Speakerdude

Well after much debate w/ the wife I have decided to drive the ML from St Louis to Sacramento for a business trip. I need some contemplation time and this seemed like a good opportunity. I will post a couple pics on the way. Hopefully the truck is up to it. I have 95K on the clock now but everything seems fairly well sorted out, guess I will find out.

Steve

alex_butheman

wish you`ll have a good trip

as i can see you dont worry about fuel consumption

Speakerdude

It will be interesting to see just how much the fuel expense is. Fortunately it is a business expense as I will be delivering a very expensive load of electronics for a project we are working on.

Steve

Speakerdude

1/2 way through the trip and no problems, the truck is bad *** on the road!!

I averaged over 85MPH rolling time not including stops. A lot of the time was 125-130 and absolutely loving it. There is no way to open the truck up like that in Missouri / Illinois w/o spending the night w/ a new boyfriend. I have a total new respect for the AMG driveline. I have had numerous BMW, Porsche, Audis, but nothing compares to the ML55. I will be heading back from Sacramento to Stl Monday with a few dollars in my pocket and looking forward to having to come back out to LA for the next phase of the project I am working on. Somehow my little company's reputation is growing, I have a very bright staff of young engineers working for me that keep me in the loop. I just have to learn how to text to be in with the crowd. They still maintain that I have the baddest mini-van around. Some of these kids are very bright and have very very good real world problem solving skills when given enough chain to hang themself, I have become optomistic about the world we have screwed up that they will be inheriting to correct. I still have to figure out the tatoo and hip-hop thing but my parents also had to deal w/ Jimi Hendrix and various other idiosycrocies that I was involved with. One of the finest young engineers I have ever had the pleasure to employ has a "full sleeve" that I don't get. He is now in commercial jet pilot school wanting to get into that field. I have even altered his schedule to allow his ambition to not interfere with "work". I just explained that you have to make me more money than you cost me. He has brought in a ton of very cool work. I will post a few pics of the return trip, nothing like looking at somebody elses vacation pictures to have a good time.

Steve

Newzchspy

[QUOTE=shikzachaser;2946553]1/2 way through the trip and no problems, the truck is bad *** on the road!!

Stevie, I have same truck. What kind of fuel mileage are you getting. I average about 16-18 on the road, closer to 16 when I am at 85 MPH or above. If I really back er down, I can see 20 on cruise control.

Also, on bad roads, you get any tramlining??? What kind of tires you running???

Newzchspy

Cool picts, thanks for sharing. Sorta looks like the Cars Movie how the road "didn't just go through the land, but followed the lay of the land."

Speakerdude

That is pretty close to the mileage I got. It was worse the first 500 miles. I ran a couple bottles of Techron through and the mileage definately improved. I don't know if it was the Techron or simply opening it up for a while that did it. I went back to the Contis about 6 months ago. They are much better w/ the suspension I have. I have the H&R rear springs w/ Bilsteins and after having the front Bilsteins pogo terribly I went w/ Monroe Reflex heavy duty pick up shocks, they are great. I think they are such a good ride partially because as I loosened the torsion bars to lower the truck to the same height as the back and they are very stiff, also very very cheap. The gas gauge even started working!!! I have replaced the stereo w/ a serious upgrade so all-in-all it is a great road car. I am on "business" but this is a lot more fun than flying. I should start the return on Monday. I am going back through Wyoming. It's boring but faster.

Steve

Speakerdude

I had almost 500 lb of extra gear I had to get to Sacramento. The ride back should have even better performance w/o the weight.

Steve

Newzchspy

When you get back, PM me with the specs and #s for shocks; Mine rides like a truck literally!! Not good, I love it, BUT it needs some different shocks.


I drive across the plains quite a bit, I average about 18-20 on my ML 55, much worse if I am getting on it. Still, for the $$ and the performance, you can't beat it. I'd love a ML63, but the mileage on that thing has to be worse. I use the C32 for the performance and the ML 55 for hauling.

Speakerdude

The return has started. After 4 straight days of 14-16 hrs I had to go. The project is totally cool. Check out www.skyzonesports.com
We designed and installed the initial franchise A/V systems and they are killer, seriously.

Mileage has been better than expected on the road w/ cruise @ 80-85. I have gotten well over 16MPG average. At 100+ not so good.

Gas gauge is out again. It will pop back up @ 3/4 or else sittting overnight. At least the odometer works.

Newzchspy

Awesome shots!! I see that 108.00 MPH run and she's barely breaking a sweat on the tach!! Of course that was off road and not on a public right of way PM me when you get back. Godspeed

Speakerdude

Well I logged another 900+ miles yesterday. It could have been 25 miles less but I decided instead of taking the I80 tunnel through White Mountain, WY I would take the "scenic" route via unpaved crude roads. Don't ever doubt the ML's ascent / descent capabilities. It is truly a truck, even lowered.

I detoured for the Bonneville Salt Flats and had intended on making a run at speed to see what the truck would do. They had 3 inches of rain the night before (the first all year) and the flats were completely submerged.

I should be home tomorow. I need to be as it Mrs. ML's birthday. My wife has been really cool about not giving me too much s*** about not flying on this trip. The next one to LA will have me on a plane.

I did figure out that the camera had a delay so I did a self portrait in case I went over the edge of White Mountain hanging onto the wheel free falling 5000 ft. What a way to go!! It would be a shame to ruin the truck though.

100,000 miles will be here this morning. I am looking forward to another 100,000.




Steve

Newzchspy

[QUOTE=shikzachaser;2952394]Well I logged another 900+ miles yesterday. It could have been 25 miles less but I decided instead of taking the I80 tunnel through White Mountain, WY I would take the "scenic" route via unpaved crude roads. Don't ever doubt the ML's ascent / descent capabilities. It is truly a truck, even lowered.

I detoured for the Bonneville Salt Flats and had intended on making a run at speed to see what the truck would do. They had 3 inches of rain the night before (the first all year) and the flats were completely submerged.

I should be home tomorow. I need to be as it Mrs. ML's birthday. My wife has been really cool about not giving me too much s*** about not flying on this trip. The next one to LA will have me on a plane.

I did figure out that the camera had a delay so I did a self portrait in case I went over the edge of White Mountain hanging onto the wheel free falling 5000 ft. What a way to go!! It would be a shame to ruin the truck though.

100,000 miles will be here this morning. I am looking forward to another 100,000.




Check out the new vid of the 09 ML63, that'll give you reason to look forward to another 100 K