Actual Gas Mileage

[MagillaGorilla]

I just did a 244 mile trip with my 37' gasser powered by a Ford V10. After a refuel I was able to calculate my mileage at 9.04 MPG. That is 2 MPG better than what I expected and 3 MPG better than my last coach.

Yes I know 9 MPG is no smart car BUT I have to say I am elated with this. That is 33% greater than what I expected. 33% will be HUGE when we do our 4000 mile trip next year.

[holstein13]

I think that is excellent and congratulate you on your good driving habits. 60 mph is a great speed for great mileage.

After 12,691 miles of recorded fill ups, I've averaged 6.05 miles per gallon but that's towing a 6,500 pound truck behind me up and down mountains with plenty of headwinds on my paths and cruising typically between 65 and 70 and using the generator to stay cool and using the diesel burner to heat the water for showers, lot's of city driving, etc.

[MagillaGorilla]

Rule of thumb:

1: Expect 7 MPG
2: Hope to get 9 MPG
3: Hope not to get 5 MPG
4: Remember that we don't buy these based on fuel economy
5: Pack spare undies and extra cash for gas.

[MagillaGorilla]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Next time try to drive at 40 mph and that will surprise you even more.

:S

[cochise49]

dubdub07 wrote:
When I tow a car, I get 7. When I go 75, I get 7. When I don't tow a car, I get 7. When I drive 60, I get a little over 7.

WW

Ditto...but we get 6.2 in our 26000 lb adventurer. Loaded up to the GVWR of 26K and the 4K of the toad (also loaded with miscellaneos gear) for a net of 30K. Took a 7000 mile coast to coast roundtrip. uphill driving got 5.5 and downhill 6.7. 13000 total miles and 6.2 is what we get. Learned to be happy with that and not expecting better.

[ArchHoagland]

Bigdog wrote:
Several years ago, I took my DP into a CAT shop for some minor problems and they checked my downloads and printed out the vehicle info from the computer. It was very interesting as it showed the top speed it had ever gone,115 at Freightliner,showed the idle times,running time and total engine time. The amazing thing was that it showed the MPG, Overall,idleing and in gear. For the life of the MH,it had goten 7.1 total and 7.5 on the road.

Your motorhome went 115 miles per hour? I'd like to see that.

[Heisenberg]

^X2^

[dubdub07]

When I tow a car, I get 7. When I go 75, I get 7. When I don't tow a car, I get 7. When I drive 60, I get a little over 7.

WW

[bluwtr49]

MagillaGorilla wrote:
Wow there are so many negative people on this forum it amazes me. This is actually the third time I have tested my mileage. Each time it has come out to just over 9 MPG. Each time it was filled and then refilled at the same gas station with the same pump. Sheeeeesh.

I understand that each time you drive the MPG can be different due to many factors like head winds, hills and so on. I get it. BUT you have to start somewhere and the place I have to start is with the trips I actually take and not the one that I wish I could take. Twice now I have driven to Old Orchard Beach in Maine (122 miles each way) and twice my mileage worked out to just a hint over 9. That is the furthest I have driven so far. I have made a bunch of other shorter trips too.

If, when I go to Florida next year, I can get close to 9 MPG I will be happy. If I end up getting 7 it will be as expected.

Some people on here suggest that you cant tell your mileage unless you drive 5000 miles first. That is just not how we use our coach. We take lots and lots of short trips. My last one I had for 10 years and never went more than 200 miles in a round trip. I guess I'm lucky in that I live close to where I want to go/stay for vacations.

After seeing this post I went back and read all the replies looking for the negative one you referenced....didn't see a single one. What I did see was a lot of experience that you seem to be lacking.

The point is, short trips in the same area may or may not be relevant to longer trip covering much more geography.

[et2]

Just expect the worst and you won't be disappointed. It works for me :B

[chuckftboy]

I would love to get 9 mpg and may if I slow down a bit. My speed is normally 68-70 mph and at that I am happy when I get 6. when I run 70 in the mountains, I only get 5. It is what it is, just happy I can run 68 through the mountains.

[revump]

We get about 7 and I plan on 6. Anything better is a bonus

[Kayteg1]

Next time try to drive at 40 mph and that will surprise you even more.

[Bigdog]

Several years ago, I took my DP into a CAT shop for some minor problems and they checked my downloads and printed out the vehicle info from the computer. It was very interesting as it showed the top speed it had ever gone,115 at Freightliner,showed the idle times,running time and total engine time. The amazing thing was that it showed the MPG, Overall,idleing and in gear. For the life of the MH,it had goten 7.1 total and 7.5 on the road.

[Bill_Satellite]

MagillaGorilla wrote:
Wow there are so many negative people on this forum it amazes me. This is actually the third time I have tested my mileage. Each time it has come out to just over 9 MPG. Each time it was filled and then refilled at the same gas station with the same pump. Sheeeeesh.

I understand that each time you drive the MPG can be different due to many factors like head winds, hills and so on. I get it. BUT you have to start somewhere and the place I have to start is with the trips I actually take and not the one that I wish I could take. Twice now I have driven to Old Orchard Beach in Maine (122 miles each way) and twice my mileage worked out to just a hint over 9. That is the furthest I have driven so far. I have made a bunch of other shorter trips too.

If, when I go to Florida next year, I can get close to 9 MPG I will be happy. If I end up getting 7 it will be as expected.

Some people on here suggest that you cant tell your mileage unless you drive 5000 miles first. That is just not how we use our coach. We take lots and lots of short trips. My last one I had for 10 years and never went more than 200 miles in a round trip. I guess I'm lucky in that I live close to where I want to go/stay for vacations.

It sounds like you have made the same trip (or similar) 3 times. It's quite likely that you will get the same mileage driving the same route or similar route again and again since you were able to refuel at the same station each time. If you keep doing this you will likely continue to get the same results and that's great! If the area to which you drive changes, expect changes. You should not be offended that posters are trying to warn you that a single trip is not a good judge of long term MPG. You should welcome the fact that there are folks who have been RVing for many, many years that are willing to offer some advice to help you understand that how and where you travel will make a difference in your actual mileage.

[lonewolf80]

My first rig was a 2000 Tiffin with the older V10. My constant mileage average was right about 9 mpg. Even towing my wife's car on a dolly to Bar Harbor and Moose Head Lake in northern Maine I got just over 8 mpg. My best reading coming home in no hurry after a Memorial Day weekend was 11.9 mpg averaging about 40-45 mph, 225 mile r/t. My present rig with the newer V10 (362 hp etc) I just peg my average at 7 mpg, no matter if I'm towing the toad or free wheeling, 7 mpg is what I base all my travels on. I don't bother with even keeping my mpg anymore after each outing, only gallons used and $$$ spent on fuel per trip.