Just to show you how important aerodynamics is...
- Thread starter Gassiper
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"Miles per tank" is NOT the best or even a decent gauge of mpg. Just fill the tank, drive, fill the tank and calculate.
And yeah - aero is the biggest liability in the mpg camp. And, it's exponential, e.g. the faster you go, the more that liability increases.
And yeah - aero is the biggest liability in the mpg camp. And, it's exponential, e.g. the faster you go, the more that liability increases.
I plan on getting a replacement 42 gal tank from Cruiser Brothers and not worry about range anymore...
I observed the same thing, 20-21 gal when the Range shows 25-30 miles remaining. So you're saying the actual miles remaining is 5 gal x MPG when the light comes on?
@whitenoise Im no engineer but if I have a full tank (25 gals) and if I fill up as soon as the light is on and she only drinks 20 gallons, I would assume I have 5 gallons left which would leave me about 35 comfortable miles.
Reality can trip up the most logical argument @krice118 . If the fuel pickup tube isnt all the way at the bottom or the tank shape basically allows sloshing so the pickup runs dry from time to time, you wont be able to use those 5 gallons. I thought you might have actually tested the range after the light came on.
@whitenoise to add to the confusion, I use it with caution. I ran my Rav4 for 45 miles on the Gas light and used the same driving techniques and ran out of gas with only 28 miles on the Gas light when I tried it again - i think this time i ran into issues you mention above.
DirtDawg
"It'd be alot cooler if you did"
FWIW I’ve run for about ~50 Miles once the light has come on multiple times. These aren’t dodge pickups with tank pickup issues (trust me i’d know).
But for real, the only correct gauge of your mpg is to actually calc it.
But for real, the only correct gauge of your mpg is to actually calc it.
Yup! I use the Fuelly app to track my mpg. I find it hysterical actually. My mpg is routinely 11.2-12.5 as a DD. On trails, I typically average 13.5-14. In Colorado, I actually got 16.8 once! In the end, I don't really care too much about mpg. I just know to fill up when I get to 240 as a general rule.
Miles per tank is an easily tainted number. Track actual MPG and report back after a few fill ups. I suspect the lift would diminish MPG more than the skid plates, but I could be wrong. The lift is a huge increase in drag. Overall cross section is generally the biggest component of drag unless we're talking about something with a very aerodynamic shape.
That said though, I've given up on MPG. I still track it religiously, but I'm lucky to see 15MPG and that's just fine.
That said though, I've given up on MPG. I still track it religiously, but I'm lucky to see 15MPG and that's just fine.
But you look damn awesome doing it...
Actually yes you can, the fuel pump sits in a indentation on the bottom of the lowest part of the tank, and unless you're driving like a total asshat the fuel is not sloshing around as much as you think.
When the engine starts to sputter during turns or stops then you are going to run out real quick. But until then...you have 5gal of usable fuel left.
Someone did drive out the last 5 gallons (out of necessity)... it was in an old thread about this same topic.
This is interesting. Thank you for posting. I have a fully armored 100 with full length Slee skids and it gets better mileage than I would expect with 500 lbs of armor on it. I wonder if the under skid is helping as you describe.
Actually, the real driver on air resistance is speed. If you look at the equation for drag, speed is squared (if I remember correctly), with the drag coefficient (determined by vehicle physical shape...skid plate) being raised to the 1 power. That is why low speeds (as commented above) gives higher mpg.
Does anybody know the rpm efficiency graph for these engines? I've heard the most efficient point is at 2k, but a graph would verify. I remember seeing those sorts of graphs for electric motors but I'm not sure if non-electric have them.
PabloCruise
SILVER Star
Interesting question. I have OBD2 Fusion on my phone. One of the parameters I pull from another vehicle is fuel rate. I might try to chek the LX at a few different RPMs...
Hyper milers go to great lengths to squeeze every MPG they can out of their cars, and full-length, aluminum or UHMW belly pans are a common mod. The less air that gets "caught" in your undercarriage, the easier you can move down the road:
Lift is another factor, since it increases the amount of air that has to travel under the car and, subsequently, aerodynamic drag. That's another reason I love AHC. I can drive all day on the highway at neutral height, without the MPG penalty of being lifted 24/7, and then kick it into high when I hit a trail obstacle.
Lift is another factor, since it increases the amount of air that has to travel under the car and, subsequently, aerodynamic drag. That's another reason I love AHC. I can drive all day on the highway at neutral height, without the MPG penalty of being lifted 24/7, and then kick it into high when I hit a trail obstacle.
