In short, slow the hell down and get all the crap off of your roof!
Going from 12 to 16 MPG is equivalent to going from 30 to 40 MPG. A couple of MPG makes a big difference when it is so low to begin with. Your range is extended by 100 miles which will save you about $30 per fill-up.
I took my family from SoCal to San Jose, CA for my sons Bantam A State Hockey Championship Playoffs this weekend. We had a full load, so I put his hockey bag on the roof for the trip up. We hit some traffic getting out of LA so I was a bit heavy on the gas to get there at a reasonable hour. I probably averaged around 80 on the highway, maybe a little more at times. I got about 12 MPG which is a bit lower than I had with another trip where I averaged at a bit higher speed. I never really believed you could get more than 14 MPG in this beast, but after we won the championship, I put the hockey bag inside and kept my speed down around 70 and 60 on the uphills, and I got over 16 MPG on the way home. Although the trip back took a bit longer, I was relaxed when I got home instead of tense from driving fast. Next trip, I'll try drafting off a semi and see if I can get 18.
It's a 97 LX450 bone stock w 131k mi.
Going from 12 to 16 MPG is equivalent to going from 30 to 40 MPG. A couple of MPG makes a big difference when it is so low to begin with. Your range is extended by 100 miles which will save you about $30 per fill-up.
I took my family from SoCal to San Jose, CA for my sons Bantam A State Hockey Championship Playoffs this weekend. We had a full load, so I put his hockey bag on the roof for the trip up. We hit some traffic getting out of LA so I was a bit heavy on the gas to get there at a reasonable hour. I probably averaged around 80 on the highway, maybe a little more at times. I got about 12 MPG which is a bit lower than I had with another trip where I averaged at a bit higher speed. I never really believed you could get more than 14 MPG in this beast, but after we won the championship, I put the hockey bag inside and kept my speed down around 70 and 60 on the uphills, and I got over 16 MPG on the way home. Although the trip back took a bit longer, I was relaxed when I got home instead of tense from driving fast. Next trip, I'll try drafting off a semi and see if I can get 18.
It's a 97 LX450 bone stock w 131k mi.