Piano Service Vehicle - Hybrid

[pianotune05]

Hi Terry,
I saw a pic. of the Prius.  Is it a pretty tiny car or am I perhaps looking at the wrong car?  I know a tech. who uses a Ford Explorer.  I 'm sure there's more room in an explorer, or am I missing something?  Is it the savigs on gas that makes this car attractive alone, or is there storage I'm not seeing?  It's a nice little car, and if I ever were to by an RV and go camping with my inlaws later down the road, a car like tha twould be perfect to tote along in order to have a vehicle at the camp site.  Take care. HOpe you had a great 4th.
Marshall
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Farrell 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 5:00 AM
  Subject: Piano Service Vehicle - Hybrid


  This is a follow-up to a thread a couple months ago about the Toyota Prius as a service vehicle and its fuel consumption. I just got back to Tampa from Rochester, NY via Ontario, Canada, Detroit, MI and Lansing, MI driving my 2006 Prius. 

  We bought the vehicle in mid-January 2006. Our cumulative fuel consumption rate for the first 6,000 miles prior to our recent trip was 52.87 mpg. Very few of these miles were at the ideal less-than-40mph for this vehicle - seems most surface roads in our area have a speed limit of at least 45 mph.

  Vehicle mileage for our recent 3,225 mile trip was 52.4 mpg. We set the cruise control at the speed limit up to 65 mph (I drove 70 mph for an hour or so one day and noticed that the fuel consumption hovered around 48.5 mpg - couldn't deal with that so I slowed to 65 mph).

  FWIW: I filled up yesterday morning after servicing pianos on the cruise ship downtown. I drove 19 miles home and got 83.3 mpg! I was able to do that because there is very little traffic on Sunday and I can drive in the manner and speeds most favorable to high fuel mileage with this vehicle.

  Oh, and BTW - for our trip, I packed an 1.5' x 2' x 3' box of ribs and all sorts of wood and planes etc., three large tool boxes, a variety of pumps, long bridges, two large suitcases, two Baldwin M soundboards (one with a faux rim), air mattress, pillows, two full-size computers w/flat-screen monitors, big bag of munchies, etc., etc. In short, an amazing quantity of junk can fit into the storage area of the vehicle.

  Terry Farrell
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