Builds I bought a Whale, now I gotta build it and use it (3 Viewers)

[TeCKis300]

Tank 3. Just over 1/3 of the way there. Same as tank 2.

6.78 mpg.

It’s crazy. I don’t want to tow this thing fast and it’s really not working hard or so it seems. I’m mostly in 5th gear. 2500 rpm-2800 rpm

It kicked to third a couple times on the big mountain at Chattanooga but I’m running 60-65.

One thing for sure. At 6 mpg when the light comes on it’s time for gas now.

Wow, that's really really bad. Aero of a brick!

How much do you think the trailer weighs? Are you correcting for tire diameter?

 

[Tex68w]

Even as awful as that is I don’t doubt it. I got 7.13mpg once on a tank in our last GX460. It had 33’s, bumper/winch, sliders, etc. weighed down with three grown men, all of our gear for a week and towing a 14ft utility trailer with three enduro bikes so roughly 4K pounds on the trailer and another 800+ in the truck in the mountains out near Big Bend.

 

[wngrog]

Wow, that's really really bad. Aero of a brick!

How much do you think the trailer weighs? Are you correcting for tire diameter?

My fuel meter on the truck says 8.3. But ive been doing it manually. My odometer is maybe .1 off. Very close.

Load is probably only 7500# - #8000

It’s the dynamics. I’m doing this first tank this morning running 70. I bet it gets better. Will see.

 

[777Gage]

6mpg is terrible but, I wouldn't trade it for the guy in the Ford Lightning I saw a couple weekends ago. He was towing a 28ft Airstream trailer up the Sherwin Grade outside Bishop CA. It goes from 4100ft to just over 7800ft in roughly 27 miles. There's quite a few pullouts on that grade for vehicles that get into trouble or need water. - but there's no charging station

And nobody is selling their 200 because it get's bad gas mileage towing

 

[TeCKis300]

My fuel meter on the truck says 8.3. But ive been doing it manually. My odometer is maybe .1 off. Very close.

Load is probably only 7500# - #8000

It’s the dynamics. I’m doing this first tank this morning running 70. I bet it gets better. Will see.

I agree. My laden towing weight is probably pretty close to yours. There are days with cross winds and grades that I get that kind of mileage. I think the Airstream curved faces do help efficiency but then again my trailer is lifted 2" making for more frontal area.

I think you have upsized tires? If I'm not mistaken, the manually calculated mileage should show better than the meter if that's the case? The car isn't aware that it has actually traveled farther on the odometer with the larger tires. I think you're on 285/65R18s (32.6" tires). Correction would be 32.6/31.6, or 3%. Maybe you're doing better at 1.03 * 8.3MPG = 8.5MPG ?

In my case running 35x12.5s, my correction is ~10%. Hand calculated agrees pretty close to a 1.1 factor against the MPG readout.

 

[wngrog]

Last tank was literally going up a mountain for 85 miles.

But it made it. 700 gallons of gas later.

Now I’m southbound wandering. Stay tuned.

 

[wngrog]

Coasting around PA, MD, WV and VA today. Most of the pics are on my camera. Harper’s Ferry pictured.

 

[wngrog]

Coasting around on 2 lanes today I got 15.8 mpg. That’s quite a difference.

Pic dump. Superb day. This area has so much history and natural beauty

Susquehanna River. Lee’s target for his invasion of Pennsylvania

Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg

 

[wngrog]

I turned south for the Sharpsburg Battlefield. Commonly knows as Antietam by the victors. Considered a draw. Lee slipped away in the night to fight again and again.

 

[wngrog]

From there I hit Harper’s Ferry as stated above. Then I started in on Skyline Drive. 105 miles of great road. Deer. Bear. Turkey. This time of day there was no traffic. I did manage to see a hiker get a med evac along the way

 

[wngrog]

Blue Ridge Parkway from the northern end to deep into North Carolina for camp. Took me about 11 hours to stop and go today. Listening to a nice long book on tape and stopping at any pull out that interested me. Beautiful terrain. I highly recommend it.

Turkeys, deer and more bear sightings today. Very little traffic except around Asheville which I sped by without stopping.

 

[wngrog]

Finished up the Blue Ridge then made my way through Great Smokey MTn NP. Beautiful place. Too many people.

Drove “tail of the dragon” out south then Nantahala NF and Cherokee NF out through Tellico Plains. Great day

 

[wngrog]

….

 

[rex in bama]

….

View attachment 3377279

View attachment 3377280

View attachment 3377281

View attachment 3377282

View attachment 3377283

Yeah, it pays to stay off the beaten path, but some stretches make that impossible in the SMNP. Still love it though. On the Tail of the Dragon, there used to be photographers taking pics in some corners and posting online. This was my last trip down the dragon years ago….

 

[wngrog]

Yeah, it pays to stay off the beaten path, but some stretches make that impossible in the SMNP. Still love it though. On the Tail of the Dragon, there used to be photographers taking pics in some corners and posting online. This was my last trip down the dragon years ago….

View attachment 3377305

Went and looked….

 

[Heritage 2020]

Nolen,

Thank you for consistently sharing the beautiful photos/narratives from your travels—and for your neutral demeanor.

In this social media world, there are few who put in the effort, time, and consideration.

You do.

Greatly appreciated sir.

 

[wngrog]

Thanks Karl.

Today I got a personal tour of Lookout Mountain civil war park from a buddy that’s a ranger there. Fantastic.

Then I headed west to Corinth MS for a superb burger at Abe’s

Further west I landed on Summer Ave at HQ and grabbed the FJ60 from Mosley Motors where we got a dyno tune and an AC charge.

 

[Tex68w]

I've actually heard about Abe's, been recommended a time or two but I have never been. I am guessing that it'd be worth my time when in the area?

 

[wngrog]

I've actually heard about Abe's, been recommended a time or two but I have never been. I am guessing that it'd be worth my time when in the area?

100%. Breakfast and lunch. The best

 

[wngrog]

Westbound to drop the Baja 69. I love taking a few days off when able to deliver these things in person and get some Texas food