Improving fuel efficiency with heavy vehicles
I receive a publication for the heavy trucking industry's fleet operators and the current issue had an article on 121 ways to save money on fuel. Many were applicable to RV users, some are obvious and others are not.
Some pertinent ones for people driving or towing RV's were these:
Buy higher MPG vehicles
Get vehicle with automatic transmission
Right size the engine - more power than is needed wastes fuel
Gear the truck for how and where it will be used
Match truck and trailer size including using a fairing to match
height and width of trailer being towed - can save 10%
Roll on aluminum wheels
Buy fuel efficient tires
Using high capacity singles instead of dauls
Have tires aligned on the trailer
Find ideal tire pressure - too high can lead to tire failure. Too low can hurt fuel economy with a 20% increase in rolling resistance with a tire under-inflated by 10%
Use tire pressure monitoring system
Don't replace tires too early - Tires at the latter stages are more fuel efficient.
Keep tires balanced. Testing has shown up to a 2% improvement from this alone.
Buy only as much fuel as needed for the trip. Avoid hauling extra weight with the additional fuel and keeps fuel in the tank fresher.
Buy fuel close to where the trip ends. This helps with fuel formulated for colder or warmer areas at the start of the trip from where it will end.
Optimize your routes to minimize miles driven and to avoid changes in elevation.
Don't let the engine idle while stopped or us it to warm up or cool down the cab. Turn off the engine whenever possible.
Reduce AC use.
Complete DPF regenerations when they first appear. It is always more efficient to all a diesel particulate filter regeneration to finish completely as opposed to waiting until the next opportunity.
Keep warm-ups brief.
Observe the sweet spot while driving. Operate at the maximum torque or power RPM.
Upshift early and often. This involves barely running the engine past idle using only as much horsepower as needed an gradually going into higher gears.
Let momentum do the work - use the rig's weight to help push it uphill. Take your foot off the accelerator as you enter a town and at least 50 feet before you top a hill.
Let it lug (applies to diesel engines)
Skip gears on downgrades.
Stay on the interstate if you can. Easier to be able to cruise at a steady speed and route is usually flatter.
Slow down -nothing gained by arriving early and each 5 MPH over 55 MPH reduces fuel economy by 0.5 MPG for a heavy vehicle.
Don't tailgate which makes for a lot more slowing down or stopping and then having to regain speed again.
Avoid rush hours.
Use cruise control wisely. Good for the open highway but in town it will result in more braking.
Some pertinent ones for people driving or towing RV's were these:
Buy higher MPG vehicles
Get vehicle with automatic transmission
Right size the engine - more power than is needed wastes fuel
Gear the truck for how and where it will be used
Match truck and trailer size including using a fairing to match
height and width of trailer being towed - can save 10%
Roll on aluminum wheels
Buy fuel efficient tires
Using high capacity singles instead of dauls
Have tires aligned on the trailer
Find ideal tire pressure - too high can lead to tire failure. Too low can hurt fuel economy with a 20% increase in rolling resistance with a tire under-inflated by 10%
Use tire pressure monitoring system
Don't replace tires too early - Tires at the latter stages are more fuel efficient.
Keep tires balanced. Testing has shown up to a 2% improvement from this alone.
Buy only as much fuel as needed for the trip. Avoid hauling extra weight with the additional fuel and keeps fuel in the tank fresher.
Buy fuel close to where the trip ends. This helps with fuel formulated for colder or warmer areas at the start of the trip from where it will end.
Optimize your routes to minimize miles driven and to avoid changes in elevation.
Don't let the engine idle while stopped or us it to warm up or cool down the cab. Turn off the engine whenever possible.
Reduce AC use.
Complete DPF regenerations when they first appear. It is always more efficient to all a diesel particulate filter regeneration to finish completely as opposed to waiting until the next opportunity.
Keep warm-ups brief.
Observe the sweet spot while driving. Operate at the maximum torque or power RPM.
Upshift early and often. This involves barely running the engine past idle using only as much horsepower as needed an gradually going into higher gears.
Let momentum do the work - use the rig's weight to help push it uphill. Take your foot off the accelerator as you enter a town and at least 50 feet before you top a hill.
Let it lug (applies to diesel engines)
Skip gears on downgrades.
Stay on the interstate if you can. Easier to be able to cruise at a steady speed and route is usually flatter.
Slow down -nothing gained by arriving early and each 5 MPH over 55 MPH reduces fuel economy by 0.5 MPG for a heavy vehicle.
Don't tailgate which makes for a lot more slowing down or stopping and then having to regain speed again.
Avoid rush hours.
Use cruise control wisely. Good for the open highway but in town it will result in more braking.
