road trip with liberty

elephantrider · **Posted:** Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:28 pm

well, just got back from a 2300 mile round trip from cincinnati ohio to austin texas and back with some stops along the way.

one thing that i now do not like are the seats. driving 10 hrs a day really puts a test to the seats, and they just cant handle long distances. no issues with them around town, but they get really uncomfortable after long periods of time

one thing i do like is the engine. we had the liberty full in the back with luggage half way up the rear window, a 10 year old and a 2 year old with all of their stuff in the back seat along with the laptop for movies. no problems keeping up highway speeds
( and faster sometimes! ).

control is another thing that we put to the test. an 18 wheeler ran us off the road just south of kentucky speedway, in sparta kentucky. we were doing 80 or so when this truck decided to come on over in the fast lane and put us in the median. the liberty never lost any direction or control. didnt get loose or try to go sideways, i was really impressed. the goodyear mt/r tires get a little noisey after a while, i didnt notice until we were down the road a good ways. its not bad at all in the city...

in any case, we averaged around 20 mpg / 300 miles to a tank of gas. all in all the liberty performed without a hitch. one thing that did happen, i filled the tank up with gas, and then pulled out. i had to stop at a red light as soon as i pulled out and all of a sudden the low gas light came on, and the gas guage went to "e". i turned the car off and back on, and i suppose it reset itself. other than that we are back in one piece and the liberty is one heck of a travel vehicle.

Mutt · **Posted:** Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:37 pm

Don't you just love when truckers do that?

One of the most important things I've discovered about long distance driving is to remove my wallet and place it in the console.

Jinxman · **Posted:** Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:44 pm

Ive had that gas gauge thing happen to my also....

It was shortly after I gassed it up....problem: Cover not on tight enough.

Hasn't happened since.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:10 pm

20 MPG!!! Holy crow!

On stock suspension and tires, the best I did on a long trip was 18.5 at about 75mph. Now with lift and tires and a curb weight without passengers or cargo of 4,800lbs, I'm lucky to get 16 on pure highway driving.

I think the Renegade roof lights really hurt mileage.

argh

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:32 pm

AdamIsAdam wrote:

20 MPG!!! Holy crow!

On stock suspension and tires, the best I did on a long trip was 18.5 at about 75mph. Now with lift and tires and a curb weight without passengers or cargo of 4,800lbs, I'm lucky to get 16 on pure highway driving.

I think the Renegade roof lights really hurt mileage.

argh

It must be those lights b/c I still get 21 with full skids and a hitch. Still stock tires.

And I found the same thing about about the wallet, kills my bum and back until I take it out.

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

Jeepjeepster wrote:

AdamIsAdam wrote:

20 MPG!!! Holy crow!

On stock suspension and tires, the best I did on a long trip was 18.5 at about 75mph. Now with lift and tires and a curb weight without passengers or cargo of 4,800lbs, I'm lucky to get 16 on pure highway driving.

I think the Renegade roof lights really hurt mileage.

argh

It must be those lights b/c I still get 21 with full skids and a hitch. Still stock tires.

And I found the same thing about about the wallet, kills my bum and back until I take it out.

Same here I am able to get a little above 21 mpg when lifted and with the A/C on crusing at around 70mph. I use to be able to get about 23 before being lifted and such.

NU ARTY BOY · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:57 am

AdamIsAdam wrote:

20 MPG!!! Holy crow!

On stock suspension and tires, the best I did on a long trip was 18.5 at about 75mph. Now with lift and tires and a curb weight without passengers or cargo of 4,800lbs, I'm lucky to get 16 on pure highway driving.

I think the Renegade roof lights really hurt mileage.

argh

Your problem is that you are driving too fast for decent fuel economy. Try driving 65 instead of 75 and watch your MPG shoot up about 4-5 mpg.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:14 am

AHHHHHH! 65!

I'd be happy getting 18mpg. I won't slow down on a long trip on wide open roads to 65 even if I was getting 25 mpg. That would make me nuts. (assuming conditions are correct of course)

I've found my best mileage is at a steady 40mph or so. Aerodynamics don't seem to like my KJ's roof lights and Renegade Basket, etc.

I've tried doing 60, 65, 70 and messed with the trip computer. I don't see much of a difference until i'm well below 60, like I said.

Plus, at 60 on the LIE, you can get REAR ENDED!

RTStabler51 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:40 pm

NU ARTY BOY wrote:

AdamIsAdam wrote:

20 MPG!!! Holy crow!

On stock suspension and tires, the best I did on a long trip was 18.5 at about 75mph. Now with lift and tires and a curb weight without passengers or cargo of 4,800lbs, I'm lucky to get 16 on pure highway driving.

I think the Renegade roof lights really hurt mileage.

argh

Your problem is that you are driving too fast for decent fuel economy. Try driving 65 instead of 75 and watch your MPG shoot up about 4-5 mpg.

Yesterday on my way back from NE In to DC I was getting 28mpg according to the EVIC.....

Jeepin Al · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:48 pm

An old timer told me he was unhappy with the seats, as I am on long trips (I complained, as did others, at Camp Jeep 3 times for me) to put washers under the seat bracket iat the rear bolts to tilt the seat forward just a little. I have two washers totaling about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch thick between the seat bracket and floor. My legs are much more comfortable on the long haul, but my fat behind still gets sore! The removal of things in my back pocket helped also!

20 mpg, I would think there is something wrong with the KJ if I got 20, even when it was new (meaning no mods) I didn't get 20. The best I can do now is 18, tail wind, downhill at 65 mph.

Al

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:15 pm

Jeepin Al wrote:

An old timer told me he was unhappy with the seats, as I am on long trips (I complained, as did others, at Camp Jeep 3 times for me) to put washers under the seat bracket iat the rear bolts to tilt the seat forward just a little. I have two washers totaling about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch thick between the seat bracket and floor. My legs are much more comfortable on the long haul, but my fat behind still gets sore! The removal of things in my back pocket helped also!

20 mpg, I would think there is something wrong with the KJ if I got 20, even when it was new (meaning no mods) I didn't get 20. The best I can do now is 18, tail wind, downhill at 65 mph.

Al

Haha, funny.

Hows that front lift coming?

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:30 pm

[quote="RTStabler51]Yesterday on my way back from NE In to DC I was getting 28mpg according to the EVIC.....[/quote]

CRD? YOU ARE NOT INVITED TO THIS CONVERSATION!

deletedpenguin · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:13 pm

I swear, the same trucker must have made it out to the Bay Area, as I had a similar confrontation with one the other day.

bthomas · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 5:31 pm

Yup, it's roadtripable. There was a 2800 week to Grand Cyn in February, 1200 mile weekend to Anza Borrego in March, and 1400 mile weekend to Death Vly last week. Paid $3.45 to tank at Furnace Creek. Guess Moab will be about 2800. I get fidgety at 3 hours in the seat, but 4 hours is the same as 8 hrs.

I assume a 300 mile gas tank for the interstate, but that varies according to which side of (look in rearview mirror) ythgie mph I'm driving.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:54 pm

I think its stupid that I can get 21mpg on the HW but only get around 300miles max to a tank when its a 19.5 gal tank?!?! I only get 250miles to a tank in the city.

Albert · **Posted:** Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:30 pm

Jeepjeepster..............Yea..should be a bigger tank (personally I'd like to see a 25 gallon tank)but yours should be 20.5 and not 19.5........They started out in 2002 with a 19.5 tank and somewhere along the way changed to 20.5..........not sure when they changed.....my 05 has a 20.5 gal tank according to the manual.

2006KJSPORT4x4 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 18, 2006 6:49 pm

I ususally road trip my KJ from Memphis to Bloomington-Normal, IL occasionally to visit family. I usually make it from my house (a full tank) to Springfield, IL and that is where I fill up. The gas light usually comes on just before I get there too telling me that I have about 2 gallons left. For reference I have a 2005 KJ RME.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:21 pm

KJ's started out with 18.5 gallon tanks. My fuel light comes on with 3 gallons left, telling me I have one gallon left. The DTE calculates 0 gallons left at exactly 2 gallons left.

VERY ANNOYING!

MikeD0106 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:51 pm

I dunno... I would kind of like that as a sort of safeguard. I try to not let me tank stay below half anyway, but with prices the way they are it is becoming more difficult to do that.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:19 am

Oh, please don't get me started. I don't set my clock 10 minutes fast, nor to I need people to tell me to arrive 30 minutes early for a meeting to get me there on time.

SO WHY must DCX tell me I'm out of gas when I'm not? I'm a big boy!

Sorry about that. Venting my frustration in having to fill up 2x/week!!!

road trip with liberty

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