Gas Mileage Question

GN2018 · March 6, 2022

Obviously driving a truck means we’re not going to get the best gas mileage but I recall a post about getting the best gas mileage out of our trucks and can’t find it now. The general conclusion was something like driving around 65mph was the sweet spot. Does anyone recall that post or what the actual conclusion was? I have a long road trip ahead. While I’m not thinking about driving 55 (ugh, shoot me now), if I can maximize my mileage and not drive too slow, I could do that. I know I’m not going to be cruising at my typical 10 to 15 over. Thankfully, I’m retired and in no hurry on this trip. All tolled, should be around 2500 miles

ETA - I have the 5.3L with the 10 speed and have averaged just over 20mpg on my last highway trips.

Edited March 6, 2022 by GN2018

Wiggums · March 6, 2022

I am actually very good at squeezing the most out of my truck. I currently average at 22.9 over 400 miles. The best 50-mile I've ever done was 28. It was achieved by doing 62 mph. That was with 5.3 with 8-speed and 4x4.

Edited March 6, 2022 by Wiggums

redwngr · March 6, 2022

Slower you go, the better the fuel mileage.

Anyone telling you otherwise is wrong.

Yes, slow speeds are not at all practical.

Yes, I agree that in some traffic situations it is necessary to run faster than you might otherwise.

Yes. I agree that time also has value, and sometimes it's not practical to run slower.

Cruise is your friend.

All vehicles/engines are gonna give better mileage if speeds are steady.

If you have an area with light traffic and long stretches with little to no grades and little to no elevation change it's no to hard verify.

Lots of areas this type of comparison is not possible.

The 25 mile average DIC page can be useful if watched often often/long enough. It's easy to be mislead by it if only watching for a short period.

Nearing 18,000 miles. I log every fill.

'Life of vehicle' mileage currently about 24.7 usmpg.

At the end of the day, the question is what time/mileage ratio works for you?

Edited March 6, 2022 by redwngr

diyer2 · March 6, 2022

I buy vehicles because I like them not for mileage. Gas is like food, a necessity. Do I like paying more NO!

KARNUT · March 6, 2022

Every vehicle I own does better at 60 mph than 65 or 70. Wind drag. After 70 they really fall off. I just drive the vehicle that does better at 70.

TNTSierra · March 6, 2022

People Can state whatever they want about buying a vehicle for preferences instead of fuel mileage but it’s going to hit ALL of us here in the summer months thanks to our wonderful people in power (complete s)

Finding ways to limit consumption is going to be a must. I right now also have to

contend with driving 2 hours up to my lake house that has 2 jet-skis and a boat. Filling all 3 of them up along with truck for a weekend will cost me close to $350 Right now!!! If gas gets to $5 like some

Predict. Then I might have to sell a kidney to stay afloat. It really frustrates ME when I have worked my tail off to have very nice things. They are PAID FOR and still going to struggle to use them because of “higher powered” peoples arrogance/disrespect/and greediness.

I have found that keeping the RPMs below 2000 whenever you can, really helps the Fuel Economy. When taking off, yes it sucks, but EASE into it. Watch RPMs and don’t let them rise about 2000 RPMs. Then set the cruise and relax.

I set my cruise to lake house 2 years ago to test this theory. Now it was a 2018 Sierra SLT 6.2 and 8 speed, and that truck always got awesome mileage. New T1 not so much.
Instead of driving 80 mph on I29; I took the back roads. On interstate I could squeeze out 20 mpg! On the back roads setting cruise at 58 mph. I was seeing 28 mpgs. That’s a huge difference if one has an extra hour on their hands. I did that day with my 2 kids one afternoon around 2 pm. We didn’t need to rush to the cabin, so I popped in a dvd, gave them their headsets and went the scenic route. Was rather peaceful. But 3 hours in a truck was a long time compared to the regular 2 hours and 10 mins it usually takes.

KARNUT · March 6, 2022

I usually fill my wife’s car up after church. It’s usually around 30$. This week it only needed 1/2 of tank. It was still 30$. My Avalanche gets about 15 MPG in town is going from being driven 3-4 times a week to once every two weeks. My trip car a CRV at 30MPG is picking up the slack. And I’m hitting the ECO button. It’s not that I can’t afford it. It just chaps my ass. If we were still oil independent and needed to fill the void over seas. By completely shutting down Russian oil I’d gladly pay more. Drill baby Drill.

Wiggums · March 6, 2022

1 hour ago, redwngr said:

Cruise is your friend.

All vehicles/engines are gonna give better mileage if speeds are steady.

Dunno about that one.. when I drive, it's a steady foot on the gas pedal. Downhill, I hit 85 mph, uphill, I try to stay above 50 mph, I wish cruise control was based on my foot pressure because I live in a hilly area and when it gets too steep, the cruise control forcefully mashes the gas pedal.

When I drive a long distance, I treat the left lane as kryptonite. I use it very sparingly, once I pass a slower vehicle, I get back to the right immediately.

TNTSierra · March 6, 2022

51 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

I usually fill my wife’s car up after church. It’s usually around 30$. This week it only needed 1/2 of tank. It was still 30$. My Avalanche gets about 15 MPG in town is going from being driven 3-4 times a week to once every two weeks. My trip car a CRV at 30MPG is picking up the slack. And I’m hitting the ECO button. It’s not that I can’t afford it. It just chaps my ass. If we were still oil independent and needed to fill the void over seas. By completely shutting down Russian oil I’d gladly pay more. Drill baby Drill.

Precisely!! We as a United States of America were oil independent for first time in our history about 1 1/2 years ago. Gas was $2 for premium. It was $45 bone dry to fill up. Complete ignorance/incompetence from people in power.

Just yesterday wife wanted to take trip to Yankton,SD to look at an older Relics Store. I filled up just before half tank and it was $41!!!!! I too set the cruise and drove it right at speed limit instead of going that 5-7 mph over speed limit that most officers here in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota allow.

It’s so frustrating when WE as consumers could use that money to use somewhere else in the economy! It’s not rocket science!!!

But of course I’m not the one reaping the benefits of higher prices like those in power. They don’t care, $4 a gallon to them when they make millions is nothing.

Edited March 6, 2022 by TNTSilverado

Wiggums · March 6, 2022

16 minutes ago, TNTSilverado said:

Precisely!! We as a United States of America were oil independent for first time in our history about 1 1/2 years ago. Gas was $2 for premium. It was $45 bone dry to fill up. Complete ignorance/incompetence from people in power.

Oil is going to still cost us more because we are no longer prohibited by U.S. law from selling our oil outside the country and there are wealthier nations willing to pay more. Same thing with Mexico and tequila, the dollar is a lot more appealing than the peso so the distillers hardly have any good tequila left in Mexico. We had a shortage about two years ago and even the Costco in Tijuana did not have the Don Julio 1942 for six months!

International commodity prices dictate the value of oil, not the location.

TNTSierra · March 6, 2022

34 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

Oil is going to still cost us more because we are no longer prohibited by U.S. law from selling our oil outside the country and there are wealthier nations willing to pay more. Same thing with Mexico and tequila, the dollar is a lot more appealing than the peso so the distillers hardly have any good tequila left in Mexico. We had a shortage about two years ago and even the Costco in Tijuana did not have the Don Julio 1942 for six months!

International commodity prices dictate the value of oil, not the location.

I disagree. Why do WE have to worry about selling it outside the US when we can drill for it here, produce it here, and distribute here all around OUR country. It will not cost more. It will be less! We as a country need to stop paying other countries/depending on other countries.

WE need to take care of the USA first and foremost. That was getting done 2 years ago and that’s why here in Iowa gas was as low as $1.57 and right at $2 for premium.

the reason it’s high now comes down to shutting down the pipeline in North Dakota causing thousands of jobs, relying on importing oil from other countries, thus allowing politicians to have their hands in on millions of dollars while we the citizens get “screwed”!!!!

This is causing many/“most” people in this country tons of stress/depression/anxiety, higher crime, less food on table, inflation……I could go on and on…..but if you think about it. Money and gas drive this country and if gas is out of control. Money is being spent on that instead of other places in the economy. Its really quite scary how bad this is going to get!!!

Tons of people are relaying also on credit cards. I was reading an article the other day!!! When this inflation crashes and it will. I Truly feel sorry for people living on them now.

Wiggums · March 7, 2022

53 minutes ago, TNTSilverado said:

WE need to take care of the USA first and foremost. That was getting done 2 years ago and that’s why here in Iowa gas was as low as $1.57 and right at $2 for premium.

In 2020, 20% of the world's oil came from the United States, we're the largest. The drillers are making a lot more by selling it to the world than the Americans. When we allow traders in New York City to dictate the price, it will cost more no matter where it came from. London Brent and WTI move in tandem. I know because I get oil royalties from Haynesville. Have not gotten much lately because it is not profitable when natural gas remains below $5.

North Dakota is also through shale and they are also losing money. Nobody wants to drill when it's so damn cheap. You can thank the war in Ukraine, hopefully it'll encourage the drillers to go through shale. The shale gas revolution started 15 years ago when natural gas was between $6 and $14. Lately, it's been between $2 and $5.

f8l vnm · March 7, 2022

Here in So cal about 40 miles North of LA we are around 6.09 for premium which is 91. This is nuts. We have the oil but we want to pay a invading country ? anyway needless to say who knows when this will stop ? We could be at 7 dollar by next month. Gas went up by average of 13 cents today. (L

Wiggums · March 7, 2022

24 minutes ago, f8l vnm said:

Here in So cal about 40 miles North of LA we are around 6.09 for premium which is 91. This is nuts. We have the oil but we want to pay a invading country ? anyway needless to say who knows when this will stop ? We could be at 7 dollar by next month. Gas went up by average of 13 cents today. (L

We may have the oil but since we lifted the ban on oil and natural gas sales out of the country, the world decides the price, not us. And Russian natural gas is far cheaper to extract (no shale) and people work for pennies on the dollar. Maybe if we paid our workers $1 an hour, we'd be competitive?

KARNUT · March 7, 2022

5 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

We may have the oil but since we lifted the ban on oil and natural gas sales out of the country, the world decides the price, not us. And Russian natural gas is far cheaper to extract (no shale) and people work for pennies on the dollar. Maybe if we paid our workers $1 an hour, we'd be competitive?

I may be a little confused. A little over a year ago we were oil independent and exporting. We also were opening up more oil fields in Alaska and offshore. And gas was cheap. So with the potential of much more drilling and more pipelines and more exports. How would it get more expensive here? It would be cheaper to sell it here and charge more to sell it overseas.