fuel

Nomadac wrote:
If you have to ask,you probably can afford one.

Although your statement might be true my guess is that often those who can most easily afford the fuel are the ones most likely to ask the question. They don't ask because they have to; they ask because money matters and because money matters they can easily afford a motor home and all that goes with it. There are likely some who never asked and now they have a MH and they can't afford to use.

H13, I was just pointing out that we could use the airs without the genny running and know that extra fuel would be used in that scenario when going down the road with the engine running.

As far as I know, our genny is only set up to come on if the batteries are low. I have a feature that I can set it to come on the moment there is loss of shore power. I set it for that feature when I'm in an RV park when I have the air running as not to load the batteries too heavy if shore power is lost.

I only use the electric heat, or any heat, when connected to shore power. I never use the webasto at night, only electric heat. I also never used our Aqua Hot at night in the other coach. The dash heat is amazingly hot and have needed a couple of times while driving. The cockpit has a driver's unit (air and heat) and an additional separate unit that includes the driver and passenger area for extreme temps whether hot or cold.

I just don't like fumes around the coach when I'm sleeping so anything diesel fired will not be on unless it's absolutely necessary. And you are right, the heat pumps don't work well under 40 degrees as we had that experience in TN after we picked up the new coach. We were back home for a month in TN and I ran the webasto and the electric heat during that time. We have an 83,000 btu diesel heating unit and I do notice it uses a lot more fuel than our previous Aqua-Hot.

Safe travels,
MM.

Mr.Mark wrote:
I use both the trip computer and my manual calculations. I also note when I use the genny and the webasto which are not often. For heat, we have two very powerful electric tow kick heaters (in the kitchen area and the rear bath), heated floors and heat pumps.

We can also use the roof airs without running the generator. We have four 3,500 watt inverters and four alternators.

And, so far, I find the trip computer to be very accurate.

Keep in mind that whether you are using the alternators or the generator makes no difference to fuel consumption. They are both robbing power in exactly the same way from your diesel fuel and both drain your fuel tank exactly the same without providing propulsion, they rob MPGs. Electric heating and air conditioning get their power from somewhere and that power is your diesel fuel when you are under way. As you know, there is no such thing as free energy.

The heat pumps probably don't work under 40 degrees so that will kick in your Webasto to heat the floors while you sleep.

I'd also imagine that your generator is set to automatically exercise once a week. Don't forget to count that.

holstein13 wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:
I'll keep up with every fill-up receipt and note the mileage.

Wait a minute, you are using the fuel receipts to calculate mileage? Don't you run the generator and / or the furnace? If so, the fuel receipts will calculate a lower mileage than you are actually getting. I only use my trip computer to figure mileage because I burn fuel in the furnace and generator.

H13,

I use both the trip computer and my manual calculations. I also note when I use the genny and the webasto which are not often. For heat, we have two very powerful electric tow kick heaters (in the kitchen area and the rear bath), heated floors and heat pumps.

We can also use the roof airs without running the generator. We have four 3,500 watt inverters and four alternators.

And, so far, I find the trip computer to be very accurate.

MM

Mr.Mark wrote:
I'll keep up with every fill-up receipt and note the mileage.

Wait a minute, you are using the fuel receipts to calculate mileage? Don't you run the generator and / or the furnace? If so, the fuel receipts will calculate a lower mileage than you are actually getting. I only use my trip computer to figure mileage because I burn fuel in the furnace and generator.

holstein13 wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:
...As a new owner of a new Prevost bus-sized coach, we are getting about 6.5-6.8 mpg with a new engine weighing 53,000 lbs. Hoping that it will get a little better once the engine breaks in.

Again, twins separated at birth, except the Prevost part. I'm about exactly where you are but I've noticed some 6.9 and 7.1 MPG runs lately. Could it be that the engine is getting broken in? or just lucky wind and elevation change days?

H13, I also had several runs of 7.1 mpg if the distance was long and flat (no tailwind). I'll keep up with every fill-up receipt and note the mileage.

I know our buses will not get the economy of a Prius but I like to keep up with it to see if there are any changes that may flag a problem before it becomes a problem. :)

MM.

Mr.Mark wrote:
...As a new owner of a new Prevost bus-sized coach, we are getting about 6.5-6.8 mpg with a new engine weighing 53,000 lbs. Hoping that it will get a little better once the engine breaks in.

Again, twins separated at birth, except the Prevost part. I'm about exactly where you are but I've noticed some 6.9 and 7.1 MPG runs lately. Could it be that the engine is getting broken in? or just lucky wind and elevation change days?

We don't worry about MPG. We used to have a boat!

Expect 8 to 9 unless you're a lead foot.

RayChez wrote:

Kidoo wrote:
It cost me .31 cent a mile for a 3600 miles trip this month, this includes the diesel generator running an hour or two every day for 25 days.

I just had a computer print out and my RV has been doing 9.3 miles per gallon average since new, 73,000 miles on it.

The smaller and lighter the motor home is, the better mileage those small ISB engines get. The heavier bus size coaches, your lucky to get five miles per gallon.

Ray, you're close. As a new owner of a new Prevost bus-sized coach, we are getting about 6.5-6.8 mpg with a new engine weighing 53,000 lbs. Hoping that it will get a little better once the engine breaks in.

The key to better mileage to to keep the coach on the interstate rolling. I had our coach in the city for about a 20 mile run and was averaging 2.2 mpg. They say garbage trucks get about 1.5 mpg for the all the starting and stopping they do.

MM.

Kidoo wrote:
It cost me .31 cent a mile for a 3600 miles trip this month, this includes the diesel generator running an hour or two every day for 25 days.

I just had a computer print out and my RV has been doing 9.3 miles per gallon average since new, 73,000 miles on it.

The smaller and lighter the motor home is, the better mileage those small ISB engines get. The heavier bus size coaches, your lucky to get five miles per gallon.