Just thought you'd like to see some real world numbers:Day 1 - started out on ethanol stabilized fuel that had been in the unit all winter, and was a bit below full due to exercising generator.The only other day the generator was run was on day 3 before the Arco ID fillup, for about 1/2 hour. Still got good mileage on that leg.The fill up at Biggs stopped at $100, a few gallons short of a full tank. As such, that mileage is higher, where the last fill at home made up for it. This averages out to 8.6 mpg across the two tanks.Our route:Day 1: Home to Baker City, Oregon to visit Mom & Dad & twin sis at cemetery & run around childhood homeDay 2: Baker to Craters of the Moon between Carey and Arco IdahoDay 3: At CotM; then spent night in Idaho FallsDay 4: Idaho Falls to Big Piney/Marbleton for family reunionDay 5, 6: at reunionDay 7: Big Piney to Salmon Id, going back past CotM to Wild Rose hot springDay 8: Salmon to Clarkston Wa via Montana to add that state to our Geocache listDay 9: At my brother's place in ClarkstonDay 10: Clarkston to Maryhill, WaDay 11: Maryhill to homeDone!

Here's some other real world numbers. This summer we drove from Lillehammer, Norway, down through Sweden into Denmark, across Germany to Prague, Czech Republic and back to storage in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 2111miles $1702 for gas averaging $8.19/gallon and worth every penny. Details on our blog.

We finished a 5700+ mile trip to 13 western states and the highest gas price was in Washington State and the cheapest was Texas. Averaged 9.78 mpg and the cost of gas was priceless to what we saw.

I guess I'm missing the point. Did you feel the trip was worth the money spent?Sounds like you get decent mileage for a motor home. Regards, Dick

I have no desire to make myself miserable, so I don't keep track. Especially since there's nothing I can do about it except get rid of the MH, and that's not going to happen.

I don't believe the post is meant to be anything but data. Data is good. People keep asking the question....here is an answer.

MPG and fuel costs for summer trip | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

quietjake
Explorer
Sep 25, 2013
years ago after much fussing with various methods of calculating costs of camping/towing/flying etc, I came up with a basic rough formula for comparing expenses in my own estimates---and granted I am not compulsive needing a to-the-penny spread sheet....

At the time I had a rig that could be counted on to tow anything I had, anywhere I wanted to go, at about "10mpg". I found by comparison, if I could tow there in a day and stay more than "1" night, the cost started tilting in favor of the camping experience vs hotel accommodations & meals out.

While the actual $ costs have changed in the several-decades-old formula I devised, the relative costs were pretty constant.

Now days, one of the things that helps considerably, is the "Senior Pass" 50% discount policy at certain federal and/or state camp facilities.

Different camping styles affect expenses considerably. If 'food' is a constant regardless of where/how you camp, then fuel & camp ground fees are the primary variables.

I'm learning to adapt my own camp style to the new parameters of a B+ vs a trailer & truck style camp.
rlb8s
Explorer
Sep 24, 2013
Jim Shoe wrote:
I have no desire to make myself miserable, so I don't keep track. Especially since there's nothing I can do about it except get rid of the MH, and that's not going to happen.

+1

I do like reading what others are getting though. thanks for posting.
ron_dittmer
Explorer III
Sep 19, 2013
BruceMc wrote:
Ron, I'd expect mid-10s from your rig, maybe even closer to 11.
Without towing I was hoping to average over the 11.0 mpg mark but it calculated to 10.6 mpg. I even compensated some for generator usage. There were a couple tanks that averaged near 13 mpg, but the trip average fell short of expectations. I suppose it didn't help that we drove more U.S. routes when interstate roads were available. And we did do a lot of back woods driving, switchbacks with 15mph hair-pin turns and steep elevation climbs. Even so, I hoped for better with our rig. Given we had 4 weeks to go easy, I kept max cruising speeds under 60mph.

Oh well.
BruceMc
Explorer III
Sep 19, 2013
Snowman9000 wrote:
9 sounds better than average for the E450. I'm a little impressed. Were you towing?

Was your question directed at Ron or myself?
We've never towed, though we have considered it. I have a 2004 Malibu Maxx and a 2012 GMC Canyon that are both towable 4 down but never followed through with getting all the stuff that needs gotten to tow. Besides, where we go and the places I stuff that motorhome couldn't be gotten to with a toad.

This MH is on an E350 chassis and has a 3500 lb tow limit, and the Canyon is 4100 lbs - just a little heavy. But the Malibu on the other hand... I have no excuses save our driving style.
matt7591
Explorer
Sep 19, 2013
We spent a lot more than that flying for our summer trip and had no more fun than the motorhome would have provided. It isn't how you do it - just do it.
Snowman9000
Explorer
Sep 19, 2013
9 sounds better than average for the E450. I'm a little impressed. Were you towing?
BruceMc
Explorer III
Sep 19, 2013
Likewise - I have a scangauge-II as well, but I use it's numbers only as general guide. The numbers in my tables are taken from the odometer and the gas receipts.

What was interesting to me between the two trips, the first was primarily freeways and good highways in states where the speed limits are 10 mph over Oregon, such as 65 and 75. I rarely held 75; I held generally 10 under most of the time on the 75mph stretches, and around 60 in the 65mph areas. There were other factors of course, such as the sumemr heat and lots of mountain passes, but the gist of it was we got worse mileage.
The 4 day trip was almost all 55mph roads with some slower areas, yet I usually maintained around 60 to 62 on those roads where I could.

Ron, I'd expect mid-10s from your rig, maybe even closer to 11. Mine's a big blocky box with lots of flat surface to the wind...
ron_dittmer
Explorer III
Sep 18, 2013
We just finished a 4 week trip from Chicago to Washington state and back. My numbers are true to miles driven and fuel purchased. Not from my Scanguage-II readout. That thing helped only to drive smarter. Not keeping a running total.

- 5565 miles
- 10.6 mpg (no towing this trip)
- $1978 cost of fuel
Bordercollie
Explorer
Sep 18, 2013
Wife an I have both had cataract surgery, one eye at a time each, separate surgery and recovery schedules. We both had expenisve Toric lenses installed, not covered by Medicare. My surgery was complicated a little by the fact that I had taken meds for enlarged prostate, had to do extra eyedrops week before surgery. Wife had some pain during surgery and afterward. My surgery was trickier but completely painless. They tell you to hold your eye steady and follow directions during surgery, not hard to do, eye is held mostly immobile and anesthetised. I still have some astigmatism, need glasses for reading and close work. Daylight is much brighter.
BruceMc
Explorer III
Sep 17, 2013
Another set of datapoints from a recent 4 day trip clear across Oregon and back:

We were carrying 3 adults and about the same amount of stuff on this trip, doing a bit of stopping here and there for a geocache as well. If we were to get on the road and not stop for much other than fuel & rest stops, we'd probably break 10 on average.