Community Forums

mrboyer · 12-08-2009, 05:41 PM

I have a 2006 Fleetwood Expedition with a C7 Cat engine with 21,000+ miles. I am getting consistantly 7 to 7.2 MPG. Any suggestions to inprove this? My previous 3126B was consistant 9.3 MPG. The new coach is about 1,500 pound heaver, no change in towed auto, and same length. Because it is heaver, I now travel with 25% freash water instead of 100% so that is 500 pounds less.

paulb4333 · 12-08-2009, 07:24 PM

I have a 2006 Excursion,which is similar, and maybe a little heavier and range from 6-8.5 depending on terrain, temperature, my driving style.
The economy setting helps, and keeping it under 60 helps.

I've just purchased a VMSpc monitor to watch things a little more closely to see if I can improve mine a bit.

Would love to hear what others have to say.

Paul

Theberrys · 12-08-2009, 08:08 PM

We have the 300hp cat in a 26,350 lb Tradewinds and get between 9 & 10 MPG for the last three years. I know this isn't much help but at least you know your 3126 wasn't unusual.

Dick

KennethM · 12-09-2009, 08:11 AM

Mr Boyer, the C-7 seems to get the 7 to 8.5 mpg depending on drive and ours does exactly that with 26+K. The slower you drive, no wind and flat roads all increase the milage but how much fun is that with the best reason for a diesel pusher is the hill climbing ability. Certainly the cost of the frequent maintenance schedules on the diesel would not be acceptable without some hills to climb if it is at all.

wagonmaster2 · 12-09-2009, 10:19 PM

My 2004 C-7, 25,000 lbs, towing a 3,800 lb. Jeep Wrangler will get between 6.8 (bad head or side wind) and 9.2 (level highway with none or slight tail wind, never seem to get a good stiff tail wind). Overall with 42,000 miles my Trip Tek shows 7.56 MPG average. A of that mileage was done in the NW mountain states.

Wagonmaster2

paulb4333 · 12-10-2009, 03:58 PM

There was a poll done on the CAT RV site that showed in a poll of 42 C7 owners,
about 42% had mileage of 7.5 to 7.9, 19% 8-8.4, 15% above 8.5, 11% 7-7.4, 8% 6.9 or below.

Not a huge sample, but some additional data points.

The older 3126 engines seem to have quite a bit better mileage with >40% over 8.5MPG in a vote on the same site.

bdpreece · 12-10-2009, 04:23 PM

Just returned from 3+ months on the road Oregon to Florida and back with a 2004 40ft DP Cat 350 with 49K pulling an 08 Ford Explorer. We drove 7941.7 miles using 1047.223 gallons of fuel. Roughly half was on two lane road at 50 to 55 the freeway was at 60 to 65. There was some generator usage but for everything we averaged 7.58 MPG. Total fuel costs were $2846.71 which worked out to 35.85 cents per mile up about 1.3 cents per mile from our trip last spring.

JMJCSIM · 12-13-2009, 06:07 PM

We have an '07 Expedition with a C7 300HP with 21K miles. We tow a 2007 Chevy Silverado which weighs about 5200lbs and average about 6.8mpg going between Ohio and Virginia which has a few "hills" in between. Without the toad we average about 7.5mpg.

With all of that being said, I do not driver 55.

Theberrys · 12-14-2009, 07:50 AM

Our Cat 300hp seems to have a sweet spot at 1700 rpm or @65 mph. If I drive 55 (like California requires) I get 2 to 3 MPG less than the 9 to 10 I'm accustomed to.

Dick

Vegasdan · 12-14-2009, 08:32 PM

I'm right in there with Theberrys. Mine is a 2001 National Tradewinds w/ a 300HP 3126. Just drove mine from Orlando to Vegas and checked each fill up-right at 10 MPG. I set the cruise at 63 to 65, no toad.

JVJ · 12-20-2009, 09:44 AM

We just covered 1,400 miles from PA to TX with our C-7 350HP, 2008 NRV Pacifica. Cold, Cold, Cold temps, a few hundred miles of rain, lots of hills to climb, bunches of traffic. Computer said average speed was 60 MPH (of course this includes idle time for fuel fills, restroom breaks, and heavey traffic). Average MPG was 7.7. I did see 7.8 MPG for a while, but then night time set in, traffic got a little lighter and my foot got a little heavier.

BBBEEBOP · 01-06-2010, 09:12 PM

Did a trip with my 2005 350 HP Winny Vectra, Towing a 2004 Explorer, 4445 miles from PA to Calgary and return, try to run around 62. Avg MPG 7.4

Kirstcc · 03-20-2010, 09:21 PM

My Journey with a 350 Cat pullin a Jeep only averages 5.9 per the dash computer.

How can I improve this?
I also don't think it has the power it should.
Where do I start?

KennethM · 03-21-2010, 04:53 AM

Kirstcc, do you know the maintenance history since new and has the the engine had the valve adjustment maintenance done? "Run the Top" maintenance does a number of things to the CAT and one indicator of needing it is lower milage but if it has been done many things can cause that low milage.