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Posted by CGarbee on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 07:51:27 :
In Reply to: Arne posted by Paul ( in NY) on Monday, February 25, 2008 at 22:15:13 :
I answered a similar question on another forum and thought that my post was sorta relevent here:
I went on a round trip to Aberdeen, MD, with the East Coast Convoy in May 2007, in my M37 with the Cummins 4BT (1990 ReCon rated at 105hp/286lb-ft, forget the CPL number), ZFs5-42 (0.76:1 fifth gear), 4.89 gears. Hardtop, bows mounted over cargo area, but canvas not mounted. 900r16 Michelin XZL tires (35" diameter). Max speed for trip about 55mph, had to keep it down due to trailing M35A2C for entire trip (mine, driven by my buddy Chuck) and due to the rest of the guys in the Convoy having similar pace vehicles so average was around 50mph (what I tried to hold it at)... Only had a M37 cab, a winch, and fourteen one gallon cans of string beans and potatoes in the bed for the ride up, ride back I had a M37 hardtop and a generator.
It was a 758 mile roundtrip. I burned 30 gallons of fuel... works out to 25mpg...
My "normal' leadfooted driving habits around town and on the highway yield an average of 17mpg, but I routinely am running at 75mph down the Interstate to work and/or doing the stoplight dragraces downtown... Full throttle is not the way to economy.
Keep in mind that I have turned a wrench on every single bolt and fitting on my truck, I have gone through things like steering and brakes, etc. I have seatbelts, and electric wipers, and H2 E-code headlights, and four wheel disc brakes with a dual circuit master cylinder, and new brake lines, and new wiring harness, and LED full red lens (M561) taillights, and turn signals, etc... I go under and over it on a weekly basis. In short, I know my rig, it's well maintained, etc. I also pay attention to what's around me as I drive, and adjust for road conditions (including MY condition, and that of folks and the environment around me...). Hence, I feel good about taking it on both long and short trips, at speed… I feel equally good about taking it offroad.
I turn 2100 rpm’s at 60mph… 2600 rpm gives me 75mph (and I am right up on the governor stop, hence, the poor economy when I wind it up like this…). The 55mph for the Aberdeen trip last year was done at 1900rpm with 50mph occurring at 1750rpm.
I sometimes think that it would be nice to mount some taller tires (there are some Michelin 1100r16’s mounted to a truck in the backyard), but I like the way my truck looks and drives as it is, especially when I am idling over stuff offroad, or pulling a fully loaded M101A1 when the truck is also fully loaded, up hills…