E 450 V 10 MPG

Just returned from 9228 mile trip. West coast to East coast and back with some trips up into Canada (even made it to Newfoundland - great mpg on the ferry ride).

We have what I feel is a pretty aerodynamic Aspect 26A B+, v10 - E450, which is 27ft (spare tire to front bumper) long, (correction): 12450lbs ready to travel, now has 30,840 miles on the odometer, 70lb air in rear tires and 60lb air in front. Pulled a small trailer with a 465lb scooter in it. We travel with full fresh water tank because we boondock and we empty the grey and black water tanks when they are between 1/2 to 2/3 full. Using mobile 1 5w/20 synthetic motor oil. Had front end alignment and the brakes serviced and new fluid just to be sure there was wasn't any drag from sticky calipers.

I drive 60 mph (sometimes higher on two lane roads with traffic) and kick it out of cruise up the hills to keep it in overdrive a long as possible and let the speed drop as we climb. Use tow/haul sparingly. Scan gauge helps to drive more efficiently. Think that the bugs probably account for some of the drag...some of those bugs really splat and stick.

WE AVERAGED 8.9 MPG. (Think that is the best we can get with this rig).

Gas was the most expensive part of the trip but I wouldn't travel any other way. Loved it. Like to drive and see the country. Great sunsets and sunrises and met some wonderful people. Love making these types of memories.

Always looking for ways to improve mileage but short of trading for something smaller and lighter don't think I will find any. It is what it is...;-).

I was comparing to the OP's 7.6 MPG VS my 9+ MPG. Can't compete with your rig's MPG. Maybe my next one will be that one, too many dogs though for now.

the trippers wrote:
Our 2011 Jayco 31DS E450 gets just over 9 mpg not pulling our toad. Calculated using odometer and gallons of gas, not a Scan Gage. I drive 55 to 65, except when climbing hills. Around 7.6 mpg seems like fairly low MPG, but not impossible, maybe you just need to recheck your math.

Howdy. You are comparing a classis shaped C class E450 14000 pound motorhome with a 4.56 rear end to an E350 aerodynamic 10,000 pound motorhome with 4.10 rear end. Completely different animal.

Our 2011 Jayco 31DS E450 gets just over 9 mpg not pulling our toad. Calculated using odometer and gallons of gas, not a Scan Gage. I drive 55 to 65, except when climbing hills. Around 7.6 mpg seems like fairly low MPG, but not impossible, maybe you just need to recheck your math.

pnichols wrote:
I believe John & Angela's mileage claims completely ...

I do as well. I was in a Chevy 2500HD 6.0 gas towing a 6x12 enclosed trailer (about the same weight and aerodynamics as a small, streamlined C) and got 15.9 mpg on one tank while traveling 55 mph in California. Normally that truck was a pig on gas, averaging less than 10 towing or empty in town driving.

and you can see the effect whenever you meet a semi on a two lane highway. A semi that is streamlined will send off much less of a bow wave disturbance then does a non streamlined semi. And, a bow wave is wasted energy just as wing tip vortices off an airplane wing are wasted energy.

If the RV is stream lined as some are you will see better gas milage, most "C" with the cab over will get less milage, there are a couple of air dams that prevent the rig to move smothly trough the air stream.

The first is the semi flat cab over that meets the air stream head on and tries to send it up where it meets all the vent covers, air conditioner, satelite domes, tv antena, etc.

Then you have the air stream going under the overhead being pushed down and to the sides of the cabin where it meets the flat portion of the house trying to spill over and mixing with the air that is being displaced by the hood and fenders of the RV, all of this needs more power to move the RV and more power means more fuel consumed.

On the "C"'s that are streamlined, the air is pused aside rather that being stopped by flat panels, so there is less wind resistance, that is what makes the diference in gas milage, ever carry a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood and battle the wind, same thing happens with the RV.

navegator

John & Angela wrote:
Howdy Ron. I understand your escepticismo. We were surprised as well. But we check our numbers using both the old fashioned method and comparing to the scan gauge and yah we can achieve 12 plus routinely. Very diplomatically written by the way. :).

Happy and safe trails. :)

Thanks for your kind response.

My wife says I can be quite diplomatic in certain venues. It's really not me to be like that, and my wife knows it. It's just that when I have freely said from the mouth, or written as it flows from my fingers on a keyboard, people will take me literally, misunderstand me, and sometimes even get angry with me. On various internet forums, it's too easy to convey a point that is later received differently than I had intended. I have received some nasty private messages over the years supporting my suspicions. So this is what I have become, as my wife calls me "Mister Diplomat". I hate that title she has given me. That is not who I am inside. I just am tired of people misunderstanding me, so I choose my words carefully, more and more the older I get.

Enough of my sob story. Back to mpg.

pnichols wrote:
I believe John & Angela's mileage claims completely ... just look at their ultra-streamlined Class C ("B+"?) ... even more so than any Phoenix Cruiser model.

FWIW, we try to maintain close to 55 MPH with our 24 foot E450 Class C when cruising and it sure is tough ... other drivers keep pushing us all the time with their hurry-up attitudes. We can get "around" 10 MPG at times at these speeds. I had to put non-stock over-diameter tires on it to help counter our E450's 4:56 rear differential ratio, though. Where is Ronald Reagon when you need him.

By the way John & Angela, are you the folks who posted sometime back about removing all the decals from your RV - leaving it a beautiful pure white? (At least your Vanguard photo sure reminded me of that earlier posting.)

Yep. That was us. She has many more "naked" miles on her now and we love it although Angela thinks we should put a " got milk" sticker on it. :).

I believe John & Angela's mileage claims completely ... just look at their ultra-streamlined Class C ("B+"?) ... even more so than any Phoenix Cruiser model.

FWIW, we try to maintain close to 55 MPH with our 24 foot E450 Class C when cruising and it sure is tough ... other drivers keep pushing us all the time with their hurry-up attitudes. We can get "around" 10 MPG at times at these speeds. I had to put non-stock over-diameter tires on it to help counter our E450's 4:56 rear differential ratio, though. Where is Ronald Reagon when you need him.

By the way John & Angela, are you the folks who posted sometime back about removing all the decals from your RV - leaving it a beautiful pure white? (At least your Vanguard photo sure reminded me of that earlier posting.)