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Old 07-03-2015, 02:30 PM   #1
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Forester MBS Fuel Consumption

We are on the longest road trip in our 2401R, and I being the co pilot am calculating our fuel consumption.
As of this writing, we have traveled 2,121 miles and have consumed 178 gals. of fuel. This is only 11.9 miles per gallon. We started out this trip with 3,520 miles on the odometer.
Wondering how this compares to others.
Thanks!
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Old 07-03-2015, 02:37 PM   #2
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Towing?
How fast do you drive


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Old 07-03-2015, 02:47 PM   #3
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We are not towing. Driving average 65-70 miles per hour.
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Old 07-03-2015, 04:37 PM   #4
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your main problem will be winds

there will be a 2-3 mpg diff between head vs. tail wind,
especially at the speeds you are indicating,
and by tail winds I mean only within approx. +/- 45 deg following

with my previous 5-cyl I got 15.2 mpg avg over the 73626 miles I had the vehicle

I've tried to drive 5-cyl style for a few tanks with this 6-cyl:
62 mph top speed anywhere
moderate acceleration always
45 mph on steep upgrades ( ala Semis ) instead of breezing up at 65 mph
result was 14.3 mpg avg, though heavy headwinds meant 13.5 mpg
not bad for the extra 1000 # the new RV weighs

rest of the time is 63 - 65 mph tops

I've now got 11537 miles on the 24S, 9475 miles of my own at 14 mpg avg

my best tankful so far is 15.5 mpg for 259 miles between
Winnemucka, NV & Boise, ID ( calm day & 55 mph Oregon speed limit )
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Old 07-03-2015, 05:40 PM   #5
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If you reduce to 60mph you will gain 2+ mpg. More with a tail wind.
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Old 07-03-2015, 07:22 PM   #6
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On our last 3600 mile trip to Yellowstone we got 14.3 mpg overall. On 3 consecutive fill ups in and around Yellowstone we got 17.35, 17.81 and 18.35. We were driving slower then. A couple of lows were about 11.5 heading west into a wind on the Interstates.

Our mileage pretty much has improved on each trip we have taken. We drive a little slower than we did when we first got the RV. This is part of the reason for the improvement however I believe some is due to having more miles on the unit. We now have about 25,000 miles on it.

By the way our RV is a 2014 Solera 24R and we do not tow.
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Old 07-03-2015, 07:27 PM   #7
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When towing, I stick at Cali speed limit of 55 and get around 12.8
Why not towing I do 60 (wife doesn't want me to go faster) and get close to 15. Best tank ever was 16 driving through desert.


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Old 07-03-2015, 09:48 PM   #8
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Well, thanks all for the thoughtful input! We were fighting some pretty fierce winds in Alabama and Texas, and no doubt reducing our speed will surely help.
We really appreciate the good advice.
Thanks so much!!!
Hope your summer travels are happy and safe!
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Old 07-04-2015, 05:42 AM   #9
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Towing, 11.8 to 12.8. Not towing 14+.
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Old 07-04-2015, 11:58 AM   #10
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On a 7k trip we averaged 15 mpg @ 60 mph
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Old 07-04-2015, 01:53 PM   #11
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Towing a Honda CRV we average about 11.5 GPM. This includes a lot of mountain driving. I drive the speed limit to a maximum of 65 MPH and use the cruise control as much as possible.
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Old 07-04-2015, 04:23 PM   #12
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fuel

That is a lot of fuel, 11.5 gals per mile.,wow
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Old 07-04-2015, 05:13 PM   #13
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Really nice all you folks have taken the time to write. It helps a lot, and it is much appreciated!
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Old 07-04-2015, 05:35 PM   #14
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We tow a Suzuki Samarai. On last trip through Eastern Sierras averaged 13mpg for the trip. We use cruise control as much as possible and set it at 2500 rpm which is about 62 - 64 mph. The tank we used driving through the desert with strong headwinds, the mpg was 11.5.
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Old 07-04-2015, 08:27 PM   #15
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Yeah, northdokata, but a lot better than the 7.4 mpg average I got in my big diesel pusher! Hey, add to the conversation here. What do you get? What speeds. Towing or not? Mountains, level ground? This is an interesting link.

On a recent 1,000 mile trip I got as much as 14 mpg towing on level ground and below 11 mpg on about 200 miles of up and down mountain driving from elevations of 400 feet to over 5,000.
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Old 07-05-2015, 06:37 AM   #16
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I set the cruise at 60. We average 16. I actually got better mpg in the mountains. Just returned from 8000 mile 8 week trip out west. Slow down and watch how much weight you carry.
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Old 07-05-2015, 10:05 AM   #17
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I've towed trailers with a '99 Dodge Cummins, which is 5.9 liter and produces about the same torque and HP as the Benz 3.0 liter in my '15 Solera. My last trailer + truck weighed in around 12,000 lbs total. Pretty close to the Solera loaded with our stuff. Strange but true, the truck averaged around 14.5 as does the Solera! I operated both RVs around 60 mph on cruise.

The best mileage scored by the Solera was 16.5 mpg which was on the flat but at low speed due to traffic - 40 to 45 mph. The best with the truck / trailer combo was almost 17 mpg - on the flat DRAFTING, about 100 feet behind semis on the interstate for about 150 miles.

I now have a Smart Car dinghy which weights in at 1,700 lbs. After several hundred miles, the Solera is getting 13.5 mpg towing the Smartie, as before, around 60 mph.

These numbers have led me to the following conclusions:

1. Wind resistance / drag significantly affects mileage. If you have the time to tinker a bit, driving closer to 55 or even 50 mph should get you smiling at the next fuel stop.

2. Weight and the energy needed to move it is pretty much a constant. Big engine, little engine, turbo charged engine; given our state of the art diesel technology will use the same amount of fuel to move the RV.

3. Minimizing RPMs while maintaining safe speeds gets me the best economy; On the Dodge Cummins, 1,600 RPM. On the Solera, 2,000 RPM.

One of the items I sorely miss on the Solera is the Exhaust Gas Temperature gauge (pyrometer). This is the best way to measure how hard the engine is working. Lower temperatures mean better economy.

Hope these insights are helpful
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Old 07-05-2015, 10:28 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lacamastraveler View Post
Yeah, northdokata, but a lot better than the 7.4 mpg average I got in my big diesel pusher! Hey, add to the conversation here. What do you get? What speeds. Towing or not? Mountains, level ground? This is an interesting link.
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Old 07-05-2015, 06:38 PM   #19
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over on the sprinter-source forum there are quite a few good pointers (search for a guy whose nickname is Sailquik - his real name is Roger for especially good driving techniques) on driving the 5-speed to improve economy and also keep the emissions components cleaner. most of these tips suggest installing a ScanGauge II or something similar to watch the load on the engine, and downshifting manually to keep the load below certain levels, etc. Dramatically better economy is often reported when these tips are followed. You may already know of these tips and be following them, and if so, I apologize in advance for reviewing them here!
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Old 07-05-2015, 10:28 PM   #20
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I attached a scan gauge to monitor engine temp. It also shows fuel economy. Doesn't help much since I tend to be an old man driver. Also shows how much boost which equates to mileage



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