2015 Cascadia OTR Performance

That's a shame to hear. Paccar used to be so great about everything. That was back when I was running Pete 379's though. Had friends w/ W-900 long noses too and they all had great experiences too. I hate hearing Paccar has succumbed to the corporate screw.

 

You know FB, I think it may come down to relationships. Know what I mean? Having that solid relationship w/ a reputable dealership that has some pull w/ corporate can be a genuine asset. Might come down to application also. I did Flatbed (but the lazy man's one - covered wagon LOL) when I had my Petes. Typical FB rig. 379 Ex hood before they started using fiberglass fenders (it was a saying; American Class - all metal - no fiber glass) big cat w/ the twin turbos and aftermarket ECM to dial it up to 600+ and max the torque. Some chicken lights but not too many. Row by each canister and under the doors. A lot I miss about that style - but a lot I don't too. LOL.

I guess (now that my ire is calming a bit) it's kinda like it was serving w/ the Marines: Your current duty station was the worst you'd had, your last was the best you ever had and your next was gonna be the best ever. . . . . .

Til ya got there and every duty station shifted forward in the timeline one notch. LOL. Prolly the same w/ trucks.

 

Well, Darla is starting to loosen up a bit. I don't know that I like the idea of riding a loose female mule, for sure my wife would have a problem w/ it. LOL. Anyhooo, her MPG dropped down to a steady 7.3 for all miles for a good while. Here these last weeks she's had a different feel (we're at 56K now) and she's more . . . smooth, I guess would be the best way to put it and the overall MPG is up a tenth to 7.4. Now since that is measured over all her miles, it's gonna take a bunch of good mileage runs before that will change that much and it will move up slowly just because the mileage in the calculation is so high. That's why I use the leg to look at shorter time periods, checking say a 2 week period or a particular run, or a particular day sometimes. You know. You finish your day and go; "Danged. That was smooth! I wonder how we did on MPG today? or Man today I bet I didn't do 5 MPG! God what a day." You know. There's times you want to know how you are doing sorta real time but not as real time as the slider bar gauge, cause you know the terrain in front of you for the rest of the trip and you wanna know how MPG has been on that last day or two so you can plan your fuel purchase.

She was kinda all over the board between 6.2 and double digits (MT or super light) but here lately that graph has begun to have less peaks and valleys and is flattening out to more steady overall 7.5 - 8.8 on most all runs with the sixes being high sixes and fairly far between and mostly the big MPG battle grounds regardless (heavy in the Appalachians). The highs have still been about the same 10 and 11's under the same conditions. It's just the lows seem to be diminishing fairly well and the middle (which is the "mostly) wobbling around 7.6 for the last month, with me running the same loads and conditions I been running all along. I'm getting a real sense that she's gonna land around 8 and a couple tenths overall when she finally gets fully broken in.

Now, this is gonna sound crazy (what a shock. Right?) but I am GLAD I got her when fuel was $4.00/ Gallon. That forced me to jump into full on MPG and fuel conservation mode from the get-go, so THAT became my default way of operating. I was already in the habit of doing all the things to keep MPG high and purchases low when fuel started dropping so there was no "back-slidin'" (as my Baptist friends call it), cause the Green Way was already a well established habit and the Green Way IS my comfort zone. Know what I mean? I did it long enough so that there is absolutely no temptation to say; screw it, fuel's down, hit the hammer". I FEEL uncomfortable at 68 now (unless it's downhill in E-Coast going WEEEEE like the Geico pig, LOL). It bothers me to have to mash on it. It's nice to have it when I need it but I get annoyed when I have to.

"Danged Nab it people! Make up your minds! You all in MY space, actin' all stupid clustered up and such. Go on! GIT! Git down da road wit'cha stupidness. Ok. THAT does it. Come'mon Darla - GIT EM! Atta girl. Git em, geit em . . . . there ya go! now back to cruise mode! Y'all can be all stupid way back THERE now and stay out Darla's AIR! Her likes her SPACE!"

"Whassat Sweetie? Yeah. It was fun, but don't get a taste for it. Think of it like a rare treat. NOW, Back to sippin' there Mule. You done guzzled enough for a whole week with that pass."

 

Now, now Double D. Belize is where expatriated Americans hiding from the DEA go. Property values skyrocketed in the early 90's for some reason. Go figure. A humble Mule Driver could never afford Belize these days. I'm gonna have to be content with a small ranch in WY.