| Author | Message | ||
| Syd (Sy600)
Registered Member Username: Sy600 Post Number: 11 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 64.59.144.24  Rating: N/A |
Hey Fellas, Awhile back I had inquired about what kind of mileage I could expect with my 8V92 in a 88 Prevost XL. Most of you remarked that I could expect between 5 - 5.5 mpg. Naturally, I was in disbelief and figured that 8 - 9 might be more accurate as, afterall, it was a 'diesel' (how naive). Well, we recently completed a journey from Vancouver, BC to Boise, ID. I am sad to say that 70 mph brought me to exactly 5.0 mpg and 60 mpg wasn't really better at 5.6 mpg. This was a shock to my nervous system as I repunched in the numbers into my calculator again and again, hoping, no praying, that I has erred with the input. $1,414.00 for a round trip that's a day's drive away? Cripes... 5 mpg?? C'mon. No amount of tender-footed driving, changing to smaller injectors or any sort of 'miracle' fuel system is really going to beat this figure. I thought my 6.0 litre Suburban was awful at 11 mpg. Do M-1 Abrams tanks get better mileage than this or are our buses the worst vehicle out there for mpg results? Stung and reeling, Syd | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Registered Member Username: Rjlong Post Number: 1397 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 67.181.166.160  Rating: N/A |
Syd - With the aerodynamics of a brick. . . well, you found out. Might try putting the bus on a diet - see how much weight you can discard, that will help some. Of course, you weren't exactly running on the flatlands the whole trip, since you did have to traverse Rocky Top some, both ways. That's a factor, too. Next time, 60 mph downhill with a tailwind the whole way will probably yield 6.5 or so! Fun hobby, eh? FWIW & HTH. . .  | ||
| Jim Wilke (Jim Bob) (Pd41044039)
Registered Member Username: Pd41044039 Post Number: 286 Registered: 2-2001 Posted From: 69.77.156.190 Rating: N/A |
Ah, now you see why some of us crusty old timers like the 4104 with it's underpowered 6-71 which if geared right can break 10MPG! It's also lower & WAY roundier than that admittedly pretty Prevost. If you can get your bus up to 6-6.5 you will be right there with all of the 454 Chevy powered gas motor homes! | ||
| Randy Davidson (Rdavidson)
Registered Member Username: Rdavidson Post Number: 11 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 69.19.14.38 Rating: N/A |
I just returned from our first long trip running from Houston to Denver and back. I got 6.5 MPG average running a 12kva Onan most all the time from the same diesel tank. I was quite pleased. I must admit that if I found myself going 65 I quickly slowed it down. The H3-40 with a 8V92TA wants to run at 65-70. It just felt good there but I know MPG goes way down at that speed. FYI. | ||
| Jack Campbell (Blue_goose)
Registered Member Username: Blue_goose Post Number: 92 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 71.100.201.35  Rating: N/A |
I thought my 6.0 litre Suburban was awful at 11 mpg. If you compair the two, the bus is doing lots better than the Suburban. You are moveing a house down the road. Don't have to go to resterants for meals. No Motels at lots of money each night. I have gotten to the point that the bus stays home if I am going on a 2 or 3 day trip. When you save money with it is on the 30 day trips. We lived in our bus for 5 years and the fuel cost was very low. Out to the west in the winter and back east in the summer. This way you are doing more liveing in the bus reather than rideing. Jack | ||
| Jim Wilke (Jim Bob) (Pd41044039)
Registered Member Username: Pd41044039 Post Number: 287 Registered: 2-2001 Posted From: 69.77.156.190 Rating: N/A |
Jack, we also found that if the trip was less than 3 days you are better off taking your car & "moteling" it. An exception is if you travel with pets. We have 5 dogs & the pet friendly motels want a $10 deposit per dog! $50 per dog if you sneak & they catch you! So for 50 bucks per night (plus the $50 dog fee) we can buy 200 miles worth of diesel. | ||
| Tom Hamrick (Tomhamrick)
Registered Member Username: Tomhamrick Post Number: 76 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 167.83.101.23 Rating: N/A |
Just returned from the Outer Banks and drove 900 miles. First fill up was 8.3 MPG and the second was 7.8 MPG. This is in a 1984 Eagle Suburban (single rear axle) with a 6V92TA and towing a Honda Pilot SUV. I was pleased. Tom Hamrick | ||
| John Lacey (Junkman42)
Registered Member Username: Junkman42 Post Number: 48 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 69.19.14.25  Rating: N/A |
I reason that while the price of fuel is more that I can afford, I can take My dogs with Me saving kennel cost, And I also reason that there was no one with aids,tb,or ebola using My pillow last night. I get 6 mpg with an 8v71 ht70 allison and probably 20 tons or so. I get 6 using the orignal bus air and 7 give or take when on flat ground and no air on. Rambling again,sorry. John | ||
| Len Silva (Lsilva)
Registered Member Username: Lsilva Post Number: 157 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 71.99.25.49 Rating: N/A |
I think you will find that Eagles are generally more fuel efficient than another similar sized and loaded bus. A friend who was an Eagle engineer back in the day told me that they did wind tunnel tests and that the Eagle narrows about an inch on each side for the rear ten feet or so as a result of those tests. I'm not sure what models that applies to. Len | ||
| Arthur J Griffith (Arthurseagle)
Registered Member Username: Arthurseagle Post Number: 54 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 72.236.102.182 Rating: N/A |
LEN- The Eagle Mo 15 Is tapered back and front. ARTHUR | ||
| John Zabrocki (John_z)
Registered Member Username: John_z Post Number: 69 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 99.200.61.138 Rating: |
I just returned from a trip to the flat Red River Valley in NW Minnesota. I left with the idea to take it slow and easy with my old 4104, to see how good of mileage i could get. I wanted to see how plausible it will be to go to TX again for the winter. I drove between 50 and 63, with 85% of the miles at 59 and 60. Speeds were watched with a GPS. I am happy to report my old bus got 11.06 for the first 515 miles. Both fills were to the top of the neck. So slowing down does make a difference with my bus. Life time average for "Tubby", accounting for every 100th of a gallon ever put in is 8.4 and rising, cause i am slowing down! BTW, yesterday at noon i fueled an hour west of Bemidji and paid 4.299! Looks like TX in Feb,,, youall save me some shrimp and barbque!!! |
