New Personal Record: 51.56 Miles Per Gallon

Late last Friday night, I decided to leave Boulder for my first trip to Salt Lake City since October. It had been way too long. I had 7/8 of a tank and less than a hundred miles on the trip meter, but I let it go and just hit the road. I filled up in Fort Bridger the following morning, and then at the TA east of Evanston on Sunday on the way back. I let the tank run down to empty all this week, and filled up this morning in Fort Collins.

Miles for the past 8 days: 1,455

Gallons placed in tank: 28.22

Do the math: 51.56 miles per gallon!!!!!!

My previous record was two weeks ago, when I eeked out just over 42 mpg.

I think that one of the things that really helped was that on the trip I had a tail wind across Wyoming on the way back, and it was perfectly calm on the drive out. Crossing I-80 tends to be dangerous with crosswinds, and fighting those crosswinds at highway speeds is a gas mileage killer.

I also cut back speed on the both legs of the trip, keeping it down to 70. Driving back and forth to Boulder and work, I keep the speed at 55, which I’m sure also helps.

After getting back from Utah, I changed my oil and filter and rotated my tires for the first time in 8 or 9 months and probably twenty or thirty thousands miles. I know that boosted gas mileage during the past week.

I’m also a big fan of keeping the weight down in the vehicle. I keep very little in the trunk, compared to what I used. Also, I have no back seat, and have reduce weight in other areas, also. I have an aerodynamic issue that I need to fix, and I’m sure that will make a difference.

This is the first post of this blog, and I hope to report in the future the results of actual tests with various devices and techniques purported to increase mileage.