The problem is that the motorhome is 40 feet long and 13 feet high and that makes a hugh "sail" when the wind blows on it. To complement the big sail the side turns into, the front of the motorhome is almost 9 feet wide and 13 feet high; another sizable sail! True, the weight of the vehicle helps offset the sail area, but remember it is all attached to the world by 6 patches of rubber about 8 x 2 inches.
The bottom line is that it doesn't take much wind to push the motorhome around. If the wind blew in a straight line at a constant speed, the corrective inputs through the steering wheel would be pretty simple; just crank in a little left or right and go with the flow.
Unfortunately for the driver, the wind is constantly changing speed and direction. Every passing truck disrupts the flow, as does every building, overpass, stand of trees, hill, ditch, and wind goblin. The result is a constant battle between the yawing, dipping, dodging motorhome and the steering wheel. Today I won, but tonight I'm tired and my shoulders ache!
The track today was south from Kilgore on US259 to south US79 to south US77 to our campground here in Schulenburg. 273 miles, 36.2 gals., 7.6 MPG.
Texas Bluebonnets
MMG was delighted today to find toward the end of the day that the Texas Bluebonnets are beginning to blossom.
Wait minute, I'm not a Bluebonnet!As Spring progresses the fields of the Texas Hill Country will come alive with millions of Bluebonnets, covering the pastures from fence to fence, looking like a low hanging cloud of royal blue.
They Don't Build'em Like They Used To
Fayette County Courthouse, La Grange, TXStreets Either
West Cedar Street, La Grange, TXI can just hear the planning commission meeting on this issue. "OK, we'll compromise. Widen the street AND save the trees!"
Tomorrow, on to San Antonio and Spring Branch!
MMG and DDG
Tomorrow, on to San Antonio and Spring Branch!
MMG and DDG
A DC-9 airliner, weighing in at 90,000 pounds, has the same frontal area and bores a hole at 500+ mph through the air. It gets about 0.5 miles per gallon which, with a full load of 150 passengers, comes to 75 passenger-miles per gallon compared to your 15 passenger-miles per gallon. Your 40' x 13' x 9' rectangular box is, indeed, both unstable and inefficient at boring holes through the air!
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess I had better let the secret out. In the interest of fuel economy, we do have DC-9 on order. We 're still trying to find another 148 passengers who want to go where we go and stop every 300 miles or so......
ReplyDeleteThe trip from Raleigh to San Antonio would have required about 18 gallons of fuel per person on the DC-9. In an automobile with stops every 300 mile, the trip would have required about 27 gallons of fuel per person for run-of-the-mill vehicle. In your motor coach, the trip required something over 100 gallons of fuel per person. That is the amount of fuel the average person in the UK, Germany and France consumes in a year!
ReplyDeleteCareful, Dave, you are getting me confused.....
ReplyDelete