Miles Per Gallon…..you mean Smiles Per Gallon

I have been asked many times about the mileage that one should get on their rig. The best way to answer this is how many SMILES Per Gallon you get when driving your rig. Figuring out the MPG is very difficult to answer as there are many different factors that need to be taken into account. Right off the lot, your rig is listed to get a certain number for city and for highway driving. This will be different for each person based on how they are on the skinny pedal. Other things that will affect (or reduce) your SMPG are as follows: Larger tires, heavier wheels, steel bumpers, winches, overhead racks, fluid containers, full skid plates, light bars….etc.

Remember that each thing that you add to your rig will add weight and potentially reduce the aerodynamics which will require more power and reduce your MPG. Keep in mind that you should build your rig for what you like and what you do. Don’t let anyone pressure you into anything unless you deem it important for what you do.

I want to specifically call out the large 52″ LED light bar that goes above the windshield! I had mine reduce my MPG by 4 on the highway. Running around 70mph, was seeing an average of around 13. Once I removed the light bar, I immediately moved up to 18+. Although I like the looks of it (and I know it helps me keep me from getting stuck), I removed it and it is now taking space up in my garage. I have found that my rig which is a 17 Wrangler Rubicon, with 17″ rims, 35″ tires, steel bumpers, winch and full skid plates underneath, the sweet spot is 64 mph and running on flat ground and I can run about 21mpg!

We did not buy our rigs to be wasteful, we bought/built them to enjoy, create memories and smile more! If you are looking for fuel efficiency, then an off road rig may not be for you. Remember, you don’t want to get to the end of life saying, I wish I drove a Tesla….you want to come in hot, sliding on your side, screaming “What a ride!”