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08-14-2013, 02:52 PM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 441
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Fuel gauge
When I picked up my new Aspire MHS had it half full. I drove it home and filled it up before leaving the next weekend for North Texas. The gauge was on the full mark. Right on it. Right before I got to Waco (77 miles from my home) the fuel gauge was showing 3/4 tank. Even at just 7 MPG (and I'm getting around 7-8 to 7.9 because I have kept it around 65-67 mph) I should have used around 11 gallons. It took a long time to drop from 3/4 to half but I just wondered if others with the 100 gal. tank on the Aspire have had this issue. Not a big deal at all but strange.
JJ
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08-14-2013, 03:08 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Stillwater, Ok
Posts: 4,812
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Yes, the guage goes down a little fast, when you have it full, it will show way overfull and takes longer to get to three-quarters. On mine, when it hits the full mark you are still at least 10-15 gallons from having the tank full and even then with diesel foaming you will not get it all the way full, and if you do it will puke out on the side of the coach. They will usually hit empty with 20 gallons or so diesel left. I have an Anthem so that will distort it some but they are all very conservative. All IMHO and experience.
__________________
2020 New Aire 3543
2018 Lincoln MKX
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08-14-2013, 03:40 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 441
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann n Gene
Yes, the guage goes down a little fast, when you have it full, it will show way overfull and takes longer to get to three-quarters. On mine, when it hits the full mark you are still at least 10-15 gallons from having the tank full and even then with diesel foaming you will not get it all the way full, and if you do it will puke out on the side of the coach. They will usually hit empty with 20 gallons or so diesel left. I have an Anthem so that will distort it some but they are all very conservative. All IMHO and experience.
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I understood the fuel left after it shows empty but I was shocked that it fell so fast to 3/4. I thought I had it full. When I heard it coming up the neck I put the handle on the slowest setting. I assumed that filled it all the way up (less the foam) but I guess I was wrong.
I am happy that I can go some distance below the 1/4 tank line and still run the generator. I don't know how much lower but my last coach the genset would die at just under a half a tank (about 40 gallons left in the tank) so we could not drive very far in the summer without fueling since we worried about losing the generator.
JJ.
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08-14-2013, 06:04 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Polk City, FL
Posts: 3,476
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Gas Gage's
Okay, I'll throw in on a favorite peeve
I fly jets for a living where judging your fuel remaining is somewhat important. They have gas gages, albeit rather expensive ones, sort of like my expensive house on wheels. I also have a Jeep and a Honda, both have gas gages that indicate empty when the tank is empty and/or the tank is full. They are considered a inexpensive vehicles. Somehow we RV consumers have accepted the notion that because some people are stupid or the manufacturer's (Spartan) that we better pad the indications to protect stupid people we will install a gas gage that basically indicates "full", "not so full", or "we think you ought to look for a gas station". I think Spartan could show industry leadership by installing a reasonably accurate gas gage (+-10%) with a warning signal below 10 gals and a genny cutoff below 20 gals. If they don't know how to make one like this I can forward the phone number for Toyota or Honda!!
Maybe I should go back to a long wood stick like I used to use on tractors to know when to look for fuel.
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Dave & Debbie
2021 Newmar DutchStar 4369
2016 Ford Edge&2018 Ford F-150 toads
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08-14-2013, 06:11 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Stillwater, Ok
Posts: 4,812
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X2 on that, I would really prefer an accurate readout of how many useable gallons left on the tank. In this digital world that should not be rocket science nor cost a fortune to do, just takes someone who cares enough and has enough decision making power to get it done!
__________________
2020 New Aire 3543
2018 Lincoln MKX
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08-14-2013, 06:36 PM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Troy Mo
Posts: 1,951
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Fuel indication
Jets still use a high tech wooden stick to check fuel quantity if in doubt. Even the jets high dollar capacitance type fuel indication system are incorrect sometimes. While it would be nice to know within a couple of gallons of your fuel quantity in the mh the jets is probably a bit more important. On the other hand I'm sure they can build a system that is very accurate, but it would be very expensive. Mine seems to fairly accurate at least to the point I'm not going to run out of fuel. Noel
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08-14-2013, 07:41 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 8,306
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I once had a new car that had an erratic fuel gauge. Every attempt to fix it failed. For years I just set the trip odometer to zero each time I filled up with fuel. Before long I knew just how many miles I could safely drive on a full tank. The same technique would work in the RV, with some adjustment for generator and heater use.
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Marc and Jill, Wellington FL
2013 Entegra Anthem 44SL
2018 Lincoln MKX
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08-14-2013, 08:19 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Windsor Colorado
Posts: 435
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A fuel gauge should tell you how much fuel you have, there is no logical reason to spend time saying at 1/2 tank I have 10 more gallons more than it shows...Or say at empty indication I still may have 10 gallons ????A full indication should be full, With foaming and non level fuel ramps you really do not know how much fuel you have on board..The mental fuel remaining calculation is based on an assumption that the tank was full when you started .Empty should be empty...There may be some mechanic limits, however I know they can be more accurate then my gauge is.....
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08-14-2013, 08:22 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 121
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I have a 2013 aspire with a 100 gallon fuel tank. I was told by a local RV mechanic that they can calibrate from full to empty or full to generator cut off. It appears that when my (RED) fuel light comes on I have approximately 25 gallons left, I have driven to that point more than once always having about 25% left in tank. It makes me wonder if he was not correct and my calibration is based on about the time you loose generator fuel. I may never know, but as stated above I have reached a comfort point with my gauge.
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08-14-2013, 09:18 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Polk City, FL
Posts: 3,476
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Gage accuracy
I just want a fuel gage on my $250k Aspire that is as accurate as my $11k Honda or my $30k Jeep. Heck, even my lawn mower has a more reliable gage! I understand how airplanes need accurate quantities but I have never operated any type machine with a less accurate fuel gage than an RV! You can't make me believe the makers of fuel gage floats for RVs are that incompetent. My bet is big rig trucks have better systems at a lower overall vehicle price.
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Dave & Debbie
2021 Newmar DutchStar 4369
2016 Ford Edge&2018 Ford F-150 toads
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08-15-2013, 06:36 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,730
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We'll see the Spartan folks again at the Summerfest, and I will again question what the deal is on accuracy. This was discussed in a previous thread. It was not clear in the discussion if the gauge is set to account for bottom of the tank or the unusable level of the tank (fuel draw point leaves a federally mandated 10-15% in the tank at the point you are "empty", meaning stopped on the side of the road). Don't like it, but that was what Spartan said at the class.
That said, when my fuel light came on, and I hit the station within 10 miles, the most fuel I've taken on was 129 gallons. With a 150 gallon tank and a conservative 15% unusable, that would suggest that I had about 6 gallons left. That's around 50 miles and consistent with cars and pickups.
At 1/4 on the gauge, I've taken on around 90-95 gallons. Figuring conservative 15% unusable, I can't argue with the gauge as 1/4 is ballpark close. As TRNZD pointed out, just fill the tank around the 1/2 tank mark. You probably need to stop for other reasons, and it gives you a quarter of a tank to safely shop for the best prices. All JMHO.
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Dave and Beth
2015 Cornerstone 45J
2020 Ford F-150 Lariat
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08-15-2013, 07:14 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,193
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X2 or 3. I guess I don't feel like a NASCAR driver that really needs to know exactly how far to go before pitting..... DW starts getting nervous at 1/2 so my life is easier if I stop.
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Cheryl and Emerson missing Rascal but loving our new buddy, Winston
Sadly Coachless
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08-16-2013, 08:24 AM
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#13
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Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 51
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Just curious, does the on board computer not keep track of the fuel left and mileage left to drive or how much fuel was used since last fill. On my last coach, which was a Monaco, I would set the fuel at 120 gallons after filling and drive until I was close to using up the 120 and look for a place to fill, never really went to much by the gauge on the dash. Only had the new coach for a month and went on first long trip last week and I went by the on board trip tracker or what ever you call it.
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08-16-2013, 08:50 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,730
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Miles remaining...based upon inaccurate milage computed by the computer.
Too hard to worry about...as stated earlier...bladder sends one to the rest area or truck stop more often that fuel required ==== plan stop at a half tank ... that gives your 1/4 of a tank (about 200 miles) to shop for price if the bladder holds out.
May be TMI, but that's what works and you don't have blood pressure going up because of worrying about fuel level!
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Dave and Beth
2015 Cornerstone 45J
2020 Ford F-150 Lariat
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