road trip ahead, tips!!

Hi all

i've got a long road trip planned next week for work involving multiple stops and a total of 539 miles...something i'm hoping i can squeeze out of a single tank of diesel

what should i do to help improve things? cars just had new tyres fitted,

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Birmingham+Airport/SA33+4JN,+United+Kingdom/Carmarthen+SA31+1HE,+UK/Gloucester+GL1+5SF,+UK/Cheltenham+GL52+6AH,+UK/Cilfynydd+CF37+4HP,+UK/Pontypridd+CF37+4SU,+UK/Cilfynydd+CF37+4HP,+UK/Pontypridd+CF37+4SU,+UK/Birmingham+Airport,+Birmingham,+United+Kingdom/@51.9588755,-5.4702366,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m61!4m60!1m5!1m1!1s0x4870b0deff56c9e3:0xd7fab23579355bb!2m2!1d-1.743507!2d52.452382!1m5!1m1!1s0x486edbafe6296377:0x4299aa8d1ec34f89!2m2!1d-4.5013779!2d51.8185006!1m5!1m1!1s0x486ee12cfc504b0d:0x7fcb1b6971bec285!2m2!1d-4.3031042!2d51.8605381!1m5!1m1!1s0x4871066953c47511:0x8d6c66080b07f010!2m2!1d-2.2536189!2d51.8575952!1m5!1m1!1s0x48711b950df299b9:0xd5b40c70788867c0!2m2!1d-2.0665457!2d51.8992172!1m5!1m1!1s0x486e22abb0621b77:0x5cddfa3d199ab955!2m2!1d-3.3090084!2d51.6401882!1m5!1m1!1s0x486e17a362ad7c79:0x9b8a9831aa6f342e!2m2!1d-3.340037!2d51.602486!1m5!1m1!1s0x486e22abb0621b77:0x5cddfa3d199ab955!2m2!1d-3.3090084!2d51.6401882!1m5!1m1!1s0x486e17a362ad7c79:0x9b8a9831aa6f342e!2m2!1d-3.340037!2d51.602486!1m5!1m1!1s0x4870b0deff56c9e3:0xd7fab23579355bb!2m2!1d-1.743507!2d52.452382

that's the route, a good mix of motorway, country road and little lanes

what would be recommended? would be just myself in the drivers seat, a small case with clothes, some shirts, some food and thats about it!

That's just a daytrip in the US . Mostly, if your car is running well, maintenance all caught up - shouldn't have any problems.

Yup, top off the tank with fuel, make sure the tire pressures are okay, and head out. You should make it on one tank without any trouble unless a lot of time is spent idling in towns or you have a leaden foot. We've driven ~550 miles one way to Utah and back at mostly 75 mph on a single tank each way with no problems, and that with snow tires fitted in November.

Have a safe trip.

540 miles? That's about 3.5 days worth (touch over a work week) of commute for me. Your Golf should take it in stride. I wouldn't say you need to do anything other than fill it up sometime after you get home.

having done about 8 of those trips so far this year, really nothing.. Good Windshield Wipers, maby a RainX treatment before you head out.. as long as your normal maintenance is up to date, rotated tires, good brakes, etc.

you already have an emergency kit in the back dont you? You should and it couldn't hurt to give it a double check... If you have any medical needs get some extra meds just incase.. Even if not still take some anti-infamitories, anti-histamines and cough drops with you as the truck stops will rob you for them if you need any.
(flashlight/poncho/water/batteries/jumper cables/first aid kit/lighter/multitool/heating pads/emergency candles/mylar blanket/red glow sticks/etc)

scooperhsd said:

That's just a daytrip in the US . Mostly, if your car is running well, maintenance all caught up - shouldn't have any problems.

Click to expand...

++1 ^

Thats a medium long day trip or a short weekend over here. For many people it is just a short days' drive.

Have fun!!

Bill

Whatever happens, don't let the Tank slip below a 1/4, since you never know about stop and go traffic etc. ^^^ as members said before, the Distance is not the problem. Enjoy the trip.

apples12 said:

what would be recommended?

Click to expand...

One of these. Empty.
32oz, wide mouth. Just sayin.

Lol!

it's a longer trip than normal for me except for the journey from Birmingham to Aberdeen I do every now and again, UK not quite as large as the US!

Filling up w/more than 1/4 tank is very good advice...esp if in areas where diesel availability is spotty. I can drive 530mi and it barely gets me out of the state I live in....

Cracking up over that Gatoraide pic.... Don't let someone else pick it up and take a slug... maybe the LemonLime colored stuff is a dangerous choice..

Tips... I've done a lot of long hiway drives in my '10 Jetta. Best tank has been about 635 miles. Under those conditions, 600+ is common. Even driving thru 85-95F days, at 75-85mph. And, that's US gallons, you've got bigger ones over there in the UK!

One thing I've found helps a bit is to be willing to lose speed when you have a hill or long grade. If I let it drop from, say, 75 to 65 while going over a hill, it seems to help a lot rather than holding my speed. Letting it drop as you coast up hill, then using gravity on the downhill side to assist returning to speed... like nature's own hybrid system.

As always, city driving and traffic are the real mileage killers, and you have to learn the ways of gentle driving, and what a diesel "likes", to maximize there. I tend to drive with the instant MPG indicator on, to get feedback on how I'm doing, that helped "train" me in how to drive a diesel more efficiently.

Enjoy the trip!

Oh, don't know if you guys have something like the "GasBuddy" app in the UK... its a handy thing where people out on the road update gas prices, will tell you what's in the area and how much... used to be pretty important to find diesel stations but they are more common now around here...

CopaMundial said:

One of these. Empty.
32oz, wide mouth. Just sayin.

Click to expand...

This is called a Truckers helper!!!!

lol over here its known as 'driver-tizer'

looking forward to lots of smooth driving hopefully

Use the brakes as little as possible. Look far ahead, don't follow too closely, and coast in gear to reduce speed when necessary.