Hypermiling in 108+ degree weather?

[PaleMelanesian]

Oh, and wear shorts. (obvious, I know) I wore jeans going out on my weekend trip, and shorts on the way back. It made the difference between slightly sweaty and absolutely drenched.

[Mendel Leisk]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

Are you serious?!! Any airflow, even at 108F, is better than baking in 120+ degrees. Without airflow the interior will easily get that warm....

We've got a son who's averse to air conditioning, and we've been going places a lot with him recently, in quite warm conditions. Rolling at any decent speed, you get plenty of air flow with the windows half or full down. I find the air flow being mechanically pumped out through the vents not in the same league, and if you've just hopped into the car parked in the sun, it feels like you're facing a hair dryer, LOL.

[Right Lane Cruiser]

I know this sounds strange but I'd also recommend driving with bare feet -- airflow around the bottom of your feet helps get rid of a bit of heat and makes very hot conditions a lot more sufferable.

[Unleaded]

With todays cooling systems, overheating is a non issue. You may want to use premium gas in this weater if your engine is prone to pinging.

Although my engine was designed for regular, it bitches (pings) in the summer with regular gas. So from april till november, I use premium and use regular the rest of the year.

[MaxxMPG]

During last year's Guinness run in the Kia Optima Hybrid, I racked up maybe 1500 miles of the trip in temperatures between 98F and 118F, without A/C. Yes, it can be done, and no, it's not as bad as it sounds if you're in good health.

Some tips (most noted above) -
- Bare feet - yes it makes a huge difference. But don't do what I did - get out of the car in bare feet (I had socks on but no footwear) - you will quickly burn your feet on concrete or asphalt in those temperatures. I only had to do that once (Laughlin, NV) to learn my lesson. Keep sandals or other footwear closeby if you need to get out of the car.
- Shorts and light shirt - lighter colors are better because dark clothing heats up under full sun.
- Fan on medium speed, set to either dash vents or dash and floor.
- Windows down about three or four inches - drivers window and then rear door window on the opposite side. On a minivan, you can mimic this by opening the swing-out rear windows on one or both sides.
- Bring water in a large cooler packed with ice. The ice melts completely every few hours, but it helps the water bottles to stay cool. The water from the melted ice can be used to splash on your face and wet your hair for added cooling. For long runs on distant desert roads, keep that water by pouring it into a separate jug instead of dumping it in a parking lot - the water is potable although not tasty, and will come in handy if you're stranded far from civilization.
- Drink water even when you're not thirsty. Just sip a mouthful or two every 5 minutes or a little more in higher temps (well over 100F). If you get lightheaded or get a dull headache, you're dehydrated - pull over in a cool spot and drink about 1-1/2 bottles (16-20oz bottles, so you get 24-30oz) of water, half a bottle every 5 minutes, and that will allow your blood volume to replenish. In desert heat, you don't "drip" with sweat because water evaporates so quickly, although your skin gets sticky from the salt solution.
- When you return home, enjoy the funky locker-room smell inside the van that comes from sweating in the driver seat for dozens of hours.

[xcel]

Hi Kwon:

While you are or have already driven this, 108 degrees as a choice of your own is one thing, for a family, it is an entirely different matter. Those temperatures are not to be messed with for a youngster or older person and it would be best if you had your A/C fixed for any kind of lengthy drive in desert heat or not go at all.

Wayne

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

Mine are higher than that in the dead of winter. They'll be fine.

Careful Andrew. Mine are/were about 2X+ sidewall back when were were in the high 90's and low 100's. And now the countdown begins.

[basjoos]

Originally Posted by Mendel Leisk

We've got a son who's averse to air conditioning, and we've been going places a lot with him recently, in quite warm conditions. Rolling at any decent speed, you get plenty of air flow with the windows half or full down. I find the air flow being mechanically pumped out through the vents not in the same league, and if you've just hopped into the car parked in the sun, it feels like you're facing a hair dryer, LOL.

Non-mechanical airflow is one area where pre-1970's cars are far superior to any modern car. Those wing windows, floor kick vents, and front bucket vents used to deliver a gale of directable air that make a modern car's dribble of fan powered air and scattered side window gusts pathetic in comparison. Their vent systems were designed to provide a reasonable degree of comfort without the benefit of a/c, which meant lots of moving air in the passenger compartment.

The same holds true for older houses whose 10 foot high ceilings, transom windows over the interior doors, and windows positioned for good cross ventilation made the summer months tolerable without the benefit of a/c. By comparison a modern house (or car) quickly turns into an oven without a/c in the summer.

[RedylC94]

Originally Posted by basjoos

Non-mechanical airflow is one area where pre-1970's cars are far superior to any modern car. Those wing windows, floor kick vents, and front bucket vents used to deliver a gale of directable air that make a modern car's dribble of fan powered air and scattered side window gusts pathetic in comparison. ... By comparison a modern house (or car) quickly turns into an oven without a/c in the summer.

That's very true. Another big reason lack of AC was easier to tolerate in pre-70s cars was that they had less glass area, with a more upright windshield. Although most people today would consider my Mazda old, it's unfortunately very much a modern car in that respect.

[Kwon]

wow so many answers! thanks for the tips everyone!

The last couple days It's been really hot and I've been traveling long distances, my ScanGauge has been giving me crazy numbers like 40 mpg easy @ 60 mph, with cruise control it's 50 mpg at 60 mph! Is that even possible? I didn't do much nice-on gliding or dfco the last few days of extremely hot weather. so that's just like regular driving kind of deal. just minimal throttle enough to maintain speed...

I once thought 30 mpg (190% of EPA hwy est) was really high, do you guys experience really really high mpg's like this too in hot weather? like triple or above that mpg at fairly good hwy speeds?
It was the first time in a few months I wasn't in the outer most lane inching along around at 50.