Fuel mileage

We have just over 2000 miles on our year old 42' Fleetwood Expedition. Running at 60 mph with the generator on we get 8.2 - 9.0. That's with the 360 ISB diesel. The toad weighed 4800 lbs last year and the new one 3900. So hoping this summer to get 8.5 average.

I agree with Passin. I just don't understand the issue.
When I look at fuel costs/miles traveled as relates to total RV costs including maintenance, it's a small part of the budget.
Cost of fuel you have very little control over, other than trying to save 5 or 10 cents a gallon, which is about 2-3%, based on $3.50/gal.
As everyone has said, slowing down will save you fuel. I usually don't. I'm usually on a schedule, and want to get there, so I run with traffic, usually 65mph.
When I figure my insurance costs, site fee, food, etc...saving 3-4gals of fuel becomes a very minor expense...one that I just don't fret over.

Jim

Be glad its not a Peterbilt with a 500 hp engine getting 6.5 avg for 135,000 miles/yr. Then you can complain. For all the miles anyone runs an RV, fuel mileage should not be a concern. I've met very few who drive over 12K/ year.

Aggressive drivers are the ones who try to get even after we cut them off.

If I drive 62 MPH I will get around 8mpg. I can get a little better at 57mph but at that speed the OD will kick out on small rises in the road. I have never gone without a toad so have no knowledge of an increase that way.

zjaw wrote:
Thanks for the post. It is a 4000 mile round trip. So I was running between 65 mph to around 73 miles a hour out west were the speed limit is 75 miles a hour. But we did fight though storms on the way out and high head winds on the way back. If we decide to trade up I want to know weather to expect lower fuel mileage because no one knows what fuel will cost in 5 years.

Driving like that is a class A might only get you 5 mpg average, 62 mph is the best mpg with the fastest speed, anything over 62 mph your mpg goes down fast, in high winds you need to stay around 55 mph to keep the same mpg..

zjaw wrote:
Thanks for the post. It is a 4000 mile round trip. So I was running between 65 mph to around 73 miles a hour out west were the speed limit is 75 miles a hour. But we did fight though storms on the way out and high head winds on the way back. If we decide to trade up I want to know weather to expect lower fuel mileage because no one knows what fuel will cost in 5 years.

WOW. Slow down and you'll pick up MPG, no problem. We hit storms and wind (front back and sideways) and still managed 10.

Our 2002 32' DP towing a 4 door Jeep Wrangler averaged 8.7 mpg over 20,000 miles. Cruise at 60 to 65. Almost NEVER 70mph.

We have been all over the country in our 2000 34' Fleetwood Bounder with the triton V10 for the past six years. I keep a close eye on my gas mileage simply because I'm curious. I try to keep my speed 60-65 because that's where I feel comfortable. My gas mileage has been consistently 6 to 6.5 and I don't feel like that's too bad considering I'm moving a one bedroom apartment down the road. I'm one who is always ready to save a buck but if gas mileage is going to cause you heart burn then forget about any RV. JMHO

Even with our 25 year old C we managed 11mpg, didn't lose much upgrading to the Class A. Don't understand 5.5mpg unless you're trying to maintain highway speed of 65 or 70 mph. In some stretches of Utah, it's 80mph - now THAT'S scary!

If you are driving so as to get 5.5 mpg with a C that size, expect a little worse with a larger A. I've averaged 8.3 over 30,000 miles with a 30 foot 13,000 pound C, so I don't understand the 5.5. I don't think my worst mpg on a fill-up was that low.