolina for the funeral services. Total round trip mileage for me was right at 3100 miles.
My 2014 Laramie 1500 - 4x4 w/5.7L Hemi w/Vararam, PTB, and Trinity w/93 octance HF tune - managed 19.1 mpg (hand calculated) / 20.5 mpg (according to trip computer) for the round trip. All fill ups were at Shell gas stations, and 93 octane used. (Amazing the price deltas in the same grade of gasoline. Cheapest was in Biloxi, MS at $2.609 per gallon. Most expensive was in Orange, TX at $3.399 per gallon.)
Driving was predominately interstate, mostly flowing very well. Except Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge never, ever seems to flow well. Everywhere else, flowing with traffic, generally the travelling speed was speed limit +5 mph. This meant quite a few miles travelling at 75 - 85 mph (gotta love Texas SH130 toll way for 80 mph speed limit).
For the speeds I traveled, I'm dang impressed with the overall mpg I got in a crew cab 4x4. My parents loved the comfort of the interior.
One other item to note - since the trip wasn't really planned ahead of time, I went past my normally scheduled catch-can check and dump. While on the trip, after I started the truck in Atlanta I noticed that it just didn't sound right upon starting. I later remembered that the catch-can was overdue to be checked, and sure enough it was completely full. Upon emptying it, no more funky sounds at startup. I'll be making my interval of checking much more frequent.
Non-RAM observations...
Waze is a very useful app for navigation, particularly with its re-routing feature for traffic jams. I did note, though, that Waze definitely "learns" your driving habits. The ETA that it calculated, at the start of each day ASSUMED that I'd be driving 5 mph over the speed limit. I've got some concerns about how that date could be used against me one day... Food for thought.
I-20 was in fantastic shape, and the best stretch of Interstate I was on (from Atlanta to South Carolina where I got on to I-95.) I-95 was by far the most congested stretch of Interstate. I-10 flowed very well, except for Baton Rouge (I reaaaalllyy don't like driving through Baton Rouge) as well as Beaumont where there was lane closures due to some construction.
Bojangles rocks! I'd heard a ton about Bojangles fried chicken from colleagues at the office, so I made sure to stop for some - which we did in Columbia, SC. Very good fried chicken and biscuits.
The people in North Carolina are phenomenally friendly. I'm from and have lived in various parts of the south (LA, MS, AL and TX), but have to tip my hat to the folk in NC who were amazingly gracious and hospitable to us.
