Best mileage ever on a great albeit short trip...

With gas holding at just under $5 a gallon we have been taking shorter trips this spring/summer. We just returned from another this time to Hawley Lake in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. Just 125 miles from our home in Payson, Hawley is the most beautiful alpine lake we have ever visited.Tthe weather was awesome with temps in the low 70's during the day with lows in the lower 50's. The Monsoon has commenced and heavy thunderstorm activity is a very real possibility on a daily basis {which we love}. Most of Arizona is under a Stage Two fire restriction so no campfires were permitted which is a shame as there is all the firewood you could ever want just lying all over the CG.

Our site overlooking the lake sat at 8,300':

Here is a shot down along the lake:

While only 125 miles it is a 2.5 hour drive as the entire route, not surprisingly is all mountains mostly between 6 and 8,000'. We average about 55 -60 mph with a ton of climbing getting there and of course a nice mostly downhill run on the return. The lake and CG lie within the Apache reservation and UTV/ATV's are not permitted so we left ours {and the cargo trailer} at home and just drove our 24'Nexus Class C with the 6.8 V-10 lightly loaded with just my bride and I.

Going up we got a solid 10+ mpg and the return trip netted us 13+ for an average of 11.5 running 87 octane. Over the last 9+ years {and 66K+ miles} I have averaged right at 9.5 when not towing or loading heavy. I attribute the mellow pace combined with the elevation where we always seem to do better for the mileage. Also not long ago I had the fuel system cleaned along with changing the oil, trans and differential fluids {always with pure synthetic} and a new air filter. Since the service the coach has been running noticeably better but this mileage improvement really got my attention. :B

Be advised that AZ 260 from Payson to and through Show Low, Lakeside and Pine Top is subject to some serious road repairs just east of the Canyon point CG on the top of the Mogollon Rim. Expect to spend 10 to 30 minutes just sitting where they have narrowed 260 down to a single lane and no, it won't be done for a while. The 4th of July weekend will prove quite a challenge so if you are headed this way be prepared for the delays.

:C

Class C

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Jun 23, 2022
Terrific photos, clear report. TY for posting. Shorter trips for me too but still traveling.
bobndot
Explorer II
Jun 23, 2022
Well, you know what they are going to tell you.
“It’s the new $5/ gal gasoline giving better mpg”.
pnichols
Explorer II
Jun 24, 2022
D.C.

What a nice little getaway you two had!!

We just spent a similar week at around 5700 ft. under the pines at a similar beautiful lake in the CA Sierra Foothills - Lake Davis - in our 24 ft. Class C. We were with a group of friends in their RVs and our adult kids in their tents.

I hate to see the V10 fade away into the sunset! What a great engine. Ours idles so quiet and vibration-free that I now often just recharge the coach batteries by idling it periodically when camping.
bobndot
Explorer II
Jun 24, 2022
I now often just recharge the coach batteries by idling it periodically when camping.

Phil, did you install a DC to DC charger ?
pnichols
Explorer II
Jun 24, 2022
bobndot wrote:
I now often just recharge the coach batteries by idling it periodically when camping.

Phil, did you install a DC to DC charger ?

No .... with the V10 idling the V10's alternator charges both the chassis battery and coach batteries.

I think (not sure, though) that the Winnebago design inter-connects both our coach battery bank (2 Grp 31 115 AH each deep cycle AGMs) and the chassis liquid acid battery in a direct parallel arrangement with each other.

I have installed on the driver's side dash three digital meters - one to show chassis battery voltage, one to show coach battery bank voltage, and one to show how much current is either going into the coach battery bank (positive ampere reading) or leaving the coach battery bank (negative ampere reading).

With the coach battery bank about 50% depleted, when I start up the V10 and idle it I've seen as much as 70 amps from the stock Ford 130 amp engine alternator going into the twin Group 31's in the coach battery bank. This current reading of course tapers off over time and I usually turn off the idling V10 when the current flowing into the coach batteries reads around 10-15 amps.

Rarely do I need to do this idle-charging longer than about one hour. It's super quiet ... and of course I can heat or air condition our entire coach interior at the same time while I'm doing this coach battery charging via use of the excellent high capacity Ford Econoline heating and A/C systems.

So since we're not full-timers, I've never installed solar and have instead used either 1) the idling V10, or 2) the built-in Onan generator, or 3) our 650 watt Honda portable genny ... to deal with all of our coach battery charging when camping. We never have any fumes inside the coach when using these methods because we can pressurize the interior to keep any fumes from entering.

I read somewhere that the V10 consumes about 7/10 of a gallon of gas per hour when idling, so it probably will take many years before I rack up enough idling fuel costs to equal the cost of a decent solar system. I can use my charging methods rain, shine, or shade and I can use the idling V10 method for the ultimate in quietness if other campers are nearby. Also, I can pretty much use the idling method "outside generator hours" in certain situations due to it's quietness.
bobndot
Explorer II
Jun 24, 2022
Good to know. Thank you Phil
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Jun 24, 2022
Great post Phil. The one time I had to use the idle option was not for battery charging but to run the dash AC. We were trapped in a tiny RV park notched out of the cornfields of southern Illinois in mid June.. Tornado warnings were up, the temp was 100 with matching humidity. The roof air struggled to get the temp down to the high 80's and the humidity was miserable.

I let the V -10 idle and fired up the dash air with our windshield cover in place. It was still warm and humid but far more comfortable. I let the dash AC run for about 90 minutes after which the roof air seemed better able to deal with the heat. Just another option/difference between a coach with a large gasser vs the MB diesels... just sayin.

\When we checked into the park to just get off the road and hide out until the storms passed they explained their shelter situation... Down the road in either direction were a couple of farms that had large basement shelters. They urged us to immediately flee to one or other if the sirens went off. It was a long night but by morning the skies had cleared and we continued on to Missouri and Arkansas before returning to Tucson. This was our third, but not our last close call with tornados on that 2 month cross country trip.

Here is another shot from our site at Hawley Lake where my bride captured a nice sunset:
klutchdust
Explorer II
Jun 24, 2022
bobndot wrote:
Well, you know what they are going to tell you.
“It’s the new $5/ gal gasoline giving better mpg”.

Out here in OC Ca. it's the new $6.25 cents per gallon fuel improving your mileage.
My travels from Bishop Ca, back home to OC always increases my mileage as the drop in elevation helps.
My attitude is and has always been when traveling that fuel costs do not matter, fun matters, just glad fuel is available.
Missing my summer travels but partial knee replacement has me homebound. Thankful right now to my ice water machine.
Bordercollie
Explorer
Jun 24, 2022
I'm wondering if the Democrats stay in control, pushing electric vehicles and mass transportation, will gas prices continue to climb. It seems possible that Democrats will eventually try to curtail or even prohibit use of internal combustion engines. I'm also wondering if Republicans regain control, will gas prices come down (a lot). At $6 per gallon it costs $330 to fill a 55 gallon tank. Discounting well-healed die-hards, will gas prices eventually kill affordable RV'ing including RV camp business and RV supply and maintenance infrastructure? Being RV'ers since the 60's, I'm hoping that the fuel "crisis" goes away for everyone's sake not just for RV'ers.
klutchdust
Explorer II
Jun 24, 2022
Bordercollie wrote:
I'm wondering if the Democrats stay in control, pushing electric vehicles and mass transportation, will gas prices continue to climb. It seems possible that Democrats will eventually try to curtail or even prohibit use of internal combustion engines. I'm also wondering if Republicans regain control, will gas prices come down (a lot). At $6 per gallon it costs $330 to fill a 55 gallon tank. Discounting well-healed die-hards, will gas prices eventually kill affordable RV'ing including RV camp business and RV supply and maintenance infrastructure? Being RV'ers since the 60's, I'm hoping that the fuel "crisis" goes away for everyone's sake not just for RV'ers.

Not a lot of thought went into the latest ideas to cut domestic oil. US was independent not long ago.
Ca. does not generate enough energy to provide the residents to even keep their air conditioners on. Yet wind farms in Palm desert sit idle on a breezy day because of politics.