Whose getting 10+ mpg and what engine is it?

[kotflb]

[quote="lornaschinske"]After finding my notes from our trip out west, we traveled 1700+ miles and bought 70 gallons of diesel.


I think you may have forgot about a few fuel stops you made. By your figures, you got over 24 mpg on that trip. If you did get that kinda fuel mileage, I wanna know what brand fuel your using so I can start fueling there myself. Also, what engine, transmission, and rear end ratio your running.

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by kotflb

I kept a log of our fuel and mileage on the way out to NM... just like I do for all our trips. I did not forget any of the stops. Kinda hard when you have someone laughing at you because you have to fuel up daily (I refueled every morning... twice the day I got hung up getting out of a parking lot and did 85mph in the Class C to catch up with David & Stacey... back end of that carborator opened up and flat sucked the gas). The odometer readings are from the Class C. The fuel amounts are from the bus. Since the fuel gauge on the bus didn't work, we weren't sure of what other gauges (like the odometer) might be off so we held to the Class C's which we knew were accurate. The bus' odometer was accurate compared to the Class C. The trip out west proved that.

Odometer beginning: 89729
Odometer Ending: 91447
Total miles : 1718 miles traveled
Date: Fuel (gallons): Price per gallon: Location:
7/2/2009 10 gal (2 5 gallon jugs and they were 5 gallons exactly... this is from picking up the bus. We drove it home from Bryson City and it sat in the driveway while we stripped out seat and loaded our stuff.)
7/7/2009 32.845 $2.359 Exxon @ Rabun Gap, GA
7/9/2009 34.095 $2.339 Shell @ Meridian, MS

Total fuel 76.94 gallons Diesel.
David quit refueling because we did not know how old the fuel in the tank was when we bought it (it was pretty much full and the bus had been sitting in a field for several months when we bought it). He wanted to use up the "old" diesel and when it got close to empty, refuel.

Our last night on the road was spent in the Sam's Club parking lot in Roswell, NM. David pulled into the Sam's Club gas station to fill up the bus since we were going to be crossing a desert and we were figuring there would be no fuel for the last leg of our run to Socorro (we were wrong but the day before I had to back track 35 miles to Tatum on the way to Roswell to refuel the Class C... which makes the recorded mileage a little high). That particular Sam's Club has a diesel pump and you can get a 40 ft bus into it... and out...pulling a jeep. David put $5 of diesel in the bus. It wouldn't take any more. I did not count that $5 worth of fuel since I counted the initial 10 gallons that we put into the bus when we drove it from Bryson City down Needmore (winding gravel back road) to Franklin when we picked up the bus. But even if you add in the 2 gallons of fuel from Sam's, and rounding off, it's still under 100 gallons diesel and we traveled right at 1700 miles. Stacey & I got tired of David laughing at us because we kept having to refuel and he didn't.

5.2L Turbo Cummins Diesel. I'm not sure what the rear end is. I think it is 5:33 but I will look today and edit post this evening if it is different.

When we left NC, the bus odometer read 90707.6... The motor is original and has not been rebuilt (or so we were told).

Just an FYI...
About Sam's Clubs and diesel... many do not have diesel... about half of all the Sam's that we have been at have a diesel pump but are geared to a car using them not really a big rig. So even if a Sam's does have diesel, there's no telling if you can get in/out of the station. The Sam's in Johnson City, TN is the best set up for big rigs I have seen, they also have semi's refueling there. We do not have a Sam's membership for fuel discount. So don't get a membership because of that. We don't buy enough fuel to warrant the $35/yr (business) membership fee. But we do park in their parking lots (even when you can't park at the WalMart next door), buy most of our food from them (and now we buy for our food vending business) and get in early for that free coffee and sweet breads they have out for their business members. You do not need to PROVE that you have a business to get a business membership. We just put it in our business name. Stacey has her membership under the name she does her artwork under (Psychotic Kumquat Ink). Personal membership is $40 or $45. Business membership is $35. Business is slightly cheaper and you get to get in the store before normal operating hours. Comes in handy for us.

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by kotflb

1700/70=24+mpg

[quote:qvm8ijai]But even if you add in the 2 gallons of fuel from Sam's, and rounding off, it's still under 100 gallons diesel and we traveled right at 1700 miles.

[/quote:qvm8ijai]

That equals 17mpg. Sorry but there is no way you got 17mpg with a 40' bus pulling a Jeep, unless it was downhill both ways.

[Stuff]

not saying yes or no, but i remember from jeep forums that those little trailers the army pulls behind is a big thing for the jeep enthusiasts. Its been said there that pulling that little trailer behind the jeep on the highway gets them considerably better fuel mileage. Just wondering IF that might be the situation there where that jeep is acting as an aerodynamic aid to the bus.

[somewhereinusa]

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

We had about the same amount of diesel when we got the bus out here than when we left NC (fuel gauge didn't work so we had to dip the tank so we don't have a accurate fuel level).

I suspect that this is where the inaccuracy lies. With a long fuel tank and the filler at one end, which I suspect you have, even !/4 inch difference in level between the two checks could be quite a bit of fuel. If you can't "dip" the tank with your stick straight up and down this will also make accuracy difficult. The only way to get any accuracy at all is to go fill-up to fill-up and then it's better if you do a few tanks. I can see the fuel in my tanks when I fill up every other day and check mileage every time, and I still get an odd reading every once in a while. Like 6.5 to 6.8 every day then a 4 or 8, where did that come from? Since you were going west I doubt if you had a tail wind, but maybe. I did get 13.5 once coming east out of Denver, but I had a great tail wind. If I'm headed into the wind (seems like most of the time) I'll get as low as 4.

Another thing that affects fuel mileage is hot fuel, but I've never seen it to our advantage.http://www.turndownhotfuel.com/myths.html

[lornaschinske]

Temps probably played a part in it but we do know how to "dip" a tank and we dipped the same way in "level" parking lots...our fuel filler is in the middle of our tank (to me, the tank is short and fat). It's not going to make any difference anyway. Doesn't matter if we get great mileage or not.I don't know why some folks are getting their shorts in a knot over it. I just keep track of mileage. It lets me know if I am suddenly getting bad mileage...meaning I either got bad, old fuel or there may be a problem with the engine. I know what we bought in fuel. I know how many miles we traveled. We just pulled the fuel float out of the diesel tank. We know what the level is in it (it's been sitting since we parked it out here). I'm pretty sure the fuel isn't "expanded" due to heat... there's 4" of snow on the ground right now.

Temps coming out west in the Class C was running 90*F to over 115*F at floor level (I have a dual indoor/outdoor thermometer to keep an eye on the temps in the freezer). Birmingham was where it started getting hot. The holding tanks were cooking. Stacey & I took showers in the RV using the HOT water in the fresh holding tank. And we LIKE a hot shower. It was so wonderful that we could take a cool shower to bring our body temps down in Hobbs. An awful lot of the skoolie converters do not realize how hot it can get out on the interstates in the summer. Our fresh tank has 3/4" insulation (blue foam). The grey/black tanks (18 gal each) have none.... I don't want to think about what they were doing, except they were sure lasting a long time between dumps considering we were taking showers. Insulate those tanks guys, even if you aren't going to be in cold weather!

[grampsbutler]

I get 9.4mpg on the flat with a 84 Bluebird All American with an 8.2 Detroit and an MT 462. In the hills I get about 8.5, but never worse than that. It doesn't seem to matter how I drive, I always get about the same mileage. I have changed all the filters (air, oil, fuel and trans) and fluids, bought new tires, nothing seems to improve gas mileage. I have clocked about 20,000 over the past 2 years.

My latest project is to install an overdrive. I bought a Spicer 7231D Under/Overdrive which I plan to insert into the drive line. That should take down my RPMs by about 20% which may help. Anyone else have any other ideas?

Graham

http://www.intrepidequipment.com - Handcycle and recumbent specialists

[lapeer20m]

I've owned several buses, and driven many trips from michigan to nevada and back. I've traveled over 60K miles in old buses. I've never owned a full sized skoolie that got 10 mpg. When i traveled to texas and back with Philbus and his bb tc2k with 5.9 cummins, and what i assume is an mt643 he got 50% better fuel economy than i did in my International dt366 with allison at545.

It made me angry every time we stopped for fuel! I was getting around 8 mpg, and he was getting 12. Speed was right around 60 mph. I would get significantly worse mpg at 63 mph which was my top speed.

I would put in 30 gallons, and he would only put in 20. That is a significant savings over the lifetime of the vehicle.

[Jarlaxle]

That's because you had the AT545...that's a big reason I didn';t consider a bus with one of those!

Just under 11MPG from my Genesis on my recent road trip. It also turned 311,000 miles on the way back!

[gbstewart]

8700 km trip, low 10.1 mpg, high 10.8 ran 92-93 kms an hour
full size blue bird 444 and I think 545 tranny
gbstewart

ps. I m real happy with that mileage, alot of class C only get 6-8 mpg

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by gbstewart

... ps. I m real happy with that mileage, alot of class C only get 6-8 mpg

Like mine and it's half the size of the bus!!!!

[newtoskool]

so from rabun gap to meridian you used somewhere around 30 gallons of fuel... 400m/30g=13.5mpg still good
then Meridian to socorro and still only used approximaetly 35 gallons of fuel?.. 1149m/35g=32.8 mpg WOW was the class c pulling you for part of that way?

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

I kept a log of our fuel and mileage on the way out to NM... just like I do for all our trips. I did not forget any of the stops. Kinda hard when you have someone laughing at you because you have to fuel up daily (I refueled every morning... twice the day I got hung up getting out of a parking lot and did 85mph in the Class C to catch up with David & Stacey... back end of that carborator opened up and flat sucked the gas). The odometer readings are from the Class C. The fuel amounts are from the bus. Since the fuel gauge on the bus didn't work, we weren't sure of what other gauges (like the odometer) might be off so we held to the Class C's which we knew were accurate. The bus' odometer was accurate compared to the Class C. The trip out west proved that.

Odometer beginning: 89729
Odometer Ending: 91447
Total miles : 1718 miles traveled
Date: Fuel (gallons): Price per gallon: Location:
7/2/2009 10 gal (2 5 gallon jugs and they were 5 gallons exactly... this is from picking up the bus. We drove it home from Bryson City and it sat in the driveway while we stripped out seat and loaded our stuff.)
7/7/2009 32.845 $2.359 Exxon @ Rabun Gap, GA
7/9/2009 34.095 $2.339 Shell @ Meridian, MS

Total fuel 76.94 gallons Diesel.
David quit refueling because we did not know how old the fuel in the tank was when we bought it (it was pretty much full and the bus had been sitting in a field for several months when we bought it). He wanted to use up the "old" diesel and when it got close to empty, refuel.

Our last night on the road was spent in the Sam's Club parking lot in Roswell, NM. David pulled into the Sam's Club gas station to fill up the bus since we were going to be crossing a desert and we were figuring there would be no fuel for the last leg of our run to Socorro (we were wrong but the day before I had to back track 35 miles to Tatum on the way to Roswell to refuel the Class C... which makes the recorded mileage a little high). That particular Sam's Club has a diesel pump and you can get a 40 ft bus into it... and out...pulling a jeep. David put $5 of diesel in the bus. It wouldn't take any more. I did not count that $5 worth of fuel since I counted the initial 10 gallons that we put into the bus when we drove it from Bryson City down Needmore (winding gravel back road) to Franklin when we picked up the bus. But even if you add in the 2 gallons of fuel from Sam's, and rounding off, it's still under 100 gallons diesel and we traveled right at 1700 miles. Stacey & I got tired of David laughing at us because we kept having to refuel and he didn't.

5.2L Turbo Cummins Diesel. I'm not sure what the rear end is. I think it is 5:33 but I will look today and edit post this evening if it is different.

When we left NC, the bus odometer read 90707.6... The motor is original and has not been rebuilt (or so we were told).

Just an FYI...
About Sam's Clubs and diesel... many do not have diesel... about half of all the Sam's that we have been at have a diesel pump but are geared to a car using them not really a big rig. So even if a Sam's does have diesel, there's no telling if you can get in/out of the station. The Sam's in Johnson City, TN is the best set up for big rigs I have seen, they also have semi's refueling there. We do not have a Sam's membership for fuel discount. So don't get a membership because of that. We don't buy enough fuel to warrant the $35/yr (business) membership fee. But we do park in their parking lots (even when you can't park at the WalMart next door), buy most of our food from them (and now we buy for our food vending business) and get in early for that free coffee and sweet breads they have out for their business members. You do not need to PROVE that you have a business to get a business membership. We just put it in our business name. Stacey has her membership under the name she does her artwork under (Psychotic Kumquat Ink). Personal membership is $40 or $45. Business membership is $35. Business is slightly cheaper and you get to get in the store before normal operating hours. Comes in handy for us.

[fishphart]

Originally Posted by nearhomeless

Narrowing things down in my bus search. I know there is a best engine thread I started, and also a mileage thread but the mileage thread doesn't say what engine you had so..

I'm hearing people with Cummins 5.9 and Cummins 8.3 report 10mpg or above so far. Is there anyone getting lower mileage with those engines? Is anyone with other engines getting 10mpg or better? Please post, I want to see how common these observations are, and under what conditions. (speed, hills, loads) I kept telling myself "well I dont plan to drive it much at all" but if I plan to put 10,000 miles on it over the next few years, that alone would pay for a $2000-4000 difference in fuel or even a whole 'nother backup bus.

So this is JUST for people getting 10mpg reliably at highway speeds (55mph counts), what is your engine?

I'm a commercial driver (Owner/operator) of a 1999 Freightliner. My first engine, a Cummins ISC is just now being retired after 700K miles. I expect to get even more from my new Cummins ISL.

Due to my going back to work full time, I have a skoolie for sale. ***** espiritusengineering@yahoo.com for complete details.*****

The major increase in mileage with these vehicles has been in streamlining and weight reduction, as well as decreasing internal friction with the use of synthetic lubricants and KEEPING these lubricants CLEAN.

Horsepower is horsepower and NO manufacturer (despite advertising nonsense) has the magic formula for getting more btu's from a gallon of fuel than anyone else.

Again, No one really gets more "go" from a gallon of fuel than anyone else.
Many who claim otherwise are self DELUDED to make themselves feel good.

That being said, the older 4.53, 6.53, 6.71 and 8.71 (two cycle/ two stroke) Detroits really gobbled the fuel but you'll never see one of these in a skoolie. These supercharged, two stroke engines had a "power stroke" everytime the piston came up. Just like a really big dirt bike. These engines are dinosaurs and are seldom seen in modern vehicles.

Decreasing a vehicle's weight and decreasing WINDAGE is another way of increasing mileage.
To "keep up" with the cars on hills, requires the average Big Rig to have a 600hp (3406 cat, Detroit series 60 or Cummins ISX) 2500 pound engine and 600 pound ten or thirteen speed Eaton tranny.
To whit: SPEED is MONEY and it costs, no matter who you are or what you're driving unless you're on a test track somewhere.

Decreasing an engine's INTERNAL friction by using synthetic oils is another way of increasing mileage.
One of the above mention engines costs $500.00 to fill'er up with Royal Purple or Mobil One synthetic PLUS filter(s)
Thats why "super filters" like Puradyn and centrifuges like MY skoolies spinner II are so popular.
The oil is cleaned, NOT thrown away every so often.

The engine's cooling FAN can cause "parasitic" losses up to (50) FIFTY horsepower just to cool the engine at
lower speeds. Waterless synthetic oolants like Evans Coolant can allow the raising of the fan's thermal clutch cut-in
temperature to keep the fan off longer and so save money...fuel.

There's not much can be done with a bus/ skoolie except KEEP YOUR SPEED DOWN.

Pushing that Big, Blunt windshield down the highway at 65-70 mph is gonna cost you, whether you're drivng a bus or a Kenworth. The newer rigs are much more streamlined than the older rigs were, with big radiators and lots of chrome.
The Classic Pete's and Kenworths sure looked pretty, but at a cost.
Diesel fuel in the 60's was 20 cents a gallon so who cared about fuel milage???

Keeping the speed down 55-60 is good medicine for both buses and Big Rigs.

******** Unfortunately, the newer and more streamlined buses also come with Electronically injected (work of the devil) engines, that can be a nightmare to work on and fantastically expensive to buy parts for. Stay away from these*********

Get an older bus with a MECHANICALLY injected engine for durability and longevity. You cant hardly kill one of these older engines.
A small amount of water in a sh_tty factory fuel filter can cause the ruination of thousands of dollar worth of electronic injectors as the micrscopic bits of water FLASH into steam upon ignition and erode the injector tips.

Pri-D is GREAT for keeping the exhaust smoke to a minimum. Its the only thing that reliably works.

I can get parts for my 1987 International 6.9l engine for "peanuts" compared to the electronically injected models and do ALL the work on it myself and save BIG bux I can tell you.

A complete set of ( eight NEW, not rebuilt, MECHANICAL injectors can be had (Stanadyne or Delphi) for less cost than just ONE rebuilt electronic injector.

Injectors for my Freightliner's ISL Cummins are $600.00 EACH (exchange) .
They cost even more without a USABLE core for exchange.

After buying an OEM mechanix guide for this 6.9L engine, all is easily fixable with simple Sears Hardware tools and a little patience.
Unless you have a laptop computer and an OEM factory program to "talk" with the engine's ECM, and a bundle of money
to spend for parts, stick with the older skoolies and have some fun. Thats what skoolies are about.
Let the civics and the rest of the worlfd "blow" on by on the hills. They aint really going anywhere.
Cheers, Bob

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by newtoskool

so from rabun gap to meridian you used somewhere around 30 gallons of fuel... 400m/30g=13.5mpg still good
then Meridian to socorro and still only used approximately 35 gallons of fuel?.. 1149m/35g=32.8 mpg WOW was the class c pulling you for part of that way?

I'm pretty sure we did not fill up the tank in Rabun Gap. Mostly because it foamed big time (and all over the ground). But I'm not arguing on fuel usage. It matters not. We will not replace our engine or the rear end. If it can get as good or better than the Class C, then great. I really don't know why you guy get all warped over MPGs and the rear end ratio. If it's that important to you, then buy a brand new bus spec'd out to your "needs". For us, our bus is a fulltime home. If I wanted speed, I would have a fast car and no driver's license. If I wanted fuel efficiency, I would have a tent and an electric car.

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by fishphart

... Due to my going back to work full time, I have a skoolie for sale. ***** espiritusengineering@yahoo.com for complete details.*****.

For heavens sake. Put it in the for sale section and shut up about it on EVERY FREAKIN' POST! I'm tired of seeing it and you just got listed as a Foe.

[wtd]

fishphart wrote:... Due to my going back to work full time, I have a skoolie for sale. ***** espiritusengineering@yahoo.com for complete details.*****.

For heavens sake. Put it in the for sale section and shut up about it on EVERY FREAKIN' POST! I'm tired of seeing it and you just got listed as a Foe

Ditto

[newtoskool]

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

For heavens sake. Put it in the for sale section and shut up about it on EVERY FREAKIN' POST! I'm tired of seeing it and you just got listed as a Foe.

at least his posts conatin useful accurate knowledge, unlike your posts that just belittle most posters and give information you "think" happened.

[lornaschinske]

Newtoskool... I know what my mileage was. The 8.2TA Detroit Diesel Fuel Pincher turbo diesel engine (215hp) in our bus is very good on mpgs. I know we didn't put in over a100 gallons in 1700+ miles. I really don't give a flip about what you think. So what kind of engine is in YOUR bus and how is YOUR mpgs?

If my posts bother you, then click on my name and add me to your "Foe" list. that way you won't see any of my posts. Life is too short to stress out over an irritating poster. all you will see is a line that reads similar to this

This post was made by newtoskool who is currently on your ignore list. Display this post.

If you decide you want to read the post anyway, then you would click on

Display this post.

[fishphart]

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

For heavens sake. Put it in the for sale section and shut up about it on EVERY FREAKIN' POST! I'm tired of seeing it and you just got listed as a Foe.

Sorry about that Missy.
I didnt mean for you to get your little pink panties in a bunch.
You're not my ex-wife are you?????

I fix'em, rebuild'em, mostly drive'm. I've never sold a vehicle before and dont really know how to go about it.
This is the first vehicle I've ever tried to sell. I've got 700K on a Freightliner, 300+K on a 96' Nissan pickup.
I simply dont have time for it anymore.

Suggestions are always appreciated.
I dont always follow them or I'd be Burning in H_LL already. My ex-wife's suggestion, she dont really mean it

I've got a really nice, mechanically tricked-out skoolie for sale. espiritusengineering@yahoo.com Darn, I did it again! ! ! !

I'll have pics soon as soon as I find out (from some techie-type) how to post them here.

Just bought a really nice Nikon camera but they dont take koda-chrome any more....Paul Simon anyone????

Seldom get near a computer I'm out and gone so much.

I got in a while ago and drank a bucket of coffee and stayed up half the night posting all this stuff.

I'd like to think that some of it is helpful and dont want to appear simply opinionated.

At about 5K miles /week, (some of it actually legal), Owner/Operators quickly find out what works and what dont.

I've made every mistake there is and hope someone can learn from it and not have to re-invent the wheel....
Gets expensive that way.

Hey, Missy, lets you an me get together....I'll "smooth them out" for you

[newtoskool]

its easy man just goto the classified section :create a thred: describe it post pictures and post the add



Lorna agian just like I said useless information