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Fuel mileage

Yahoo Message Number: 23792
Guys & gals

I got my 2000/36' Allure last August and got 9.5 mpg driving it home empty. I recently refigured using my fuel fill/miles records and found that my mileage has been going down steadily to about 7.2 on my last trip from S. Dakota to Minn. I just changed my air filter and while it was dirty due to the dust storm issue, it was by no means visually plugged and that is backed up by the indicator which was at 10. (I have heard they are not to be trusted, but had good luck using it on my SOB)

My question is, is there a expected norm and what would it be? Is there any other issues I should be looking at that would effect mileage that much? I have not weighted my coach but traval with 1/4 - 1/2 water tank, full fuel and what I consider medium load in storage.
The tires are inflated to the CC listing of 125# each which does suffer the ride. I know I need to weight.

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23801
If your hydraulic fan controller is operating at "High Speed" it will impact your fuel mileage. If something goes wrong and it will default to high speed.

william_byte wrote:

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23815
I have a 2000 Intrigue, and I get 9.5 MPG loaded, towing a Chevy Tracker. Mileage has been steadily improving as the total miles on the coach increases (it now has 74K miles). If your mileage is dropping, something is wrong. With the price of fuel nowadays, I would get it fixed pronto!

Al Colby

2000 Intrigue 10979

Fuel mileage

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72525
Dan,

My coach is only two digits away from yours and I get 9.5 and sometimes better MPG. My coach has the 3060 Allison transmission, but I had the HP upgraded to 350 HP. I drive at 62 MPH and watch the Rpms carefully. I think with many coaches that if you watch the Rpms in the 58 to 65 MPH range, you will find a spot that has lower Rpms than the others. I try to keep the Rpms at slightly less than 1400 on level ground. I cannot vary my speed by more than 1 MPH up or down to maintain the 1400 Rpms. Numerous trips of 2,000 to 3,000 miles have resulted in 9.5 MPH and occasionally 10+ when crossing a lot of relatively flat country. I suspect I could get better mileage at 55, but I am happy with the results at 62 MPH. I haven't used the economy mode very much but plan to when I drive from NC to CO in a week to see if that helps any.

Gene Merryman

2000 Allure #30496

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72549
The only reliable method of calculating fuel mileage results is to sum up lots of tank fills and and total miles elapsed and calculate the resulting cummulative average.
Regarding a single trip or fill up as indicative of fuel mileage is highly misleading due to terrain traveled, tire pressure, level of fill at the fuel pump, wind conditions, loaded status of the rig, towing status of the rig etc.
Level of fill can be affected by slope of the gas station apron, speed of the pump causing foaming, and perhaps topping off practices and temperature.
Comparisons between rigs deal with all the above and weight of the compared rigs, engine size, speed traveled, terrain, amount of stop and go versus highway cruising, tire pressures and amount of generator use.
On my rig, the 9 year average for a 31,000 lb rig with a 4,500 lb toad and an estimated 0.2 mpg effect for generator use is 7.5 mpg.
The rig has a 300HP 8.3L mechanical Cummins and travels at 60 mph on the level highway.
If we traveled mostly east of the Rockies, we might achieve 1.0 mpg higher result. If we took longer mileage trips, we might improve by 1.0 mpg. If I did not travel between storage yard and home for maintenance and improvements rather frequently, we might improve by 0.5 mpg.

All the above is just my humble opinion.

YMMV. :)
Dean

95 Magna 5280

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72550
And, to add to this fuel mileage issue. I found that my speedometer is showing at least 10% higher speed than I am actually traveling and that my odometer is also off by about the same amount. Indicating I have traveled further on a tank of fuel than I have actually traveled. This will cause my calculated MPG to be off since I have actually traveled fewer miles than my odometer shows and thus the calculations would be incorrect by approximately 10%. Just more food for thought. I have verified this using the milepost markers on interstates and also with my gps. I now use the GPS distance traveled for my fuel consumption calculations. I get in the neighborhood of 7.5 mpg.

Ray

2000 Intrigue 11040
Cummins ISC 350 engine

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72551

When my husband and I bought our first motor home he wanted to check the fuel mileage and I asked him if we bought it for the fuel mileage and he said no. So I said then asked so why are do you want to check it and that was the last time I heard about fuel mileage. My question to all is unless you bought it for the fuel milage why even think about it , enjoy the experience of owning a beautiful coach.

Ilene

2004 Inspire 51071

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72554
My coach didn't come with a Silver leaf, and I was curious so, I bought the interface module and

connected my PC using S-L software. What I learned was that there is a sweet spot in 6th gear that

gives you your best milage and for me its about 62 to 63 mph on the flat and level. I prefer not to

travel with headwinds unless I have no other choice, but love a tail wind.
Having owned or used 4

different toads with this coach I find it surprising that the heaviest with the driveshaft disconnect gave

me the best milage, followed by the lightest and now at the bottom of the list my Current Odessey. But

it does what I need and am not going to change. The Grand Marguis and I use to get right at 9.6 at 53

to55 consistently driving around Calif and Oregon unless crossing the Sierras, etc. At home, W. Texas

and New Mexico, we drive much faster, else wise you'll get run over! Especially on I-10 where the

speed limit is 80 mph between El Paso and San Antonio and the folks are traveling 85 to 90!!!!! I wonder

what is whirling around in the tranny and drive train of the Odessey that drags down the mpg. TWI
2004 Intrigue 11731

Original Message:
-----------------

From: Travman100 travman100@... Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:56:53 -0000 To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Country-Coach-Owners] Re: Fuel mileage

And, to add to this fuel mileage issue. I found that my speedometer is showing at least 10% higher

speed than I am actually traveling and that my odometer is also off by about the same amount.

Indicating I have traveled further on a tank of fuel than I have actually traveled. This will cause my

calculated MPG to be off since I have actually traveled fewer miles than my odometer shows and thus

the calculations would be incorrect by approximately 10%. Just more food for thought. I have verified

this using the milepost markers on interstates and also with my gps. I now use the GPS distance

traveled for my fuel consumption calculations. I get in the neighborhood of
7.5 mpg.

Ray

2000 Intrigue 11040
Cummins ISC 350 engine

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72557
I have a 2005 inspire, with an Onan generator. Approximately how many gallons of diesel do I use for an hour of running the generator.

Stan 2005 Inspire

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72562
Quote from: DEAN"

> The only reliable method of calculating fuel mileage results is to sum up lots of tank fills and and total miles elapsed and calculate the resulting cummulative average.
> Regarding a single trip or fill up as indicative of fuel mileage is highly misleading due to terrain traveled, tire pressure, level of fill at the fuel pump, wind conditions, loaded status of the rig, towing status of the rig etc.
> Level of fill can be affected by slope of the gas station apron, speed of the pump causing foaming, and perhaps topping off practices and temperature.
> Comparisons between rigs deal with all the above and weight of the compared rigs, engine size, speed traveled, terrain, amount of stop and go versus highway cruising, tire pressures and amount of generator use.
> On my rig, the 9 year average for a 31,000 lb rig with a 4,500 lb toad and an estimated 0.2 mpg effect for generator use is 7.5 mpg.
The rig has a 300HP 8.3L mechanical Cummins and travels at 60 mph on the level highway.
> If we traveled mostly east of the Rockies, we might achieve 1.0 mpg higher result. If we took longer mileage trips, we might improve by 1.0 mpg. If I did not travel between storage yard and home for maintenance and improvements rather frequently, we might improve by 0.5 mpg.

All the above is just my humble opinion.

YMMV. :)

Dean

95 Magna 5280
Well said. I've been saying this for a long long time. My 36', '02 HR Endeavor with a 325 hp Cummins got 7.5 mpg calculated over 50,000 miles. Pulling a Ford Explorer, traveling coast to coast and up and down I-5 with very little generator usage. I normal use the cruise at 60mph. It is very difficult to believe that other RVrs are getting 9mpg or more with an equivalent coach and especially a larger and heavier coach. I think they are using fuzzy math.

Jim E

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72566

Stan

The 8-K Onan uses about .50 Gal an hour.

Bo Lee

2000 Magna #5896

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72568
"My question to all is unless you bought it for the fuel mileage why even think about it"

For me, fuel mileage can indicate the health of the engine.
Since the engine will cost about $15,000 to $20,000 to replace, I do think about it often. For some fortunate folks, that amount is immaterial.....

Dean

95 Magna 5280

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72573
You are so right, Dean. In addition, unless sone of these factors are factored in when people are reporting their fuel economy in general this data ia somewhat meaningless: If you drive in the East or the Midwest where is it fairly flat, low altitude and drive at 55 mph vs spending most of your time in the Rockies, where is mountainous, high altitude usually windy, and average 65-70 mph the numbers can change a lot for the same model coach.
I must note however that I find it interesting that my C-12 powered Magna which weighs 40k loaded and tows an 8k toad gets the same average fuel economy as your Cummins in a much lighter coach and toad. And that is in the Rockies mostly over 4k feet and rarely under 65 mph.

Rich 2002 Magna

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72578
How hard and fast you push that thing on the floor has more to do with consumption than anything else does. Wheel spins from traffic lights don't help either.

Bruce 2001 Intrigue #11278

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72579

Ray

That sounds about right. When I first put my Silverleaf on it showed 9.5 mpg lifetime, however, when compaired to actual usage and thus recalibrated to reflect real life it now averages between 7.5 and 8 depending on terrain and wind. When I pull in and fill up I am within a couple gallons of what the Silverleaf says I used.

Dave

aka Billy Byte (trusty hound)
2000 Allure #30443


From: Travman100 To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com Sent: Fri, July 8, 2011 11:56:53 AM Subject: [Country-Coach-Owners] Re: Fuel mileage

And, to add to this fuel mileage issue. I found that my speedometer is showing at least 10% higher speed than I am actually traveling and that my odometer is also off by about the same amount. Indicating I have traveled further on a tank of fuel than I have actually traveled. This will cause my calculated MPG to be off since I have actually traveled fewer miles than my odometer shows and thus the calculations would be incorrect by approximately 10%. Just more food for thought. I have verified this using the milepost markers on interstates and also with my gps. I now use the GPS distance traveled for my fuel consumption calculations. I get in the neighborhood of 7.5 mpg.

Ray

2000 Intrigue 11040
Cummins ISC 350 engine

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Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72583
But I sure do get some looks as I pop a wheelie leaving the light. It's also a proven fact, that people will move out of your way, when you take a curve up on two wheels:)!
It's all relative, if I did not spend money on one less 1/2 MPG, I would just spend it one more bottle of wine... Oh wait - Diesel? vs Wine? HECK! I'm going to stay on all 8 wheels, and right lane it at 55 mph --- I prefer wine over diesel...

We sure do have it good, talking about the differences of MPG!

Best to you all, be safe, and have fun, Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72585
Smitty

Speaking of riding on the rims and wheel hop, How do you keep your wine glass or other open containers from spilling while you are cruising the walmart parking lots? I am getting 4.5 bottles of wine to the tank or just before I'm tanked.

:)

D 11688

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72587
Buy a quality boxed wine, Black Box brand comes to mind.

WineTime around here is 3:00.
Jim

07 Allure #31570

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72605
I used to tail whip the toad into the oncoming traffic lanes on the corners. Got tired of looking for tire shops.

Mike 03 Lexa - sans constitution decal.

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72616
Quote

1b. Re: Fuel mileage

Posted by: "David Tuttle" william_byte@... william_byte > Date: Sat Jul 9, 2011 9:28 am ((PDT)) >
Ray

That sounds about right. When I first put my Silverleaf on it showed 9.5 mpg > lifetime, however, when compaired to actual usage and thus recalibrated to > reflect real life it now averages between 7.5 and 8 depending on terrain and > wind. When I pull in and fill up I am within a couple gallons of what the > Silverleaf says I used.
I have been using my Garmin whilst driving, and it seems almost spot on with my Silverleaf, so that there is little or no variation between the MPH readings of the two.

Further, my Silverleaf has indicated an average of (generally) 7.5MPG, which is in concert with my calculations.
I have a 370hp Cummins (hard to believe that someone wrote "Cummings" [sic]) in a 33' coach. Reading all these posts, I have come to believe that there is little difference in mileage between shorties like mine and the long ones. And as was pointed out elsewhere, driving style can greatly affect mileage.

Now I have another question: Does the use of the "Economy" mode on the Allison make any real difference, or does it just lug the engine on upgrades?

Ken Harrison

2004 Allure #31035

Re: Fuel mileage

Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 72620
Ken, the big plus with 'Econo' is holding 6th more on rolling terrain instead of 6th-5th-6th-5th. I usually can keep it in 6th down to the low 50s in MPH, unless big hills need to be climbed.

--

Lee Zaborowski

07 Intrigue 12153, Cat C-13