Fuel Consumption

cyberyacht
cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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edited November 2017 in Motorhomes #1

I put my first lot of fuel in the MH today( they gave me full tank too start with) after 560 miles since we picked it up. 31.75mpg on the first tankful although, of course, the engine hasn't reached 5000 miles yet so hopefully it will improve a bit when it has properly bedded in. Browsing around the web that seems fairly average. What do you other MHomers get. The reason I ask is that my mate in Spain claims he gets 40mpg out of his low profile 6.8m Elnagh. He's never struck me as a 'driving Miss Daisy type' to get that sort of figure.

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  • Justus2
    Justus2 Forum Participant Posts: 897
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    edited November 2017 #2

    Your figure is on the money I would say. We get, with steady driving, and a max of 65 mph, between 28 and 32 mpg, depending on wind and terrain, but that's just what the van tells me. Can't be bothered to work it out any more accurately, it uses what it uses as far as I am concerned. wink

  • Dave Nicholson
    Dave Nicholson Forum Participant Posts: 408
    edited November 2017 #3

    My experience of the Fiat Ducato 130 engines, based on 3 vehicles from new, is that fuel consumption is predominantly  a function of driving style and speed.

    With the two PVCs we've had the average consumption was 31mpg when cruising speeds were around 70-75mph.

    With our 7.4M Burstner (laden to just under 3.5t) and cruising speeds of around 60-65mph we achieve 30mpg on a regular basis. Wind directions and speeds also affect consumption dramatically on our Burstner. Your friend in Spain must drive down wind in a storm for most of the time or does he live on the top of a big hill?

     

     

     

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited November 2017 #4

    CY,  I  always  keep  a  log  of  my  fuel  purchases / mileage  over  the  ownership  of  my  campers.

    After  almost  4  years  of  owning  the  present  one ( Autocruise Jazz  van  conversion )  based  on  a  130  FIAT  altho  they  were  supposed  to  be  on  the  very  similar  Pug  and  covering  6K  approx  pa ,  my  figures  are  as  follows

    Winter  --  approx  31  mpg

    Not  Winter  ---  approx  35  mpg

    Living  &  driving  in  a  town ( I  do  not  have  a  car),  does  not  do  the  consumption  much  good  but  I'd  expect  no better  than  another  2  mpg  perhaps.

    The  long  Scottish  holidays  I  can  get  close  to  40  mpg  but  noway  could  I be  called  a  boy  racer  sticking  in  lane  one  with  the  lorries  is  much  less  stressful.

    B

  • KeithandMargaret
    KeithandMargaret Forum Participant Posts: 660
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    edited November 2017 #5

    We have a 7 metre low profile Pilote with a 150 Ducato engine, over 20,000 miles on the clock, and we averaged a fraction under 29 mpg on a 2,200 mile trip to France this year.

    We do about 230 miles each way on Motorways to Eurotunnel and back to home in the UK.

    For the rest of the mileage we used the French motorways to get anywhere quickly but mainly the normal roads at 'holiday' speeds.

    Where possible we don't hang about on the Motorways in the UK - you should see my beloved with her foot down on the M25 (yes, it is possible - and thankfully the Police haven't spotted her so far).

    We always adhere to the French speed limits, there are considerably more Police patrols in France, but once abroad we tend to relax more and meander from Aire to Aire – which helps considerably with consumption.

    We are probably fully loaded at around 3500 kg most of the time and this is the first time I've bothered doing a check on the amount of fuel used.

    I think your mate must do a lot of downhill driving with the wind behind him to consistently get over 40 mpg.

    Hope this helps.

     

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2017 #6

    I would think your mate in Spain means kpgwink

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #7

    Mercedes Sprinter base, automatic, under 6m, about 35-6 mpg.

  • dougA
    dougA Forum Participant Posts: 142
    edited November 2017 #8

    Hi CY, only covered 2,600 miles in my Peugeot 130/ Elddis 196 and on all kinds of roads she returns 29-31.6 mpg. As you say it should improve once everything bedded in.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited November 2017 #9

    But CY, did you buy your motorhome for its mpg? I wouldn't have thought so. Motorhome are usually as aerodynamic as an Accrington brick so would think that 32mpg is very good.

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited November 2017 #10

    Can’t do better than about 27 mpg on my AS Broadway, Peugeot 2.2, and its only 6.3m long coachbuilt. This is mostly Autoroute cruising or UK motorway around 65/67mph. Seems reasonable to me and I can’t figure out why everybody else gets more.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,862 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #11

    We have done 1730 miles up until the last refuel and my average for the year is 25.53 mpg so far. That is a 130hp Peugeot Boxer. Mine is 7.5 metres long and wider than average. Must admit I don't pay much attention to driving economically, I just drive! Interestingly when driving in Europe we seem to get slightly better economy but nowhere near as impressive as some of the figures mentioned here. I take some comfort from the fact that my motorhome is more economical than than my two previous 4X4 towcars!!!

    David  

  • briantimber
    briantimber Forum Participant Posts: 1,653
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    edited November 2017 #12

    Peugeot Boxer based Autoquest  5.75m long with luton.

    On a tour of Yorkshire with four adults and a dog, fully booted and suited including water and tyres at a comfortable riding pressure, up hill and down dale, returned a healthy 29.6mpg on a round trip of 650 miles...cool

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #13

    I think so as well, weight also has a lot to do with it as well. My last motorhome a 3.8 ton 7.5 meter Hi-line Autotrail Mohican on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis used to average about 24 m.p.g. I'm lucky if I get 20 m.p.g. out of my 6.5 ton 8 meter RS on an Iveco chassis with a 3 litre Fiat engine. Typical average is 19.6m.p.g. but on mountainous roads it can easily drop below this. Even these figures are better than I used to get out of one of my tow cars.

    peedee

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited November 2017 #14

    ive had trips in my earlier Boleros where i 'got 32+' mpg...but other, less ecoonomical journeys would always bring the long term average back down....to around 28 ish...

    the latest two 150bhp vans have been around 26-28, again depending on speed on autoroute etc...

     slow, quiet trips (not too many roundabouts) might see this van back towards 29+ but that would be rare...27 is a fair reflection of the 6500 miles this year...

    anyone getting over 30 long term average is doing pretty well...

    32 is really good (small light van, slower speeds?)

    36 is pretty darn good and i wouldnt want to be behind you.....wink

  • Milothedog
    Milothedog Forum Participant Posts: 1,433
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    edited November 2017 #15

    Are these figures being worked out on Fuel put in and Miles traveled or what the dashboard is telling you.?

    If you base it on the vehicles on board computer then I wouldn't believe to be factual.

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #16

    I have used both methods and generally found both to be pretty much with 1 m.p.g. of each other.

    peedee

  • Aspenshaw
    Aspenshaw Forum Participant Posts: 611
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    edited November 2017 #17

    I've had five motorhomes in 18 years and each gave me just over 27mpg.

    My current one [Aclass dynamics of a brick] has averaged 29mph over 27,000 miles in 4 years. Whether it is the Comfortmatic or the 130 engine or my more relaxed style of driving now I'm retired I don't know. It may be simply because more of our trips avoid the Pennines and the motorways. On a run south through Cheshire and Shropshire I will get into the 30s and over 30mpg was regular when we toured the Continent. Our dash reading is, like peedee finds, about 1mpg out - the Fiat figure is consistently lower - measured over a thousand miles or so at a time.

    I wonder whether CY's figures will get marginally worse as he gets used to the van. I'd be pleased with his current figure. 

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited November 2017 #18

    I measured actual fuel used against mileage for the first couple of thousand miles and found the computer to be comparable.  As the computer is taking an average over a long period I would expect it to be accurate.  Don't bother now; nothing is going to change the consumption by much unless I slow down significantly and as we all know (because the government has told us) going too slow on the motorway is DANGEROUS!

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited November 2017 #19

    My  figures  ( as  above )  are  calculated  from  TOTAL  FUEL  & TOTAL  MILES  COVERED  over  the  time  I  have  owned  the  'van

    All  these  are  logged  in  my  "Little  Blue  Notebook"  when  filling  up.

    The  one  point  made  by  some  is  the  speed / acceleration    --  I  don't  reach  the  speed  limit  on  M-ways,  I  treat  the  trips  out  as  a  part  of  the  leisure  experience  and  so  keep  to  the    lorry  limits  normally.

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited November 2017 #20

    Over 5 years of motorhome touring all over the UK and France we generally averaged between 28 to 30 mpg. 

    I was happy with that. 

    K

  • Apperley
    Apperley Forum Participant Posts: 254
    edited November 2017 #21

    I'm getting 28.2 mpg from my 2.0 litre 2017 Bailey Autograph II, while towing a Toyota Aygo on an A Frame, (sorry for using the 'A' word). I'm pleased with that, I drive normally not frugally, but stick to speed limits. Hoping to get more mpg once the engine is bedded in, that's if diesels aren't banned by then.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited November 2017 #22

    Looks like in pretty much 'on the money' for fuel consumption then. Miker be able to miser an extra 1-2 mpg as the engine matures, unless as has been suggested I develop a penchant for flooring it a bit more. wink

  • peegeenine
    peegeenine Forum Participant Posts: 548
    edited November 2017 #23

     Lincoln to Colchester via A46, A1, A14, A12, about 160 miles, 27.9 mpg towing a Fiat 500 on an A-frame. Best part of 4500kg all up weight, Euro 5 plus 130 bhp Ducato 7.1 metres low profile with cruise control set to 2000rpm.

  • Grant705
    Grant705 Forum Participant Posts: 164
    edited November 2017 #24

    Can you set cruise control to RPM instead of MPH?

  • peegeenine
    peegeenine Forum Participant Posts: 548
    edited November 2017 #25

    Yes, just depends on what instrument you are looking at when you press the set button.wink

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited November 2017 #26

    We average 36mph on ordinary trips. M/Way to Scotland exceeds 40mph.Using speed warning and cruising in inside lane at about 55mph.Verified manually and from the excellent Peugeot trip thing on the  stalk.

  • Mr OrangeTree
    Mr OrangeTree Forum Participant Posts: 32
    edited November 2017 #27

    Just like so many above, our average economy is in the very early 30's.

    Pretty consistently, too.  I would doubt whether the laws of physics would permit much improvement on that figure, either. 

  • Paolo Imberino
    Paolo Imberino Forum Participant Posts: 86
    edited November 2017 #28

    Ours is a Fiat 150bhp auto with swift 714 7.77m low profile,  GVW 4.24t March 2017. 3200 miles. 29mpg. After running in completely I envisage 31mpg ish. 

    This could improove if the champagne & gin bottles were removed. wink

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited November 2017 #29

    As I suspected, the big differences in fuel consumptions are due to driving style and speed. 55 mph cruising against 65 to 67 would apparently account for around 5 mpg.