10-12 mpg MC9!

[Jriddle]

Well

I guess milage is important.
I have trouble keeping my bus at 55 to 60 miles per hour and I tend drive around 70 to 75. I get around 6.5 to 7 mph. I not sure whether 10 plus is possible but I am rather sure I would go crazy at 55 MPH.

Just me
John

[kyle4501]

. . .  I am rather sure I would go crazy at 55 MPH.

That is one trip that is not long enough for me to get up to 45 mph!   

[artvonne]

  I'm going with Clifford's and RJ's figures, they appear to have a lot of data and experience to back up their statements. A verified 9 MPG in the mountains tells me it could do much better out in the flats "if" you kept it down to 60.

 

[JackConrad]

I don't see what the big deal is, we get 12 MPG with our MC-8  (8V71/Allison 740).  5.5 in town and 6.5 on the highway, that adds up to 12 MPG  ;-)     Jack

[lostagain]

Guys, you can't be fussing over fuel milage when you drive a bus.

When it gets near empty, you fill it up. Doesn't matter what mpg you got.

If you can't afford it, get a VW van, or go on a bicycle tour.

JC

[Len Silva]

The typical highway coach in commercial service gets about 280 passenger miles per gallon, the average bus conversion gets 14.

[luvrbus]

The Eagle model 10 with a 330hp 6v92 and 740 most of those are 8 to 10 MPG,the MCI is a brick sorry guys

good luck

[artvonne]

Guys, you can't be fussing over fuel milage when you drive a bus.

JC

  Sure I can. In fact mileage was even more important to the fleets that ran these machines.

  For example, this Bounder we been pushing around the last 7 years, we have accumulated over 50K miles. Most of that distance was foot to floor 70-75 mph plus, whatever she would do floored, and I averaged 6.5 - 7 mpg. Not bad. However, the last 10K miles or so I've backed off on the throttle, and found that as long as I keep it under 65 mph, I'm solidly in the 9+ MPG range and have made 10+ MPG if I don't go over 55. And yes, 55 is tough.

  Had I driven 60-65 the entire 50K miles, I would have averaged around 9.5, and burned 5263 gallons of fuel. And at at average cost of $3 gallon, would have spent $15,789 in fuel.

  At 6.5 MPG, which was more often the norm for most of our ownership, over 50K miles we would have consumed 7692 gallons of fuel, at a cost of $23,076, exceeding our purchase price of the Bounder itself. Slowing down could have saved us $7,287. As you can see, a 1 to 2 mile per gallon improvement makes a HUGE difference when your starting from less than 10 MPG.

  So ask yourself, would it have paid for me to drive 5 to 10 MPH slower that whole time? If I figure a good half that mileage we spent $4 gallon, not $3, the savings are closer to $9,000. And thats about what I feel my foot to the floor attitude cost us. Do the math at $6 gallon, which could happen, and the cost differences are even more polarized. Also, at lower speed the rig rides smoother, I dont get so tired, I'm more relaxed, the engine runs cooler, as do the tires and tranny and everything else. So its more than just fuel economy that changes.

  I dont know about anyone else, but thats a lot of money. Thats a trip to Alaska I would like to take. Or an engine out overhaul or some other big upgrade deal. Dont get me wrong, I like winding it up too, and still will if and when I feel like it and have money burning a hole in my pocket or a bad case of getthereitis. But don't gripe or complain if you see me tooling along in the right lane at 65 per either.

  Ultimately, if a Bus conversion can get 10 MPG, and more, its much easier to sell to the naysayers and treehuggers who would like to believe we all out there guzzling it down at some more ridiculous rate. For most people looking at our huge RV dragging a car along, 5 MPG just sounds totally awful ("     Ewwww" response). 7 MPG seems to be much easier for most people to accept ("     thats not bad" response). 10 MPG makes most people speechless ("   " response). More than 10 makes a lot of people call you a liar ("    yeah right" response).

[RoyJ]

For a fleet, things get even more complicated. Similar to airlines, you can't always run at most economical speed, because the additional pay for the crew (due to slower trip) may offset your fuel savings.

Then you have things that you can't put a price on - image; especially if the company tailors to higher end charters. Showing up in a flashy Prevost then driving 55 mph down the interstate to save fuel would look, well, pretty bad.

Even further complicating things, many long trips that falls into the driver's HOS wouldn't be possible if speed dropped from 75 to 55. Having two drivers + accommodations would certainly cancel out any fuel savings.

When I'm in my own bus though, it's slow and steady at 55. Not that my bus can really go much faster 

[Lin]

Another issue is time.  The difference between 55 and 65 mph is almost 20%.  For example, a five day trip cross country at 65 will take 6 days at 55.  That's fine if you have the time.

[Iceni John]

Another issue is time.  The difference between 55 and 65 mph is almost 20%.  For example, a five day trip cross country at 55 will take 6 days at 65.  That's fine if you have the time.

Is this because of time slowing down when one approaches the speed of light?

John

[artvonne]

  When I fire up the RV, its generally a vacation. I don't usually have to be anywhere on any kind of schedule when I'm vacationing. I usually drive faster though the nastier parts, and slower through the prettier parts. And its ironic that the places more likely to get a ticket are more often in the uglier places. Go figure.

[RnMAdventures]

Another issue is time.  The difference between 55 and 65 mph is almost 20%.  For example, a five day trip cross country at 55 will take 6 days at 65.  That's fine if you have the time.

Is this because of time slowing down when one approaches the speed of light?

John

For the folks in the bus it slows down... but for the folks outside the bus it actually speeds up.... at 75 MPH it would take 7 days... etc

But inside the bus it would be like 5.5 days.

[Lin]

To quote a famous politician,"Oops".  However, all evidence has been erased.

[chev49]

I think someone here has a "spaceballs" RV...