Doubling the milage on an RV?

I can see some logic to this. Most class C motorhomes have essentially the same running gear as a pickup, yet weigh about twice as much as well as having a high profile. It stands to reason that since a motorhome is always working hard, things will wear out faster.

I understood this to mean double the odometer milage of the vehicle not the fuel MPG.

jinxies wrote:
Anyone else heard of this?

It sounds as if your friend is quoting from a Corporate Capital Equipment Depreciation Schedule.

That policy defines how the IRS allows them to write off the purchase cost of new equipment after so many years of use.

If so, what he is saying is about paying Taxes not about Reality.

Tim

pianotuna wrote:
A 10,000-pound increase in GVW or GCW will increase fuel consumption by about 8.5% (0.55 MPG) and is equivalent to a loss of 80 engine horsepower at 45 MPH (8 HP / 1,000 lb @ 45 MPH) on a 6% grade.

Some facts to consider:
• Proper tire inflation pressure is important for your safety and that of others. Maintaining correct inflation pressure based on the actual tire load will also optimize tire life, vehicle ride quality, and fuel economy. With a tire pressure 10 psi lower than the manufacturer’s recommendation for the weight, fuel economy will drop 0.5%.

• All tires are least fuel-efficient when new. As the new tire wears, the rolling resistance decreases and fuel economy improves.

• Most of the fuel economy advantage is obtained when the tread is 50% worn.

From: Motor Home Fuel Economy

To a point I can agree and relate to what I put in bold in your post.

I bought a new set of Michlens the LTX's same size as the factory size on an 03 Tahoe I had , I lost 1.5 miles per gallon. I drove the same 500 miles per week, so I knew what I was getting , then got with the new tires ok I'll agree with you.
Along the route I drove there was two sections of the mile markers to
check you OD 1-6 miles I was within 2-4 feet of the markers, so I knew the OD was registering the miles correctly.

Next you say that the tires worn at 50% gets the most advantage of MPG ?
Well could it be that now the diameter of the tire is now smaller therefore the speedo/OD is now off racking up the miles faster therefore making it seem your getting better mpg ?
I sold the Tahoe with 10K on the tires so never got the tires worn down enough.

Just thinking outside the box ;)

A 10,000-pound increase in GVW or GCW will increase fuel consumption by about 8.5% (0.55 MPG) and is equivalent to a loss of 80 engine horsepower at 45 MPH (8 HP / 1,000 lb @ 45 MPH) on a 6% grade.

Some facts to consider:
• Proper tire inflation pressure is important for your safety and that of others. Maintaining correct inflation pressure based on the actual tire load will also optimize tire life, vehicle ride quality, and fuel economy. With a tire pressure 10 psi lower than the manufacturer’s recommendation for the weight, fuel economy will drop 0.5%.

• All tires are least fuel-efficient when new. As the new tire wears, the rolling resistance decreases and fuel economy improves.

• Most of the fuel economy advantage is obtained when the tread is 50% worn.

From: Motor Home Fuel Economy

I agree rental equipment is rode hard and put away wet. I know because i use to rent a lot of heavy construction equipment. The comparison does not relate at all to the average use engine. There is a difference between use and abuse.

Rollnhome wrote:
That's a new one. Hummmm wonder where he got his calculations?

I think the key word there was "rental".

We used to joke that the two best off-road vehicles ever made were 1) rental cars, and, 2) company cars.

You could put a rented Chevette in & out of places you couldn't get a 4 x 4.

Hmmm...so I should think that I get something like 16-18 mpg? That would be nice.

A great many motorhomes don't accumulate a huge amount of milage, certainly compared to many trucks used commercially (which are based on the same chassises). It may well be that the engine and transmission of a motorhome work comparatively hard, but they still seem to outlast the rest of the RV in many cases (assuming, of course, one keeps up with the routine maintenance).

It's possible a Ford V10 would push an RV less miles than it would push an unloaded pickup. It could be half as much. But the thought I have is who cares? There's examples of V10 power class C motorhomes with over 150K miles and reportedly running well. Most of us just aren't racking up that much mileage. The biggest problem with motorhomes isn't excessive mileage, it is disuse and neglect. Far more meet their demise in that manner.

From a first quick read of the OPs post, it sounded like his friend says if the weight of a DP is double the weight of a Class C, the DP should get twice the mileage??????????

As to the second part - wow. Yes, I guess you could say there's more stress on a heavier rig, but everything on it is build stronger and heavier to handle the heavier weight. The engine, the transmission, the cooling system, the frame, the suspension, the tires, etc, etc, etc.

Quit talking to the guy, his load is short more than one brick.

Bill