Wind kills mpg

[Dive-Ho]

On our 1st long trip with our new Travel trailer Cherokee 264L about 7100 lbs travel weight.We left home this am and for the 1st 200 miles lieometer showed 10.5 mpg .We then hit a 22 to 34 mph gusting wind from the front driver side for the next 225 miles with the lieometer showing 8.5 mpg . Fill ups hand calculated show about 1 mpg less than the lie o meter . Sure hope the wind dies down or better yet shifts to my tail end

2017 4x4 2500 6.4 with 3.73's

 

[OC455]

Wind and hills kills any hope of some sort of mileage expectations...

 

[droopie85gt]

Heading to south Texas last month, I was knocking down 20-22 pretty well while running 73-78. Got south of Houston and it suddenly dropped to 15-16 at 75-80. I thought damn, I know I am going slightly faster but WTF? I stopped to fill up and realized the wind was blowing 25-35 right in my face!

On the way home to Memphis with a tailwind I average 24.2 for the entire 830 mile trip. Somewhere between 73-83 the entire way!

 

[GsRAM]

Same truck as mine. My mpg is similar. Typical HD truck with gas engine towing a TT

 

[Black W900]

Yes...Wind effects MPG.

 

[cuminslvr]

Just like a plane. Tail wind is great if your not overloaded and trying to stop.....

 

[sandawilliams]

I've found the only way to beat the wind is to draft a semi. Did that for about 50 miles while towing and ran out of cahonies and backed off.

 

[Black W900]

I've found the only way to beat the wind is to draft a semi. Did that for about 50 miles while towing and ran out of cahonies and backed off.

Funny thing is, When you do that it hurts my semi trucks MPG....I get people trying to draft my truck all the time and I have ways of shaking them off that won't be discussed here.
If you're gonna draft a big truck, you better make sure it's a company truck because a guy that's paying for his own fuel will not put up with you doing that for very long.

 

[BIG RED HEMI]

I've found the only way to beat the wind is to draft a semi. Did that for about 50 miles while towing and ran out of cahonies and backed off.

Truckers don't mind you following them as long as you're not drafting. You have to be within 10 feet for drafting to do any good, especially pulling a trailer, and if you're doing that you're crazy!

 

[OCDTech]

Funny thing is, When you do that it hurts my semi trucks MPG....I get people trying to draft my truck all the time and I have ways of shaking them off that won't be discussed here.
If you're gonna draft a big truck, you better make sure it's a company truck because a guy that's paying for his own fuel will not put up with you doing that for very long.

Well I just learned something. I've done it once or twice a long time ago, I'm like Big Red Hemi it is a little crazy. I mean when your that close you cant see whats going on far up the road to prepare for things that happen.

 

[sandawilliams]

I lost my cahonies after about 50 miles but it does work. The driver didn't seem to mind.

 

[OCDTech]

It works in a similar but different way too, Twenty years ago or so i had a little work van chevy astrovan (remember those). It was a little wore out. The 2.4 liter would only push the thing van 74 mph max you could have it on the floor for 20 mins wouldn't ever go any faster than that. One day after a job I was following another one of our guys in a bigger truck, wanting to play some he got up to 85, and i was right behind him!

 

[Black W900]

Truckers don't mind you following them as long as you're not drafting. You have to be within 10 feet for drafting to do any good, especially pulling a trailer, and if you're doing that you're crazy!

There are plenty of "Crazy" people out there these days....I get other big rigs riding 10 feet off of my trailer at highway speeds all the time, they don't ride there for long because I will "brake check" another truck that pulls that **** in a heartbeat.

 

[BIG RED HEMI]

I lost my cahonies after about 50 miles but it does work. The driver didn't seem to mind.

The trucker probably didn't didn't even know you were there following that close. Dangerous ****!

 

[NCRaineman]

I try to stay at least 50 yards back from any truck. I'm a transportation dispatcher... I get at least one call a day where someone has had a tire fail while going down the highway. When that happens you don't want to be anywhere near the truck.

 

[jasonw]

Truckers don't mind you following them as long as you're not drafting. You have to be within 10 feet for drafting to do any good, especially pulling a trailer, and if you're doing that you're crazy!

That is the best effect, yes, but its been proven in tests that even several car lengths back it will have a positive effect on your MPG (although I haven't seen tests on the trucker's MPG).

 

[BIG RED HEMI]

I try to follow semi trucks when I'm pulling my 36' travel trailer, but not for the same reasons as you guys, it's actually for safety reasons. Semi trucks see further ahead so I know they won't stop fast like cars do, so I don't have to worry about stopping fast. I also follow at a safe distance. They also drive at a more consistent speed. All good things!

 

[busterbrown]

I get 8.3 to 11.0 mpg (6.4 hemi Megacab 373 gears) towing my 7300 lb TT in various conditions with speeds between 60 and 70 mph. I never travel faster than 70 unless for a brief minute to pass. These MPGs are collected averages from our travels up and down the east coast and over the smokies. Its next to near impossible to get above 11 unless I'm doing 55 mph on the straights with a tailwind. These trucks are heavy and weigh as much as the trailers do. I'm happy as a clam anytime I see 10 or above.

 

[Black W900]

Semi trucks see further ahead so I know they won't stop fast like cars do, so I don't have to worry about stopping fast.

I wouldn't trust that theory these days...This industry is chock full of morons that don't pay attention to what's going on around or in front of them and that are as likely to be texting or reading a book as they are to be looking ahead.
Knowing what I know, I wouldn't follow one of these idiot's at any speed.

I also follow at a safe distance. They also drive at a more consistent speed. All good things!

They drive at a consistent speed because most company trucks are governed.
The driver sits there like a fool with his foot pinned to the floor all day trying to keep it at maximum governed speed, These assholes will go at maximum governed speed regardless of road conditions, construction or any other situation that a normal driver would use extra care when passing through.
Why do you think it takes 20 miles for these idiots to pass each other?
When one truck is governed at 62 and the guy he's passing is governed at 62 1/2 they will sit out there all day blocking traffic until they can finally squeak by.

The best advice I can give you is to pass trucks as quickly as possible and stay as far from them as possible because while many of us are good drivers that do our best to be safe and courteous, a damned near equal number are ******* that shouldn't be allowed to stand anywhere close to a big truck, much less, drive one.

Sadly, Truckers ain't what they used to be

 

[BIG RED HEMI]

I wouldn't trust that theory these days...This industry is chock full of morons that don't pay attention to what's going on around or in front of them and that are as likely to be texting or reading a book as they are to be looking ahead.
Knowing what I know, I wouldn't follow one of these idiot's at any speed.




They drive at a consistent speed because most company trucks are governed.
The driver sits there like a fool with his foot pinned to the floor all day trying to keep it at maximum governed speed, These assholes will go at maximum governed speed regardless of road conditions, construction or any other situation that a normal driver would use extra care when passing through.
Why do you think it takes 20 miles for these idiots to pass each other?
When one truck is governed at 62 and the guy he's passing is governed at 62 1/2 they will sit out there all day blocking traffic until they can finally squeak by.

The best advice I can give you is to pass trucks as quickly as possible and stay as far from them as possible because while many of us are good drivers that do our best to be safe and courteous, a damned near equal number are ******* that shouldn't be allowed to stand anywhere close to a big truck, much less, drive one.

Sadly, Truckers ain't what they used to be

I'm friends with a couple of truckers, so I know which trucks to follow and which ones to stay away from. There are good and bad truck drivers too, but for the most part I trust following them over any other vehicle.