Sunseeker 3170DS Mileage Performance

[LTRVing]

Just came back from our maiden voyage in our 2013 3170DS, averaged about 8 MPG, 3 adults, 1 child, no tow or water on board, minimal supplies for three day RV ring out. Usually traveled 60-65 MPH, rarely faster, felt comfortable about 62-63 MPH. Tried to get into higher gears quickly, cruise control used when possible.

This is a Ford F-450 V10, with about 18,000 miles, is there a speed sweet spot for the best MPG? Should I expect better then 8 MPG?

Thanks for the help and insight.

[grumpy0374]

LTR, if your averaging around 8 mpg, well, that is about average. Our Lexi "averages" around 7-9 mpg, towing a Subaru, but if I'm going down a mountain it jumps to 10-11, going up a mountain it drops to 3-5.
There are others who will jump in with claims of 12-14 mpg "average" for a Ford V-10, but it will depend on driving style and speed. Yeah, at 45-50 you may get higher mpg, but if speed limit is 70, you'll be a hazard to yourself, family , and others.
On our Lexi, the "sweet spot" is right around 63-65, and I'll generally keep it there (on an xway).
Low mpg is just a fact of life with an rv and there are no majic solutions that will make it any better. Just learn to live with it, don't be obsesed with mileage, and just enjoy it for the reason you got your rig.
Grumpy

[jaxfl]

You are at the high point of "average MPG" at 8. If it is a head wind you will get less, tail wind more, side wind less... We pull a small Colorado and get 7.5 - 8 average. Our best MPG seems to be in the 55-60 mph range and on cruise on flat land in Florida. Anything over that and you can watch your gas gage move... worst was at 65 mph on flat Florida highways and got 6.3 mpg. Anyone telling you that they get 12 - 15 are "parked" on the highway. IF you plan a long trip figure fuel mileage cost at $0.30 a mile.

[LTRVing]

Thanks for the replies, good to know that it's operating in the normal zone. Certainly understood the mileage realities of RVing. If anyone said I "should" be getting 12 MPG, I'd need to investigate the issue. Another concern I can put to bed.

[6inthefamily]

The 3170DS is one of the larger Sunseeker/Forester E450 chassis models. Don't be surprised that when you read that someone with a 8 foot shorter model, without a cabover bunk, on a smaller chassis, gets better MPG.

I have tracked my fuel mileage every tank since buying a new 3170DS in April. Over 5000 miles in 7 months I have seen one tankful that with measurably better fuel mileage. It was when ran the tank to near empty and filled up with Ethanol free fuel.
A friend of mine travelled from Illinois to Alaska this summer and was amazed by his fuel mileage in Canada where they only sell ethanol free fuel. Finding ethanol free fuel is challenging where I live and frequently travel, but if its available to you I suggest trying a few tanks and seeing what you think.

[LTRVing]

Thanks, we have a number of Ethanol Free stations, I'll give it a try.

[jaxfl]

Finding ethanol free fuel is challenging where I live ..........

The station at the corner by my house has it but I will tell you... you need to get about 19 mpg to make it worth the price. A gallon of it here is $3.85. I run in the mower sometimes just to clean out the junk gas.

[RubberNail]

We run a 2013 Sunseeker 2300 on a Chevy G4500 chassis 6L engine. Smaller, lighter and we do get a consistent 12 mpg loaded, on flat terrain at 55 to 60 mph. Others report same with similar vehicles. At freeway speeds, 65 mph, figure drops to 10.5 average, 10.0 if pulling toad. Ford E450 chassis has a little higher front axle capacity, and greater GCWR, so larger "C's" favor the Fords at the expense of less mpg than their Chevy counterparts. Anything over 9 mpg is generally a Chevy, and a smaller, lighter unit.

[OKpete]

We have a 2013 3170DS, with 5000miles on the clock. We attempt to use no ethanol always and it is readily available here in oil country Oklahoma. Current price for 87 octane is around $ 2.30 a gallon. I don't really track our mpg but I believe we average around 9 running 60 mph. My last rv was a 35 foot 5th wheel, pulled by a Dodge dually, diesel, 6.7 engine, 4x4 with 410 gears. I near fainted when in LA and fuel was $ 5.00 gallon. Enjoy the journey!

[BuickGS]

We also have a 2013 3170DS. I logged our fuel usage on a vacation earlier this year from CT to Orlando and back. With 4 adults and 4 grandkids, on and off traffic jams, 1/4 full water tank, lots of luggage, and some generator use when traveling through Georgia and Florida (in order to use the AC), I recorded mileage at 11 stops for gas between 7.3 to 8.5 mpg, averaging 7.9 mpg for the whole trip. I drove mostly around 65 mph.

Did the same trip in 2013 and 2014 and although I don't have the records anymore, we averaged around 8 mpg then too.

I don't know what the optimum mph is to get the best mpg, but I do know that when I travel at 65-70 mph (where allowed), it seems to make getting up highway inclines a lot smoother/easier (the transmission is a lot less likely to need to downshift) than if I start up the same incline at 55 mph.

[drakethib]

Please see my post here regarding mileage


http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ats-97137.html

[wana65stang]

[QUOTE=6inthefamily;1047241]
A friend of mine travelled from Illinois to Alaska this summer and was amazed by his fuel mileage in Canada where they only sell ethanol free fuel.

Sorry we don't only sell ethanol free fuel , we have the crap in our fuel also!!!

[Fozzy]

I have a 2013 3170ds. I alway have my SxS and a few quads with me on a 24' trailer. My average is 6.9 MPG. Remember if you run the generator it uses the same tank. I know not much but in the summer going on long trips we run the gen and AC the entire time.

[DXSMac]

I've been averaging 8 mph in my 3170. I have the computer desk, I travel alone. I haven't found the "Sweet spot." I have had a couple occasions when I got 17, 16, and 12 mph. Those were anomolies.

Generally a tail wind, or downhill on a freeway will get you better than 8 mph.

[SkipnTerri]

Originally Posted by LTRVing

Just came back from our maiden voyage in our 2013 3170DS, averaged about 8 MPG, 3 adults, 1 child, no tow or water on board, minimal supplies for three day RV ring out. Usually traveled 60-65 MPH, rarely faster, felt comfortable about 62-63 MPH. Tried to get into higher gears quickly, cruise control used when possible.

This is a Ford F-450 V10, with about 18,000 miles, is there a speed sweet spot for the best MPG? Should I expect better then 8 MPG?

Thanks for the help and insight.

Nope -- unless you're going downhill with the wind at your back all day.

[rlchall]

Our optimal speed is 62, if any higher, the vibration is awful. 2007 Sunseeker 2860 w Ford 450 v10 gets 10 mph w no toad or water

[Joseph Carozzoni]

We have an early 2014 2650S (2013 Ford chassis) and have learned there is no consistent “sweet spot”. We tow a 5,000 combined trailer/race-car. In 2013, we traveled 3 different 1,000+ mile trips and averaged 8 MPG. Cruise control was set at 55-60 MPH.

For 2014, based on other posts, we invested in a ScanGuage E. We made 7 trips that year. The very first trip, we continued with the cruise control set at 55-60 MPH. The main objective of this first trip was observing instantaneous MPG under various conditions. There were a couple of surprises. Going uphill, the MPG could drop down to 3 MPG. Going downhill, the MPG could be 9999 MPG, but the transmission would automatically down shift and keep us from going 4-5 MPH over the cruise control set point. This cost/lost us kinetic energy. And going level on a seemingly flat road (currently looking for a clinometer), we’d see 11-13 MPG (hard to see up/down hills of 1-2 degrees).

For the second trip, we used the cruise control only on level ground, again at 55-60 MPH depending upon traffic conditions. However, going uphill, I’d press the cruise control button off and slowly let the MPH drop, trying to keep the MPG above 6 MPG. Of course, how much we’d slowdown was dependent upon the length of the hill. But going up a long hill slower still achieved more MPG than trying to fight both wind resistance and gravity. And going downhill, we’d again break the cruise and let the MPH jump to 70 MPH (seems to be an aerodynamic limitation with sub-7/8 grade downhills) with the MPG at 9999. We achieved anywhere between 8.5-8.75 MPG on the remaining trips.

From what we observed, on flat land the cruise control is ok. But going uphill, the cruise control trying to maintain speed was very, very costly. And going downhill, the automatic downshift to keep from speeding was somewhat costly.

[Zooming]

[QUOTE=wana65stang;1047803]

Originally Posted by 6inthefamily

A friend of mine travelled from Illinois to Alaska this summer and was amazed by his fuel mileage in Canada where they only sell ethanol free fuel.



Sorry we don't only sell ethanol free fuel , we have the crap in our fuel also!!!

We also have bigger gallons in Canada. Actually 4.55 litres. Our 2009 E450 Ford V10 has shown between 12-14 mpg. On most of the 4 lane we use the limit is 62 (100 km/hr) so I run at just below 60, also accelerate slowly, letting the engine pick up speed, rather than pushing it to speed up. We also prefer to see the sights so we're on 2 lane a lot, limit is usually 55 mph. Two evils for good mileage are speed and a heavy foot.


Sun seeker 2009 2600 Ford V10