Pre-Trip Distraction Post

When we left South Carolina I had a full tank of gas with a trailer in tow. I had to climb over the Great Smoky Mountains and back down towards Pigeon Forge. Day 1, with SC gasoline I averaged 12 miles per gallon driving in the 70 mph range. We fueled up in Tennessee and continued to Paducah Ky with no issues. 

Day 2 I filled up with Kentucky gas and drove north into Illinois.  The Kentucky gas yielded about 10 miles per gallon in the 65 to 70 mph range.  For those keeping track of this rambling, that's a 16% reduction in gas mileage. Maybe the weather was bad, maybe the wind picked up, or maybe the gas had a little too much Ethanol. 

We'll lets continue onto Illinois. I filled up with gas at an Illinois Circle K.  From there to Wisconsin our gas mileage dropped to 8 miles per gallon.  Thats a 33% drop in gas mileage.  Again, speeds were in the 65 to 70 mph range and the weather was crappy.  But that kind of mileage drop can only be attributed to the Ethanol level in the gas.  

Day 3 had us using Wisconsin gas and the mileage went up to 10.7 miles per gallon. the weather was better, but not significantly better (still windy).

In the past, when driving without a trailer I have had mileage go from 25 miles per gallon (with Denver, Co gas) 22 miles per gallon (with New Mexico gas) to 20 miles per gallon (SC gas). There seems to be a very large disparage from state to state on the level of Ethanol in the gas.  

Who gets to decide what the levels are? and why? My conspiracy theorist says its all about the money. They make you buy more gas so they can have more revenue.  They use the "save the environment" flag to throw Ethanol in there, but in the end, they make you burn more gas. and you pay more to the state. And couldn't they use the corn to feed people instead of distilling it to make gas? or am I missing something.

Ok, time to take the tinfoil hat off and continue getting ready for my big adventure.