Dustin Anderson Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) A buddy of mine and I are commuter cyclists and efficiency geeks. He was surprised when I purchased a V8 monster box. 3500 HD SV Highroof I just finished a 780 km day through the mountains and burned about 135 litres for about a 17km/100 km average (americans are on your own for conversion... :0) ). Not bad for my first time on the road. I use cruise control all the time, look way ahead, coast when coming up to a stop (Canadian highways have stop lights in small towns :0( ) and travel at or below the speed limit (avg 90 kph). There was some suggestion of the optimum rev range for fuel economy was 2200-2500 rpm. I used both 4th gear and 5th gear at different stages of this mountainous terrain and I think 5 gear is better with the low revs...although this is completely anecdotal....for now Does anyone have one of these? http://www.scangauge.com/products/scangaugee/ This next part is really nerdy...you have been warned. :0) Also...I am thinking that fuel economy could be improved again by folding in the mirrors (yes.. dangerous in urban areas but if I am in the right lane on the highway as everyone passes it could be safe...those barn doors cause alot of drag!) and/or putting a rear tailbox or aero mod on the back to reduce the rear vortices, which is huge drag. I am going to consult with the hyper milers and aero modders. My dream is 12 l/100kms....Only time will tell. Does anyone have any ideas? Edited March 5, 2015 by Dustin Anderson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RICK Posted January 12, 2015 i have the scangauge 2 and not only does it give you lots of gauge options, it also give you instant mpg and fuel consumption. lets you recall yesterdays and current results. best $150.00 you can spend. of course there are much less expensive bluetooth obd2 readers paired with an app, i just prefer a dedicated unit. Rick. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wollip Posted January 12, 2015 Search for this orphaned post on ecomodder.com - Nissan NV 2500 Hightop V6 aero modding. The info is a couple of years old and follow ups never happened. I have a RV vent fan and low-profile ac unit on top of my 2500 Hightop V8 and they definitely drag 1.5 mpg or so off my avg. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mc2guy Posted January 12, 2015 Yes, mirrors would reduce a lot of drag, but not very practical if you ask me. I'd first start with the cheap and obvious mods. I'd block up as much of the air vents on the front as possible while allowing sufficient cooling air flow to the radiators. Second, I'd add an air dam from the front bumper as low as practical to prevent as much air as possible from going under the van. Lastly, I'd figure out a panel/skirt for the rear wheels. You speak like you've been down this path, so you know the drill. Five runs over a known course charting before and after averages for each mod independently... that is the only way to verify the value of the mod, otherwise its all speculation. FWIW, I've thought through the cost/value equation for aero mods on the NV and concluded that the only one I'd really consider would be the air dam and blocking some of the front vents. Beyond that, you are going to spend a lot of money and time for really negligible gains. The NV just isn't really a great platform to start with for efficiency mods. Figuring out how to use it less is your best efficient gain. B) 1 Daydreamin520 reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mc2guy Posted January 12, 2015 FWIW, I've had a SGII as well as a OBD Bluetooth using the Droid based app, "Torque Pro". IMO, the latter is a much better/cheaper option, plus... no wires. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daydreamin520 Posted January 12, 2015 Mc2guy - How would you do those mods... "...block air vents... add air dam..."? Please let us know if you ever find something that works. Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mc2guy Posted January 12, 2015 I haven't done them because I don't think it would net anything appreciable vs. the effort to create something workable that didn't look like poop. Also, with $2/gal gas, it just isn't that big of a deal (to me), to get an extra 1/2 mile per gallon. YRMV. If I did, however, the air dam is pretty easy... find a piece of 6" landscape trim and just screw it on with some kind of L bracket. Landscape trim is cheap, black, usually durable plastic and wont flap around. The grill could be blocked from the back with a piece of corrugated plastic sheet cut to size and zip tied on. I'd monitor engine temps if you go this route...especially in warmer weather. The radiators (engine coolant, oil, trans) need airflow to work properly, so you don't want zero air going there. Airflow is usually engineered to meet the cooling needs in extremely hot applications (towing a boat over a mountain in death valley in July), so blocking them won't generally create a problem for normal use, however, it should be monitored to ensure you don't encounter any issue. 1 Daydreamin520 reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dustin Anderson Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) FWIW, I've had a SGII as well as a OBD Bluetooth using the Droid based app, "Torque Pro". IMO, the latter is a much better/cheaper option, plus... no wires.What OBD bluetooth device do you have? BTW - Where is the OBD outlet on the van? Edited January 13, 2015 by Dustin Anderson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daydreamin520 Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) Thanks, Mc2guy. I think I am with you on passing for now. In Arizona, don't think I want to risk screwing up air flow to engine... lol. I'll just be like the UPS trucks... no left turns, try to only park where I pull in/drive out forward, keeping to speed limit or less. I swear this van reminds me of my Grampy (... born in 1897, he only ever drove a panel truck, selling fruits and veggies out of it in the summers - on the country roads in Maine - and Christmas wreaths made by my grandmother, in the winter. OH... and smuggled whiskey at the bottom of baskets of apples, comin' down from Canada, during prohibition!). Grampy would only ever drive max "FOR-tee-FIVE"... probably got pretty good gas mileage. And, since I remember watching the road wiz by thru' the hole in the floor, as I sat (unbelted, of course, back then) on my Nana's lap, Grampy obviously did not worry about drag effect of air going under the truck! lol. Edited January 13, 2015 by Daydreamin520 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mc2guy Posted January 13, 2015 What OBD bluetooth device do you have? BTW - Where is the OBD outlet on the van?I don't recall the name, but I found it on Amazon. I think it was $20, blue, and is backlit when the computer is on. The OBD port is under the dash by the right knee of the driver. Easy to find/access. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glidedon Posted January 13, 2015 I'll second the blue tooth obdll reader and Torque Pro app, very handy and total cost of about $30. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dustin Anderson Posted January 23, 2015 I have a Iphone so I had to order a different one....Looking forward to using it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
