My pathetic fuel numbers for 2013

[Roll]

Putting the coach away now until spring 2014.

We drove 2,621 miles (odometer reads 10,851 now)
We purchased 465.886 gallons of regular gasoline
We paid an average of $3.42 per gallon or ($1,593.35 for the season)
We averaged a whopping 5.62 miles per gallon of gasoline.


We towed the 4 dr Jeep (4,012 pounds) most of the time; plus the coach is fairly loaded with all the stuff we might need including a robust set of tools.

I do fill the tank before I put it away so that includes the cost of the last fill-up. It was full when I opened it up this spring and I did not include that fuel bill.

I'm dismayed at the weak showing on miles per gallon but would have guessed the total cost of gas for the season would have exceeded $1600.

Gary

[bend302]

Hmmmmmmmm

I have a 2005 Georgetown XL on a Ford chassis and get close to 7MPG towing a 4000# Honda Accord (old 2000).

I drive between 55 and 62 MPH, use cruise control as much as possible with generally no real extensive hills except through TN And AL going to FL.

I think the real issue is speed and finding the "sweet" spot for the engine.

Bill

[gerrym51]

gas mileage and rv should not be in the same sentence. the only way to get good mileage in an rv is not to have one.

[statgeek]

Roll--
With all due respect, you are doing the math wrong, but don't feel bad because it is a very a common mistake too. As my username implies, I am a statistician, so please let me explain :

The usual MPG formula is assumed to be... MPG = miles traveled / gallons used.

This is what we all have done long before we started to drive RV's and tow vehicles, and it has always arrived at the right answer. That, however, is only because there is an invisible parameter in this calculation that, it turns out, does not affect the calculation when you are performing a MPG calculation for an automobile. But...when performing the calculation for an RV pulling a toad, this parameter is no longer insignificant.

The TRUE formula should be MPG = (Miles traveled/gallons used) X vehicles delivered to site.

Since you are an RV towing a toad, that last parameter = 2. Thus your calculation of 5.62 MPG is an underestimate by a factor of two. Your "true" MPG when you factor in the number of vehicles delivered to site is 2 X 5.62 = 11.24.

There... I'm sure you feel better now, right?

[Roll]

Originally Posted by bend302

Hmmmmmmmm

I have a 2005 Georgetown XL on a Ford chassis and get close to 7MPG towing a 4000# Honda Accord (old 2000).

I drive between 55 and 62 MPH, use cruise control as much as possible with generally no real extensive hills except through TN And AL going to FL.

I think the real issue is speed and finding the "sweet" spot for the engine.

Bill

I don't know where the sweet spot is but I keep the coach in the 55 to 60 range; sometimes as high as 64 but that's as high as I like to go. We did a lot of steep grades this year in PA and in Ohio but it wasn't all up and down.

Gary

[cmalberto]

I tend to agree - speed is the key - how to find your sweet spot. Buy yourself a Scangauge. I found 55-60 to deliver in 9s - no Toad but never find myself driving that slow. I stay around 60-65 and seem to see 7s now. My first tank 65-70 and pushing it was 6.2 which disappointed me. End of the day...it all rolls into the cost of doing business and the projected over night costs versus a hotel room.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by statgeek

Roll--
With all due respect, you are doing the math wrong, but don't feel bad because it is a very a common mistake too. As my username implies, I am a statistician, so please let me explain... Your "true" MPG when you factor in the number of vehicles delivered to site is 2 X 5.62 = 11.24.

There... I'm sure you feel better now, right?

And you know the old saying, "figures don't lie, but ... figure" Just like the folks in Washington, DC.

[Iwannacamp]

I suggest trying a Schaeffers product called neutra. It is a gas and diesel treatment. Find some..buy it..use it..recheck your mileage.

[Roll]

Originally Posted by statgeek

Roll--
With all due respect, you are doing the math wrong, but don't feel bad because it is a very a common mistake too. As my username implies, I am a statistician, so please let me explain :

The usual MPG formula is assumed to be... MPG = miles traveled / gallons used.

This is what we all have done long before we started to drive RV's and tow vehicles, and it has always arrived at the right answer. That, however, is only because there is an invisible parameter in this calculation that, it turns out, does not affect the calculation when you are performing a MPG calculation for an automobile. But...when performing the calculation for an RV pulling a toad, this parameter is no longer insignificant.

The TRUE formula should be MPG = (Miles traveled/gallons used) X vehicles delivered to site.

Since you are an RV towing a toad, that last parameter = 2. Thus your calculation of 5.62 MPG is an underestimate by a factor of two. Your "true" MPG when you factor in the number of vehicles delivered to site is 2 X 5.62 = 11.24.

There... I'm sure you feel better now, right?

LOL

Well using your assumption, my mileage was actually better than you indicate since if the Jeep was traveling independent of the Coach it would be getting in the range of 18 to 21 miles a gallon meaning that in reality, when the DW and I arrived at our destination, the Jeep continued on to a campground another 50 miles down the road. Makes using the Jeep somewhat problematic but who cares when your miles per gallon looks so good!

Gary

PS Thanks for the laugh statgeek.

[OldCoot]

And if you really want to feel good do a weight carried/mile/gal of fuel.

[statgeek]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

And if you really want to feel good do a weight carried/mile/gal of fuel.

Oh this is great idea!! I may have to work something up on that one!!

[1nshort]

Roll,

I only did 2600 miles but pulled a toad at 3400 pounds. Speed between 60-65 MPH. Averaged between 6.5-7.2 MPG. I did not include one tank where I ran the genset for several hours which yielded 5.4 MPG. If you ran your genset figure hours times 7.5 gallons and add that back into you gallons total and recalculate your MPG.
Coach in shop for roof panel popping up about halfway back of front AC unit from the unit to roof edge possible delam.

Denis

[1nshort]

Make that hours times .75 gallons

[Roll]

Originally Posted by 1nshort

Make that hours times .75 gallons

I'm not happy to hear about your roof. Please advise what they find.

Seriously? The Gen burns 3/4 of a gallon an hour? I thought it sipped gasoline.

Gary

[1nshort]

I

Originally Posted by Roll

I'm not happy to hear about your roof. Please advise what they find.

Seriously? The Gen burns 3/4 of a gallon an hour? I thought it sipped gasoline.

Gary

I have a 7500 watt gen for the house. At 50% load it gets 7-8 hours on a 5 gallon tank. The genset on the coach is 5.5 kwatts, very similar. Going down the road ( or parked) I am running both A.C.s, uses a bit of gas. Since there is no real documentation on the consumption of the unit, only 'word of mouth', I am using it as a comparison.

Yeah, I am concerned too (about the roof), John Vrydrags of Coachmen/Forrest River was quick to respond on it, now if I could just get the dealership motivated. I discovered/reported it 2 days before my 1 year was up. So you can guess I am nervous on this one. Winnebago has a 10 year roof waranty and Thor has a 2 year TPO roof waranty. it is best you check your whole roof perimeter caulking seal every 6 months. Looking at the factory caulk job, it is really cheap and of low grade for bead width. I would have caulked at 4 times their width. I was up on the roof inspecting the automatic satellite antenna install when I discovered it.

Denis

[dezolen]

My Honda CRV which weighs approx 3500# might get 28 mpg highway and less in city.
My 24,000# motorhome gets around 7mpg towing the CRV. In my mind it's the equivilent of 32mpg. Not bad in my mind
Not complaining

[Dodge Guy]

What chassis is it Ford V-10 or GM 8.1L? I had the same issue with my Excursion with the V-10. after trying everything I found out the problem was the ethanol in the fuel. I was running 87 octane and it lost a lot of mileage and power. on one of our trips I ran 93 and the power and mileage almost completely returned. the ethanol will kill the octane rating of the fuel meaning it has less BTU`s. during one trip before I ran the 93 octane I could barley hold 55 with a slight headwind and was getting 5 MPG!!!! and at the same time because the pedal was on the floor it was unlocking the TC causing the trans to run hot. I had to slow down to let it go into O/D to let the trans cool off. just this past year I ordered a 5 star programmer which changes the shift strategy, TC lock up, shift pressures, and other parameters. all this adds approx. 20HP. it can be ordered in 87, 89 or 93 octane tunes. they are highly recommended! my X feels like a completely different truck and am completely happy I went with it.

[Roll]

Originally Posted by Dodge Guy

What chassis is it Ford V-10 or GM 8.1L? I had the same issue with my Excursion with the V-10. after trying everything I found out the problem was the ethanol in the fuel. I was running 87 octane and it lost a lot of mileage and power. on one of our trips I ran 93 and the power and mileage almost completely returned. the ethanol will kill the octane rating of the fuel meaning it has less BTU`s. during one trip before I ran the 93 octane I could barley hold 55 with a slight headwind and was getting 5 MPG!!!! and at the same time because the pedal was on the floor it was unlocking the TC causing the trans to run hot. I had to slow down to let it go into O/D to let the trans cool off. just this past year I ordered a 5 star programmer which changes the shift strategy, TC lock up, shift pressures, and other parameters. all this adds approx. 20HP. it can be ordered in 87, 89 or 93 octane tunes. they are highly recommended! my X feels like a completely different truck and am completely happy I went with it.

I have the 2011 Ford Chassis with the Triton V-10. I have a tune as well, though my tune is from Brazels. I do run 87 octane regular. So your suggestion is that I try a tank of 93 and compare mileage?

Gary

[1nshort]

Originally Posted by Roll

I have the 2011 Ford Chassis with the Triton V-10. I have a tune as well, though my tune is from Brazels. I do run 87 octane regular. So your suggestion is that I try a tank of 93 and compare mileage?

Gary

If your tune is for 87 octane you will have to get a tune for 93 octane before using it or retro back to your original tune or you could do damage to the engine. That is what my tune warned me about when I bought my 87 octane tune.

Denis

[Dodge Guy]

Ya, I would run the 93 with the stock tune, although I don`t see an issue with running 93 with your 87 tune! definitely try 1 tank and see how it does/feels!