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Earlier this month, I set a new long-trip record on the Golf (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34017) (54mpg) on a trip to Sun Valley (ID) and back. Felt pretty good about that.

Well, now it's the Jetta's turn. Yesterday I got back from taking my son on a 5 day camping/biking/paddling trip to Central Oregon. My previous tank record with this vehicle was 37.4mpg. For the moment let's just say that record no longer stands. Two things distinguish this trip:

1. Once I got to Bend I filled up on Pure Gas. It's been a year and a half since the last time I knowingly burned this stuff. Although Oregon is officially an E10 state, aviation and maritime advocates successfully lobbied for legalization of pure gas this year. The catch is that only Premium fuel can be sold without ethanol. Which kind of sucks: I paid $3.699. But it may have been worth it. I know that some of you with newer engines are only seeing the 4% FE change that you'd expect based on energy content, but it seems to make a bigger difference on my vehicle.

2. As with the Sun Valley trip, I was pretty dedicated about applying DWL. In the past I've been more or less a steady-state cruiser on the highway, with some P&G thrown in where the terrain makes it worthwhile. But on these last two trips I've been really conscious about constantly monitoring LOD and keeping it as steady as I can. As with city techniques like anticipatory driving, it's one thing to say you do it ... it's quite another to do it ALL THE TIME, and boy does it pay off if you do.

So ... the bottom line is that my new record is 42.5mpg, shattering the old record by a full 5mpg.:Banane03: Simply incredible! :Banane35:

Disclaimers:
1. I'm reasonably confident that this wasn't due to overfilling at the beginning of the tank, nor underfilling at the end. I watched the attendants (OR is a full-serve state) carefully to make sure they stopped at the first click and didn't top off. I also monitored the progress of the gas gauge carefully for the whole drive, and the car was definitely returning record mileage all the way across.
2. Admittedly, my end point (Portland) was 3000' lower in elevation than my start point (Bend). But I do this drive pretty regularly, and I've never seen the elevation change amount to more than a 1-2mpg benefit across a whole tank.
3. This was all with a rear hitch-mounted cargo tray and 3 bikes on the back!
4. Weather conditions weren't bad for FE (no AC needed) but not ideal either. We had a spate of unseasonably cool weather, so temps were mostly 40s and 50s, and at least half the driving was in the rain.
5. This was mostly a highway tank, but also included probably 60-80 miles of what (in Bend) passes for city driving.

Congrats!! :D:thumbs_up: :woot:

Was that with the "6500" tray?

2. Admittedly, my end point (Portland) was 3000' lower in elevation than my start point (Bend). But I do this drive pretty regularly, and I've never seen the elevation change amount to more than a 1-2mpg benefit across a whole tank.
.

The elevation could have been a bigger factor, but indirectly. You committed to DWL and the drop could have made it easier to do it consistently.

Hi Dan:

42 + from the gasser with bikes attached? That is excellent FE!!!

Great job too.

Wayne

Well done! Few can claim what you just did. :)

As with city techniques like anticipatory driving, it's one thing to say you do it ... it's quite another to do it ALL THE TIME, and boy does it pay off if you do.
This is a true statement.

Now if only I could get consistent access to pure gas, which might help my city mpg considerably too. Nearest car-oriented retail pump is 50 miles away in Salem. There are, however, several marinas in the area that carry it, including one about 3 miles from my house. I may have to make some calls to find out if any of them are accessible to cars, or boat-only.

The other angle I need to consider - since this was ethanol free premium - is whether the higher octane was making a contribution. Next fill will be a tank of E10 premium to see if it makes a difference vs E10 regular. I normally dismiss premium as a waste of $, but I'll have to at least try it.

Congrats!! :D:thumbs_up: :woot:

Was that with the "6500" tray?Yes, that was the same tray you recommended - and thanks again for that! It's perfect for the job, and haven't scraped it yet despite lots of steep driveway aprons and some rough terrain. I've modified it with a couple of Yakima truck-bed bike mounts and lots of DOT reflective tape.

Here's a photo of it loaded up with my cyclocross bike, my mountain bike and my son's trailercycle.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/uploads/763/IMG_1402_HitchCarrier.jpg

A beautiful sight for sure, Wri.

My son and I have great memories from his days on the 3rd wheel.

Yes, that was the same tray you recommended - and thanks again for that! It's perfect for the job, and haven't scraped it yet despite lots of steep driveway aprons and some rough terrain. I've modified it with a couple of Yakima truck-bed bike mounts and lots of DOT reflective tape.

Here's a photo of it loaded up with my cyclocross bike, my mountain bike and my son's trailercycle.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/uploads/763/IMG_1402_HitchCarrier.jpg

I installed a hitch on my car and I am planning on doing this very thing. I am going to get a tray like that for hauling my portable fish trap fish house for this winter. I also just want one for any misc hauling needed, I am just wondering if it will tip side to side or if it is pretty stable. I have seen some in use going down the road that are moving all over the place. My hitch is a 1 -1/4" so might be super stable,how is yours for stability?

BTW great mpg!

The catch is that only Premium fuel can be sold without ethanol.

Do you know any more of the story on that, why it would be that only premium gas is ethanol free? In our area we typically fill up at Chevron, and within the last year all the pumps have sprouted stickers: all but the highest octane pump stickers say "may contain up to 10% ethanol", while the premium pump (the very highest octane selection only) declares that it is "ethanol free".

As far as I know, for the vast majority of regular compression engines higher octane gas is not needed, and the only reason to use higher octane, "premium" gas is to prevent pre-ignition, that is a factor with higher compression engines, typically used on a few sports and/or luxury cars.

With the advent of computer controlled fuel delivery, the waters get muddied though: if the car's computer detects pre-ignition somehow, it may retard timing. As a consequence, most any car can use regular gas, albeit with the possibility of retarded ignition timing, to compensate.

Purely my opinion: there are way too many higher octane offerings/choices, considering the number of cars actually requiring the stuff, at least according to what the Owners Manuals say. Also, I know I'm a bit out-of-my depth, not really knowledgable on the subject, just some thoughts.

Wow, nearly a 14% increase. That's a huge jump. You have set the bar high for your next challenge. Now go get that 45mpg tank......................should be very possible without the bikes. Good luck! :woot:

Do you know any more of the story on that, why it would be that only premium gas is ethanol free?

My guess is that the law's framed that way so most people won't buy it only those people who really need it.

I've always looked on the gas company's marketing of premium gas as thinly veiled hucksterism. Looks to me like they've latched onto ethanol-free as one more ploy to sucker people into paying the exhorbitant higher octane prices.

Getting ethanol out of gas is likely a net benefit for environmental preservation, but I don't see why it should be exclusively high octane gas being sold without ethanol. Both issues: promotion of excessively high octane, and inclusion of ethanol in gas, will languish until the consumer/environment protection media latch onto it.

Hi Mendel:

In addition, Ethanol helps raise the octane of fuel so the refiners should be offering the non-Ethanol stuff in regular unleaded, not premium.

While crossing the Western section of NE of all places, I saw a Sinclair that was offering non-ethanol laced Premium. I am hoping Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Oregon have such offerings as the WR needs Premium anyway :)

Wayne

I've always looked on the gas company's marketing of premium gas as thinly veiled hucksterism. Looks to me like they've latched onto ethanol-free as one more ploy to sucker people into paying the exhorbitant higher octane prices.

Getting ethanol out of gas is likely a net benefit for environmental preservation, but I don't see why it should be exclusively high octane gas being sold without ethanol. Both issues: promotion of excessively high octane, and inclusion of ethanol in gas, will languish until the consumer/environment protection media latch onto it.I agree that so-called "Premium" gas is marketing BS as far as most engines are concerned.

But that's the way the latest revision to Oregon law (which took effect January 1 of this year) was written. Basically the Legislature wanted ALL automotive fuel to be E10, and so in 2008 they mandated that all gasoline be E10. But folks with small planes and boats freaked out, since their engines are often not designed to run on gasohol and a lot of them have reported problems. They successfully lobbied the Legislature to allow E10 in Premium. Whether that was because marine and aviation users typically use premium, or a legislative compromise to keep it from becoming too popular, I don't know.

Here is a page from the Oregon state government website giving some background:
http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/news/E10.shtml

Wayne - here is a list of suppliers in the state, by county. You will pass through Malheur County, then Harney, then Crook, then Deschutes, then Lane to the coast. Counties from there will depend on your route back to Portland, but note that there are several retailers in Marion County (i.e., Salem area) to choose from and none that I've yet confirmed in the Portland metro, which may influence your route decision. Note that most of the suppliers listed are wholesalers -- you need to scan the list for retailers, and those with pumps and not just selling by the barrel:
http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/news/docs/EthanolList.pdf

I installed a hitch on my car and I am planning on doing this very thing. I am going to get a tray like that for hauling my portable fish trap fish house for this winter. I also just want one for any misc hauling needed, I am just wondering if it will tip side to side or if it is pretty stable. I have seen some in use going down the road that are moving all over the place. My hitch is a 1 -1/4" so might be super stable,how is yours for stability?Mine's 1 1/4" too. Make sure to get the Draw-Tite 6500, which has a curved bar that causes the tray to sit 4-5" higher than the hitch itself. Most trays end up dragging on the ground when hitched to bolt-on under-bumper hitches on cars -- my previous "flat" tray occasionally scraped on the Outback, was barely usable on the somewhat lower Jetta wagon and was completely unusable on the yet-lower Golf.

It IS pretty wobbly though. My understanding is the only way to have a hitch attachment that isn't wobbly is to use an "anti-wobble" threaded hitch pin that pulls the bar tight against the inside of the hitch. Yakima, and Thule and other makers of hitch-mount bike racks use this method. Problem is, it requires a threaded (and smaller) hole in the bar. I suppose you could drill the appropriate size hole and then tap threads into it, allowing the use of a threaded pin. You'd want a drill press, though: 1 1/4" is a LOT of steel to drill through!