Mileage.....

boowho · 09-23-2013, 05:32 PM

Well, I've put 8K miles on my Berky since Memorial Day. From Phoenix to Denver, out to Elkhart and then up to Glacier NP. Then on to Seattle and from there south to San Francisco. Finally out to Elko, NV and the down to Las Vegas which is probably going to be my "wintering location"

In this rather extended trip, I've averaged just over 11 MPG. I've seen it as high as 12.5 and as low as 9.5 but overall I'm right at 11 to 11.2. At one point I actually saw 13.2 but think I may have had a pretty good tail wind, so I'm not counting that segment.

Yesterday, coming from Elko, NV to Las Vegas, NV (440 miles) I averaged 12.1

All in all, pretty good for a "big old coach".

Boowho??

tmmar · 09-23-2013, 05:35 PM

Boo,
That IS pretty good mileage. Which engine do you have - the 340 or 360?
Tom

boowho · 09-23-2013, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmmar

Boo,
That IS pretty good mileage. Which engine do you have - the 340 or 360?
Tom

340 Tom.....

But I forgot to mention that I rarely drive over 60 and usually right around 58. I always say I have nowhere (in particular) to go and the rest of my life to get there!!!

Drag goes up exponentially with speed increases, so the difference between the high 50's and mid 60's MPH (or even faster for some) can be dramatic.

Boowho??

tmmar · 09-23-2013, 06:02 PM

Boo,
I guess you are right because I usually drive around 65 and my mileage is not as good as yours. Guess I will need to slow down some.
Thanks,
Tom

rattleNsmoke · 09-23-2013, 06:07 PM

Hey, as they say...'Your mileage may vary'

kingwood390bh · 09-23-2013, 06:26 PM

I made about 10.3 in a little over 4000 miles, towing a CRV, and using about 30 hours of generator. I know of no other class A diesels that even come close. Most of my friends average 7.5.

Campin Cajun · 09-23-2013, 06:50 PM

On our trip to Arkansas I averaged 10.2 mpg.

On the steeper downhill runs I was getting 75 mpg lol

dwaynerz · 09-23-2013, 06:58 PM

just curious, but most coaches seem to be in the 300 hp or so range. do they make an option for a larger hp engine? not in any kind of market for one, was just curious. to my way of thinking its more horses, less work, better economy.

boowho · 09-23-2013, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmmar

Boo,
I guess you are right because I usually drive around 65 and my mileage is not as good as yours. Guess I will need to slow down some.
Thanks,
Tom

Tom.....

It WILL make a difference. Whether it's enough of a difference to make it worthwhile would be up to each and every coach owner, based upon their own personal needs/preferences.

I found something interesting as I was tracking all this over the last few months.

If rolling along on the flat land for say 50 miles and getting 11 MPG, starting up a hill a mile or two long, the MPG might drop a tenth or two.

BUT to regain those lost tenths of a mile (back to 11 MPG) when back on level ground could take as long as 10 or 20 miles.

In other words, the negative effects of an increase in engine load are felt sooner/more dramatically than the positive effects of a decrease in engine load. Or so it seems to me.

Boowho??

jimanddonna · 09-24-2013, 11:34 AM

I've been getting about the same mileage on my 2013 Berkshire on our 7500 miles summer trip away from Texas. (a little less thru the Rockies) but great from Yellowstone back to Houston. I was told on the 6 speed Allison that 5th and 6th were both overdrive. We found you had to go up to about 65 to get it to drop into 6th but then could back off to about 61-62 with cruise control and it would stay in 6th.

boowho · 09-24-2013, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimanddonna

I've been getting about the same mileage on my 2013 Berkshire on our 7500 miles summer trip away from Texas. (a little less thru the Rockies) but great from Yellowstone back to Houston. I was told on the 6 speed Allison that 5th and 6th were both overdrive. We found you had to go up to about 65 to get it to drop into 6th but then could back off to about 61-62 with cruise control and it would stay in 6th.

Does your mode button work?? Mine was inoperative when I got the coach, but FL replaced the shifter box under warranty. Economy mode gives an extra .5 to 1 MPG.

Before I got the mode thing fixed, I couldn't get into sixth nor stay in sixth under about 68 MPH. Now I can stay in top gear all the way down to 58 or so.

BTW, on a 3 or 4 % uphill grade the instantaneous MPG will sometimes drop all the way down to 3-4 MPG. OUCH!!!! So if you did that well in the Rockies, you're in tall cotton.

Boowho??

jimanddonna · 09-24-2013, 12:03 PM

I've never used "economy mode" and don't know how to unless you're referring to manually changing the gear you're in. I might be able to drop to 58 in 6th but since I don't normally drive that slow I haven't tried that either.

tmmar · 09-24-2013, 12:07 PM

If you push the mode button, the trans will shift into 6th at about 62 mph. It will also not down shift as easily on some inclines as it would without the mode button on.

boowho · 09-24-2013, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimanddonna

I've never used "economy mode" and don't know how to unless you're referring to manually changing the gear you're in. I might be able to drop to 58 in 6th but since I don't normally drive that slow I haven't tried that either.

There is a button labeled "mode" on your shift box - mode being either "performance" or "economy". There's a small LED in the button and when illuminated the tranny is in "economy" mode. This changes the shift points so the tranny will tend to go into (or stay in) a higher gear at lower RPM's.

One thing to note if you decide to start using economy mode is that you can select it (so the light is on) but as soon as you shut down the engine, it will default back to performance mode next time you start the engine. So you have to select economy EVERY time you start the engine, assuming you want to use economy.

Boowho??

62_inrightlane · 09-24-2013, 10:27 PM

Press the mode button when you are stopped or underway. When the light comes on you are in economy mode and I get an extra 1/2 MPG

gmcnitt · 09-25-2013, 09:20 AM

I have an 09 Charleston 40 ft coach, using economy mode going the speed limit plus a few pulling a Jeep Wrangler I get between 6.5 and 7 mpg. In Texas the speed limit is 70/75, so going down the road near 80 mph, smooth as can be. I'm not retired yet, so time matters to me, especially when I only have a week off to cover driving, relaxing, etc. We typically will do 400 miles a day max, going the speed limit saves us quite a bit of time each day to relax in the evenings. Perhaps if I ever get to retire I will see what it is like to slow down a bit....

boowho · 09-25-2013, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmcnitt

I have an 09 Charleston 40 ft coach, using economy mode going the speed limit plus a few pulling a Jeep Wrangler I get between 6.5 and 7 mpg. In Texas the speed limit is 70/75, so going down the road near 80 mph, smooth as can be. I'm not retired yet, so time matters to me, especially when I only have a week off to cover driving, relaxing, etc. We typically will do 400 miles a day max, going the speed limit saves us quite a bit of time each day to relax in the evenings. Perhaps if I ever get to retire I will see what it is like to slow down a bit....

Not trying to be s smart-butt, but an old buddy used to say of a "normal" vacation "We gotta hurry up and relax"!!

That's why I said earlier that it's all a matter of personal preference.

Oh, and retirement will come quicker than you think.

Boowho??

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