MPG Calculation, What methods do you use? , beating a dead horse I know.

[boxcarOkie]

I have recorded every gallon of fuel I ever put into my coaches since my first one in 1990 along with the miles, date, cost per gallon, etc.

Nice reply Jon, good info.  Isn't it amazing, some of these guys who didn't even own a bus last year, are on here all the time now, offering up advice, like they are some kind of new age guru's or something.

Man-man.

Clifford, I have a NEW PHONE NOW so the problem has been solved.  I am currently squeezing 13 MPG out of my Detroit, 6.5 on the road, and 6.5 on the driveway.

FWIW

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[Oonrahnjay]

Don -

As you know, I flat-tow a 2003 VW Jetta Sportwagen, weighing around 3100 lbs. ... 

      My car/toad, too.  A TDI with 435,000 miles.  There have been a few times I was alerted to problems (although it's never left me on the side of the road) by looking at fuel consumption numbers; I have a spread sheet with every gallon I've put in in 14 years.  I'm planning to do the same thing with my bus, not so much for monitoring $$$$ but for checking any "phantom" change in fuel use.

[Zephod]

Towing a 3000 pound car is far better than a 6700 pound truck, but the actual difference is only about .2 MPG.

That's exactly what I'd expect. You wouldn't believe the number of arguments that have got quite heated when I've shattered people's illusions that lighter weight inside the bus equals fuel economy.

The other thing I've noticed and people really fight me over it is that a few cents here and there makes no difference when buying fuel. If I buy 17 gallons at $1.76 or 17 gallons at $2.05, the difference is just 29 cents or $4.93 on a tank of fuel for my car. That's not even enough to buy a sandwich! It's also barely 20 minutes at work to earn that back.

My bus takes 50 gallons of diesel. That's around $2.30 a gallon. An extra 50 cents makes around $25 of difference but when you're spending $120ish on a fill up, it makes no real difference.

I reckon my bus gets somewhere between 8 and 10 mpg. I can therefore say I can get with confidence 400 miles on a tank.

My work bus does 120 miles a day. It has a 75 gallon tank and is refueled every two days. I've been on fumes getting it back to the yard once or twice but fortunately I don't have to worry. If I run out on a run, I just call in and the fuel truck comes to meet me.


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[Van]

Nice reply Jon, good info.  Isn't it amazing, some of these guys who didn't even own a bus last year, are on here all the time now, offering up advice, like they are some kind of new age guru's or something.

Man-man.

Clifford, I have a NEW PHONE NOW so the problem has been solved.  I am currently squeezing 13 MPG out of my Detroit, 6.5 on the road, and 6.5 on the driveway.

FWIW

Ha! I get more than that leaving home, it is the coming back that kills it. 

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[windtrader]

Thanks for the report guys. I plan to flat tow the car, about 3k. The bus came all kitted out with everything, towing equipment was really not on the checklist or very low. It has a full blue ox setup and a tow car braking system. There is some panel on the dash to control it and some large actuator you fit into the tow car where applies the brakes. Seems pretty fancy but will study sometime.

fyi - only thing still not understood at all is the Webasto heating system. I'm sure it works, everything else does. Too many switches to wing it, need to read up on it first. lol

[muldoonman]

Thanks for the report guys. I plan to flat tow the car, about 3k. The bus came all kitted out with everything, towing equipment was really not on the checklist or very low. It has a full blue ox setup and a tow car braking system. There is some panel on the dash to control it and some large actuator you fit into the tow car where applies the brakes. Seems pretty fancy but will study sometime.

fyi - only thing still not understood at all is the Webasto heating system. I'm sure it works, everything else does. Too many switches to wing it, need to read up on it first. lol

Just don't hit the Ejection Seat Switch. It's seldom marked.

[windtrader]

Yeah, I'd probably not know to unlock the brakes and drag it along till the sparks start flying once the rubber is gone. LOL

Good to know mileage difference is minimal but the heat issue is surely one of concern. RJ and others on smaller motors, do you experience higher temps? The rad fans on mine so far keep it running in range, hoping it won't experience overheating due to pulling dinghy.

[Dave5Cs]

If all is well in your coolant etc it shouldn't be a problem with 8v71. Mine runs cool 160 to 180 fall and winter in the west and Summer maybe 190 pulling bakers grade at 110 degrees. But I have 2 less cylinders too.

[lostagain]

Don F , if you don't have a Webasto manual yet, maybe a Webasto dealer could give you a copy. I got mine from Eskimo Refrigeration in Calgary a few years ago. Is there one on the Webasto web site?

JC

[Iceni John]

LOL !

My fuel mileage goes like this: when the gauge gets close to 1/4, or I've gone 500 to 800 miles, I pull in to a gas station and fill it, give lots of money, and be on my way. Nothing else you can do... If I was so concerned about fuel mileage, I would go on a bicycle holiday instead...

JC

It costs me a dollar to go just over 2 miles in my bus.   When I ride my bicycle, such as when I rode cross-country some years ago, I was eating 5000 or more calories a day to go about 90 miles or more per day on average, so the food cost per mile isn't much less!   Mind you, eating big pizzas and slices of pie is more fun than filling diesel.

John

[windtrader]

@JC - Thanks. I'm pretty sure the documentation is all there. I have folders for all the equipment. It is a couple feet tall including the MCI/TMC service manual.

It just takes time to go through the vendor materials, review the bus design notes, diagrams, and tables, then translate that to the actual switches, knobs, displays, etc.

Hoping to keep the bus where you don't need heating or AC. Last month been sent in the CA Delta, right in the location where the wind machine is. Blows everyday and keeps temp very nice while even a few miles away its AC full on.

Alaska may be one of the places where heat may be needed all year long, so even a summer visit may see the Webasto boiling away.

[Dave5Cs]

Windy did you get the manual for making Tin Foil hats being you have a TMC which were made in Roswell NM.

[windtrader]

Dave, How did you know?
After searching and searching and giving up, just figuring out there is no detail delivery list for TMC MC-8 from Roswell as they all went to Greyhound. Wish I had the Tin foil hat for better reception earlier. LOL