Diesel Motorhome MPG-- Honest Answers Please

[mweiner]

2 hours ago, garyreed said:

I agree with you MWeiner,

The better the MPG the more cost savings per year or mile how ever you want to look at it.

When a person looks at purchasing an RV all the numbers need to be looked at and the right RV must be selected on what you are willing to spend including the purchase price.

In the 80's and 90's my parents traveled the country in a Toyota Chinook, similar in size to your's, it also got 15 + MPG and served them well. They also had no kids, pets or toad and when they needed to take their Bronco II my mom drove it which added to the expense. 

I am not knocking anyone for their preferences on what they want or can spend, or what the choose to drive.

My analysis may be simplistic, but works for me. Expences for the year: propane, fuel, oil, insurance, camp grounds etc. compared  to expenses for the same number of nights including gas, oil, flights, car rentals hotels etc. I then factor in the comfort I get from sleeping my own bed and using my own toilet, taking the dogs, and the sights that I might otherwise miss. The RV will win out 99% of the time.

We are going to travel whether we use an RV or a hotel room so it boils down to want for your money vs what you get for your money.

If it was only the money, I would drive a Volt or Leaf or something and sleep in a tent.

Gary

Gary, 

I appreciate and understand.. what you're saying completely.

Of course I know that our van conversion is MUCH LESS space and creature comforts. than a  full sized Class A.. , however, we have a king size bed, kitchen, overhead  cabinets, bathroom including shower and plenty of storage space for the two of us.  And we also have a built in generator,  small diesel engine, and ability to tow more than 5,000 pounds,  in fact, the specs on our model says 7,000 pounds, not sure I would try this...The fact is 5,000 is enough to pull a small car...we don't need it.  We just drive the van anywhere we need to go. 

All this and 18 MPG...show me another vehicle that can do that. 

.. SO,  even though it's a small RV, it has a lot of features.  Plus, it's a Mercedes Benz, and has a great drive train. It is very  quiet for  a turbo diesel engine. 

Lest you think these are inexpensive, they are definitely NOT....a new one like mine is close to $150,000. 

I chose this particular coach and manufacturer, Roadtrek, for the build quality. 

I could have easily selected a larger RV brand new for less than what I paid for the RS Adventurous... 

And, yes, I plan on taking this across from USA and maybe through Canada and Alaska.  Sure, you can certainly do that in a rig that gets 5 MPG, but, you're going to pay a LOT MORE in fuel to do this.   

A lot of people nowadays want the flexibility of a smaller, more mobile RV...and the Class B segment is growing very quickly.  In case you didn't know, Roadtrek has been the leading seller of Class Bs since 1990.   And, they're known for very high quality workmanship. The RS Adventurous is near the top of the line and I feel VERY LUCKY to have found one used at a terrific price point... only has 27,000 miles on it.

Here's their website below, 

http://www.roadtrek.com/models/rs-adventurous/

http://www.roadtrek.com/models/

SO, I would say NO, it's not just a simple van conversion... It's a pretty nice setup. I certainly did NOT do this myself.  

PS- I own a Prius..and we get 45 MPG on that... Great car.. I'm NOT a full timer. Don't  think we'll ever be .  The van is a great road vehicle! 

[kaypsmith]

I use my motorhome for comfort and that reason only, I average 7 to 8 mpg on average. I feel that if I or anyone else can't afford to drive their rig where they want to go, they either don't need to go there, or don't need to own that rig. I know many boat owners that burn 10 to 50 gallons fuel per hour, it depends on how large the vessel is and how much they enjoy using it. I put myself in that same category, motorhoming is my hobby, if I can't enjoy it, I don't need it. My first motorhome was a 27 foot Southwind with Chevy workhorse 454, I got 6 mpg with that thing and hated driving it with the cramped living quarters, of course that was before slides were popular. Next was Sportscoach 34 ft diesel cummings bt6c, averaged 10 MPG, lots of fun to drive and use until delamination set in, I reskinned much of it, but got tired of continuing to do that job, as soon as I made another section look good, I had to move to another. And so on and on. Que sera sera!

[garyreed]

I am sorry MWeiner I did not mean to bruise you're ego with the Chinook similarity. To each his own. The Chinook for it's day had a lot of nice features and the parents traveled all over and had a blast, after all that is what we all strive for in the end right? 

What are you asking for or trying to get at in the comments above? If it is to be top dog on MPG with 18, I can almost say for certain that among class A's you can be top dog as I personally do not know of any getting close to that. $150000 may be top of the line in the van conversion world but in the RV world it may be at the low end.

With conversion vans I do not have a clue. My inlaws had some kind of a Chevy similar looks to the one in you're profile, they said it would get 20-22 but it just had a gasser

Mercedes makes some fine commercial and militatry vehicles although I am not a fan of some of the autos they produce. The non conversion vans that I have been around, mostly delivery and service vans, lacked a little power up here in Colorado but I think they had the lower hp 5 cylinder motors and might have weighed more than a conversion. I would bet that the top of the line van conversion would have the more powerful 6 cylinder. What does you're conversion have?

Like I said to each his own. I bought my RV to have fun, travel and open the kids eyes to new adventures. Although we have never been turned away for a camp ground or resort we are not the most expensive or the fanciest on the grounds. We have met lots of wonderful people. That is what it is all about.

Gary

[elkhartjim]

"I feel that if I or anyone else can't afford to drive their rig where they want to go, they either don't need to go there, or don't need to own that rig." Kay said.

Exactly.

[rsbilledwards]

Well I guess I can chime in here as well. I have an old 1999 Safari Panther with a C12 CAT and VERY low miles that I found in eastern Oregon. Homework says this coach's lifetime average will fall around 8.5 or 8.75 miles to the gallon if driven politely. It is certainly better than the 330 hp 3126B that powered my first Safari Zanzibar. I'm with Mr K, I did not buy it because it was inexpensive to operate but to fuss with  and upgrade it and enjoy all aspects of it. Like Gary said it is the experience of the travel that moteling it does not offer .

[mweiner]

1 hour ago, garyreed said:

I am sorry MWeiner I did not mean to bruise you're ego with the Chinook similarity. To each his own. The Chinook for it's day had a lot of nice features and the parents traveled all over and had a blast, after all that is what we all strive for in the end right? 

What are you asking for or trying to get at in the comments above? If it is to be top dog on MPG with 18, I can almost say for certain that among class A's you can be top dog as I personally do not know of any getting close to that. $150000 may be top of the line in the van conversion world but in the RV world it may be at the low end.

With conversion vans I do not have a clue. My inlaws had some kind of a Chevy similar looks to the one in you're profile, they said it would get 20-22 but it just had a gasser

Mercedes makes some fine commercial and militatry vehicles although I am not a fan of some of the autos they produce. The non conversion vans that I have been around, mostly delivery and service vans, lacked a little power up here in Colorado but I think they had the lower hp 5 cylinder motors and might have weighed more than a conversion. I would bet that the top of the line van conversion would have the more powerful 6 cylinder. What does you're conversion have?

Like I said to each his own. I bought my RV to have fun, travel and open the kids eyes to new adventures. Although we have never been turned away for a camp ground or resort we are not the most expensive or the fanciest on the grounds. We have met lots of wonderful people. That is what it is all about.

Gary

Gary,  

No, I don't need validation about the mileage, it is what it is.. just a statement that it's a highly mobile vehicle.  

The Mercedes Benz Sprinter 3500 is classified as a truck, it is used commercially in bus, and fleet applications as 12 seaters and are known to log 500,000 miles. It has a 3 litre V6 turbo diesel, will Bluetec technology and a five speed shiftable transmission, similar to an Allison transmission. There's no power problems at all with this setup.. I can appreciate what you are saying about some of the Sprinter 2500 vans and the 2.1 Four or the old 2.7 Five. This is a different set up.  And, the van has dual rear wheels for extra stability.  

Yes, I agree with you that it's all about having fun.. I got this for the flexibility of being to drive it just about anywhere and get the maximum value ..if you're not driving it, you're not enjoying it.  

I figured that at my age.. I'll plan on keeping it for at least five years and evaluate it after that... 

Vehicles are NOT good investments.. not investments at all.... I got this to have some fun and adventures meaning going places and I think it's terrible that some people with older rigs are turned away... that wouldn't happen at National Parks. 

As far as value, I picked this up for approximately 50 percent of the retail price with a unit that was lightly used and 26,000 miles.. 

I put new tires, batteries,  and a new sound/navigation/camera system in but, no repairs needed at all.  I'm taking it already on three trips and a planned USA trip.

---Mark

PS- I did notice that there's some very nice 2018 Chinook models out there on the Mercedes Benz Sprinter... VERY nice.   Heard of them a long time ago..maybe they got resurrected. 

 

[BillAdams]

11 hours ago, garyreed said:

Bill,

Is your 92 a silver? I have worked on those in years past and still love the way they sound today.

Wolfe10,

My first Rv experience was at seven or eight  in the early 70's and involved a 57 Chevy bus convert and our friends had a 50's cadillac front end and some kind of a camper mounted on the back. the other friend had a early 60's GMC pickup with an overhead camper and that humungus V6. And those were some  very happy memories and I to would not want to go back.

Gary

Yes, it's a silver.  It has a DDEC I controller which is the only problem as something is not quite right and no one can figure out what.  I need to find someone who remembers how to upgrade it to DDEC III.

[jleamont]

Brett, interesting....my first RV experience was a converted bread truck with household furniture and flip down bunks, my Grandfather built it on the 70's, would I go back to anything that small.....NO WAY! If I presented anything smaller than a DP to my other half there's a good chance I'd be sleeping outside . We shopped for comfort and space, not fuel economy, one doesn't purchase a 40+' motor coach dreaming about fuel mileage, honestly I was surprised how well this unit performs. We moved up in size, gained a HUGE amount of comfort and quality and as a bonus gained 2.0 MPG from the last coach that we weren't expecting. I monitor MPG's on occasion, for me its to be sure the unit is performing properly and give me an idea how many miles before I stop, so we can plan it out for the best price. I reposted this for someone shopping for a coach, this is the age old question and I get it asked often.

[rsbilledwards]

Well Joe, 

Having seen your coach last summer it is nice, very nice and the upgrades on the interior stellar. Going backwards from where you are now anyone would make you sleep outside for sure!!!

[ianbullock]

We drive a 2010 Itasca Suncruiser (gasser), 38 foot, pulling a mid size pick up truck, and average anywhere from 7.5 to 8.5 mpg at average highway speed of  64 mph.

Although this is a diesel conversation, just thought I would throw this in for fun....

[rodkeen]

We have a 45 foot Monaco Signature with a 600 hp Cummins and we average anywhere from 5 to 6 mpg. Our last rig was a 2002 HR Endeavor with a 330 Cummins and we averaged 8 to 9 mpg, which was about what we got when we towed a 27 foot fifth wheel with a 2000 Toyota Tundra. Many years ago a fellow RVer in Louisiana told me that if anyone ever tells you they get good fuel mileage with an RV they're lying through their teeth. I think he hit the nail on the head. After all, does anyone go shopping for an RV with fuel economy being a high priority? If so, they should stick to camping in a tent.

[res36118]

I have a 1997 motor home that I drive 62 mph. It has a cat engine and I get aprox 10 mpg. the total weight of it and my toad is 23000 lbs

[mweiner]

1 hour ago, rodkeen said:

We have a 45 foot Monaco Signature with a 600 hp Cummins and we average anywhere from 5 to 6 mpg. Our last rig was a 2002 HR Endeavor with a 330 Cummins and we averaged 8 to 9 mpg, which was about what we got when we towed a 27 foot fifth wheel with a 2000 Toyota Tundra. Many years ago a fellow RVer in Louisiana told me that if anyone ever tells you they get good fuel mileage with an RV they're lying through their teeth. I think he hit the nail on the head. After all, does anyone go shopping for an RV with fuel economy being a high priority? If so, they should stick to camping in a tent.

Rod, when you are driving a vehicle like mine with pretty decent fuel economy and accommodations, you're not really giving up creature comforts... sure, it's much smaller than the larger rigs, but, we spend a lot of time outdoors when we reach a destination....  If I wanted to be super comfortable, I might as well stay home and relax in my own backyard..😁

Not everyone wants to spend a fortune on fuel to go places and there's a big range of options between a tent and a Class A.....

Our rig gets 18-19 MPG...and there's a world of difference in savings from 5 MPG... Over time, fuel is the most expensive thing you put in your vehicle...every vehicle depreciates so please don't bring up that as an issue ..... Besides, depreciation is only important if you intend to sell, otherwise, it's meaningless. 

And, while I'm on the subject of depreciation, which Class A, B, or C do you think depreciates the least?    ---MARK

[wildebill308]

15 minutes ago, MWeiner said:

Rod, when you are driving a vehicle like mine with pretty decent fuel economy and accommodations, you're not really giving up creature comforts... sure, it's much smaller than the larger rigs, but, we spend a lot of time outdoors when we reach a destination....  If I wanted to be super comfortable, I might as well stay home and relax in my own backyard..😁

Not everyone wants to spend a fortune on fuel to go places and there's a big range of options between a tent and a Class A.....

Our rig gets 18-19 MPG...and there's a world of difference in savings from 5 MPG... Over time, fuel is the most expensive thing you put in your vehicle...every vehicle depreciates so please don't bring up that as an issue ..... Besides, depreciation is only important if you intend to sell, otherwise, it's meaningless. 

And, while I'm on the subject of depreciation, which Class A, B, or C do you think depreciates the least?    ---MARK

Gee ---MARK, How is this important to this discussion? This is "TYPE A MOTORHOME" forum. This is not the  Weiner likes to brag about his class "B" forum. 

Bill

[mweiner]

16 minutes ago, WILDEBILL308 said:

Gee ---MARK, How is this important to this discussion? This is "TYPE A MOTORHOME" forum. This is not the  Weiner likes to brag about his class "B" forum. 

Bill

Bill, 

As a point to information, this is a discussion on diesel motor home MPG... not exclusively Class A's and my rig is a diesel.

OH, so, you're saying that I shouldn't contribute to these posts because the FMCA is exclusively a Class A forum only....

I'm just saying that those of us who choose to have smaller rigs for fuel economy don't have to settle for a TENT as Rod rudely pointed out above! 

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.... where did you get that idea that us  Class B's can't have an opinion on this.

---MARK

[tbutler]

Clearly there are those who do shop for RV's with fuel mileage in mind. The OP did specify "Diesel Motorhome MPG" and it is located in the Class A topic.  The OP or monitors placed the question in the Class A category in the presumption that only Class A coaches were diesel coaches.  We all know that there are Class C coaches that are diesel and yes, even some Class B coaches are diesel. The question raised, "After all, does anyone go shopping for an RV with fuel economy being a high priority?" has been answered by someone who has answered with a yes, I do statement.  I don't see that as a problem.  I think we should try to keep the discussion on a factual basis, not getting sidetracked into personalities.

[hreams]

We drive a 2016 Excursion 35E with a 340 Hp Cummins ISB. Coach weighs loaded around 25,000 and we pull a CRV which is around 3500 loaded with gear. The CRV limits top speed to 65 but otherwise we run the speed limit with cruise control and the mode switch on.  Mileage is generally 9-10 calculated but sits at 10.3 on the dash gauge.

[hermanmullins]

Gentlepeople,

As Tom has pointed out this post is about fuel miles per gallon. If it becomes personal then those post will be deleted. So keep it civil without attacking another poster.

Thank you.

Herman

[wolfe10]

58 minutes ago, hermanmullins said:

Gentlepeople,

If it becomes personal then those post will be deleted. So keep it civil without attacking another poster.

Thank you.

Herman

PLEASE, as Herman said let's keep this civil and never about attacking others.  This thread has just stepped over that line.

Advice:

Always posting in such a way that it appears that the poster is smarter than others is irritating.

Attacking them is also irritating.

I REALLY hate to shut down threads or delete posts, so lets use the same courtesy in posting that we would in face to face conversations. I will leave this one open and with nothing deleted-- perhaps a good learning experience for those new to the FMCA Forum.

Thanks.

Brett/Moderator

[erniee]

Bill Adams- I had an 8v92 mechanical in one of my Bluebirds and got the same mileage as your coach. What is "not Right" with it?

[BillAdams]

Something went terribly wrong a number of years ago.  Everything was great for many years and then we parked in Tucson, AZ for a month.  When we pulled out our turbo boost no longer reached the level that it should 15+Lb and the torque was just gone.  It takes forever to get going.  At altitude you have to step on the gas and wait a few seconds before the coach will even start to move.  We were in Cripple Creek, CO (9000+ FT) a few years back, stopped at a traffic light on a hill and hit the gas.  The coach never moved.  Just sat there with the engine never ramping up.  Finally had to get in the toad, engage the driveshaft disconnect and use the toad to push the RV up the hill to get going.

Fuel mileage is down by about .5 MPG and going up hills is just a matter of gearing down way, way farther than we ever had to do before.  We are in FL now and being at sea level makes it seem like everything is OK but we just came from CO and it was a painful experience.  The engine has been replaced so it is not an engine problem.  It's something in the electronics and the DDEC 1 does not provide much of anything in the way of diagnostics.  I just need to find some 100 year old tech who remembers what a DDEC 1 is and how to update it to a DDECIII or someone willing to trace every wire in that 60+ wire harness to find out what wire got eaten by a rodent!

[garyreed]

Sorry Bill.

I was going to reply to you're post earlier and forgot. The DDEC 1 did have fewer diagnostic options but were incredibly bullet proof. Thinking back I worked on a NEOPLAN bus and it had a 6V92 silver and was one of the very first DDEC. If my memory serves me correctly had a similar issue , no check engine and some power loss, turned out to be a ruptured hose between the air intake on the motor and the intake on the air compressor. Very hard to find as it was blown next to the head and the hose that was visable looked perfect. Most of those hoses were plumbed into the air cleaner side of the intake and not the pressure side.

 Most truck shops probably do not have a clue on those since no trucks had them. Stewart Stevenson here in Colorado has an exellent generator division and were able to help with any issues I had mostly with the older ones.

I will check my notes and see if I jotted down anything else.

Gary

[dickandlois]

Bill, you might try to contact this group and see if they have some information or contacts that might be of help.

The Wanderlodge may no longer be built, but because Blue Bird motorhomes were solid, they’re still very popular. The Vintage Birds chapter has 172 families. If you’re a current owner or even a former owner of a Blue Bird Wanderlodge or BMC, you’re encouraged to join. See the chapter’s website, http://www.vintagebirds.com/, for more information, or contact Jim Miller at (607) 898-4701; email jem590@aol.com.

Rich.

[kaypsmith]

Bill, I just got through with a bout with 6V92, it is DDEC III. I actually thought that there was something wrong with the turbo, or the blower. The blower is designed for that low end boost needed to get going, it is gear driven, the turbo sits right on top of it. I changed the oil before the trip to Tennessee last month, and did some routine checking of all engine components, and found what appeared to be a small exhaust manifold leak on the left bank, that is the one on the right side looking into the motor bay from the rear.

I removed the manifold and to my dismay found that this was not just the usual blown gasket. Both ends were completely broken off both sides and only held in place by the manifold studs. Delayed the trip two days while having the parts delivered expedited. The end results were amazing, power was back to normal for take off and climbing the hills in Tn. was terrific. Looking back, I wish that I had broke out the mirror two years ago, the cracks were on the back side and had been overlooked by two other mechanics.

[wayne77590]

Kay, where do you get your parts for the 6V92.

I have a friend with a 1968 conversion with that motor.