Average expected range on tank of fuel

[Olderb4u]

They say knowledge is power, so I’m asking my Full time RV community for some friendly advice here.

I’m taking my first long journey in July and I would like to calculate my fuel stops. Below are the particulars of my rig.

2017 Forest River Sunseeker 3050S. 32 ft respectively.

Tow vehicle ( all four on ground) 2013 Ford Focus SE

RV Engine: V10 6.8 Ltr.

Tank capacity: 55 us gallons

The assumption is driving in Tow mode.

Thanks in advance for you honesty.

Jim

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by Olderb4u

They say knowledge is power, so I’m asking my Full time RV community for some friendly advice here.

I’m taking my first long journey in July and I would like to calculate my fuel stops. Below are the particulars of my rig.

2017 Forest River Sunseeker 3050S. 32 ft respectively.

Tow vehicle ( all four on ground) 2013 Ford Focus SE

RV Engine: V10 6.8 Ltr.

Tank capacity: 55 us gallons

The assumption is driving in Tow mode.

Thanks in advance for you honesty.

Jim

Are you asking what the expected range would be on your 55 gallon gas tank?

There are things that would be important to know. How fast do you drive? Travel speed will affect you mileage and range more than any other factor. Do you have historical records for your actual gas mileage at the speed you drive? Do you plan to stay above 1/4 tank fuel so you can use the generator if needed?

Towing the car and/or using the tow mode would not have any meaningful effect on the gas mileage. My Sunseeker’s mileage is about the same whether I tow a car or trailer, or not. Tow mode just delays some upshifts on acceleration and quickens downshifts on braking, but doesn’t change cruising RPM. Driving speed would be the number one factor; the faster you go the shorter your range.

Our V10 E-450 will go over 400 miles on a tank but we stop more often to take a break and maintain a comfortable fuel reserve.

BTW, if you pick a better thread title than “On Average”, you may get more appropriate answers to your question. I had no idea what the thread was about, but I took a chance and clicked on it anyway.

[Olderb4u]

Thanks! Speed is usually 65 mph and yes, I like to keep the RV at at least 1/4 tank before refueling. I have no other statistics since this will be our first long range trip

[BehindBars]

Assuming you are not at high elevations, and assuming you don’t have a heavy foot on acceleration, you might expect 8.5 mpg on good days, give or take based on wind speed and direction. Base your initial range projections on 8.5 mpg, then keep records as you go and adjust expectations accordingly.

[Olderb4u]

Yes I was thinking 9.0 mpg, but 8.5 seems logical. I’ll err on the side of caution and figure 8.5 mpg . Thanks!

[johnshoe]

With my 2016 Forester. Same size and engine and flat towing a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. I can go 500 miles..+/- and that is up and down hills in the Adirondacks. I figure 10mpg as good ballpark for figuring fuel costs.

[dav7158]

I run low on gas the same time I run low on steam and need to stop!

[Olderb4u]

Thanks! Previous responses said the same.

[allanrhamilton]

My readings are in metric but converted, around 7 mpg US. 2017 2860 maximum weight (water 1/2+ full) with small car on aluminum trailer. Not usually over 60mph.

Better when on flat terrain which I don’t see a lot of. Lol. Have been to most states and provinces and the average tends toward 7mpg.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Olderb4u

Yes I was thinking 9.0 mpg, but 8.5 seems logical. I’ll err on the side of caution and figure 8.5 mpg . Thanks!

When you are planning the trip my advice is to look at the entire trip and pre-plan fuel stops. Of Course, planning too soon is better than planning too late and running out of fuel.

Since you do not know your mileage and what the winds or hills may do to your mileage Id plan on 7 MPG to be safe. 7X55=385 miles.

If you see you are doing better you can adjust those stops.

If this seems too conservative to you it may be that my profession of Helicopter Pilot has made me VERY conscious of fuel. "There are No words in Any language to adequately explain why you ran out of fuel."

[newRVer]

We are always towing a car and driving in tow mode. Typically we drive about 300-350 miles a day max and when we stop to get gas we normally have a 1/4 tank left. So getting 400+ miles out of a tank is very possible but we will never drive that much in a day to find out.

[dahagen]

I had a rig exactly like yours, towing a 2300 pound car and got near 7.5 miles a gallon. That means about 400 miles on a tank of gas. On the Alaska Hiway I stopped at Every gas station I saw and topped off the tank. DO NOT use the 'tow/haul' mode unless you are on hills.

[kenandterry]

Unless you’re trying to make it a marathon, get off the road at 3pm or after 300 miles. Enjoy the stopover wherever it is.

You’ll never run out of gas with these parameters, even for the generator if needed. Finally, I usually fuel up at the end of the day, so it’s not an issue to deal with as you just get underway the next day.

Towing or not, somewhere around 7-9mpg......but it is a house after all.

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by dahagen

I had a rig exactly like yours, towing a 2300 pound car and got near 7.5 miles a gallon. That means about 400 miles on a tank of gas. On the Alaska Hiway I stopped at Every gas station I saw and topped off the tank. DO NOT use the 'tow/haul' mode unless you are on hills.

Why not use tow/haul on flat land? Are you referring to the Ford 5 speed or the 6 speed transmission?

[TowPro]

I stop every 3-4 hours weather i think i need it or not. At that stop i fill the tank. Streach my legs for a couple minutes, etc.
Never worried about hours per tank, more worry about sitting that long.

[Oltimer13]

Same MH but I tow a 2018 Equinox FWD. On average, I get 6-6.5 MPG at 62-65 MPH. To the folks who say 8.5-9.0 MPG, that's true on downhill with 40 MPH wind behind me.

[Butch & Lena]

We have a 2015 3010DS with the E450 engine. We did run the tank down to a 1/4 tank one time. That was the last time we did it because of being on the road longer and more worried about finding a gas station that would fit our MH and Jeep tow. We now go about 200 miles and fill the tank. It's a lot less stressful and more breaks in the trip is more enjoyable!

[dahagen]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

Why not use tow/haul on flat land? Are you referring to the Ford 5 speed or the 6 speed transmission?

My Ford was the 5-speed. I was under the impression that on flat land the two/haul mode didn't do anything.. When engaging, nothing happened. I only used it on downhill grades. Is Ford saying that it should be used anytime you are towing something?

[ChrisParise]

For what its worth, my V10 5 speed using tow haul all the time towing a GMC Acadia I average 6.8 mpg. Sometimes a little better. Usually driving in the low to mid 60 mph range.

I usually stop every 2 or 3 hours to stretch, lunch, bathroom break, etc.

If i need to I can wait and fuel up after 320 miles and typically have a 1/8 or a little better in the tank at that point.

Always on the lookout for a good fuel stop though and I don't have a hard and fast rule about waiting until a certain amount is left in the tank.

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by dahagen

My Ford was the 5-speed. I was under the impression that on flat land the two/haul mode didn't do anything.. When engaging, nothing happened. I only used it on downhill grades. Is Ford saying that it should be used anytime you are towing something?

Well if you think about it, on a class C you are hauling all the time - you have a house built on the back and you are often near the GVWR on longer Cs. If that's not hauling a full load, I don't know what is.

On my 6 speed, tow/haul has no affect on cruising gear or RPM, so gas mileage is the same. The good part is even on flat land, when I need to stop, tow/haul introduces a lot more engine braking and reduces the wear and heating of the brakes. I wish it would default to tow/haul, but I need to remember to engage it every time the engine is restarted.