How close behind a 18 wheeler do you have to be in order to get a good draft?

[Bootprint]

Discovery.com article

 

[Ausm]

People who tailgate should be shot!

Ausm

 

[Dead3ye]

Close enough that you're gonna piss the truck driver off. They don't like it, just like anybody else who doesn't like someone tailgating them.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Baked

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: rh71
saving gas money this way and that way is so overrated... unless you drive 100 miles a day.

What you typically save with these methods is chump change.

But a penny saved is a penny earned.

Go dumpster diving for bottles you cheap ass.

That seems totally uncalled for.

 

[psteng19]

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Discovery.com article

Finally a definitive answer.
Thanks!

 

[JoPh]

Originally posted by: rh71
saving gas money this way and that way is so overrated... unless you drive 100 miles a day.

What you typically save with these methods is chump change.

100miles a day here!

 

[Zebo]

Get yourself a grapling hook and snag his bumper = awesome mileage.

 

[Ramma2]

Ever see those huge lengths of tires on the side of the freeway? They are from blown truck tires, and they come straight back before they get knocked off to the side of the road.

If you're following a truck close enough to draft him, you will have no time to avoid the incomming projectile. It will slam through your windshield and kill you, no doubt.

Is it worth it?

 

[ElFenix]

i could hear the difference in wind noise and i was much further than 16 feet back, and i was following an explorer

 

[psteng19]

I was thinking about tying a pole or flat to my hood and testing it out

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: mugs
I usually slide my car underneath, like in The Fast and the Furious.

Once I do that I just hit cruise control and lean back

 

[DAGTA]

Originally posted by: mugs
I usually slide my car underneath, like in The Fast and the Furious.

Get back to work Griswold or you won't get your Jelly of the Month bonus this year!

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: mugs
I usually slide my car underneath, like The Bandit.

Fixed.

To hell with the Bandit and the F&F. Do it like Clark during the Christmas vacation!!

 

[NiteWulf]

The Tour de France people ruled that bikers must be 3 or more bike lengths away from each other to avoid the draft of the guy in front of them. Semi trucks are much bigger, and when doing 70 on the freeway they push a lot more air. The draft zone has to be bigget than the 8-16ft from the article. I'm far form an aeronautics expert, but I think that the NASA guy didn't take into account the turbulence left over from the closing wake.

FWIW, in NASCAR 2002 for the pc, you start to get a slight speed increase from the guy in front of you at 200+ feet when on the straights. I don't know how accurate their physics model is.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
It all depends on the size of the vehicle you're driving. My 4runner is large, so I have to get pretty close.

I won't draft if it looks like a younger guy driving. Most of those guys have no sense. If I see an old timer behind the wheel though I'll flash my lights and pull in behind the trailer. The old timers are usually pretty cool about it. Plus they know where smokey lurks, so the know what speed to go.

If you do draft always tap your brakes two or three times after you're in front of him as a thank you, it's the rules of the road my friend.

And flash your highs when you pull out to pass him. It's a courtesy truckers appreciate.

 

[psteng19]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
It all depends on the size of the vehicle you're driving. My 4runner is large, so I have to get pretty close.

I won't draft if it looks like a younger guy driving. Most of those guys have no sense. If I see an old timer behind the wheel though I'll flash my lights and pull in behind the trailer. The old timers are usually pretty cool about it. Plus they know where smokey lurks, so the know what speed to go.

If you do draft always tap your brakes two or three times after you're in front of him as a thank you, it's the rules of the road my friend.

And flash your highs when you pull out to pass him. It's a courtesy truckers appreciate.

Are you guys serious? I can't tell.

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Discovery.com article

Nice, I also liked Traffic Jam "Ghosts"

Another good one.

 

[Spg]

I have tried it behind my friends 38' 5th wheel. Going out to glamis in the middle of the night with no one around and talking to him on my cell

It made the trip a little more exciting.

 

[Kalvin00]

Originally posted by: DAGTA

Originally posted by: mugs
I usually slide my car underneath, like in The Fast and the Furious.

Get back to work Griswold or you won't get your Jelly of the Month bonus this year!

:laugh: Clark, it's the gift that keeps on giving all year.


....That it is, Edward.





Man, I love that movie. Can't wait to watch it

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: psteng19

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
It all depends on the size of the vehicle you're driving. My 4runner is large, so I have to get pretty close.

I won't draft if it looks like a younger guy driving. Most of those guys have no sense. If I see an old timer behind the wheel though I'll flash my lights and pull in behind the trailer. The old timers are usually pretty cool about it. Plus they know where smokey lurks, so the know what speed to go.

If you do draft always tap your brakes two or three times after you're in front of him as a thank you, it's the rules of the road my friend.

And flash your highs when you pull out to pass him. It's a courtesy truckers appreciate.

Are you guys serious? I can't tell.

I'm not sure about Perknose, but MisterJackson is right that flashing your brake lights a few times is the way you thank a trucker. But you don't have to hit the brakes, you can just turn your lights on and off. If you pay attention, you'll notice that when one trucker pulls in front of another, he'll sometimes flash the lights on the trailer on and off. The trucker that let the other guy in front of him then flashes his in acknowledgement.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: psteng19

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
It all depends on the size of the vehicle you're driving. My 4runner is large, so I have to get pretty close.

I won't draft if it looks like a younger guy driving. Most of those guys have no sense. If I see an old timer behind the wheel though I'll flash my lights and pull in behind the trailer. The old timers are usually pretty cool about it. Plus they know where smokey lurks, so the know what speed to go.

If you do draft always tap your brakes two or three times after you're in front of him as a thank you, it's the rules of the road my friend.

And flash your highs when you pull out to pass him. It's a courtesy truckers appreciate.

Are you guys serious? I can't tell.

I'd say yes. Car lights are very context sensitive though. A double-flash of the highbeams can mean many things, including two opposite - "Stay there, I'm about to pass you" or "I'm backing off, come in here."

- M4H

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: psteng19

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
It all depends on the size of the vehicle you're driving. My 4runner is large, so I have to get pretty close.

I won't draft if it looks like a younger guy driving. Most of those guys have no sense. If I see an old timer behind the wheel though I'll flash my lights and pull in behind the trailer. The old timers are usually pretty cool about it. Plus they know where smokey lurks, so the know what speed to go.

If you do draft always tap your brakes two or three times after you're in front of him as a thank you, it's the rules of the road my friend.

And flash your highs when you pull out to pass him. It's a courtesy truckers appreciate.

Are you guys serious? I can't tell.

I'm not sure about Perknose, but MisterJackson is right that flashing your brake lights a few times is the way you thank a trucker. But you don't have to hit the brakes, you can just turn your lights on and off. If you pay attention, you'll notice that when one trucker pulls in front of another, he'll sometimes flash the lights on the trailer on and off. The trucker that let the other guy in front of him then flashes his in acknowledgement.

Thats a little backwards from how I learned it.

I learned that when a truck passes you, a quick flash of lights or even a quick flash of your high beams lets the truck driver know that he has completely cleared your car and it is safe to pull back into the right hand lane of traffic. He can notice the flash without ever having to check his mirrors to know when he has cleared the vehicle he is passing.

The trucker will then flash his trailer lights as a quick thank you for doing him that small favor.

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: Sluggo

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: psteng19

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
It all depends on the size of the vehicle you're driving. My 4runner is large, so I have to get pretty close.

I won't draft if it looks like a younger guy driving. Most of those guys have no sense. If I see an old timer behind the wheel though I'll flash my lights and pull in behind the trailer. The old timers are usually pretty cool about it. Plus they know where smokey lurks, so the know what speed to go.

If you do draft always tap your brakes two or three times after you're in front of him as a thank you, it's the rules of the road my friend.

And flash your highs when you pull out to pass him. It's a courtesy truckers appreciate.

Are you guys serious? I can't tell.

I'm not sure about Perknose, but MisterJackson is right that flashing your brake lights a few times is the way you thank a trucker. But you don't have to hit the brakes, you can just turn your lights on and off. If you pay attention, you'll notice that when one trucker pulls in front of another, he'll sometimes flash the lights on the trailer on and off. The trucker that let the other guy in front of him then flashes his in acknowledgement.

Thats a little backwards from how I learned it.

I learned that when a truck passes you, a quick flash of lights or even a quick flash of your high beams lets the truck driver know that he has completely cleared your car and it is safe to pull back into the right hand lane of traffic. He can notice the flash without ever having to check his mirrors to know when he has cleared the vehicle he is passing.

The trucker will then flash his trailer lights as a quick thank you for doing him that small favor.

you can have whole conversations this way

 

[Philippine Mango]

Originally posted by: Zebo
Get yourself a grapling hook and snag his bumper = awesome mileage.

Was just about to say that. But seriously though, you could technically just have the car like litterally on the truck's bumper so that if the truck WERE to stop suddenly, you wouldn't exactly go very far....

 

[her209]

Its cheaper to get a crotch rocket.