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Topic: Average Fuel mileage (Read 2489 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #20 –
Mine gets 8 MPG since I've owned it 2006. Fuel ⛽️ Is just a cost of doing business.

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #21 –
Averaging 8. Travel mostly West and lots of up and down.

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #22 –
I get about 7.5 - 8mpg. To me it's simply an mpg game I play with the VMSpc while driving to try and maximize the MPG and keeping myself engaged (not bored) with the driving. But I'm finding that other than just removing the heavy rock from the throttle pedal. Most of the MPG results are beyond my control due to wind and topography issues.

The best thing one can do to lower your fuel expenses is get the EFS fuel card and just pay less for fuel.

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #23 –
Quote from: craneman –
The VMSpc shows lifetime mileage on my 40' with the ISM as 7.5 mpg. It always towed and is now towing 2014 Grand Cherokee.
Lifetime 8.1 on our VMSpc. But I don't know the towing history.

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #24 –
SPEED is the #1 killer for MPG.  Aerodynamic drag is the issue.

***Understanding Coach /RV Performance***

Click on and read the Understanding Coach Performance document at the bottom of the post. Page 4 gives the physics.

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #25 –
Sweet spot on an ism is 1500 rpm.  I noticed that I lost less than the .1 mpg per mph above 55 from 1350 to 1500.  After that I lost  more.  Was almost better mpg to run 5th at 1500 versus 6th at 1350 or so.  Subtle maybe but seemed to be true.

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #26 –
Bob, probably better to run 6th on the flat with a tailwind and 5th if into a wind and gradually climbing over 50 miles or so. Lower EGTs turning more revs.

I've had to drop 2 inches on a prop as I could not keep the cylinder head temps below 400 degrees. From a high cylinder of about 460º down to 380º at the same speed.

Pierce

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #27 –
Boring

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #28 –
That's a good read Wolfe. Thanks. I'll stay at 65 and 100 psi for overall in the middle performance

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #29 –
Your sweet spot may be 70. Mine is.  Cm Fore liked the go faster.  Try it.  Maybe the same.  Maybe not. 

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #30 –
My sweet spot is 62.  I do so much driving in California while towing, with a (soft) 55 limit, and my toad has a 65 limit four down.  I'm comfortable at 62. 

My coach lifetime mpg was 8.5 when I bought it in 2008.  Now it's just under 8.  I've seen as low as 7 and as high as 10. It is what it is.

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #32 –
Yes. No hurry here or I would fly!

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #33 –
Sprinters are excellent vehicles and are great for certain applications. But Sprinter campers START at about $80K and for someone in the market for an RV in the $4K to $20K market where quite a few older Foretravels are, the Sprinter is totally out of the budget. So, an average Foretravel will get 8 mpg over it's life compared to 16 mpg for a Sprinter. If you drive 10K/yr you are going to use 1250 gallons and at $3/gal, that's $3750/yr for the Foretravel fuel compared to $1875 for Sprinter diesel. That's the big reason we have and love our U300 and not making payments on a Sprinter.

Sure, we would like to spend less on diesel (and now it's cheaper) but it's a pretty nice way to camp for what we have to spend.

Pierce

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #34 –
My 1993 U225 with a 5.9 Cummins averages 9.2 pulling a Samurai. I cruise at about 2000 rpm.

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #35 –
No arguments from me there Pierce. But you can get a sprinter van conversion for a lot less than 80k and you can get a used sprinter van or a Dodge sprinter and do the conversion yourself for a lot less as well. Either way you're not going to have the room, the volume, the storage capacity, the towing capacity or the overall quality that you have with a foretravel.
But as I said for people that are concerned about mileage a sprinter van will get you twice the amount of mileage. Which isn't really all that good when you consider the fact that a Foretravel weighs a whole lot more and has so much more volume.

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #36 –
I mostly dry camp so I need large holding tanks and short rv's just don't have them. My 99 Bounder was wonderful but the ride was awful and it couldn't pull over 4000 and had a bad feeling going downhill with only hydraulic disc brakes. That said, it was very reliable and tons of storage. The Ford F-53 chassis was ok. The FT is pure luxury and fun to restore. Just another chapter in my life and for now, I'm really enjoying it. This first year is a total learning experience. Next year, Lord willing, will be more enjoyment and less feeling ignorant.
 Sure enjoy this forum and the FT tech line. Couldn't due it without them

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #37 –
Naturally you can't expect anything like a Foretravel in a Sprinter. It's made for a different age and lifestyle. Yes, a generalization as older folks do find their way to a Sprinter and vice versa. Don't think many will tow anything but a boat but they can park downtown, explore desert roads, where no Foretravel will dare to go.  They are more for the oversized VW Vanagon crowd. The Sprinter does fill the bill for those who want to bring it home and park in the driveway and then run to the store in it with the kids.

Sure you can buy a Sprinter shell fairly cheap and convert it but then, we are not talking about buying a older Foretravel shell and rebuilding it either. Plus, at the average age of forum members, how many are going to do that? Members have purchased older Foretravels for less than $5K, Find me a Sprinter camper for that, plus keeping in mind that like Foretravels and SOBs, Sprinter RVs vary hugely from one company to another in quality.

Pierce

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #38 –
I'm with the 10 mpg club that goes with the Foretravel, for what I've got in mine it paid for it's self 5 yrs ago. Yes you can get a bare bones sprinter relatively cheap however you'll need the 3500 if you plan on carrying much more than a mattress and a mountain bike. As to doing it yourself, when you figure the cost of all the RV equipment the tools to do the job and the labour you'll have in it I don't think you'll save anything. Unless you do conversions for a living the list of " oh darn that don't work" will be enormous. If I could get Jimmy Jr's lowrider into my drive I would be all over it for $50k !
Just my opinion

Re: Average Fuel mileage

Reply #39 –
First Minot North Dakota FMCA rally we drove around the parking lot just to see what was going on. 

Vividly remember a spry OLD lady dressed up with her rally badges hanging down her chest so far they had to be rubber banded together to shorten her string with a fancy cane standing in front of her bubble top van conversion.  1995.

Her fmca plaque was on the front.  #16.

She had a grin from ear to ear.  Made my day.

Just her.  No hubby.  Cool.  Our turn is coming.  Trust me

Sold the first country coach 40' slide out coach made to dr Mull there.