Ho, discussion on MPG again ! Good subject !
We were told that the Solera would go 21 MPG on a canadian Gallon even better that the Volks Westfalia we drove for the last 17 years,
The truth ? Best milleage to date is 16,5 MPG on canadian Gallon. Fot those who doesn't know canadian gallon is 20% bigger than the US Gallon. So around 14 on US Gallon.
It's get even lower when we pull our Toyota Corolla which is only 2700 lbs. We get down to 12 MPG but save a lot of fuel using the car to shop around, We even think pushing the Solera with the Corolla
, just kidding,
The Sprinter that gets 21 MPG are those with the Sprinter chassis all around like Roadtrek, more aerodynamic, many also use the 2500 with single tires on the rear axle. Have you ever tried to run holding a 4 X 8 plywood sheet in front of you ? Then you will understand what the Solera has to deal with
Remember that the Solera is the biggest machine mounted on a Sprinter frame, I haven't check but it's probably also the heaviest. With a Ford V-10, we would probably go around 10 MPG with a rear wind
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Many people thinks diesel means automaticaly fuel economy and it's not always true. Diesel are designed to get you more power, not fuel economy. I choose the Solera because I had enough of climbing hills at 45 MPH with my 4 flashers on. With the diesel, I can also tow a car and, best of all, I have a motor designed to last at least 500,000 miles and my intention is to put as much on it as I can.
For those who really want to save fuel: Never exceed 50 MPH, over that speed, 80 % of the extra fuel is used to fight the wind and only 20 % to increase your speed.
Surprisengly (do that word exist ?) I also found out I'm doing a better MPG by not using the cruise control and letting the speed drop just a little bit when going uphill and a little bit faster going downhill. Take example on the big semi on the road, there is a lot to learn from them.
Now, I don't calculate my MPG every time. I refuel when my fuel gauge reach 2 or 3 bars. If I have done 250 miles on the tank, I'm happy. If I get just over 200, well, I just look behind my seat at all that extra space, my big bed and my shower and I smile
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I just hope the diesel price will go down now