Post your MPG

[booster]

Unfortunately, I have been one of Mike's "doers not goers", mostly because of the downsides of having jobs. We would get out for a couple of weeks and some weekends each year. That was supposed to change this year, with somewhere in the 4 months of travel scheduled. Also like Mike said, life got in the way, and we only got out for about 4 weeks. Next year, we hope.

Like Marko, I like to see what folks do (both in travel and tweaks) and where they go, and why. I find particularly interesting that there are those that travel a bunch to go to multiple "socials" around the country, and others that just want to go sit on a mountaintop by themselves, and many in between. (classic introvert/extrovert thing?) It does show how flexible having B is for everyone. Things like mileage, while a cost consideration, are probably more a technical exercise to me, and a fun distraction on long drives. Fuel costs don't really enter into our plans of where we will go, or how fast we drive to get there, but we do track it by trip (not by tank). Probably the most realy useful part of the tracking would be an early indication of mechanical problems.

I think I am a bit lucky in that the tinkering is as much a hobby as it is gaining the usability improvements in the van. If it wasn't on the van, I would be building, modifying something else. It certainly doesn't qualify as work to me. I was equally lucky when I had a job. I spent 45 years designing, building, improving equipment and processes and never tired or disliked it. Didn't always like the politics of business, but the work was great. So now I get to do the same type of stuff, without the BS, except I have to pay for it!

I also think that it will be interesting to see how our travels work out once we can get out long term. We know we can live in the van without issue or frustrations, so I guess the tweaks have helped, but we still have to experience the longer periods on the road. How we finally end up spending all our time is still to be determined. I have a much shorter attention span than DW, so how much we move and do will probably be variable.

Happy travels to all, I would say, no matter how or why you chose to do it the way you do!

[Mike]

Originally Posted by booster

Unfortunately, I have been one of Mike's "doers not goers", mostly because of the downsides of having jobs. We would get out for a couple of weeks and some weekends each year. That was supposed to change this year, with somewhere in the 4 months of travel scheduled. Also like Mike said, life got in the way, and we only got out for about 4 weeks. Next year, we hope.

Like Marko, I like to see what folks do (both in travel and tweaks) and where they go, and why. I find particularly interesting that there are those that travel a bunch to go to multiple "socials" around the country, and others that just want to go sit on a mountaintop by themselves, and many in between. (classic introvert/extrovert thing?) It does show how flexible having B is for everyone. Things like mileage, while a cost consideration, are probably more a technical exercise to me, and a fun distraction on long drives. Fuel costs don't really enter into our plans of where we will go, or how fast we drive to get there, but we do track it by trip (not by tank). Probably the most realy useful part of the tracking would be an early indication of mechanical problems.

I think I am a bit lucky in that the tinkering is as much a hobby as it is gaining the usability improvements in the van. If it wasn't on the van, I would be building, modifying something else. It certainly doesn't qualify as work to me. I was equally lucky when I had a job. I spent 45 years designing, building, improving equipment and processes and never tired or disliked it. Didn't always like the politics of business, but the work was great. So now I get to do the same type of stuff, without the BS, except I have to pay for it!

I also think that it will be interesting to see how our travels work out once we can get out long term. We know we can live in the van without issue or frustrations, so I guess the tweaks have helped, but we still have to experience the longer periods on the road. How we finally end up spending all our time is still to be determined. I have a much shorter attention span than DW, so how much we move and do will probably be variable.

Happy travels to all, I would say, no matter how or why you chose to do it the way you do!

That is exactly what makes this forum so much fun and so interesting.
Someone starts something, and someone else redefines it, fills in the blanks, and finishes it so eloquently.
After being a member on here for over 5 years now, one of the things I've always assumed would happen, but hasn't yet, is that we may run into some of you "out there". I would have absolutely no idea how a chance meeting with any of you would go, but I hope it would be fun, and I expect as time goes by, we'll probably stop by some of those "socials" to see what they're all about. They do sound pretty laid back, and that's us, when we're not sitting on NPS mountain tops contemplating our navels.

[Davydd]

Socials are a very minor part of our travels like maybe 4 days out of a 10 week trip (last spring). If anything they may give you an excuse or direction to go some place. The RV.net B11 Rally for instance is going to be conveniently in southern Indiana the week sandwiched between the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix Indy Car race and the Indianapolis 500 of which we plan to attend all. BTW, the B11 Rally has several Canadians signed up. Many of the social and rally attendees came together first from online contact. A few started attending after meeting others on the road who had attended. Quite a few have advanced to lurker status online. I find it rather surprising that is what most of the RV.net B Rally attendees are where it seems you have to establish an RV.net screen name and actually own a B, not a B+ or something else even though RV.net is not even an actual sponsor.

[Cubey]

1978 Dodge B300 Xplorer 228 (19ft)
Engine: 5.9L 360 V8 (2bbl carb, not fuel injection)
Trans: A727 Torqueflyte 3-spd auto
Rear: 3.54 Dana 60

I get about 5mpg city (guess) and between 9-10hwy.

[bikerbill]

Brand new 2013 Sprinter 3500 extended body with a 2014 Airstream Interstate. We just spent 3 weeks to FLA and back to PA totaling 3180 miles. About a third were on interstate highways. Ave Mpg 17.5 diesel.

[Quark]

We have been running a series of small local camping trips this summer (ohio)
Larger trips will wait for the fall,but I did manage 18.6 mpg on the first tank.
All on the blue highways,not A fan of the interstates if time allows.
When I'm packing heavy for a longer trip this may drop.
That brings up a question,my diesel jetta mpg improved quite a bit as I passed the
35,000-40,000 mile point. Have any of you had the same experience with your class b,s ?
I imagine this can vary greatly with engine type.

[stanw909]

My new to me 1996 Coachmen Saratoga gets about 13 highway so far. It's a Dodge 5.9 (350). My 97 5.2 poptop gets 15 highway but it's low profile and weighs 1,000 lbs less . I was thinking very seriously about building a custom van based on the Promaster van but it appears that the mythical diesel that gets 25+ mpg may never come out. It would cost around $45k to build that van. My current Saratoga cost $7000 plus tax n reg ($550), tires ($550),batteries($145), fantastic fan($150). The difference between $45k and $8500 can buy a lot of fuel. Not to mention the price of insurance .

[AmCruiser]

This may not be the right topic for this but it spurred a thought. Ever since my wife convinced me to buy a used 09 Prius back in March (I have to admit, it is the best 'car' I've ever owned), I've been thinking that someone someday will use hybrid technology on a class B. Now the Prius system is obviously way too underpowered for something as heavy as a B, but they now have a hybrid Yukon. It just seems that the way hybrids use waste energy from braking/coasting downhill, etc. to charge the batteries makes the technology a natural fit for a B. RT should consider a hybrid version of the E-trek.
Randy

[stanw909]

Unless Roadtrek starts building it's own chassis then that will never happen. It would be great if Chevy built vans with it but if people are belly achin' about Mercedes diesels being hard to service in the boonies,just imagine the feedback from something as complicated as a hybrid.

[GtDad]

I recent purchased online a wifi OBD2 dongle for my Pleasureway traverse. Im using it with dash command which can display error codes , and anything that has a sensor.
In real time driving on level highway i get about 21 mpg.

[obgraham]

First 3 tankfuls through my 2014 CS, 2013 Sprinter 3500. 18.1 mpg. Mostly secondary highway driving, not often over 62mph.

[SiennaGuy]

Originally Posted by AmCruiser

This may not be the right topic for this but it spurred a thought. Ever since my wife convinced me to buy a used 09 Prius back in March (I have to admit, it is the best 'car' I've ever owned), I've been thinking that someone someday will use hybrid technology on a class B. Now the Prius system is obviously way too underpowered for something as heavy as a B, but they now have a hybrid Yukon. It just seems that the way hybrids use waste energy from braking/coasting downhill, etc. to charge the batteries makes the technology a natural fit for a B. RT should consider a hybrid version of the E-trek.
Randy

Mercedes is already working on hybrid trucks. I would expect that they would have a hybrid Sprinter at some point, given that so many companies use them all day long driving in cities. Stop and go traffic is where a hybrid really shines. This article is about them developing hybrid trucks:
http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921- ... 0-0-0.html

This article is about their work on a hybrid Sprinter:
http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921- ... 0-0-0.html

And here's an article about them working in a plug-in hybrid Sprinter:
http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921- ... 0-0-0.html

[Davydd]

Mercedes Benz said at Advanced Fest the next major Sprinter upgrade would be in 2019. I took that to mean body style. Who knows about guts.

[AK49er]

Just completed almost 8800 mile trip and got a little over 13 mpg.

[GuyGene]

Good posts! I'm wanting a diesel Sprinter, but also like the Dodge based B XPlore (is that it?). My practical side says gasoline, rest of me screams MB diesel. Wha' to get, wha' to get... I found an '05 Pleasure Way Sprinter 5 cylinder diesel, but quirky, eh? Well, I am too, so people tell me. Maybe that I5 and I are made for each other . I also found a '99 Dodge Pleasure way, 318 V8 (love that engine!). I've never even been in a class b yet. No dealers nor used ones near me here in northeast Mississippi.

Ok boys, keep ye mpg posts coming!

Oh, pulling my travel trailer with my '02 F150 5.4, 3:55 differential, I get about 11 mpg. So that's kind of my base. Hey, I ain't looking for nary Prius.

[Viperml]

Hello everyone,

This is a very informative forum,
TheFitRV did a nice article on gas versus diesel and they even have a calculator that you can use.
http://www.thefitrv.com/rv-tips/gas-vs- ... y-thoughts

[markopolo]

The Ram Promaster 1500 with diesel engine made it onto the Vincentric list of vehicles whose total cost of ownership was lower than their all-gasoline powered counterparts.

(link to vincentric.com deleted)

[GuyGene]

Thanks for that link, marko. Whew, I've about done burned me old haid out researching all this stuff! I need to just stop this mess, find what we like and can afford, and bite ye olde bullet and get something!! My heart still longs for a diesel though. I've owned about 7 diesels in Japan, Isuzu, Mazda, Toyotas, all excellent engines and very economical compared to gasoline there where diesel is about $.30 or more cheaper per gallon the way it's meant to be.

I'm thinking anywhere between 15 mpg highway for gasoline and 18-20 for diesel should make us happy

[hornetv6]

2013 Roadtrek Ranger. Small block Chevy. I'm old school. It is a 350 v8. I average city highway 16.5 MPG. It will do 20 on straight Highway at 70 MPH

[FLTRISK]

2011 Pleasure Way Excel 5.4 V8 17.3 at 55-60 mph; 16.0 65-75 mph