> <<...some of the more extreme mileage increasing
> methods....draft 200' behind a semi going 62MPH>>
> Ahh, shades of my younger (aka: stupid) days. The 200'
> number is a bit high. With my 65 VW with a whopping 40hp
> 1200cc, I found the correct number for semi-drafting was more
> like 4-5 feet, not 200. Used to do this between Sac-a-tomato
> and Stockton on a regular basis, which the truckers really
> don't appreciate. Once they learned I was back there they
> would 'peel' me off by changing lanes where I couldn't
> follow. Thank god I wised up before I had to pay for that
> mindless folly. Once you got ~10 feet out, their turbulence
> would catch the BACK of the VW, and suck ya up close.
> Fergus O, 69 2000, HB, CA
There's a guy in the Prius forums that did some testing with an anemometer
on the front of his car to test various drafting differences by measuring
the wind speed (as well as other things). He found that you get about 40% of
the advantage being at 150-200' out as being very close. So not as much, but
better than not drafting and at a safe distance - I don't want to eat the
rear bumper of a semi.
-Mitch
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