Hauled my Mahindra to the dealer....

[Dougster]

Anyone else catch this? A Ford Ranger getting 41 MPG pulling a trailer I don't think so, unless it was down hill all the way. If so, I would be better off driving that back and forth then I am driving my 4 cyl Accord at 32 MPG.

I'm guessing he left the trailer at the dealership. What would be the point of dragging it home just to drag it back as soon as the tractor is fixed?

That is terrific mileage compared to my 2006 Chevy 2500HD. Last I checked, I got a mere 7.25 MPG. That did include some serious trailering and a ton of idle time while building and testing its snowplow. 1,000 pounds of concrete block ballast in the bed doesn't help either!

My best recorded highway MPG: 15.51.
My best recorded highway MPG towing the trailer empty: 11.72.
My best recorded MPG with the tractor on the trailer: 10.02.

I think I need a Ford Ranger!

Dougster

 

[bill6]

Doug is correct -- I left the trailer at the dealer. And yes, 41.3 mpg is the exact lifetime mpg since I bought this Ranger brand new.

Fuel economy is a passionate hobby. I teach seminars on how to "increase efficiency in whatever vehicle you drive". During these meetings I focus the audience on preparing your VEHICLE and preparing your MIND. Also, I am the co-holder of 2 world records re: maximum distance travelled on 1 tank of gas. My own Honda Insight averages 88 mpg and on many long trips I get 102-108 mpg. My airplane only gets 28 mpg, so I drive alot.

I've been doing this (being a hypermiler) for many years. First I had a 1980 VW Rabbit diesel, with an extra fuel tank. Then I bought a new 1987 Honda CRX HF and drove it 502,000 highway miles. Often I got 60-70 mpg. Now, of course the Honda Insight is by far the most capable high-miler, and I take lots of long trips!

My friends tease me about trying to get more MPG out of my tractor! Things like coasting, increasing tire pressure, and even shutting off the motor going down hills! Anyone interested in learning more about the hyper-mileing community, can log on to CleanMPG, An authoritative source on fuel economy and hypermiling. There is LOTS to read and learn about. The idea is to buy any new vehicle, and BEAT the EPA mileage estimates. It's really not hard to do, you just need to be willing to learn!

 

[Dougster]

Doug is correct -- I left the trailer at the dealer. And yes, 41.3 mpg is the exact lifetime mpg since I bought this Ranger brand new.

I drove a little Ford Festiva for many years. Folks laughed, but it enabled me to buy a 27' sailboat with the reduced monthly car payment and it got exactly 41.96 MPG lifetime average (about 8-1/2 years and 140,000 miles). This is based on careful record keeping and no cheating, freebies or Mulligans! This counts every single drop of fuel that went in there, for better or worse. Winter MPG dropped as low as 32.5-ish one time. Must have been all that warm-up. My best summer day I hit a little over 50 MPG. I would buy another one today if they still made them.

I wish I could get a third of that now in the new truck.

Dougster

 

[DonWorrell]

While pulling the heavy load, the Ranger only got 22.62 mpg over the 62 miles distance. On the return trip, 41.34 mpg. (this is right at my overall average since I bought the truck).....

I understand you hold records and all that but I own a 2006 Ford Ranger and couldn't even image getting 41.34 mpg. If you can do this i would get a job with ford and do their testing. Ford only rate the 2007 Ford Ranger at:


2.3L DOHC I-4 5-Speed Manual 24 city and 29 highway—

Have you modified the engine in anyway?

Don

 

[bill6]

Hi Don; no modifications. After reasonable breakin period, I changed my oil and am using Mobil 1 synthetic. Ford already has a pretty efficient I-4 engine. I wouldn't know a way to modify it, and it would void the warranty.

You are right, the EPA estimate is 29 mpg highway. That is quite easy to exceed. Some methods I am using include: mostly driving on country roads, hiways, or freeways (very little city use), accelerate slowly and smoothly, seldom ever use the brakes, inflate tires to maximum, tonneau cover, drive at moderate speeds, and very importantly, HAVE A REAL-TIME MPG GAUGE WORKING AS A CONSTANT REMINDER!

More tips include: when parking at, say, Wal-Mart, NEVER drive around looking for a space. Just immediately pull into one, all the way through, so you DON'T have to back up to get out. Also, on long trips take your shoes off. Sensitivity to the gas pedal is key! If you have cruise control, fine, but manually you can out-drive it for mpg. Also, in very cold outside temps, block off most of the radiator with cardboard or something similar. (I have not done this with my Ranger, it's warm enough outside) Also, when shopping for new tires, choose LRR (low rolling resistance) and remember tall & skinny is better, low profile & wide is very bad. Also, slightly better mpg is acheived using straight gasoline (no ethanol). Also, in the morning don't sit and warm up the engine. Just begin driving at a light load & speed. In cold weather, an engine block heater is a great way to save fuel.

There are many other techniques; many of them are considered "extreme" and not practical in normal traffic flows.

Really, just look at our ratrace/society: typically a gal gabbing on the cell phone, driving solo in an SUV, rushes up to a stoplight and slams on the brakes. Amazing......

 

[indianaEPH]

I understand you hold records and all that but I own a 2006 Ford Ranger and couldn't even image getting 41.34 mpg. If you can do this i would get a job with ford and do their testing. Ford only rate the 2007 Ford Ranger at:


2.3L DOHC I-4 5-Speed Manual 24 city and 29 highway—

Have you modified the engine in anyway?

Don

\

41.34 MPG! I find it extreamly hard to believe (but I'm naturally skeptical) . I've done some fuel economy testing in the past, with a real time flow meter, and would, typically, find it difficult to achieve a 42% improvement in EPA figures under the best of circumstances (cruising down the highway flat road, tail wind). But a life time average of 41.34, including starts, stops, traffic, ....hmmm...smaller tires?

 

[George2615]

I also find over 41 MPG very hard to believe. And 22.6 towing 4630lbs. is even harder to believe. sounds like the GPS or onboard computer unit needs recalculating. I assume that you have checked mileage the old fashioned way and not used the in-dash computer.

I have three friends that have the same truck and only get 28 MPG highway. One tows a small tractor with snowblower on a 4x8 trailer and says mileage drops to 20 while towing about 1000lbs.

Your ride must have been downhill both ways.

Must be one of those special test experimental models you hear about and Ford forgot to destroy it after testing.

If your mileage is actually correct. NEVER NEVER EVER get rid of that truck cause you'll never find another one like it.

 

[Bird]

Hi Don; no modifications. After reasonable breakin period, I changed my oil and am using Mobil 1 synthetic. Ford already has a pretty efficient I-4 engine. I wouldn't know a way to modify it, and it would void the warranty.

You are right, the EPA estimate is 29 mpg highway. That is quite easy to exceed. Some methods I am using include: mostly driving on country roads, hiways, or freeways (very little city use), accelerate slowly and smoothly, seldom ever use the brakes, inflate tires to maximum, tonneau cover, drive at moderate speeds, and very importantly, HAVE A REAL-TIME MPG GAUGE WORKING AS A CONSTANT REMINDER!

More tips include: when parking at, say, Wal-Mart, NEVER drive around looking for a space. Just immediately pull into one, all the way through, so you DON'T have to back up to get out. Also, on long trips take your shoes off. Sensitivity to the gas pedal is key! If you have cruise control, fine, but manually you can out-drive it for mpg. Also, in very cold outside temps, block off most of the radiator with cardboard or something similar. (I have not done this with my Ranger, it's warm enough outside) Also, when shopping for new tires, choose LRR (low rolling resistance) and remember tall & skinny is better, low profile & wide is very bad. Also, slightly better mpg is acheived using straight gasoline (no ethanol). Also, in the morning don't sit and warm up the engine. Just begin driving at a light load & speed. In cold weather, an engine block heater is a great way to save fuel.

There are many other techniques; many of them are considered "extreme" and not practical in normal traffic flows.

Really, just look at our ratrace/society: typically a gal gabbing on the cell phone, driving solo in an SUV, rushes up to a stoplight and slams on the brakes. Amazing......

Take your shoes off? You'd probably be surprised at how many people believe it's illegal to drive barefooted. I heard it was illegal when I was a teenager, and in later life, even once knew a police officer who wrote someone a traffic ticket for it (he had to go retrieve the citation and apologize after learning there's no such law). And now many people are old enough to remember the Mobil Oil economy runs in the '50s, before EPA ratings? Some said the drivers drove barefooted, but Mobil denied it.

Now I know you can beat the EPA mileage if you're very careful, but your numbers really are amazing. Of course my Ranger is an '01 model with the biggest engine (4.0L), automatic, air-conditioned; i.e., fully loaded and most of my driving is city driving. I bought it used so I've only driven it about 15k miles, but I do keep very detailed records of a spreadsheet, so I've averaged 18.656 mpg so far.

 

[bill6]

Hi Indiana, George, and Bird; This initially was not a post about fuel efficiency, however I was engaged in such conversation.

I assure everyone, I'm not kidding, exaggerating, misrepresenting. This is a passionate hobby I've been doing many, many years. No, this is NOT a one-of a kind Ranger. There is nothing wrong with my GPS, it works great in my airplane also. Yes, I meticulously save fuel receipts and know exactly my fuel economy numbers.

One of my best friends is Wayne Gerdes from Wadsworth, IL. (do a google search on him) Wayne is widely known to be the nation's premier hypermiler. He lives and breathes this stuff. Driving his Honda Insight, he averaged 92.3 mpg over a span of 60,000 miles. (daily driving) He was getting 40 mpg in his 4 cyl Ranger (2003) so he suggested I buy one also. ANY newer model 5 speed, 4 cyl Ranger is capable of this! Being skeptical is fine, but have an open mind to learning, soaking in new information.

As I said, most of my driving is on highways. The tonneau cover helps substantially by smoothing pickup bed aero. Overall, this is not difficult stuff. Put it to the test. Go out tomorrow, put maximum pressure in your tires (as shown in small print on the tire sidewall) , take a highway cruise and drive steady, carefully, at 5 mph under the speed limit. You will see a huge improvement, better than you thought possible. Over time, you can develop good habits, such as slowing way before the next stop light; and soon it becomes everyday methodology.

Again, I'm not boasting or bragging about MYSELF; just exposing the fact that these cars and trucks are CAPABLE of alot more MPG than you might realize............

 

[NewToy]

Hi Indiana, George, and Bird; This initially was not a post about fuel efficiency, however I was engaged in such conversation.

I assure everyone, I'm not kidding, exaggerating, misrepresenting. This is a passionate hobby I've been doing many, many years. No, this is NOT a one-of a kind Ranger. There is nothing wrong with my GPS, it works great in my airplane also. Yes, I meticulously save fuel receipts and know exactly my fuel economy numbers.

One of my best friends is Wayne Gerdes from Wadsworth, IL. (do a google search on him) Wayne is widely known to be the nation's premier hypermiler. He lives and breathes this stuff. Driving his Honda Insight, he averaged 92.3 mpg over a span of 60,000 miles. (daily driving) He was getting 40 mpg in his 4 cyl Ranger (2003) so he suggested I buy one also. ANY newer model 5 speed, 4 cyl Ranger is capable of this! Being skeptical is fine, but have an open mind to learning, soaking in new information.

As I said, most of my driving is on highways. The tonneau cover helps substantially by smoothing pickup bed aero. Overall, this is not difficult stuff. Put it to the test. Go out tomorrow, put maximum pressure in your tires (as shown in small print on the tire sidewall) , take a highway cruise and drive steady, carefully, at 5 mph under the speed limit. You will see a huge improvement, better than you thought possible. Over time, you can develop good habits, such as slowing way before the next stop light; and soon it becomes everyday methodology.

Again, I'm not boasting or bragging about MYSELF; just exposing the fact that these cars and trucks are CAPABLE of alot more MPG than you might realize............

Is your area relatively flat? I would think you'd have your foot into the gas pretty good on any kind of grade with the load you were hauling. I would consider myself lucky and not attempt pulling that kind of weight with a bumper hitch. Sounds a little dangerous to me. That tongue weight can get tricky and positioning the tractor further back on the trailer to lessen tongue weight can lead to a dangerously unstable trailer. I pull a 24' tandem axle with a F250 SD Diesel and have experienced this first hand. I had the trailer modestly loaded at 5,000# or so and had to pick up a skid of plastic bags, I cleared a 4'x4' spot in the rear and had the guy just set the skid (1200#) on off I went. This additional weight on the very back of the trailer made for an unsettling ride once I achieved hi-way speed. I had to stop at a rest area and distribute the load a bit. The trailer is rated at 12,000# gross (6000# axles) so I was no where near weight capacity. The point I'm trying to make is that pulling a trailer takes some extra care and can be very dangerous if not loaded properly.
Regards,
John