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Highway MPG (somewhat long)

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Old Mar 13, 2009 | 09:07 PM
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From: Iowa
Highway MPG (somewhat long)

Hey guys...last weekend (Fri thru Sun) i traveled 6 hrs and around 300 miles each way to Milwaukee WI. I also drove around and screwed around some in Milwaukee over the weekend, then proceeded to drive back home to Mason City, IA (ran into some nasty sleet/snow covered roads about 2 hrs out from MC). Anyway, when i came home, i finished off my tank of fuel (DTE read 0 mi) and i filled it up. In the 655.5 GPS calculated miles i drove, i used 30 gal of fuel (when pump clicked off) and i calculated the mileage 655.5/30=21.8 HAND CALCULATED MPG. Lie-o-meter in overhead read 20.8

Needless to say, ive NEVER gotten a tank avg. that high EVER especially in these cooler temps. I'm VERY proud of the mileage i obtained and so was my father (who rode with) ALONG with my cousin and uncle that we were visiting in Milwaukee. I never in a million years figured id see a tank average over 20 MPG, especially since ive never seen over about 18 or 19 when driving like a grandma. This makes me wonder how much better my tank avg. would have been if i had either kept my truck parked at the hotel all weekend or not screwed around through Milwaukee with it.

Just figured id post up about the awesome mileage i got and never expected to see. Let people who haven't seen the 20+ range know its possible.
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Old Mar 13, 2009 | 11:41 PM
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From: Yuba city Kalifornia
when I first got my 01 I got 1 tank that netted we 26 mpg and would hit 24 regularly but lately all I can seem to squeeze out of it is 21 +-
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Old Mar 14, 2009 | 10:37 PM
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why was it so high in the beginning?
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Old Mar 14, 2009 | 10:53 PM
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Originally Posted by CumminsRedneck
why was it so high in the beginning?

Probably due to overwhelming stock-ness.
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Old Mar 15, 2009 | 12:24 AM
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when i was 100% stock down to the silencer ring....i never saw over 18 driving grandma style
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Old Mar 15, 2009 | 02:40 PM
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I bet it was changing of the fuel we use to ULSD that has hurt our mileage by some amount..
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Old Mar 15, 2009 | 06:22 PM
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could be....its hard saying as every truck runs diff.
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Old Mar 15, 2009 | 07:19 PM
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From: Yuba city Kalifornia
Originally Posted by CumminsRedneck
why was it so high in the beginning?
I wish I knew ,I would try to get it back .But I think its age and new ULSD
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Old Mar 15, 2009 | 10:32 PM
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Just made a 500 R/T. 120 miles up and down a canyon at 62mph combined with flat highway driving 19.16 mpg. Flat highway @ 62 mpg 21.16.
Hand calculated. Overhead was exactly 1 mpg high.
Smarty Jr. on the number 1 setting.
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Old Mar 15, 2009 | 11:45 PM
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cool deal!!
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 12:30 AM
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Could be using the click off point as your baseline to figure out how much fuel you had consumed. I find that depending on where I fill up, and sometimes between pump to pump, the click off point varies, that is why I normally fill up to the point which I can see the fuel in the filler neck (ie, I've had it click off anywhere from 3.5 to 5 gallons from reaching the filler neck). That being said, looks like you did indeed get some great mileage, I wonder if the storm forced you to slow down on the highway giving you better mileage? Or with the storm possibly the winds shifted to give you the added benefit of tailwinds during your travels?
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 02:49 AM
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I fill er right up to the neck and drizzle the last couple of ounces in, plus I make sure I'm on a good flat surface. Excellent point on the wind, I neglected to consider that.
I set the cruise at 62. There was a stretch leaving the city I was doing 70-75probably about 20 miles at that speed. I had time, so I just kept the speed low to see what the mileage would be.
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 10:11 AM
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From: Iowa
i fill it to the neck as well, but i dont count that in the tank as that is technically "over filling" it. I only get about another gal. in it right up to the neck opening.
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 10:37 PM
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From: WA State
Round trip from Spokane WA to Colorado Springs and back running 62 on speedo 70 on GPS w/CC on, I averaged 22.6 mpg. I drove non stop from SPokane to Billings MT filled up then drove thru to Colorado Springs. I figured that mileage was really good considering I had to cross the pass/contential divide.
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 01:48 PM
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From: Forest Grove, Oregon
Originally Posted by CumminsRedneck
Hey guys...last weekend (Fri thru Sun) i traveled 6 hrs and around 300 miles each way to Milwaukee WI. I also drove around and screwed around some in Milwaukee over the weekend, then proceeded to drive back home to Mason City, IA (ran into some nasty sleet/snow covered roads about 2 hrs out from MC). Anyway, when i came home, i finished off my tank of fuel (DTE read 0 mi) and i filled it up. In the 655.5 GPS calculated miles i drove, i used 30 gal of fuel (when pump clicked off) and i calculated the mileage 655.5/30=21.8 HAND CALCULATED MPG. Lie-o-meter in overhead read 20.8

Needless to say, ive NEVER gotten a tank avg. that high EVER especially in these cooler temps. I'm VERY proud of the mileage i obtained and so was my father (who rode with) ALONG with my cousin and uncle that we were visiting in Milwaukee. I never in a million years figured id see a tank average over 20 MPG, especially since ive never seen over about 18 or 19 when driving like a grandma. This makes me wonder how much better my tank avg. would have been if i had either kept my truck parked at the hotel all weekend or not screwed around through Milwaukee with it.

Just figured id post up about the awesome mileage i got and never expected to see. Let people who haven't seen the 20+ range know its possible.
Most likely the bad weather made you drive slower then normal thus you got better mpg. I get my best mpg driving between 55 and 60 MPH. One other though is when you filled up in WI the fuel you bought was good old LSD and not the junk ULSD we have here in North IA. BTW how are your Coopers tires holding up under your lead foot?
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