Drafting

[davens]

Proven to work remarkably well but I didn't see much discussion on its use.

There are drawbacks:
It pisses some truckers off.
You have to be hyper alert because room for reaction is minimal.
In high ambient heat + long duration situations, the reduction of airflow over the radiator can lead to increased operating temperatures.
Legality varies from state to state (tailgating type of laws).

[kickflipjr]

Were is the best place to draft a truck? How close? I have tried it a few times but it seems tike turbulent air from underneath the truck hits me. Oh, and its crazy dangerous I wouldn't recomend it.

[dfoxengr]

yeah if you want to die.

[rh77]

Originally Posted by dfoxengr

yeah if you want to die.

I agree. Drafting off of the cement divider would be safer!

I used to be a Paramedic, and the "bumper" on the back of truck trailers is poorly designed and can basically become a decapitation device because it's too high. Trust me on this one. Not a good idea.

RH77

[davens]

and I thought you guys were serious about increasing mpg....wussies

in all seriousness, yes...there are safety considerations.

[Matt Timion]

I considered drafting for about 3 seconds on my most recent trip to Vegas. Then I realized that losing my head a day before my wedding was a very bad idea.

Instead I just drove 65mph the entire way and semi trucks ended up passing me.

[chesspirate]

i've been toying with this a little bit, mainly on my long uphill drive home. Almost always trucks in the evening (making runs to Arizona). Of course, being a 91, my truck can't be monitored for mpg's at a specific time, but i'll be darned if i don't have to back off the throttle once i get into the 'sweet spot'

I have noticed that the trucks don't seem to like it though, not sure why really, wonder if i actually can hide myself completely behind some of them. he he.

Also, seems to work best on square trucks, not the kind that haul sand/rocks etc.

[Compaq888]

The only time I follow truckers is if I'm at least 2-3 cars back. The only benifit is I'm going slower and getting more mpg.

Drafting will give a huge boost in mpg but it is unsafe. Same thing as pumping up the tires too much.

[chesspirate]

Originally Posted by kickflipjr

Were is the best place to draft a truck? How close?

Yeah, how close do you have to be to see a difference? Is it dependant on MPH?

[kickflipjr]

I read somewere on the net that 2.5 seconds back is the best spot. That seems really far to me (but at least its safer).