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Fuel mileage

wjschill
Explorer
Explorer
OK friends.

I've read fuel mileage for a 35' gasser with the v-10 Ford engine pulling a 3500 lbs toad will be anywhere from 4 to 9 mpg. This is average traveling, not all level and not all hills.

Please share your experiences.

Thanks,

Skip
KillingTime
30 REPLIES 30

ferndaleflyer
Explorer III
Explorer III
My Monaco with a 8.3 Cummins averaged 9.5 round trip to West Palm beach and back towing a car on a Featherlite trailer. I drive around 65 most of the time.

folivier
Explorer
Explorer
Fuel mileage was never as much a concern as was range. I like to know how far can I go with what it's in my tank and where to fillup.
But for those who care I've averaged 8mpg in both my 45' Newell and 36' Foretravel. That's driving 62 mph.

mowermech
Explorer
Explorer
wildtoad wrote:
So if you collect all this data and don’t compute your mileage, why collect it? My DW always gets a receipt at each fill up and stuffs it in the glove box but never does anything with them.

I do agree with your sentiment.

And now to answer the OP’s post, after some 29k miles towing/not towing, my average is high sixes to mid sevens. (2016, Newmar BSS, 31ft, Ford V10)

mowermech wrote:
I drive the Ford V-10 motorhome shown in my sig, towing the Jeep shown in my sig.
I keep a log book where I enter every gallon of gas that is put in the tank, what date I bought it, how much it cost, and the odometer reading.
I have never computed the MPG, because I just don't care! I know it is terrible, and I know it is to be expected. Worrying about fuel economy in a motorhome is an exercise in futility. It is terrible, and there is very little that can be done to improve it!


Why collect the data? It is something that I have done since my first vehicle along about 1958. It is a habit I am slowly breaking. The only vehicles I still do it in are the Dodge truck and the motorhome. Perhaps someday I will throw those two logbooks away. Of course, they are also a log of where we have been. Or, perhaps, someday I will do some math computations and see what the fuel economy was.
Just a bad habit that I haven't managed to totally break yet.
CM1, USN (RET)
2017 Jayco TT
Daily Driver: '14 Subaru Outback
1998 Dodge QC LWB, Cummins, 5 speed, 4X2
2 Kawasaki Brute Force 750 ATVs.
Pride Raptor 3 wheeled off-road capable mobility scooter
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
dodge guy wrote:
My average for our 12 with the 5 speed auto towing a 4500lb Explorer and running the generator is 5.8. I don’t figure mountain mileage as it’s only for short times.


Sorry, that should’ve been 6.8.
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!

rlw999
Explorer
Explorer
wjschill wrote:
OK friends.

I've read fuel mileage for a 35' gasser with the v-10 Ford engine pulling a 3500 lbs toad will be anywhere from 4 to 9 mpg. This is average traveling, not all level and not all hills.

Please share your experiences.


My 28' Class C (E-450 chassis with the Triton V-10) gets around 8.5mpg. I've only towed with it once, it was a small car around 3000 lbs and it didn't affect mileage much, it was still above 8mpg. This was almost all at freeway speeds so most of the power goes to fighting air resistance, so the extra weight didn't make much difference.

jdc1
Explorer II
Explorer II
If you have to ask.......

Mommalu
Explorer
Explorer
I have the CDL in the family, I do most/all of the driving. We had a 04 32' v10 with the 4 speed, never towed anything, its our weekend get out of town vehicle.
It depends on the conditions, the F53 chassis is often all over the road with a good wind, with hills the v10 is screaming as it drops gears for more power, even in the tow haul mode. After adding $4000 in "handling improvements" we were able to do the speed limit most of the time, though it was still a white knuckle experience. We saw low of 4.5 mpg with a 25 mph head wind to 8 mpg on a near perfect day with few hills. If we ran the genny for A/C on those 85 degree days our mpg dropped .5 miles per gallon so from 7 to 6.5.
The upside was the v10 always started, got us to where we needed, and was cheap to maintain, absolutely no issues.
However, for work I drive diesels, so we traded the 2014 V10 in for a 2007 40' with the small but mighty 5.9 Cummins diesel, no more white knuckle driving, and we see 8 to 10 mpg.
There's no perfect motorhome out there, just figure out what you and family need to be happy, and then enjoy it.
My truck only gets 13 mpg, it has no queen bed, shower, bath, refrigerator, stove, tv, recliners or couch. Put it in perspective, basically you're driving a house. You want mpg's you drive a tiny little car, that is only for driving not living in.
Have fun in your search for your home on wheels.

wildtoad
Explorer II
Explorer II
So if you collect all this data and don’t compute your mileage, why collect it? My DW always gets a receipt at each fill up and stuffs it in the glove box but never does anything with them.

I do agree with your sentiment.

And now to answer the OP’s post, after some 29k miles towing/not towing, my average is high sixes to mid sevens. (2016, Newmar BSS, 31ft, Ford V10)

mowermech wrote:
I drive the Ford V-10 motorhome shown in my sig, towing the Jeep shown in my sig.
I keep a log book where I enter every gallon of gas that is put in the tank, what date I bought it, how much it cost, and the odometer reading.
I have never computed the MPG, because I just don't care! I know it is terrible, and I know it is to be expected. Worrying about fuel economy in a motorhome is an exercise in futility. It is terrible, and there is very little that can be done to improve it!
Tom Wilds
Blythewood, SC
2016 Newmar Baystar Sport 3004
2015 Jeep Wrangler 2dr HT

Thunder_Mountai
Explorer II
Explorer II
If you worry about your mpg with any RV you should have done your research before your bought it. Now, that I flamed you. MPG really sucks with gassers towing anything or not. Our 2016 Journey DP averages about 8 mpg dragging anything or not behind it. Slow down especially with headwinds. You have to find your unit's sweet spot. It might not be fast enough for your schedule but it does help the mpg. In our 2016 Winnebago Journey the spot is about 68 mph. In the mountains all bets are off. Sometimes I'm happy to see 7 mpg on a tank.
2016 Winnebago Journey 40R
2018 Rubicon
1982 FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser
2020 Keystone Outback 327CG
2020 Dodge Ram 2500
Polaris RZR XP 1000
4 Cats
3 Dogs
1 Bottle of Jack Daniels
Two old hippies still trying to find ourselves!

FloridaRosebud
Explorer
Explorer
2006 F53 V-10 33' MH with the 5 speed towing a 4600lb Acadia.....about 7-8 mpg.

Al

mowermech
Explorer
Explorer
I drive the Ford V-10 motorhome shown in my sig, towing the Jeep shown in my sig.
I keep a log book where I enter every gallon of gas that is put in the tank, what date I bought it, how much it cost, and the odometer reading.
I have never computed the MPG, because I just don't care! I know it is terrible, and I know it is to be expected. Worrying about fuel economy in a motorhome is an exercise in futility. It is terrible, and there is very little that can be done to improve it!
CM1, USN (RET)
2017 Jayco TT
Daily Driver: '14 Subaru Outback
1998 Dodge QC LWB, Cummins, 5 speed, 4X2
2 Kawasaki Brute Force 750 ATVs.
Pride Raptor 3 wheeled off-road capable mobility scooter
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"

Ranger_Smith
Explorer
Explorer
43’ DP with Lincoln on the tow bar . . . 7.4 average
Where we are now

Amateur Radio Operator WW1SS . . . Flex 6500 PGXL and TGXL
Steve and Joy
2014 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q . . . 2016 Lincoln MKX
The Doodles, Abbie & Abel
Baby and Kissie the Chihuahuas and Lucy the Biewere Yorkie

rk911
Explorer
Explorer
rk911 wrote:
wjschill wrote:
OK friends.

I've read fuel mileage for a 35' gasser with the v-10 Ford engine pulling a 3500 lbs toad will be anywhere from 4 to 9 mpg. This is average traveling, not all level and not all hills.

Please share your experiences.

Thanks,

Skip


40' class A gasser pulling a Jeep SUV. gross combined weight roughly 13-tons. historical average gas mileage 5.6-mpg. but I drive 65-68 or the speed limit, whichever is less. we didn't consider MPG when we made our purchase and while I track it (always have in all our vehicles) we don't worry or fret about it.
Rich
Ham Radio, Sport Pilot, Retired 9-1-1 Call Center Administrator
_________________________________
2016 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q
'46 Willys CJ2A
'23 Jeep Wrangler JL
'10 Jeep Liberty KK

& MaggieThe Wonder Beagle

rk911
Explorer
Explorer
wjschill wrote:
OK friends.

I've read fuel mileage for a 35' gasser with the v-10 Ford engine pulling a 3500 lbs toad will be anywhere from 4 to 9 mpg. This is average traveling, not all level and not all hills.

Please share your experiences.

Thanks,

Skip


40' class A gasser pulling a Jeep SUV. gross combined weight roughly 13-tons. historical average gas mileage 5.6-mpg. but I drive 65-68 or the speed limit, whichever is less.
Rich
Ham Radio, Sport Pilot, Retired 9-1-1 Call Center Administrator
_________________________________
2016 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q
'46 Willys CJ2A
'23 Jeep Wrangler JL
'10 Jeep Liberty KK

& MaggieThe Wonder Beagle

enblethen
Nomad
Nomad
The faster you travel the faster the gas disappears!
Keeping speed 55 to 60 will help!
We have big block Chev chassis and get 8+. Fords do not get good mileage.

Bud
USAF Retired
Pace Arrow


2003 Chev Ice Road Tracker