Oh PLEASE on the danger stuff. Certainly don't try to draft on a surface street, but on a long open highway where there aren't any lights to stop you... I draft all the time, and in some vehicles I'm picking up almost a 50% increase in the mileage. (That would be on my supposed-to-be 6mpg RV, which gets a solid 9mpg at 70mpg while sitting 5 carlengths off the back of a semi.)
I've never had a problem drafting, and I'm able to easily maintain a consistent 5 carlengths or so off the back of whatever airplow I'm able to find. I prefer large tourbusses, as they tend to have big airdams under the body, unlike the open underside of a semi trailer. That makes the suction even stronger.
The technique is simple: SLOWLY approach the back end of your airplow until you can feel the side-to-side buffeting from the air turbulence vortexes. This is what you want BEHIND you, as in front of that, is the suction. Keep inching forward, you will feel the turbulence "walk" down the sides of your vehicle. It will eventually stop, that's when you are in the sweet spot, and the turbulence has now extended to behind your vehicle. Now just match your speed using your depth perception between your dashboard and the back of the donor... And set your cruise.
This does NOT work in hilly country, and if you ride a little to the driver's side of the donor, you can still see around him to look for taillights in the distance. Tire fragments are the danger here... You won't get much warning on those. But my philosophy has always been "Better to go straight in, then swerve and sink the Titanic with a badly-executed turn."
I used to draft in my Jetta TDI, and found 70mph and 40mpg easily attainable... But I rarely liked going that slow een zee otto.
Now with my Hybrid Mercury Mariner (fully loaded and with a cargo pod on top no less!) last summer I booked 32mpg at 75 while drafting off trucks, and less than 25 when not drafting. The mileage dropped like a brick.
My KJ I suspect is still breaking in, as I didn't get to the best mileage on the Jetta until it was over 50k miles. When not towing, 215/85/16 tires at 80psi, I get either about 24mpg not drafting, or 27-28mpg while drafting. All numbers are at 70-75mph. My recent full-tank drive while towing at 70-75mph was a glorious 16mpg, and that was loaded down with a combined weight of 8300 lbs, 3200 of which was on the trailer axle.
It's not a magic incantation... It's the front-mounted tow-probe that can hook to the back of a semi.
*evil grin*
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
