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Old 09-21-2016, 01:40 AM   #1
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Mileage

OK we just got back from our first big trip 2779 miles round trip from Fort Hood Texas to, New Mexico, Colorado, Ogden Utah, then over thru Wyoming, Oklahoma back down Texas to Ft Hood. We were not towing anything and only ran the generator a few times for about 2 hours total. We averaged 9.8 miles per gallon. Tried driving 75MPH when ever possible. I really think this is good considering our over all size and weight.

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Old 09-21-2016, 10:57 AM   #2
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Wow, that is really good especially considering your speed. We typically get between 7.5-8. I've been pretty happy with that. Our previous 33' coach was always around 8mpg. It didn't seem to make much difference about conditions. Uphill, downhill, head wind, tail wind, cross wind, rain or shine, always about the same. Hope it continues for you.
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Old 09-21-2016, 12:40 PM   #3
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We will be heading south in about 10 days (1350 miles). First run in this new-to-us coach. I would have been thrilled with 7 or 8mpg.


When not towing does anyone still use "tow haul" mode on Challenger? Just wondering because you are still "hauling" the entire coach and contents on a chassis, or is Ford taking that into account so you should only use it when actually towing something?
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Old 09-22-2016, 02:29 AM   #4
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We will be heading south in about 10 days (1350 miles). First run in this new-to-us coach. I would have been thrilled with 7 or 8mpg.


When not towing does anyone still use "tow haul" mode on Challenger? Just wondering because you are still "hauling" the entire coach and contents on a chassis, or is Ford taking that into account so you should only use it when actually towing something?
Hmmmm..... never put any thought into it. Doesn't tow haul mode just stop you from going into the highest gear? Or stop you from going up and down a gear constantly?
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Old 09-22-2016, 03:07 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by mustang94@hot.rr.com
Doesn't tow haul mode just stop you from going into the highest gear? Or stop you from going up and down a gear constantly?
Tow-haul mode changes the shift points so that it holds lower gears longer to give you extra power at speed.

In addition, tow-haul also allows you to use the engine to brake going downhill (tap the brake and it will downshift).

Occasionally I'll use it when driving in hilly terrain to take advantage of the tap-downshift behavior (I've noticed, though, that most of Ford's transmissions will now do this: My wife's Escape did it going downhill!).

Typically, though, I don't use it much--even when pulling a toad. Granted our Axis is a bit lighter than the F-53 based RVs, but F-53 does have a taller rear end to make up for that.
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Old 09-22-2016, 01:45 PM   #6
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About the only time I use it is when going down a steep hill in mountainous country to save on the brakes. Quite handy for this but never use it in normal driving.
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Old 09-22-2016, 04:12 PM   #7
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When not towing does anyone still use "tow haul" mode on Challenger? Just wondering because you are still "hauling" the entire coach and contents on a chassis, or is Ford taking that into account so you should only use it when actually towing something?
I have the 6 speed trans in my 2011 F250 and in my 2016 E450 c class and the tow haul mode is excellent for aiding in stopping with a trailer. In the mountains I absolutely would use it.

I was in my 2013 F150 and it also did well with the mode. One time I was driving on a hot day towing my 7,000lb boat at 70mph on flat ground. Noticed my Trans gage was getting really hot. I forgot to turn on the tow haul mode. Clicked it on and temp dropped down in the next few minutes.

On flat ground I don't think it will matter much but when you are really beating it up in hills and mountains it will not only help your trans stay cool but it makes a very big difference in braking.

Seeing that gage shoot up made me a believer. Now on my 250 same boat and speed on flat ground gage doesn't move wether tow is on or not but it also has 4.30 gears vs my F150 which was 3.30. My C classs I think is like 4.60..


I cant say what I get without a trailer but my 26' class C towing my 7k boat gets 6.5mpg at 70mph and 6.9 at 65mph.
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Old 09-22-2016, 05:35 PM   #8
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I have the 6 speed trans in my 2011 F250 and in my 2016 E450 c class and the tow haul mode is excellent for aiding in stopping with a trailer. In the mountains I absolutely would use it.

I was in my 2013 F150 and it also did well with the mode. One time I was driving on a hot day towing my 7,000lb boat at 70mph on flat ground. Noticed my Trans gage was getting really hot. I forgot to turn on the tow haul mode. Clicked it on and temp dropped down in the next few minutes.

On flat ground I don't think it will matter much but when you are really beating it up in hills and mountains it will not only help your trans stay cool but it makes a very big difference in braking.

Seeing that gage shoot up made me a believer. Now on my 250 same boat and speed on flat ground gage doesn't move wether tow is on or not but it also has 4.30 gears vs my F150 which was 3.30. My C classs I think is like 4.60..


I cant say what I get without a trailer but my 26' class C towing my 7k boat gets 6.5mpg at 70mph and 6.9 at 65mph.

Brian, Ford has different 6-speed transmissions in different sizes.

On Super Duty pickup trucks, motorhomes, and large trucks/buses, they use the 6R140. The "6" is number of forward gears, "R" is for rear wheel drive, and "140" represents transmission's torque rating.

On your F-150 pickup, I'm pretty sure Ford installed the 6R80, which is significantly lower in torque rating. It's a much smaller and lighter transmission.

Your experience with transmission overheating likely had much more to do with that than the difference in axle ratio. The 6R140 was designed to handle the torque of the Diesel engines, so it's an overkill for many smaller RVs. I would assume that along with higher torque rating for heavier loads Ford provides higher cooling capacity as well.
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Old 09-22-2016, 06:29 PM   #9
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9.5 to 9.8 is what we get on an average. When the wind hits forget about it, lucky if we get 6.5 - 7
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Old 09-22-2016, 06:40 PM   #10
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good lord!! 75 MPH?? that is HAULIN! We have been getting 10.4 MPG right now but we average 65 tops and not towing- but we do have mountain bikes on the back!
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Old 09-22-2016, 07:06 PM   #11
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We had a Coachmen Mirada years ago and they were set not to exceed 73 MPH with the V-10, never had this one over that.
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Old 09-22-2016, 07:44 PM   #12
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Impressive that many of you are reporting higher MPG for these large Class As than many owners of Axis/Vegas seem to be getting.
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Old 09-22-2016, 07:47 PM   #13
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Impressive that many of you are reporting higher MPG for these large Class As than many owners of Axis/Vegas seem to be getting.
Surprising would be my response. Class C 31L and the BEST I have done was 8.4 on one tank. Average since we got it in July of last year is 7.4 MPG.
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Old 09-22-2016, 08:15 PM   #14
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Surprising would be my response. Class C 31L and the BEST I have done was 8.4 on one tank. Average since we got it in July of last year is 7.4 MPG.
Yeah, same here -- I'm surprised. When I had a small and light Class C I didn't even get 8 MPG if I drove at 75 MPH. And I also didn't tow a car.

My best 2 tanks of fuel were just above 10 MPG but that was driving slowly around the North Rim. At 45 to 50 MPH fuel economy was noticeably better.

Granted Class Cs are less aerodynamic than Class As, and power trains have improved, but nearly 10 MPG for a large Class A at 75 MPH is incredibly good.
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Old 10-05-2016, 07:04 PM   #15
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Mileage

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Impressive that many of you are reporting higher MPG for these large Class As than many owners of Axis/Vegas seem to be getting.
I recently did a 5,000 mile loop from Central California to Wisconsin, then back again. I was not towing this time. I tried to keep it at 70 mph or less for the trip.

Despite extreme winds in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana, I average 9.4 mpg for the entire trip. Not bad for a 40 footer!
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Old 10-05-2016, 08:16 PM   #16
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9.5 to 9.8 is what we get on an average. When the wind hits forget about it, lucky if we get 6.5 - 7
9+ mpg!!! Wow, what's your secret???? I'm lucky to get 7-1/2 to 8 without the toad! With toad, I'm lucky to get 6-1/2
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Old 10-06-2016, 12:41 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by mustang94@hot.rr.com View Post
OK we just got back from our first big trip 2779 miles round trip from Fort Hood Texas to, New Mexico, Colorado, Ogden Utah, then over thru Wyoming, Oklahoma back down Texas to Ft Hood. We were not towing anything and only ran the generator a few times for about 2 hours total. We averaged 9.8 miles per gallon. Tried driving 75MPH when ever possible. I really think this is good considering our over all size and weight.
Super! Just wondering how you got from Wyoming to Oklahoma...
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Old 10-06-2016, 10:21 AM   #18
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Super! Just wondering how you got from Wyoming to Oklahoma...
LOL.... Hmmm.... looks like I left out Colorado and the return trip...
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Old 10-07-2016, 12:53 AM   #19
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Mpg

I don't even get close to 10mpg. That's even with a new haircut and windows shut down hill. I think the last trip we did was around 7mpg and it was really not a lot of hills.
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Old 10-08-2016, 04:14 PM   #20
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Working on better gas mileage

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9+ mpg!!! Wow, what's your secret???? I'm lucky to get 7-1/2 to 8 without the toad! With toad, I'm lucky to get 6-1/2
I think the best accessory cars have on them these days is the mpg calculator right in front of our faces.

On my coach, I can set the three line display to read average MPG and instantaneous MPG. I try to drive like there is a raw egg (in the shell) on the gas and brake pedals. Easy on the gas, and easy on the brake. It takes quite a bit of practice and awareness.

For instance, I see that light up ahead that is about to turn yellow. I'm already off the gas pedal and coasting as much as possible up to the light. If I time it correctly, I get lucky and won't even have to step on the brake.

Think of it this way. Heat is the enemy of good gas mileage. You create more heat the harder you step on the gas pedal, and you create more heat the harder you have to step on the gas pedal. Sounds silly but it works.

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