BAC Forum
General Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: gary_curtis on February 28, 2020, 02:36:36 AM
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Hi BAC! New member from Cincinnati. Picking up our new to us 2007 Beaver this weekend in Chicago. This is our first motor home. Sure to have many questions ahead but first one will have to be what fuel consumption should I expect on a 275 mile highway journey?
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Gary,
Welcome to the forum, this group here can probably answer any question that you might have about your coach, or about anything else you can dream up. And if they don't know they can probably tell you where you can find that answer.
I have a 06 Patriot Thunder bought it the end of 12 and have put a little over 50K miles on it so far, learned so much from the crew in this forum.
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It mostly depends on how you drive. You’ll find members here have different opinions.
My personal take is: if you go to about 62 mph and don’t let the speed go below 57, you can stay in 6th gear on flat highways, and be efficient. Using Econo Mode and cruise control helps. I’ve had as much as 10mpg in ideal situations, such as a 600 mile trip with a mostly cruise control and a following wind. But in hill country or against the wind you’d be lucky to average 4-5 mpg. You have to drive conservatively over a period of time to determine your ideal specific results. But in some states on certain highways 60mph will impede most other traffic, so you may want to fudge to a different average speed to keep from doing that.
It becomes an individual judgement situation, and how much speed you as a person are willing to indemnify in favor of fuel savings in the long run. Anytime fuel mileage is raised here or elsewhere as a topic, a number of different responses result. Generally you should consider 5mpg to 6 mpg to be expected overall, but others will tout less or more as common to their experience. Coach weights and towed weights, engine differences, personal driving habits, and environmental conditions of course all factor in.
Joel
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Gary,
I've got an 07 Contessa Bayshore (tag axle) and consistently avg 7-7.5 mpg depending on the terrain. I set the CC at 65 on the highway until I get in the hills and then control gear selection manually. The C9 is designed to run hotter than most other CAT engines. They have a 206 F thermostat so run about 204 on the flats. The fan speed is controlled by the wax valve so don't kick the RPM way up when climbing as higher rpm buys you nothing but increased engine heat. The key is to maximize torque. Max torque is speced about 1450-1500 RPM. I find that if I keep RPM about 1800, I can control engine temp. Don't worry about speed when climbing. In the mtns I spend most of my climbing in 3rd gear. The coach will climb with CC on but you need to watch engine temp. Check engine light comes on about 225 and derate will trigger at 230-235. I get up most steep grades at 215F max.
Use the Aladdin readouts. The dash gauges are pretty much for entertainment only.
Welcome. Steve
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Our C-13 refuses to get more than 5.5 mpg. Other than that, we love our '05 Patriot Thunder! All the best to you and your new rig!
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Gary
Welcome to the club and forum. Congrats on the coach. Hannover is a gorgeous rig!
I suggest a large open parking lot just to drive forward and back. Stop and Go at different speeds so you get familiar.
Remember, 7 year old tires are pretty much done regardless of tread wear. This is a common expense new owners get stuck with and should have checked before taking delivery.
Drive safe and have fun.
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Thank you all for your insight into fuel economy...I searched around and could not find any information. I once had a GMC 6.2 liter diesel Dually Crew Cab with 5:38 gears in the rear and it got about 12-13 miles per gallon no matter what (flat land, hills towing etc.) so I figured 12.5 liters was going to consume at least double that and it sounds like 6-7 mpg is what I am going to see. So 45-50 gallons of fuel ($125) is still a lot less expensive than flying.
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Steve Huber- Thanks for your insight into the engine temperature...as a kid my parents had a 10 ft slide in camper and I remember 2nd or 3rd gear slow lane hill climbs with the radiator boiling over. I was thinking that 525 HP would allow me to climb like the wind but I guess not.
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Keith Moffett - Thanks for you insight on the tires. I fully suspect that 8 new tires ($4k-$5k) are in my future. I was just hoping that I can get home without any tire issues on my first trip. I purchased the Auto club Premier RV Option and then found out that it is not valid for at least a week so I went ahead and purchased the RV Roadside Assistance package from FMCA. Hopefully one of them will show up to fix a tire problem if I have one.
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Gary,
Sorry, For some reason I thought you had an 07 Contessa. The C13 should be much more forgiving on hills.
Steve
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Our coach is a 2004 Marquis Sapphire, 45 feet, and weighs about 43,000 pounds ready to go. We pull a Chevy Avalanche which weighs about 6,500 pounds. Our engine is the 505 hp, Cat C-12. I keep track of the fuel gallons, fuel price, and miles for every fill in a ledger. Over about 30,000 miles I think we average between 5 and 5.5 mpg. The highest mileage I have calculated on a fill was about 6.8 mpg, the lowest about 3.8 mpg. On fast wide-open highways with high speed-limits, I have set the cruise control as high as 78 mph. The best mileage (6.8 mpg) I have seen was between Butte, MT going south on I-15 to Rexburg, ID, then across US-20 to the Boise Stage Stop near Boise, ID. Why? There must have been a tailwind, eh? We rarely travel more than 500 miles on a fill; the tank is 150 gallons.
On a March trip home to Oregon from Arizona a few years ago, we traveled with another couple from Scotty's Junction, NV to Mountain Home, ID. I followed at their speed of 62 mph. We took the back road from Tonapah, NV to Battle Mountain, NV - in 200 miles we saw barely a handful of vehicles. I don't remember seeing a significant increase in mileage for that tank.
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Hi Gary, Welcome Aboard, bottom line on our 06 PT with the C13 we didn't have any of the add on stuff for fuel like DEF but we did put on bout 75,000 mile and never saw better the 6.5 average mpg. Yes some better some bad but average 6.5 that is a great powerplant if your pulling nothing will slow you down.
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Jerry Carr - Thank You
"....that is a great powerplant if your pulling nothing will slow you down."
Now that is what I'm expecting! I don't want to be that guy in the slow lane climbing the hill.
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David T. Richelderfer - Thank you,
"....I have set the cruise control as high as 78"
Now this sounds more like my style of driving...I'm seeing numbers like 62 in responses and thinking that is nice but that will never happen.
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One warning: High speed = higher tire temps = tire failure. I'm retired, what's your hurry?
https://www.rvtiresafety.net/
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5.5 mpg (average) is what I get.
Speed doesn't seem to matter much (I tested at 62, 65, and 70 mph over a 1000 mile trip and it was the same mpg at each speed).
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I don’t know why the hurry. We buy these to enjoy the country. Slow down and do just that. 78!! I rarely reach 75 and that only in places like I-84 in Idaho when necessary to not impede traffic. I commonly obey the posted truckers speed too. Keep in mind also that the max speed stamped on all the coach wheels I’ve seen says 75. That’s the max, not the preferred.
I don’t know how Mike does it, but the faster I go the more energy I have to use and the more fuel I use. 62 accomplishes decent mileage in 6th on the long flats, cruise keeps me from micro-pumping the pedal, and I can relax at the wheel more (especially since Henderson’s tweaked our chassis).
Gary, check the date codes on your tire sidewalls to see how old they are.
Joel
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Gary,
Bill is right about the issue of high speeds and related tire failure issues. The tires on your coach probably have a maximum speed rating of 75 mph at the listed load to air pressure rating. So if you are going to drive in the 75 to 80 mph range you should increase your pressure, probably to the max cold inflation PSI. However if you are already running the max inflation like some of us because of or high axle weights, driving at 80 puts you at a higher risk of a dangerous tire blow-out.
The other issue with high speeds is fuel consumption. Remember that you are driving a 8 1/2 by 12 foot sail down the road and increased speed translates into increased wind resistance, and that means increased fuel consumption. Most coaches get their maximum fuel mileage at highway speeds between 58 and 64 MPH, depending on engine torque curve and gear ratios. However, if you are in a hurry and are willing to gamble with the reduced tire safety risk and about a 20% increase in you fuel cost, have at it.
Gerald
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If you are towing also check the speed limit on the toad. I know mine is 65.
Mike
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I usually drive the speed limit. If it's 70 I drive 70, if it's 60-65, I drive 70.. My tires are rated at 81mph. I get a pretty constant 7.0 per gallon. 7.2mpg when doing around 62. 6.9 mpg when traveling around 70. My coach is a rough ride at 60. At 70 everything seems to just get smooth. Rides better and handles better. So I go 70 whenever possible.
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Well I made the 275 mile journey home from Chicago and took all the advise into consideration. The coach seemed to run best at 65 mph so most of my trip was 65-70 mph. Along the way I purchased over 100 gallons of fuel to top off the tank. From the truck stop to my destination was 70 miles and the panel indicated that 4% of the fuel had been consumed when I reached my destination. So that works out to 70 miles / (150 gal x 0.04) = 11.6 mpg. I guess I should not trust the panel or I got some incredible fuel economy that segment!
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Gauges and Aladdin aren’t as accurate as that, especially with a “full” tank. Use them as a general guide, so you don’t get too low between fills; I ran out one time in our Pace Arrow on a long Hwy 101 hill when I thought I had a quarter of a tank. Now I look to top off when I’m around half a tank. And to prevent algae growth, I always top off just before coming home for a long park/storage.
Circumstances can mean different fill points when you’re at the pump. The best measure is averaging mileage out over several fill ups and differing terrain and weather.
Joel
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The C 13 Cat is not a fuel milage motor, now that I'm over 75K miles she is starting to run, I get right around 6 MPG and it doesn't make much difference unhill, downhill, wind no wind usually averages out around 6 +- a bit. I don't even check it anymore as it doesn't change and I don't run over 65. I see these people blow by me at 75 just looking for a ditch to end up in and we usually pass them down the road because they are stopping all the time.
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The biggest risk to driving, whether it's an RV, car, or motorcycle, is just being on the highways these days. So... if you accept that risk, then the other risk add-ons aren't so significant... assuming the weather, highway condition, and the RV's drive train, tires, and brakes are in good shape.
I find that cars usually pass me, half the trucks pass me and I pass half of them, and most other RVs I pass when on a two-lane road with both lanes going my way or in uphill passing lanes. Freightliner RVs blow by me.
As to stopping frequently, count me in that group. I am sure glad to be carting my bathroom with me. Sometimes those rest area stops are too far apart!