Driving cross country, need MPG's!

[SellersBS]

Ok I will be driving from coast to coast next month and will be needing the most MPG's possible. I have the V8 4runner. Besides trading it in for something less hungry what can I do to get the most MPG's. I dont have a heavy foot either....

Heres what I plan to do:

Plugs(Iridium)
Oil(synthetic)
Fuel Sytem cleaning
Airing the tires up

I have a K&N Intake on it now should I go back to the stock intake?

Any other ideas would be a great help.

 

[cknsls@adelphia]

MPG

Having a '05 Sport 4Runner with the V8 (2WD) it has been my experience that if you keep it at between 65mph and 70mph you can get right around 20mpg. Assuming of course, that it is not windy. Maybe putting the synthetic oil in you could pickup another 1mpg. I don't think the intake makes a difference one way or another.

It seems that whenever a topic like this comes up, people post high mpg claims that quite frankly I find hard to believe.

FYI - I get between 10 to 12mpg towing a 5,000 pound travel trailer.

Have a nice trip!

 

[SellersBS]

Thanks! I wont be towing anything so I wont have the added weight. right now I am getting around 18-20 mpg on I-15. That might be all Ill be able to get with a V8. Oh Well.... thats what I get for buying a V8.

Would the plugs make any difference? Every MPG counts.

 

[cknsls@adelphia]

Plugs

If your plugs have less than 60K on them I wouldn't spend the money on new ones. With these trucks your best way to save fuel is not to exceed 70mph.

 

[Casper]

its not the synthetic oil that makes a difference is the viscosity that makes the difference.

I currently have swapped between Royal Purple 10w-30, then Castrol Syntec 0w-30, and now Shell Rotella T 5-40. I must say that running the Royal Purple 10w-30 had the highest MPG. Im going to swap all the way down to a RP 5w-30.

Also try running new upgraded fluids in your tranny, transfers and diffs...

Currently im running 19.1 on this tank of 87octane.

An intake can make as much as 2mpg difference as well as a more efficient exhaust system.

Try pulling your plugs to ensure that the gap is proper.

 

[SellersBS]

Thanks guys! I bought the truck with 47K and now have about 62K so I dont know if the plugs were ever changed. Ill pull the and look at them to see if they ned to be replaced. Again thanks alot for your help.

 

[jharris2]

Personally, I find I tend to get a little bit better mileage using the cruise control, too.

 

[SellersBS]

most def. I always use cruise on long trips.

 

[alaskaman]

If you plan to travel by interstate stay at hotels near the freeway to minimize in city driving.

draft trucks. stay a safe distance behind a heavy puller doing 70 to cut drag on your vehicle.

roll with windows up in drive.

inflate your tires 3 pounds up.

use cruise control

minimize driving with winds against you.

drive when the temp is warmer.

have a great trip!

 

[SellersBS]

I use these tricks... Thanks everybody!

 

[alaskaman]

tie on to an 18 wheeler turn of the engine and make up a story for the state patrol. :hello:

 

[Even Steven]

tie on to an 18 wheeler turn of the engine and make up a story for the state patrol. :hello:

Do you watch MythBusters? They tested the increase in fuel economy by drafting a big rig at various distances.

Surprisingly, it made a HUGE difference fuel economy when entering the slip stream of a big rig, much bigger than I thought it would have.

So maybe drafting is the best choice to save money on gas....but the risk of a tailgating ticket or becoming part of the trailer's bumper becomes much greater! :biggrin2:

 

[Even Steven]

Ok I will be driving from coast to coast next month and will be needing the most MPG's possible. I have the V8 4runner. Besides trading it in for something less hungry what can I do to get the most MPG's. I dont have a heavy foot either....

Heres what I plan to do:

Plugs(Iridium)
Oil(synthetic)
Fuel Sytem cleaning
Airing the tires up

I have a K&N Intake on it now should I go back to the stock intake?

Any other ideas would be a great help.

The only thing that will be cost effective on your list is to air the tires up. I doubt you'll realize a return on your investment for any of the other things. If you need new plugs, then by all means get them, but don't switch them out just in the hopes of getting better fuel economy during your trip. You'll never recover the cost in a 3,000 mile trip!

 

[alaskaman]

no have not owned a TV for years but I do like that show......what was the result of drafting in terms of MPG?

 

[Iolaus]

no have not owned a TV for years but I do like that show......what was the result of drafting in terms of MPG?

...and how close do you have to be?

 

[alaskaman]

well common sense will dictate distance behind the rig..........at least one car length for every 10 MPH is a general rule however that depends on many variables (dry road wet road wind direction etc etc).

 

[Iolaus]

well common sense will dictate distance behind the rig..........at least one car length for every 10 MPH is a general rule however that depends on many variables (dry road wet road wind direction etc etc).

I know what common sense says, but at 70 mph, seven car lengths is going to put you into turbulence; the question is, how close do you have to be to "draft."

I suppose the answer can be found through trial and error; you feel the turbulence as you come up behind a trailer, so keep moving closer 'til the turbulence stops, and you'll be in the pocket.

 

[alaskaman]

http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3111919888/m/9411935998

 

[jharris2]

And http://mythbusters-wiki.discovery.com/page/Big+Rig+Drafting

 

[greyghost4x4]

That would be something that I would do on back roads, not really something on the interstates. But it is always good to know.

Evan