Gas when towing...

[Labswine]

So, usually I run 87 Octane regular when just bopping around or on trips where I'm not towing. I typically get around 20 MPG bopping around and 23-24 MPG on trips...lotsa interstate driving. Best ever seen was 26.7 MPG on a long trip.

Well, this trip, towing my camper (27' and 5,100 lbs with all we want or need) in my Overland, I ran at least 90 Octane (had half a tank of 87, filled it with 93 so average 'should' be ~90). Yes, performance was a little better when pulling grades but there were a couple of times driving North through the Poconos I had to drop to 5th just to maintain 55 MPH on the grades.

I get to Cooperstown, NY and needed the second refill right before I got to the campground and, that station had 92 Octane, ETHANOL FREE!!! So, of course I had to try it. Yeah it was $5.20/gallon but most 89 was nearly the same price at $4.90/gallon and the 93 was at $5.10/gallon.

Three days later, I went from Cooperstown, NY to Ticonderoga, NY on that tank I found that grades I usually needed to drop to 6th just to maintain at least 60 MPH, I could do in 7th. Plus those grades, previously, I needed to drop to 5th, 6th handled them just fine. Plus, with my '90' blend, going through the Poconos, I got around 10 MPG. The run from Cooperstown to Ticonderoga, through the Adirondacks, I got 13.5 MPG.

So, what this tells me is that this whole ethanol in gas to stretch out the supplies is total BS. If we took out the ethanol, I feel that our fuel supplies would be just fine as everyone would be getting much better fuel economy.

Bottom line, ethanol free gas is far superior to the dreck they give us now.

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[MeanGreen]

Give me all the ethanol! lol Burns cleaner and cooler. I'm not sure why ethanol has such a bad reputation to some, but there's way more pros than cons to it. The only negative in my book is that you'll get worse MPG. I run E15 in my Gladiator all the time and have ran E85 almost exclusively in my Mustang GT for 4 years.

 

[Tripp]

Yeahhhhhhhh I don’t agree with you at all. Ethanol definitely has its benefits. Before my gladiator I had a ‘21 Mustang GT tuned on e85. The power difference was pretty substantial for the minimal cost of a tune.

Do some research on the benefits of ethanol and the effect it has on octane ratings. If you do a little research you will see the many benefits it CAN have

 

[Blade1668]

I would burn many bridges with my experience and opinions with ethanol in gasoline. Opinion it's s### for everyday use or hours of continuous use. Less MPG especially when compared to straight gasoline. Yeah it burns cooler and possibly cleaner.
On actually experiences with the E85 in vehicles made to run off it or gasoline / E15-85 gasoline. Two different times in 2 situations first having to refuel twice a shift due to the low MPG. Second that cost 2 fleets of patrol vehicles having engine failures from it. The engine oil was on a 3000 mile / or set monthly schedule for changes. In a 3 month period total fleet of vehicles had to have engines replaced. Manufacturer covered first set at the department. That along with double the fuel cost over gasoline or E15/85 gasoline. The last time new chief(s) and they decided they knew more (politics involved) decided to go greener with the s### again even though it was explained by the service manager when we got new fleet of cars. 8 engine failures in a month. That didn't end there, as a different agency passed the E85 off to get it out of their vehicles. (2 separate Fed LEO entities) My patrol vehicle survived it due to having the fuel card odd hours in service and not E85 compatible. I could add more but I don't feel like spending all of the time it would take. Much less some of the incidents involved reports due to when some failed.

 

[Narth]

So, usually I run 87 Octane regular when just bopping around or on trips where I'm not towing. I typically get around 20 MPG bopping around and 23-24 MPG on trips...lotsa interstate driving. Best ever seen was 26.7 MPG on a long trip.

Well, this trip, towing my camper (27' and 5,100 lbs with all we want or need) in my Overland, I ran at least 90 Octane (had half a tank of 87, filled it with 93 so average 'should' be ~90). Yes, performance was a little better when pulling grades but there were a couple of times driving North through the Poconos I had to drop to 5th just to maintain 55 MPH on the grades.

I get to Cooperstown, NY and needed the second refill right before I got to the campground and, that station had 92 Octane, ETHANOL FREE!!! So, of course I had to try it. Yeah it was $5.20/gallon but most 89 was nearly the same price at $4.90/gallon and the 93 was at $5.10/gallon.

Three days later, I went from Cooperstown, NY to Ticonderoga, NY on that tank I found that grades I usually needed to drop to 6th just to maintain at least 60 MPH, I could do in 7th. Plus those grades, previously, I needed to drop to 5th, 6th handled them just fine. Plus, with my '90' blend, going through the Poconos, I got around 10 MPG. The run from Cooperstown to Ticonderoga, through the Adirondacks, I got 13.5 MPG.

So, what this tells me is that this whole ethanol in gas to stretch out the supplies is total BS. If we took out the ethanol, I feel that our fuel supplies would be just fine as everyone would be getting much better fuel economy.

Bottom line, ethanol free gas is far superior to the dreck they give us now.

Ethanol-free gas has more energy than E10, but your better MPG and power came mostly from higher octane and driving through the Adirondacks instead of the steep Poconos.

 

[Janster]

Ha!! I’m lucky to get 20mpg on a long highway trip & my day-to-day gas mileage average is around 15-16mpg. When we’re towing the 3,500 boat, it might deep into 14mpg. Consider yourself lucky to get the mileage that you get!!!!

I run 87….. and I don’t worry about it. There hasn’t been any issues with performance either.

With past vehicles I’ve had and experimented with higher octane gas - Sure, you can get slightly better gas mileage, but the COST PER MILE was never worth to use higher octane on a regular basis. Every car/vehicle is different. You have to find your own ‘results’ from testing (per say).

 

[MeanGreen]

I would burn many bridges with my experience and opinions with ethanol in gasoline. Opinion it's s### for everyday use or hours of continuous use. Less MPG especially when compared to straight gasoline. Yeah it burns cooler and possibly cleaner.
On actually experiences with the E85 in vehicles made to run off it or gasoline / E15-85 gasoline. Two different times in 2 situations first having to refuel twice a shift due to the low MPG. Second that cost 2 fleets of patrol vehicles having engine failures from it. The engine oil was on a 3000 mile / or set monthly schedule for changes. In a 3 month period total fleet of vehicles had to have engines replaced. Manufacturer covered first set at the department. That along with double the fuel cost over gasoline or E15/85 gasoline. The last time new chief(s) and they decided they knew more (politics involved) decided to go greener with the s### again even though it was explained by the service manager when we got new fleet of cars. 8 engine failures in a month. That didn't end there, as a different agency passed the E85 off to get it out of their vehicles. (2 separate Fed LEO entities) My patrol vehicle survived it due to having the fuel card odd hours in service and not E85 compatible. I could add more but I don't feel like spending all of the time it would take. Much less some of the incidents involved reports due to when some failed.

8 vehicles in a month?? Sounds like bad fuel... Ethanol based fuels aren't inherently bad for modern cars and trucks at all.

 

[Blade1668]

8 vehicles in a month?? Sounds like bad fuel... Ethanol based fuels aren't inherently bad for modern cars and trucks at all.

Could be but the vehicles were E85 ready from mfg. Chevrolet police cars. The vehicles would be running for hours on end, at times almost 24 hours continuously rotated though 3 shifts with some or two shifts depending on assigned sections. "Note" more than a few who operated the vehicles I wouldn't trust to move my own vehicle in a parking lot with me watching.
I won't go on how much they sucked for someone over 6ft tall.

 

[Tripp]

Could be but the vehicles were E85 ready from mfg. Chevrolet police cars. The vehicles would be running for hours on end, at times almost 24 hours continuously rotated though 3 shifts with some or two shifts depending on assigned sections. "Note" more than a few who operated the vehicles I wouldn't trust to move my own vehicle in a parking lot with me watching.
I won't go on how much they sucked for someone over 6ft tall.

Another potential reason for the problem you were seeing is, ethanol is hygroscopic so it “absorbs” water. If the fuel station you frequently went to in your patrol vehicles did not go through E85 at an efficient rate, you could have been getting water in your fuel.

Ethanol has drawbacks but it has many positives as well.

For the OP (not you) to claim ethanol free fuel is superior for all applications is absurd

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