Drafting. Not another myth.

**FSANE** · 01-08-2010, 04:31 AM

I always wondered what drafting can do to your MPG. My Toyota usually get 34mpg with decent driving. When I commute in the morning at this time of the year up on I95, I get the freaking sun right in my face. Even the visor sometimes can't help. So I figured, let me drive behind the truck and his high trailer blocked the sun. I would keep a 30-40 feet distance away. nothing crazy.

so after doing that for a week I noticed that my gas tank has more gas left over. I filled it up, resent the mileage and gave it a calculating shot. After another gas tank full of drafting behind the truck, I ended up with extra two days of gas. When I did my calculations, I ended up making 42 mpg. That is crazy. I though you would have to be on the trucks ass to make a difference, but I still kept my distance with no less than 30 feet. I95 is full of trucks and I always pick the out of state one. They tend to drive around 60mph.

**tnthub** · 01-08-2010, 04:39 AM

Drafting can greatly improve gas mileage. It can also be deadly. The only times I drafted were back in the 1970s when CB radios were popular and I made sure to have permission of the trucker ahead of me...

I went to school in Wisconsin and my family lives in Maine and since I was a poor college student I needed to save every openny when travelling back and forth for breaks and holidays. I recall getting about 35 miles per gallon in my old 1976 Plymouth Fury Sport with a 318, headers and chrome sidepipes. The car usually averaged around 15 miles per gallon. Of course I didn';t really know how to drive for maximum fuel efficiency back then and I was far more interested in modifying the vehicle (although it was more of a "pimp-mobile" with velour headliner, leopard dash, and chocolate brown fuzz doors, with a Pioneer Supertuner and beer coolers in the rear footwells... It was the 70s and expectations were far different than those of today.

**FSANE** · 01-08-2010, 05:03 AM

Originally Posted by tnthub

Drafting can greatly improve gas mileage. It can also be deadly. The only times I drafted were back in the 1970s when CB radios were popular and I made sure to have permission of the trucker ahead of me...

I went to school in Wisconsin and my family lives in Maine and since I was a poor college student I needed to save every openny when travelling back and forth for breaks and holidays. I recall getting about 35 miles per gallon in my old 1976 Plymouth Fury Sport with a 318, headers and chrome sidepipes. The car usually averaged around 15 miles per gallon. Of course I didn';t really know how to drive for maximum fuel efficiency back then and I was far more interested in modifying the vehicle (although it was more of a "pimp-mobile" with velour headliner, leopard dash, and chocolate brown fuzz doors, with a Pioneer Supertuner and beer coolers in the rear footwells... It was the 70s and expectations were far different than those of today.

how close were you actually drafting? 10 feet?

**SteveCZ28** · 01-08-2010, 05:12 AM

semis have such a huge wind draft "bubble" behind them its not even funny(take that from a truck driver) this one time i was driving and happened to be following a semi, a huge chunk of sow fell off the roof of the trailer, and just hovered in the air behind the trailer for a good 30 seconds before it finally fell. that was awesome to see

**tnthub** · 01-08-2010, 06:06 AM

Originally Posted by FSANE

how close were you actually drafting? 10 feet?

If you can get close enough the suction almost pulls the car by itself.

**FSANE** · 01-08-2010, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by tnthub

If you can get close enough the suction almost pulls the car by itself.

now that's dangerous. I am thinking if the truck has to slam on its brakes, you will have plenty of room to stop because the braking distance for a truck is more than double for a car. So that's why I keep the distance over 30 feet.

**SexOnWheels** · 01-08-2010, 07:16 AM

Originally Posted by tnthub

Drafting can greatly improve gas mileage. It can also be deadly. The only times I drafted were back in the 1970s when CB radios were popular and I made sure to have permission of the trucker ahead of me...

I went to school in Wisconsin and my family lives in Maine and since I was a poor college student I needed to save every openny when travelling back and forth for breaks and holidays. I recall getting about 35 miles per gallon in my old 1976 Plymouth Fury Sport with a 318, headers and chrome sidepipes. The car usually averaged around 15 miles per gallon. Of course I didn';t really know how to drive for maximum fuel efficiency back then and I was far more interested in modifying the vehicle (although it was more of a "pimp-mobile" with velour headliner, leopard dash, and chocolate brown fuzz doors, with a Pioneer Supertuner and beer coolers in the rear footwells... It was the 70s and expectations were far different than those of today.

That is awesome! Do you have any pictures that you can scan and post of said Fury?

Originally Posted by SteveCZ28

semis have such a huge wind draft "bubble" behind them its not even funny(take that from a truck driver) this one time i was driving and happened to be following a semi, a huge chunk of sow fell off the roof of the trailer, and just hovered in the air behind the trailer for a good 30 seconds before it finally fell. that was awesome to see

What do you mean by a "huge chunk of sow"?

**FSANE** · 01-08-2010, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by SexOnWheels

That is awesome! Do you have any pictures that you can scan and post of said Fury?

What do you mean by a "huge chunk of sow"?

damn Canadians and their sow.

**VTXrider** · 01-08-2010, 07:34 AM

Drafting can make a big difference especially as speed increases. another added increase in MPGs is that you were probably following a truck going somewhat slower than you speed otherwise.

I usually will look for an SUV when I am on a long trip since the trucks are going to slow for me. At 85 my MPGs go up by about 1.5 behind a large SUV following at basically a normal distance versus being alone on the road.

**walterchang** · 01-08-2010, 07:35 AM

They tested drafting on mythbusters. It works...

**FasstChevys** · 01-08-2010, 07:36 AM

Drafting is very real - as you've noticed.

MythBusters did a show on it - and it is astonshing how much mpg goes up the closer you get behind a semi.

**Detroit Power** · 01-08-2010, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by FSANE

now that's dangerous. I am thinking if the truck has to slam on its brakes, you will have plenty of room to stop because the braking distance for a truck is more than double for a car. So that's why I keep the distance over 30 feet.

Unless the truck hits something and stops abruptly, then YOU stop abruptly *crunch crunch*

Plus, too close and you won't see what's up ahead. A chunk of retread may be no big deal for an 18 wheeler to bounce over, how do you think your grille will fair?

Not worth the risks to save a couple bucks a week, IMO.

**VTXrider** · 01-08-2010, 07:49 AM

By the way I was drafting once a bit close at XXX and the car in front kicked up a folded cardboard box (I think that was what it was, it went by so fast I am not sure) that bounced of the hood and then off the windshield that scared the crap out of me. If that was a bolt I could be dead. It did damage the finish on my paint of my hood.

**86 IROC-Z** · 01-08-2010, 10:18 AM

I used to do this on the I-16

**justinmc978** · 01-08-2010, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by tnthub

If you can get close enough the suction almost pulls the car by itself.

this. it just pisses truckers off, you havta get thier permission

**LSCyaL8R** · 01-08-2010, 12:01 PM

I once drove to Boston doing this in my old pontiac sunbird. all 4 windows down and the AC on and i wasn't even doing it the whole way and I still managed about 35mpg from that carbureted 3spd little tinker toy of a car.

**SiggyZ** · 01-08-2010, 12:54 PM

I would never do something that retarded.

**Brian H Drifer** · 01-08-2010, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by SiggyZ

I would never do something that retarded.

**wheeliE-maxx** · 01-08-2010, 12:59 PM

We experimented with drafting in our pos Cobalt. Drove it to save moeny on a trip but it only got around 30mpg at 70, a four speed is not good in a gutless turd. But getting within a reasonable (normal) following distance made the mileage shoot up to around 40.