Itasca Spectrum (1982)

What engine, GM or Ford? Unless your driving a Diesel 9 MPG sounds pretty good, unless you drive down hill all the time, which I suspect your friends are doing!

Chev. 350.
It is a big van on steroids. 3 spd tranny. I really like it, works well for us.

None of the above? A 350 isn't exactly the most thrifty of engines. Combine that with the fact that it is having to push a lot of air aside every inch that it moves, and 9MPH is to be expected.

I vote for C

I vote for C as well. An RV is a giant brick, so less than stellar mileage is to be expected.

Jose

Mine gets 8 mpg on a GOOD day.

I viewed a popular mechanics article from '82 stating an mpg of 15-ish.
I've read other posts stating that they had an overdrive activated by a foot dimmer switch. Not sure if that was a custom job or not but that could explain a large drop in mpg. I believe it had a TH400 tranny. The poster i read stated that the OD was on the tail end of the tranny (probably custom but worth a look). Others have stated 14 cruising at 70mph. I found a local for sale and they stated using 75% of the tank for a 220 mile highway ride. He didn't know that the tank was 40 gallons. That would make 22mpg. Even if he was stretching the truth and was under 75%, that would still come in over 15mpg fairly easily.

DaHose wrote:
I vote for C as well. An RV is a giant brick, so less than stellar mileage is to be expected.

Jose

The Spectrums were a few thousand pounds lighter than comparibles. Single rear wheels and fiberglass front end. Lighter components thruout the entire chassis. Plus, no overhead bunk.

These were designed and made during the eighties gas crunch, remember.

I would love to get 9 mpg. I get about 5 with mine as it is right now.