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Pastimes : Car Nut Corner: All About Cars

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To: Greg from Edmonton who wrote (583)	7/31/2000 11:54:11 AM
From: SI Bob	Read Replies (3) of 5698

I remember that the old VW buses also got better mileage with the larger engine, presumably because they didn't have to be floored all the time. I'm definitely using a lot less throttle to keep the thing rolling at 60 mph. In fact, I have to be a bit careful. It's easy to get past the speed limit in it now. That didn't used to be a consideration. I'm planning to trade this one in on a 2001 version later (and maybe a 450 or 550 instead), and am undecided about gearing. I want the 6-speed. Wanted it with this one, but the factory-ordered one didn't arrive when I needed it (3 months after placing the order) so I had to take what was available. This one's got the shorter gearing. Wondering if taller gearing would only sacrifice a meaningless amount of towing capacity. Plus I'd like to get the auxillary tranny to bump it up even higher when not pulling a load and give me more ratios when accelerating with a load. I'm sure some really tall gearing at the top end would help my fuel economy even more, as would a flat bed cover or a shell. That tailgate is a major wind-dam. A funny side-effect is that the trip computer displays a higher Distance To Empty each time I check it, as it takes the new fuel economy into account. Weird to think I could actually get about 800 miles on a tankful of fuel now. At the other end of the spectrum, we had a 97 Chevy Suburban 1500 that we used to pull a 4500 lb travel trailer to Colorado. I insisted on doing 70 mph against a slight headwind, and got 5.3 mpg and cooked the rearend in the process. Literally. There was little paint left on it. The current travel trailer is a 13k lb (or so) 5th wheel and this truck has always gotten between 10 and 11 mpg pulling it. Betcha it's going to be a lot higher now. Heck, if it gets much better, I'll be seeing the fuel guage moving up as I drive. :) [Edit:] I've also made noises about keeping this truck for hauling the travel trailer (it's a great one for that) and getting a used semi for pulling the backhoe (on a lowboy I'd have to buy) and converting a large trailer to a multi-car race trailer (which I'd also have to buy). I'm thinking Kenworth with a condo here. I've always thought the newer Kenworths are drop-dead gorgeous rigs. My wife groans at me every time I mention getting a semi, but bless her heart, she's awfully indulgent. And I think she gets a kick out of always having a hand full of trump cards anytime her and her friends start talking about the Stupid Guy Things their husbands insist on buying.

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