Driving to Texas.. Tips

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

Ok well I am going to be moving to Texas next week. I have one main question to ask but tips would be nice. We have driven there and back plenty of times so I think I got it down. I just got back from visiting on Christmas.

So the question, I drive a 97Mountaineer (explorer) I am going to be pulling a Uhaul trailer behind me.

Will it save that much gas driving behind a truck (18 wheeler) if so how far behind it? Say will 100ft even make a difference, and say 30 ft?

Its kind of like a myth, even believe it was on mythbusters once, but with me getting 12 miles a gallon, highway wont be much better. And pulling a trailer, I would rather it just cost me an arm rather than and arm and a leg to get there.

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[Rattlebrain 10+ year member]

Drive 55. Its a PITA but you will get better fuel milage

 

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

Mythbusters said it does work to drive behind an 18 wheeler. Its up to you.

I just set my cruse and go.

What part you moving to?

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

where at in texas?

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

Drive 55. Its a PITA but you will get better fuel milage

It would take forever to get there like that... My problem is I get tired, I went there through the night this last time and I am **** glad I had my brother with me. Me and my ole lady wouldnt have made it. I drove there a year or two ago by myself in the day and I was fine.. I had a stereo then and just jammed the whole way..

I will deff be driving during the way this time as well..

But I couldnt find the myth busters thing so I was wandering if anyone here would just happen to know, hell if in nascar they can drift QUITE a ways back off of cars I figured a **** 18 wheeler would be a hell of alot nicer. I would just try it on my own and see but my odometer does not work anymore

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

Lufkin Texas, you may be more familiar to Nachadoches, it is about 1.5 hours north of Houston..

 

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

Lufkin Texas, you may be more familiar to Nachadoches, it is about 1.5 hours north of Houston..

Yep, I know where that it. A coworker and myself were just talking about that area yesterday.

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

Yep, I know where that it. A coworker and myself were just talking about that area yesterday.

I love it there where my dad lives, it is like a country setting but if your drive 3 miles you are in the city. They have a nice mall and stuff... I am just trying to take my family there and start all over. To much shit here in bama

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

It would take forever to get there like that... My problem is I get tired, I went there through the night this last time and I am **** glad I had my brother with me. Me and my ole lady wouldnt have made it. I drove there a year or two ago by myself in the day and I was fine.. I had a stereo then and just jammed the whole way..
I will deff be driving during the way this time as well..

But I couldnt find the myth busters thing so I was wandering if anyone here would just happen to know, hell if in nascar they can drift QUITE a ways back off of cars I figured a **** 18 wheeler would be a hell of alot nicer. I would just try it on my own and see but my odometer does not work anymore

you mean speedometer?

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

Lufkin Texas, you may be more familiar to Nachadoches, it is about 1.5 hours north of Houston..

oh christ...im sorry to hear that //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

shitty little town out in the middle of nowhere, I was there all the time when I had some companies there as remote software test sites. Im actually from College Station, TX.

At least most of the roads are just flat and straight in texas, so that helps on gas some.

 

[turboed331 10+ year member]

as a trucker i speak for all of us, if you cant see our mirrors we cant see you. just please give the trucks some space. draft all you want but remember what i just said. oh and also if he blows a tire and your to close dont blame him! be careful

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

oh christ...im sorry to hear that //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

shitty little town out in the middle of nowhere, I was there all the time when I had some companies there as remote software test sites. Im actually from College Station, TX.

At least most of the roads are just flat and straight in texas, so that helps on gas some.

Where in nachadoches or lufkin?

I meant odometer, as in to check mileage.

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

as a trucker i speak for all of us, if you cant see our mirrors we cant see you. just please give the trucks some space. draft all you want but remember what i just said. oh and also if he blows a tire and your to close dont blame him! be careful

This is some input I would like also, I dont think of stuff like this. I did see a big sign on a truck one time that said that and it did make me think, but the tire would also ****. A little bit more money may not be worth the risk.

 

[turboed331 10+ year member]

just tryin to help ya out guy. ive had many people tailgate me and ive had a few tires blow needless to say when it blows you dont wanna have to make a fast move at 60mph with a trailer on the highway, bad things happen. im sure the risks dont out weigh the rewards. just take a nice safe ride :]

 

[2002XLT 5,000+ posts]

At the beginning of Jan i drove a 28ft uhaul towing a 16ft trailer loaded with a Jimmy on it from Houston to Sacramento.

The mythbusters show is true, it said that around 100ft you get a 10% improvement.

What i did, was pretty much stayed behind truckers that were doing 65-70 and stayed a car length behind (or the trucklength actually, about 40 ft behind him.) This still gave us an improvement in gas mileage, and also allowed me to relax because it was REALLY windy and the truck would break the wind for me so it wasnt so bad.

Also, at nighttime and in a heavy fog (like when we got to california) it allows you to see in front of you better because you KNOW you can stop faster then the 18 wheeler.

Good luck. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif