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Fuel Mileage on 8.1 Workhorse

burgess001
Explorer
Explorer
I drove DP's for years. Thinking about a 30 ft Workhorse. What kind of gas mileage can I expect
Jerry and Katie
More than 20 great years motorhoming and still loving it...
2004 DSDP 3810 (more than I needed...less than I wanted)
2004 Trailblazer (too heavy but well worth dragging)
19 REPLIES 19

LouLawrence
Explorer
Explorer
Why do we keep getting MPG questions? If you do even the most simple search you will find something like 1000 posts on MPG. None of them mean a dang thing since everyone has a different way of calculating this number (with generator, without generator, traveling East, Traveling West, Headwind, Tailwind and on and on ad nauseam). MPG is, by far, the least of all of any RVers concerns when it comes to cost of ownership.

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Explorer III
I drove a 2005 Damon Intruder 377W (Workhorse 8.1L) for 15 years
Millage. Lowest I ever got was 6 (Major headwind)
Highest 13.8 (I kid you not the tumble weeds were going down the road passing me at nearly 100 MPH Straight down the very straight (I-10) road.. Was ... Fun (not) when I exited for the night)

Normal depended on my towed. 7-8 towing a 2001 Dodge neon using a transmission lube pump (2500 pound towed)
8-9 towing a 1992 Chevy Lumina APV (4000 pounds) with a Axle lock. I do not knwo if this was because the larger APV "Spoiled" the air flow or the added drag of the automatic transmission on the Neon.
Bobtail (no towed car) about the same as with the Lumina (Argument for spoiled air flow)

Fresh Wax Job 10-11MPG
Anyone care to guess why I waxed spring and fall before my semi-annual migration hike?
Home was where I park it. but alas the.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
after a semi "nicked" it. Still have the radios
Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times

burgess001
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks everyone. We did go with a V10 Class C. The Workhorses we found were pretty much used up.
Jerry and Katie
More than 20 great years motorhoming and still loving it...
2004 DSDP 3810 (more than I needed...less than I wanted)
2004 Trailblazer (too heavy but well worth dragging)

egh33
Explorer
Explorer
burgess001 wrote:
I drove DP's for years. Thinking about a 30 ft Workhorse. What kind of gas mileage can I expect


All depends on the tail wind, down hill is great gas mileage

fyrflie
Explorer III
Explorer III
I have a 60 gallon tank and use 6 mpg as my baseline mileage.
Looking for fuel and beer around 300 miles.

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
Rick Jay wrote:
dodge guy and ArchHoagland,

I agree with your math and refueling policies. The only thing I'd add is that the height for the pick-up tube for the generator is usually set at about the 1/4 full mark on the gas tank. So if you are using the generator, you definitely want to be looking for fuel well before the 1/4 full point on the tank. And up and down hills might even cause it to start sucking air before that point is reached. In our rig we usually travel with the generator running to keep the family comfortable, so I used to fill up around the 325-350 mile point which seemed to work well for us.

~Rick


Yes, I forgot to add that. Although I have ran the tank down to 1/8 and the generator still ran. But I was coming into Denver and filled right off I70 before I got into the mountains.
So yes, you have to know where the cutoff is for the generator fuel pickup.
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey

12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer

13 Ford Explorer Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP Tow>
A bad day camping is
better than a good day at work!

Rick_Jay
Explorer II
Explorer II
dodge guy and ArchHoagland,

I agree with your math and refueling policies. The only thing I'd add is that the height for the pick-up tube for the generator is usually set at about the 1/4 full mark on the gas tank. So if you are using the generator, you definitely want to be looking for fuel well before the 1/4 full point on the tank. And up and down hills might even cause it to start sucking air before that point is reached. In our rig we usually travel with the generator running to keep the family comfortable, so I used to fill up around the 325-350 mile point which seemed to work well for us.

~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (27-Angel since 2008), 1 girl (22), 2 boys (23 & 20).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.

ArchHoagland
Explorer
Explorer
I logged every gallon of gas I've bought over the past 95,000 miles and have averaged 7.1 mpg on my 2004 W22 36 foot coach pulling a 4,000lb toad.

Those miles almost always included going over mountains in the west.

I drive at 55 MPH to 62 MPH.

My tank holds 75 gallons and I calculate 420 miles at the most on a tank of gas although I always start looking for a gas station when I get down to a half tank or, especially when crossing a desert.
2004 Monaco La Palma 36DBD
Workhorse W22 8.1 Gas Allison 1000, 7.1 mpg

2000 LEXUS RX300 FWD 22MPG 4020 LBS
US Gear Brakes

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
Most class A gas tank are 80 gallons. So at 6 mpg you can go 120 miles to a 1/4 tank. I start looking for a station at 1/4 tank. Out west Iโ€™ll start looking at 1/2 tank because it can be pretty far between stations out there.

Realistically you can easily go 400 miles before you need to fill up. But you will have to stop before you ever need gas!
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey

12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer

13 Ford Explorer Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP Tow>
A bad day camping is
better than a good day at work!

Mike_W
Explorer
Explorer
Curious and kind of related. What criteria do you all use to calculate fuel stops? Yeah, gas gauge is a pretty good indicator. But for those who don't dwell or calculate MPG a lot...?
1987 Executive Diplomat 35
Sad Days
Sold my baby
๐Ÿ˜ž

ReneeG
Explorer
Explorer
MitchF150 wrote:
Single digits..

I had to chuckle at this answer due to our past situation. We HAD a gas truck to tow our 35' FW, got 7mpg!! 7 . . . switched to diesel and in the double digits now.
2011 Bighorn 3055RL, 2011 F350 DRW 6.7L 4x4 Diesel Lariat and Hensley TrailerSaver BD3, 1992 Jeep ZJ and 1978 Coleman Concord Pop-Up for remote camping
Dave & Renee plus (Champ, Molly, Paris, Missy, and Maggie in spirit), Mica, Mabel, and Melton

Sandia_Man
Explorer II
Explorer II
It depends, 7-8 mpg is the average, 5-6mpg in the mountains at elevation, 9-11mpg on the flatlands near sea level. Been using gassers for 3 decades of RVing and have never cared to actually calculate mpg, our current Class A has the 8.1L with Allison 2100 on W24 chassis, it has no problem traversing the many inclines we have here in the mountain west region. Both DIC on our Monaco and our Scangauge2 report MPG tallies which I have very little interest in, we love RVing and don't fret the costs to partake in this beloved endeavor.

Rick_Jay
Explorer II
Explorer II
Hi,

As others have said, I'd expect anywhere between high 6's to low 9's, depending upon terrain, wind, speed, towing/not towing, running the generator and whether or not you put "real gas" into it or the 10% ethanol junk many of us are forced to use.

While it probably doesn't matter too much to the answer of your question, out of curiosity, are you looking at a W-series Workhorse or a P-series Workhorse?

~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (27-Angel since 2008), 1 girl (22), 2 boys (23 & 20).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.

fyrflie
Explorer III
Explorer III
2001 Fleetwood Flair 32 foot with 2000 Jeep Wrangler tow vehicle.
June 2021 trip from California to Tennessee and back. 5700 miles.

6.8 - 8.5 mpg @ 70 mph most of the time