Community Forums

CC Rider · 03-02-2014, 03:09 PM

Shopping for used MH and receiving conflicting info concerning mpg for a 500hp vs a 600hp 42-45ft pulling toad of 4,000 lbs. looking at 65 mph speed on flat to hilly terrain. Any actual and accurate history would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

nforus · 03-02-2014, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CC Rider

Shopping for used MH and receiving conflicting info concerning mpg for a 500hp vs a 600hp 42-45ft pulling toad of 4,000 lbs. looking at 65 mph speed on flat to hilly terrain. Any actual and accurate history would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Our next door neighbors got a 2006 Essex( 500hp) last year and we took one trip together. The terrain went from mostly flat to some hilly with one mountain pass. We weren't doing a scientific study,but as we were chatting back and forth along the way as to what our computers were telling about our MPG, we were within less than 1/2 mpg for most of the trip.

CC Rider · 03-02-2014, 03:28 PM

Thank you for reply. Do you remember what your mpg was then?

KSCRUDE · 03-02-2014, 03:35 PM

Get the 600, you'll be glad you did. And fuel consumption will be almost the same. Maybe even better with the bigger engine, in certain conditions.

Smitty77 · 03-02-2014, 05:26 PM

I too say that Bigger is Better, most of the time.

That being said, what year are you looking for? What chassis? Or at least what mfg as that will get us back to chassis.

It's not always just about engine and trans, some chassis and some coach mfg use different rear end gears. And that can make a difference.

And on the year, some years of one engine may be worse then the other, due to different smog 'stuff' involved.

Most big coaches, with either a Big CAT, Detroit, or ISM/ISX - are going to treat you well. MPG in all of these big boys, is going to be under 7mpg, and depending upon variables mentioned above, could be under 6mpg.

More info, could help the brain trust of this board to give you more info. If you have it down to say a specific coach, then post on that owners forums, and you may get more hits on actual MPG for that coach/year.

Best,
Smitty

slemnah · 03-02-2014, 05:42 PM

It's exciting to be looking at motorhomes. I purchased a 2005 Safari Panther on an S-Series chassis with a 525hp CAT C13. It is 42ft with 4 slides. I love the motorhome although I am only getting around 5.5mpg. I just added a couple of power harnesses to the engine designed to allow it to spool up faster and increase the power a bit more as the ACERT CATS seem to be sluggish. I haven't taken it out yet since installing them. I traded in a 330hp cummins. It's important to get the floor plan you want, a strong chassis, a tag axle (IMHO), a residential refrigerator and the largest engine you can get. Always buy your last motorhome first. Enjoy.
Steve

plasma800 · 03-02-2014, 05:47 PM

IMHO mpg is not a big concern in this size,,,, if it is, you're looking at the wrong criteria.

In my cat9 I get between 3.1 to 8.5 depending on terrain,,, average 6.1

Is this a curiosity question ?? Or is it a deal killer for you?

nforus · 03-02-2014, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CC Rider

Thank you for reply. Do you remember what your mpg was then?

Hi CC Rider,

We were getting 5.6 (avg, flat and hilly) running 72mph when we could, towing flatbed aluminum trailer with two Polaris RZR"s so probably around 4,000 pounds?.

KSCRUDE is right, we were getting better mileage than the ISM, I just thought that they either needed a tune or were working harder to keep up with us( they were towing a Suburban)

Question for you… Who played the part of CC rider in the movie???

CampDaven · 03-02-2014, 06:47 PM

My rig weighs 37,400 loaded. I have a 42 ft with a 425 Cummins and get 7.2 mpg with my 4500 lb toad.

500-600 hp will beat me over a hill by about 5 mph (gorilla grunting sound here).

At 7500 miles/year, my 7.2 vs 6.5 will cost the bigger HP about 400 bucks. Chump change!

Buy what you want. Have fun!

Crasher · 03-02-2014, 07:07 PM

I spoke to a Newell owner with 600 hp. He was pulling a 6000# Escalade and said his mileage was between 4.5 and 6, but mostly a little over 5 mph. FWIW, my 43' weighs close to 40,000 and the trailer is close to 10,000#s. My 450 Cummins will average 7-7.5 on the level with no wind. With a 25 mph headwind it will drop to 6 and I have seen as high as 8.8. All hand calculated.

Cat320 · 03-02-2014, 08:22 PM

Headwind and speed are the biggest players in figuring MPG. Want better mileage...slow down.

Coma · 03-03-2014, 07:22 AM

You will spend $.50 to $.60 per mile in fuel, depending on how you drive it. Regardless of what engine is in it. My 350HP does not notice the 7k pickup behind it. You will be able to put nearly 2k of water and fuel in it, a 4k towed will be lost in the variables of wind and grade.

More importantly, does it have Aqua-Hot? Air Leveling? Tag axle?

FlyingDiver · 03-03-2014, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crasher

I spoke to a Newell owner with 600 hp. He was pulling a 6000# Escalade and said his mileage was between 4.5 and 6, but mostly a little over 5 mph. FWIW, my 43' weighs close to 40,000 and the trailer is close to 10,000#s. My 450 Cummins will average 7-7.5 on the level with no wind. With a 25 mph headwind it will drop to 6 and I have seen as high as 8.8. All hand calculated.

He must be going really fast. We have the same engine as the Newell (Cummins ISX), weigh about the same (50,000-51,000) and pull a slightly lighter toad. But I get 6.5-7.0 mpg consistently, average about 6.8. High end on flatter terrain.

super_rep · 03-03-2014, 08:12 AM

We have a 45' Monaco Signature (40000#+) and tow a Jeep GC (5300#). The coach has a 515hp Detroit, which is plenty of power for this vehicle. We consistently are getting right around 6.5 mpg and try to stay between 58-60 mph. This is the sweet spot for the engine at about 1600 rpm. Have seen 7.5 and 6.0mpg depending on terrain.