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Registered: 07-20-07
Posts: 2983
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Can you boost your MPG by tailgating a semi and other thoughts on saving gas....
Talk About It here!
MythMod
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Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 3
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Absolutely YES!!!! Are you nuts to do it? YES!!!!!!!! I remember putting in my eight hours then just as I was about to punch out the boss walks up and asked me if I would do a road trip. Right then. Sure I said, Where? Oh,,,,, That's a twelve hour round trip. They handed me gas money because every time someone made this trip they knew what it would cost. I saved a LOT of gas on that trip staying 15 feet or less behind a semi for most of the way down. It was a one ton Ford full sized van loaded to the gills. Pulling in behind that truck my foot went from almost to the floor to just barely resting on the pedal. When I haded them back cash they wanted to know how I did it. I just told them I guess the wind was at my back. 8>  )) |
Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 1
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I heard the word "mental" tonight. Guys, who in their right mind would do that without a helmet. Kids are watching and adults too. Wear a helmet, please !!!!!!!!!
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Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 6
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Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 1
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nice myth! I wonder though if the car driving close behind the truck has any effect on the fuel efficiency of the TRUCK. For large distances this will most probably have no effect, but what about small distances? Is there a turning point? And will the fuell efficiency of the truck be worse or better?
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Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 13
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in a few video games they call this difting
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Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 13
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quote: Originally posted by chas4:
in a few video games they call this drifting
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Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 1
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With the "night rider" stunt going into the tractor trailer with another car:
What about a front wheel drive vehicle?
Kit was rear wheel drive.
How would this change the results?
I don't think it would work.
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Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 3
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Yes to baldert.
Been there/ Done that.
70 MPH Me in a loaded Ford van.
I pulled in behind a semi.
I kept the van within 15 feet for over 100 miles.
The semi behind me was talking to the guy in front of me. They saw the CB antenna on my roof and kept asking me to back off a bit. He told me I was slowing him down. I was saving so much fuel I just pretended my radio was off.
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Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 6
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I heard if you hit a hit a semi on purpose (and yes there are people who would do it) you get a free ride in a cop car.
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Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 2
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-Hey Guys-
I draft off semi's every time i take a trip. a few rules i always follow to make it a bit safer is: I always have a CB radio in my car so i can ask permission from the driver and so he can tell me if he is gonna slow down, 2 i never get closer than about 20ft. and 3 never do it at night because where i live deer are a huge problem and if the semi driver had to brake for a deer you could be in big trouble.
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Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 13
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quote: Originally posted by ignitescience:
I heard if you hit a hit a semi on purpose (and yes there are people who would do it) you get a free ride in a cop car.
maybe for reckless driving. |
Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 1
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I disagree with the last scene on the Tire Myth. A "road gator" won't be launched like that. You've constructed a baseball launcher.. Try taking the big rig on the road and have someone drop the road gator from the belly of the semi and see what happens. the semi will run right over it. Yes, the gator is traveling at the same speed as the truck, but it's also traveling with the truck and so is the car. the speed difference is only a few mph. There's no way it would launch out like that.. I've seen many trucks loose their retreads and they just fall apart and drag along the road.
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Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 6
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Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 3
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quote: Originally posted by allioupe:
I disagree with the last scene on the Tire Myth. A "road gator" won't be launched like that. You've constructed a baseball launcher.. Try taking the big rig on the road and have someone drop the road gator from the belly of the semi and see what happens. the semi will run right over it. Yes, the gator is traveling at the same speed as the truck, but it's also traveling with the truck and so is the car. the speed difference is only a few mph. There's no way it would launch out like that.. I've seen many trucks loose their retreads and they just fall apart and drag along the road.
very true. It would have to shoot back at 80 mph to hit a car at 40 mph. |
Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 2
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I agree ive bee behind a few semi's when they had a tire blow. the pieces scatter on the ground and u can blow a tire if you hit one but ive never seen them fly up or anything. quote: Originally posted by ignitescience: http://69.20.127.42/portal/site/ITrucks/menuitem.a1d4a3...0aRCRD&vgnextnoice=1check out the best truck out there. I did write this...I only left it...so people can read what a true truck is. They have a lot of qwestionable answeres.
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Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 24
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Awesome numbers from this one guys!
I've, sadly, routinely drafted without it being for fuel economy. Ten feet or more never has never unnerved me much, it all depends on the driver I'm following. I'm a very confident and competent driver and have driven in some of the world's worst traffic so I got use to dealing with tight driving conditions. But you must be fully aware of everything going on around you and a quick thinker.
I know you guys don't want to hear this, for liability reasons for the network too, but I'll be following trucks more often now. It will be in a safer 75 to 100 feet range than 10 feet. I never hold anyone responsible for anything I do so don't worry there.
I imagine that it doesn't effect the truck's fuel efficiency at all. It's the one running the block.
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Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 6
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Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 6
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Junior Member
Registered: 10-24-07
Posts: 1
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I had a semi's tire blow next to me in Texas while I was driving a rental. A large chunk of the tire can across to my lane and smacked the side of my rental Chevy Malibu in the passenger side. It was loud enough to hit the car and sound bad. The truck and I both pulled over, but there wasn't a mark on my rental.
Please note that the discovery channel and mythbusters repeatedly misused the term dynamometer. A dynamometer MEASURES speed and torque, it DOES NOT spin a tire up to speed. This is equivalent to the difference between what a thermometer accomplishes and a blow torch. One can measure heat, the other can generate heat. Please get it right.
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