<div dir="auto">You didn't report on the end result of the VW dealer & radiator issue.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Glad the hear you're back home. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Fuel prices? Because they can.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">When we were motorhoming with our 38', 275hp, 6-speed Allison transmission, diesel-powered Holiday Rambler Endeavor for 17+ years, we found, as you did, gas v. diesel prices varied; station-by-station, state-by-state, truck stops v. local stations. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Since we traveled many routes from WI to TX (Interstates v. state/county roads) through IL, IN, IA, KS, NE, MO, OK, KY, TN, AL, AR, LA, MS diesel prices varied widely. But diesel was <b><font color="#f44336">never</font></b> as low as gas. That makes absolutely no sense to me.</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Oct 26, 2023, 12:40 PM Jim Adney <<a href="mailto:jadney@vwtype3.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">jadney@vwtype3.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">We are back home, after finishing the rest of the trip uneventfully. I just <br>
finished figuring our fuel mileage in our VW TDi Sportwagon, which I tend to <br>
think of as a modern Squareback, but bigger and diesel powered. Our Diesel <br>
averaged 47 mi/gal for the part of the trip that we drove it.<br>
<br>
I don't have complete records of the Honda Pilot consumption, but I thought <br>
it was in the neighborhood of 25 mi/gal. This is about the same as my 50 <br>
year old Squarebacks get. I'll post a better number if I can find the receipts <br>
for some of the Honda Pilot fillups.<br>
<br>
One difference between the Honda Pilot and our Diesel VW was that the <br>
Diesel almost never needed to downshift to climb hills, while the Honda <br>
almost always did. The Honda appeared to have a 5-speed AT, which often <br>
shifted down to 4th or even 3rd on hills. Shifting to 3rd at 70 mi/hr puts its <br>
engine into uncomfortably high RPMs.<br>
<br>
The lesson here is that Diesel engines deliver very high torque. I now have <br>
renewed respect for that white Fasty with the Diesel conversion. What's that <br>
guys name?<br>
<br>
One odd thing that the Pilot did that surprised me was that on several <br>
occasions it would shake the steering wheel and display a large "BRAKE" on <br>
the instrument panel. It did not apply the brakes, because I had not turned <br>
this feature on. There was nothing in the owners manual about this <br>
possibility. This only happened on right hand curves on 2-lane roads, when <br>
it spotted a car directly ahead in the oncoming lane that was closing on us, <br>
but was not on a collision course. This makes me wonder how this could be <br>
prevented. It's got to be a difficult AI problem.<br>
<br>
While driving from Wisconsin to Arizona and back, we had lots of <br>
opportunities to watch gas/diesel prices. What I'm used to seeing here is a <br>
price difference of about 75 cents to maybe $1 per gallon. On our trip, we <br>
were surprised to see differences of over $2 per gallon, especially at the big <br>
truck travel centers, especially Loves, which seems really odd, since trucks <br>
are their main business.<br>
<br>
Does anyone know if long haul truckers have special arrangements with <br>
those chains, like Loves, that get them special prices?<br>
<br>
We saw gas as low as $3.29 and as high as $4.19. Diesel usually sold for <br>
$4.19 to $4.89, but we saw it as high as $5.29. Oddly, I just filled up (Diesel) <br>
here in Madison for $3.89, the lowest price we saw anywhere, but other <br>
places here are selling it as high as $4.19. It makes no sense for Diesel <br>
prices to be lower here than in Texas. (Gas prices were low in Texas, but <br>
Diesel prices were very high. Figure that out!)<br>
<br>
Using Gasbuddy.com, I see HUGE prices on our west coast. I'd like to hear <br>
what other people out there are actually paying. And is there an explanation <br>
for why gas prices are especially high in California?<br>
<br>
-- <br>
*******************************<br>
Jim Adney, <a href="mailto:jadney@vwtype3.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">jadney@vwtype3.org</a><br>
Madison, Wisconsin, USA<br>
*******************************<br>
<br>
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