Realistic mileage for Sprinter based diesels?

[gwandsh]

We are edging towards retirement and are just starting to research our first RV. When the time comes, we expect to get a 4-5 year old sprinter based class B. I know there are dozens of variations on this platform, but at this point they all look similar to us. So lets call it a Vista Cruiser just to pick a model in the ballpark.

Usage will be long trips with stays of 1-2 weeks in many locations.
A big concern of ours is budgeting for fuel. Who knows what diesel will cost when we finally hit the road, but I have seen several posts claiming 12-14 mpg, and many claiming as high as 20+ mpg. In fact, today I saw a for-sale post where the seller claimed 13-14 mpg with the statement "don't let anyone tell you these will get more!".

I generally ignore dealers and manufacturers claims of mileage, and thought the folks here would be able to give me more realistic estimates. If it helps, I drive like a granny (no offense to any real grannies out there).

Would appreciate any real data from folks with vehicles on this platform. If you can include trip duration, terrain and speeds, that would be super helpful.

Cheers

[Webwader43]

Last fall we took a 3400+ mile trip from Oregon thru Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona before returning home in our 2014 Ascent with the V6 turbo-diesel. Very little of the route was anywhere near flat. We were over 11,000 ft on a few occasions. With all the mountainous driving we averaged 20 mpg with the best tank being 24.5 mpg. The Ascent is no longer being offered with the V6 but with a 4 cylinder turbo-diesel and 7-speed transmission. Our friends have one and get even better mileage. I got the last V6 in our area and considered myself lucky because on occasion I tow a boat/trailer combination that weighs 4000lb+. The fuel mileage drops but it is still very capable towing.

[PAThwacker]

Ebay 07 pleasure way plateau ts-3

eBay nugget. TS-3 with low 30k on odometer
Check out this low mileage pleasure way chateau ts3.
I think it has an 06 dirty diesel based on chassis build vs coach build.

The no emissions 5 cylinder gets between 23 to 25 mpg.

[mkguitar]

Sebtown wrote:
We're leaving for Arizona next week so it shall be interesting to see what diesel prices are on the road.

Right now in PHX about $2 for diesel...reg 1.75~1.85 ish

If you have a smartphone you should get the gasbuddy app- it saved us hundreds this summer

looking at the app it says diesel in Quartzite ranges from 1.97 to 2.10
gas is about a nickle cheaper

Mike

[eeltinge]

I am getting 18mpg in the city and 20mpg on the highway in my 2015 Winnebago ERA 70A. I also drive conservatively and max out at 60mph. I now hate fast drivers in the slow lane. When I was young, I used to hate slow drivers in the fast lane. How times change!

[Sebtown]

My 06/07 Airstream Interstate T1N pretty consistenty gets 22 mpg. Sometimes a little less other times a little more. Currently diesel is less expensive then regular gasoline in my part of the San Francisco bay area. We're leaving for Arizona next week so it shall be interesting to see what diesel prices are on the road.

[Davydd]

Last fall in our trip in the Canadian Maritime Provinces I found diesel prices considerably less expensive than regular gasoline at the rate of about 30-40 cents less per US gallon.

[Escargot]

My 2006 Pleasure-Way Sprinter (5 cylinder, T1N), consistently gets 22 mpg. I record every gas stop (mileage, trip, gallons, price per gallon, total price.
With the 26 gal tank I'm good for a 600 miles range, although I usually fill-up at the 1/2 tank mark.

PS I found diesel prices were higher in the Northeastern states than in Nova Scotia, and here in California / southwest.

[gogereaver]

yes thats a problem with imported rvs gas or disle is when its service time its harder to find people able to work on them. vs a ford or gm and now dodge again.

[ReneeG]

Your link didn't work, so I corrected it here.Thank You!

You're welcome.

[EsoxLucius]

ReneeG wrote:

EsoxLucius wrote:
Our 2013 Leisure Travel Vans Unity Class C motorhome gets 15 mpg while pulling our toad.

jtappen.wordpress.com
Currently in Tucson, AZ

Your link didn't work, so I corrected it here.

Thank You!

[jjson775]

We are on our second gas engine Ford. Both have been mechanically flawless. With fuel so cheap for the foreseeable future, payout for the extra cost of a diesel is way over 100K miles. Also, if you have a breakdown, you can get a Ford or Chevy worked on anywhere. Just my 2 cents. Good luck with your search.

[ReneeG]

EsoxLucius wrote:
Our 2013 Leisure Travel Vans Unity Class C motorhome gets 15 mpg while pulling our toad.

jtappen.wordpress.com
Currently in Tucson, AZ

Your link didn't work, so I corrected it here.

[DAWg134]

Because of the high-profile body, fuel mileage for a Sprinter diesel is highly dependent upon vehicle speed. If you like to speed along at 70-75 mph, then don't expect much more than 19 MPG on mostly flat long hauls. On the other hand, if you're not in a hurry and are comfortable lolling along in the slow lane at 60 mph, then you can easily see 24 MPG in the flats. I tried this experiment on two 1,000-mile round trips, keeping it as steady as possible at 60 mph, 65 mph, 70 mph, and 75 mph on each respective 500-mile leg.

[NCWriter]

Our older Sprinter has averaged about 23 on all types of roads, including Rockies. Mostly long trips of one to two months or longer.

After it passed about 60,000 miles, it started getting better mileage, 24+ on flat Florida highways. We don't usually exceed the speed limit, so YMMV.