8.6 MPG - Can this be true ?

[Scooter]

Our first real mileage check. 780 miles OR to CA and back. 2003 Dolphin LX 6355 on a W22. About 1000 lbs under CCC. 8.1L and Allison 1000. 55 mph when ever possible...... with cruise control on. Tires 90# in front and 95# in rear. A/C off.

Going downhill somewhat, to CA we got 9.3 mpg. Coming back to OR, uphill a lot, 8.0 mpg. Works out to 8.6 mpg.

Am I fooling myself, somehow ?

[JC2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scooter Our first real mileage check. 780 miles OR to CA and back. 2003 Dolphin LX 6355 on a W22. About 1000 lbs under CCC. 8.1L and Allison 1000. 55 mph when ever possible...... with cruise control on. Tires 90# in front and 95# in rear. A/C off. Going downhill somewhat, to CA we got 9.3 mpg. Coming back to OR, uphill a lot, 8.0 mpg. Works out to 8.6 mpg. Am I fooling myself, somehow ?

No not really. We have a 2005 Winnie Voyage, 33v, W20, 8.1L, Allison 1000, UltraPower Upgrade, Banks Stinger Kit w/headers, 100# all around on 19.5 tires, also about 800-1000# under total coach weight, and when no strong winds, extreme hills, and running 62-65mph, we get between 8-8.3 mpg consistently, and that's pulling a2008 Saturn Vue, 4cy, FWD. Now when the wind starts to rear it's ugly head and the hills become long and forever then all bets are off.

[kalynzoo]

I think you forgot to write down a fuel stop! We just finished a similar trip, LA to Portland and back. Lovely trip except for the boring part between Sacramento and LA...boring because we have gone that way so many times before. On the flat we approached 8mpg (I truly didn't calculate it closely) but we sucked fuel on the Grapevine, at Shasta, and at Grants Pass. I think I could hear the gas being sucked toward the engine, even with my hearing aids low and the radio on.
Actually, 8mpg is probably possible if all the factors are smiling on your drive. I'm glad it worked out for you and hope you had a wonderful trip.
Happy Trails.

[Ramblin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scooter Our first real mileage check. 780 miles OR to CA and back. 2003 Dolphin LX 6355 on a W22. About 1000 lbs under CCC. 8.1L and Allison 1000. 55 mph when ever possible...... with cruise control on. Tires 90# in front and 95# in rear. A/C off. Going downhill somewhat, to CA we got 9.3 mpg. Coming back to OR, uphill a lot, 8.0 mpg. Works out to 8.6 mpg. Am I fooling myself, somehow ?

Right in line with my numbers. I average about 8.5 in my '02 Dolphin LX 6356 W22.

[PJGMG]

Hello..good discussion.. We have avg'd approx 8.5 mpg. We took our reading from total miles 15500 from our readout in our RV.. Some folks use from Point A to Point B, calc the avg for that trip and so on..

On one trip I did avg 9.2 going west on 20 to 10.. Have never come close that again..

So my question is should I calc by trip or overall mileage..just an example:15000, 2000 gals of diesel. =7.5 avg..

Do you trust your on board computer/calc ?

[wa8yxm]

I have a 2005 Damon Intruder 377W 37'7" no towed, 8.1L vortec allison drive shaft twister,

8 mpg is low for me,,, The average MPG per the dash is often in the 9-10 range if I've recently waxed it.. Goes down to 8 if I don't wax for a year or 2.

[cannon man]

looks about right to me. we had no trouble geting over 9 tucson to dallas.
60 mph towing saturn.

[sdennislee]

Sounds about right. I average 8.3 overall. Even counting the 6.0 mpg I suffered through while traveling through the 35 to 50 mph heads winds in South Dakota.

[speed racer]

05 5355 dolphin towing a sebring convertable on a tow dolly at between 60-65 MPH I have gotten an overall average of about 8 MPG.

[brelph]

yup..i have 2003 dolphin 6342lx...from san diego to parker az..and back 600 miles roundtrip..9.8...towing my golf cart....but no wind...that makes the difference

[sc3283]

if you use the dash computer......there is a good chance your fooling yourself.....always compute MPG based on miles traveled vs. filling fuel tank completely every fill up...Don't stop when the pump clicks off.

Some of these claims are better than Chevy trucks and Suburbans actual hand calculated MPG

[TheBeachHous]

Next time you fill up do this...
Miles Driven/Gallons Used= Actual MPG
I have a Cadillac with an AVG MPG display, and its almost never right...
If i drive 334 miles on 15.5 gallons, that means i'm getting 21.5 mpg... Not 16 or 26...
Its easy.. everyone can do it and you don't have to have a fancy RV with a computer lying to you...
We haven't tested out our 1999 National, but our 1995 24ft tioga got around 9mpg, It was horribly underpowered with a 350 V8 and when you put people and stuff and an atv trailer with 1 atv behind it... We were lucky to get 6mpg...
I'm hoping we get somewhere close to the 10mpg mark, but from the sounds of thing that V10 may be a heavy drinker!!

[PJGMG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc3283 if you use the dash computer......there is a good chance your fooling yourself.....always compute MPG based on miles traveled vs. filling fuel tank completely every fill up...Don't stop when the pump clicks off. Some of these claims are better than Chevy trucks and Suburbans actual hand calculated MPG

Hi...could you please elaborate about using the on board computer... I've done it both ways and we have been real close..

Thanks In Advance..

[Batman_777]

I've done the manual mpg calc and the onboard computer is real close. Avg: 8.5 mpg.. That's 35,000 lbs with the toad. Always 65 mph or less.

RV Transportation is not cheap.

After everything (Fuel, Park fees), RV'ing is about the same $$$ as car and hotel (not including the cost of the RV).