Fuel "economy"

[split]

Recently I began using a mileage computer known as UltraGauge.  See here:  ultra-gauge.com
It provides all sorts of mileage data like Instantaneous MPG, Average MPG, trip MPG, Instantaneous Gallons/Hour, Ave G/H, etc.
It does not take long to learn which driving behaviors suck the gas.    In my case the rig I was driving was reported to get 8MPG, but by using this gauge, and adjusting my driving, I easily pulled 15+MPG.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Does the UltraGauge come with a package of special stuff to smoke while you drive? Cause no gauge is going to help you improve our driving habits enough to double your mileage. Sorry, Split, but I'm just not believing that kind of improvement.

 

[taoshum]

the Freightliner display gives you all that info anyway.  Maybe if I paid more attention...LOL; not likely though, unless we are going down-hill all the time with a tail-wind.

 

[Mike Goad]

With our dinky little motorhome, we managed anywhere from 12 mpg with a head wind up to near 16 mpg on our 4550 mile trip in July and August.  It's on a Dodge Sprinter chassis with a Mercedes diesel -- and that mileage is with towing a Honda CRV.

I did have trouble a year or so ago towing the car.  I was taking the motorhome and Honda into town to get the lighting wiring corrected and it seemed like I wasn't getting quite enough power going up the driveway.

Turns out the car was still in Park and I had drug it about 30 feet. 

I thought about not telling Karen, but I didn't know how to explain the furrows in our gravel driveway other than fessing up.  So, before I left, I went back into the house and owned up.  :-\

 

[mike eddleman]

My 1999 v10  36 foot bounder gets 6.88 mpg pulling a pickup truck

 

[BernieD]

Our last leg home was from Flagstaff, AZ (elevation: 7000') to Goodyear, AZ (elevation: 1000'). I have my Silverleaf VMSpc set to give me instantaneous and daily mpg figures among other things. Using the VMSpc, I had also determined that the highway speed sweet spot for my particular engine was at approximately 62mph, giving me the best fuel economy on flat areas without winds. So I set my cruise at 62 (actually, it is always there) and took off down I-17.

In the 60 miles to the Verde Valley, a net elevation drop of about 4,000', I averaged 12.9 mpg. (Don, it was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so I waived as we drove by.) This is on a coach that has averaged about 8.75 mpg over 102,000 miles. Of course, I dropped to about 9.5 after climbing the 1,500' out of the valley over the next 8 miles. Overall, my homeward leg was 10.9 mpg. Not bad. Now if I can only route myself going downhill on all of our trips I would really do great. ;D

When we first started RVing, we traveled each summer to eastern race tracks. Usually most of our routes were the same going and coming. I found that the eastbound trips (prevailing tailwind) yielded about 1 mpg better economy than the westbound trips (prevailing headwinds).

Moral of the story, always drive downhill with a prevailing tailwind.

 

[Wendy]

Guess that's why we usually have good mileage when we leave heading south or west (downhill) and not so good mileage when we head north or east (uphill). Best mileage we ever had was in the old Class C when we left Denver headed east with a storm behind us - 13.5, which was awesome for the old guy (the MH, not Mike).

Wendy
Colorado

 

[Joezeppy]

...I pay $125/month.  The next best price I could get would be $165/mo...

And I baulked at $350 (total) for an indoor storage place from October - April. YIKES!

Our local VFD rents storage space in their pavilian for about $200 per winter but alas, the ceiling is too low!

Most outdoor lots around here are $25 - $40 per month.

 

[split]

Does the UltraGauge come with a package of special stuff to smoke while you drive? Cause no gauge is going to help you improve our driving habits enough to double your mileage. Sorry, Split, but I'm just not believing that kind of improvement.

Way to keep an open mind.  :
I was just telling you my experience.  The part I can not confirm is the 8MPG.  The owner said that is what he normally achieved.  Maybe he does not know what he is talking about.    But I could see a clear benefit by watching the gauge.  Fundamentally, the benefit came from realizing that you are pulling some serious weight and to accelerate that mass to any speed sucks the gas in a hurry!

 

[vermilye]

We did a 1517 mile trip through the hills of PA in a rented 31' Fiesta with a Ford V10 engine and averaged 7.78MPG. 

 

[34footer]

Way to keep an open mind.  :
I was just telling you my experience.  The part I can not confirm is the 8MPG.  The owner said that is what he normally achieved.  Maybe he does not know what he is talking about.    But I could see a clear benefit by watching the gauge.  Fundamentally, the benefit came from realizing that you are pulling some serious weight and to accelerate that mass to any speed sucks the gas in a hurry!

At 16mpg you are passing up fuel stops like crazy, right?
J