Class A V-10 mileage

[dodge_guy]

So coming back from the Rockies (RMNP). The V-10 gets OK mileage downhill. 7.5mpg. No generator and towing a car!

Don’t ask me what the uphill mileage with a car and generator running is!!!!!! :E

[Dale_Traveling]

I figure when I have the toad along for the ride, and since it's a fully drivable self powered vehicle, my mileage is double to 15 or so. And since there is usually two of us in the coach I get another double taking the rate up to 30 MPG.

Day dreaming helps pass the time until the next outing.

[Gjac]

I have driven the same MH in my signature a little over 100,000 miles and have tracked every fill up over the last 15 years manually. I tow a 2500lb Toyota Corolla most of the time. I don't notice any MPG difference towing vs not towing. Added headers and FF muffler. No difference. Added CAI sans cat. No difference. Advanced base timing from 4 degrees BTC to 9. Slight difference. Each mod improved performance but not MPG. Performance went from 19 sec to go from 40-60 mph down to 12 secs. Went from down shifting at the slightest hill to staying in high gear in all but steep hills out west. There were several things that I observed that increased my MPG slightly. Keeping my speed between 55 on backroads and 62 on the highway increased mpg from 8 to 8.5 . Adding a vacuum gauge and keeping vacuum above 10 in HG. Also increasing speed when approaching a hill then letting off the throttle to keep it in high gear. I know when it will shift by watching the vacuum gauge. This increased my mpg to 8.7 mpg. Having said all that I like the increased performance over the mpg gains.

[FloridaRosebud]

I just finished a 1400 mile round trip, towing an Acadia. SeaBreezeLX F-53. Got 7.2 mpg....

Al

[Chum_lee]

A1ARealtorRick wrote:
So, if well-engineered cars can have 8, 9, and 10-speed automatic transmissions in an effort to maximize fuel economy and enhance overall performance in the process, why can't motorhomes?

Of course they can. Motor homes generally operate at/above/or close to maximum gross weight. Not so with daily drivers. Most motor homes have the aerodynamic efficiency of 3 - 4' x 8' stacked pieces of plywood which they struggle to push through the air at 55 - 75 mph. That's where/why the fuel efficiency goes through the floor. IMO, the number of speeds in the transmission doesn't matter with regard to fuel efficiency. It only makes the driving/towing experience more palatable.

Chum lee

[tedp]

2013 32' Class C towing a Mini Cooper averaged 8.4 over 2 years driving 6,000 miles per year. No real mountains around where I drove it though!

[Blackdiamond]

In my old 2002 chassis with the 4 speed, I get 5.5 towing a 5000 lbs trailer, 7.5 when not towing.

[TCmart]

I average 7 to 7.5 mpg on a 2000 Bounder towing a 2007 Honda Pilot. I normally run the generator and both a/c's while driving.

[hohenwald48]

Oddly, running the generator likely won't even change your mileage numbers unless you're calculating to a couple decimal places. It only burns around 1/3 GPH and at 60 MPH you're already burning around 10GPH.

[crawford]

I have a Saturn as a toad I get 7 even but then with out still the same.

[wa8yxm]

On my Workhorse 8.1L V-8 (Chevy engine) I once hit 13.8

Of course the 100MPH tail wind pushing me along might have helped 🙂

[dodge_guy]

RLS7201 wrote:

A1ARealtorRick wrote:
So, if well-engineered cars can have 8, 9, and 10-speed automatic transmissions in an effort to maximize fuel economy and enhance overall performance in the process, why can't motorhomes?

The steep throttle plate angle required to move 20,000+ lbs down the road, would not allow 10 speed transmissions to achieve the higher gear.

Richard

Consumers would be surprised to learn that a 8,9 and 10 speed transmission will never use the higher gears unless you were at extremely high speeds! And yes in an RV because the throttle is always at least At 70%, a 10 speed trans would barely hit 6th. In fact I noticed with mine I’m usually in 3rd most of the time, rarely in 5th except with a tail wind or downhill. I’m convinced the programming Ford puts in the ECM is marginal at best! I can hear the throttle opens when it wants even when the pedal is on the floor. Which is why Next year I’ll be getting a 5star tune to fix Fords poor attempt. If they made these the way they should have at the very minimum Tow Haul would be defaulted to always on. They build these chassis as generic. A UPS truck will never weigh as much as a fully loaded RV. Which is why these things are terrible on power. I also believe that these are under geared. My coach has 4.30’s. Which is also available on an F250 with a V-10 and 5speed, and those have smaller diameter tires. There again these are built as generic so a 4.30 works great at lighter weights, but not at all good for fully loaded weights!

There is no reason I should lose 15mph on a slight grade coming out of a river vallley!

[RetiredRealtorR]

RLS7201 wrote:

A1ARealtorRick wrote:
So, if well-engineered cars can have 8, 9, and 10-speed automatic transmissions in an effort to maximize fuel economy and enhance overall performance in the process, why can't motorhomes?

The steep throttle plate angle required to move 20,000+ lbs down the road, would not allow 10 speed transmissions to achieve the higher gear.

Richard

OK, that's understandable. I still feel as though manufacturers in some way could increase fuel economy enough to make a difference. Like the Ford V-10 for example. How many years has it been the 'same engine' without updates and tweaking? Ford has a pretty good deal going, providing the rolling chassis' for the motorhome manufacturers, and without tremendous backlash, why would they see a need to make the engine/transmission combo more fuel efficient? Just an observation.

[Dadio24]

I normally get between 5.5 and 7.5 MPG going to Colorado and back. I feel it is uphill most of the way there and uphill most of the way home(haha). Engine is working great at 65 mph. My toad is a 4 door Jeep Wrangler.

[RLS7201]

A1ARealtorRick wrote:
So, if well-engineered cars can have 8, 9, and 10-speed automatic transmissions in an effort to maximize fuel economy and enhance overall performance in the process, why can't motorhomes?

The steep throttle plate angle required to move 20,000+ lbs down the road, would not allow 10 speed transmissions to achieve the higher gear.

Richard