Check out photo of my tractor....

[JSharp]

Farmwithjunk has it right here. If you really want to save energy, you need to forget the seminars and paid advice. But you also need to forget about buying things new.

How much energy does it take to build a new car or truck or tractor while an old one goes to the junkman?

 

[Silver_Knight]

Wow. I can assure you that Bill was NOT trying that. I know the accusation won't bother Bill, but I'll be insulted for him. There are some others on this site that I think do some of that, but I have not said anything. Bill is certainly not one of those.

If someone posts a link to their own picture on ebay, craigslist or any other website that has [their own] item for sale it is marketing. Why not just post it here instead? Will the image be at ebay motors next year when this thread will be? If you are insulted for him that is your choice. I was not trying to insult anyone but calling it the way I see it.

 

[the_sandman_454]

Over inflating the tires seems to be a good way to reduce the tire's contact with the road, which could lead to loss of control of a vehicle and premature tire wear.

The automobile manufacturers set the pressures as they do for the following reason: Best contact patch of tire on road at a given vehicle/load weight. If they felt it were safe to overinflate the tires, they would be suggesting it in order to improve their fleet average fuel economy. You don't see that happening because they or their lawyers don't feel it's particularly safe.

Tire manufacturers have list the maximum pressure allowable when a given weight is supported by the tire. They also have charts which allow you to calculate proper inflation pressure based on vehicle weight. I don't think they put the numbers on there just for the heck of it.

Once in a while it strikes me to try a tank just babying the throttle, accelerating slowly, basically being a moving traffic hazard to others, and I get in the low 20mpg range in my 1 ton Ram diesel 4x4. It's a 7500lb beast that isn't particularly aerodynamic. I cannot drive like that for extended periods though. I just can't do it to myself or others around me. When I'm driving I want to get where I'm going in the shortest time possible, which does not involve driving at or below the speed limit.

One of these days if I can find a decently affordable one, I wouldn't mind picking up a used VW TDI in decent shape. The reasoning behind it being not so much for the improved fuel mileage, but so I don't have to keep racking up miles on an expensive ($35-40k replacement cost) truck using it as a daily driver.

 

[zzvyb6]

Hey Bill,

Don't blame Detroit automakers. As you probably won't know, Toyota and Honda have joined the 'gas guzzling' truck race with gusto and their rigs do far worse than the Chevy's. They don't have active fuel management (displacements on demand). and won't have 2 mode hybrids around for quite a while.

The fuel economy one gets is prescribed by the Federal emissions laws which rule out high efficiency combustion because of temperature issues (nitrous oxide generation). This means that the combustion cycle is down rated to keep from getting the best thermal efficiency (and best mileage). Then, a catalytic converter is added to achieve the Federal mandated output gas mixture and an energy source is needed to power the converter. You guessed it: extra gas must be passed thru the combustion chamber to heat the converter.

All this because politicians never made it thru chemistry 101.

The same deal goes for diesels. Efficiency must be downgraded to prevent the high temperatures of optimum combustion. Since Europe has different exhaust gas mixture rules, they can run more efficient diesels. Hence the urban legend that they do better. Unfortunately, they are illegal in the US to import because they don't pass US emissions requirements (however some EU automakers are bringing them in under the radar).

Wait until you see the new GM Tahoe hybrid. Its a real 2 mode, not a Prius assist. The engine just charges the battery. Trailer all day with it. AC, defroster, power steering, etc.

Only remaining problem is that the Blind Association is mad because the 2 modes are usually silent and they need a presence alarm to tell the pedestrians that they are coming. Ain't that a batch ?

If you really only just want to save gas, air up your tires to 45 psi, saw off the brake pedal, close up the windows and lower the tailgate. The results will astound you...

Just don't blame Detroit. Toyota's Tundra is at the top of the gas guzzler pile. It's a heavy truck for its market class: a hurry up design to compete with the domestics. The brakes are way too small as a result, and the trailer towing capacity is lowest of all of them (you must subtract the weight of the truck from the total package to get the real capacity, Rembrandt).

As far as fuel economy is concerned, your jet plane has the worst emissions/highest nitrous oxides and carbon dioxide output per mile of anything other than an Abrams tank.

I like the tank, though. Be the first one on your block to be the last one on your block.