Four Winds MPG

[RV Steve]

Hi folks. Glad to have found this forum as this is our first post. We recently were fortunate enough to buy a 2008 Four Winds Siesta 21BC. This Class C (or B+) is about 23 feet long. The 6L Chevy Vortec V8 cab only has 14,000 miles on it. I had a Chevy dealership check it out thoroughly. Other than changing out some fluids, they told me that the cab is in terrific shape. We put about $5000 into the RV for wash, compounding, detailing, waxing, sanitizing, roof maintenance, minor repairs and a new awning. Excited to head out soon.

I have only driven the RV around in Houston traffic so far; it has not yet had time on the highway. However, the computer indicates that we are only getting 5-6 miles per gallon around town so far. I was hoping to get at least 10-12 MPG on the highway with an average load. Just my wife and me. FWIW, the freshwater tank is 39 gallon (about 300 lbs if full) but we will not be boondocking initially. All driving has been with mostly empty tanks.

If anyone out there has a Four Winds Siesta 21BC, or a comparable RV, I’d love to find out about how many MPG we might expect on the highway. With the price of gas right now, we need every trick to squeeze out the best gas mileage.

Thanks very much!

[waynetaylor55]

We took a 3,000 round mile trip from San Diego to Washington state in September. The mileage on the computer started at 8.6 mpg, but by the time we finished we were at 8.9! Granted ours is a 2021.

[RV Steve]

Wayne, thank you so much for the reply! Looks like your rig is a little bit bigger than ours so maybe we will get a little better mileage – possibly all the way up to 9 mpg!

Thanks,
Steve

[MJC62]

We had a 2006 Gulfstream 5211 BT Cruiser 23' Had a Chevy 6L basically the same rig you are driving. Average mpg 9. That number is based on over 10 years of driving the rig.
I wouldn't put a lot of stock in the computer generated average.

[chunker21]

RVs generally get poor fuel mileage but of course "poor" is relative. If you are trying to get the best mpg, stay out of town, slow down, gentle acceleration and keep speeds consistent. A toad will reduce your mpg so a lighter smaller one will reduce it the least. Biggest factor though will still be speed. Drive 75 and you hear a sucking sound on the fuel tank and your wallet. We travel 65, or slower if the speed limits are less and don't have the need for speed. Additionally obviously other things will impact the fuel mileage such as altitude, temperature, winds and loading.

[tuchmybuttercups]

Make sure you're putting good gasoline in it. I noticed on one my travels I was able to watch the needle drop on the highway which made me furious because this seemed to start out of nowhere. I then started to put quality fuel in it (BP and Shell are #1 and #2, respectively) and my consumption went back to normal. Looking back, I noticed I was filling up at (enter random dude's name)'s Gas Stop because their prices made it less painful to fill up a 35gal tank. I feel this is my engine's way of telling me to stop feeding it junk gas. I've listened and now it gets the good stuff.

Looks like you've changed the oil, good, that can impact fuel economy. Make sure your tires are inflated to the numbers listed on the inside of the door frame. An air filter won't impact fuel economy, but will impact HP.
If nothing here helps, fold the mirrors in.

[Scubawise]

Drive 65 or less

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

Drive 65 or less

+2... Speed kills (gas mileage). We never get in a hurry. We always plan so we can have plenty of time for unplanned stops. I prefer 2-lane less busy highways when possible... I prefer a leisurely cruise at 60 to 65 mph... and that's why I avoid 70+ mph freeways if possible.

With that, if we get 10mpg (Ford V-10) that's all I can hope for. Fact of life is fuel cost takes a huge chunk of the RV travel budget! This year gasoline alone cost me about 35¢ per mile.

[HMCSW]

we get 9.5-10 without the toad. 9-8.6 towing. This includes going over the mountain passes as we live between the Cascades and Coastal ranges and petty much have to deal with them to go anywhere. We stay around 60-63 most of the time and use cruise control 99% of the time. Cummins and Allison great combo.

[JimEasTexas]

We get 8.4 mpg, 2021 Four Winds 7.3 engine with toad (Ford Focus). Travel at 65 or less.

[JimEasTexas]

We get 8.4 mpg, 2021 Four Winds 7.3, travel at 65 or less.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by RV Steve

....cut....

I have only driven the RV around in Houston traffic so far; it has not yet had time on the highway. However, the computer indicates that we are only getting 5-6 miles per gallon around town so far. I was hoping to get at least 10-12 MPG on the highway with an average load. Just my wife and me. FWIW, the freshwater tank is 39 gallon (about 300 lbs if full) but we will not be boondocking initially. All driving has been with mostly empty tanks.

.....cut....

Nice looking unit.

The Four Winds Siesta B+ on Ford and Chevy chassis were a very nice compact size. I’m not sure why the B+ were not more popular when combined with Ford E-350 or Chevy when slightly smaller units on Sprinter, and later Transit, are now so common.

Anyway, in my experience (had similar size Class C) you can’t really expect very good mileage in city traffic; Houston can be bad at times. I would add that once driving primarily on highway, I would not worry too much about weight. As long as you are not overloaded, I would travel with whatever water and cargo you need or want (within reason).

Speed is the main variable you can control that affects fuel economy. Your Siesta is fairly light, and is narrower and lower than most Class Cs, so I’d bet you can get 10 MPG keeping speed down. I got 10 MPG with my C at lower speeds a couple of times, and I had the Ford V10 and motorhome wasn’t as aerodynamic as yours. At higher speeds it would drop to 8 MPG quickly. Speed makes a big difference on highway, weight not so much.

Please let us know what MPG you get once you take a road trip.

[ducksface]

We don't check our mileage.
We used to but the reality is, we own it.
If it gets 8...it gets 8 and we go
If it gets 12, it gets 12 and we go.

Be happy.
You're an owner.
You have a firm grip on the RV, the rv has a firm grip on you.

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by ducksface

We don't check our mileage.
We used to but the reality is, we own it.
If it gets 8...it gets 8 and we go
If it gets 12, it gets 12 and we go.

Be happy.
You're an owner.
You have a firm grip on the RV, the rv has a firm grip on you.

After a year of traveling many places in the USA, we have come to the same conclusion. It is ours..most do not have one, doing all this during covid, we are together, amazing views and relaxing.

Happy Holiday travels..

[Chance]

There are various reasons an owner could care about MPG.

The most obvious is cost of fuel. While it can be a small expense compared to total ownership costs, it can still sting at the pump.

Some owners may also want to reduce their carbon footprint. Others would say that if that’s important you should just stay home, but most people don’t live in a black and white world. It seems that 12 is better than 8 MPG as long as everything is close to equal (which may not be, but that’s a different discussion).

One reason fuel economy is important to me is that it affects range. Specs for the motorhome in question shows it has a 35-gallon fuel tank, so if reserving 25% for generator operation, at 8 MPG the range is only 210 miles.

I just drove over 1,100 miles in one day and refueled twice; driving about 400 miles per tank. I didn’t plan well and had to refuel at 2 AM in an isolated gas station that probably wasn’t safe. At 210 miles per tank I would have needed to refuel 5 times, so no way to drive through night without stops.

Just saying MPG can be important to some of us for many reasons.

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by Chance

There are various reasons an owner could care about MPG.

The most obvious is cost of fuel. While it can be a small expense compared to total ownership costs, it can still sting at the pump.

Some owners may also want to reduce their carbon footprint. Others would say that if that’s important you should just stay home, but most people don’t live in a black and white world. It seems that 12 is better than 8 MPG as long as everything is close to equal (which may not be, but that’s a different discussion).

One reason fuel economy is important to me is that it affects range. Specs for the motorhome in question shows it has a 35-gallon fuel tank, so if reserving 25% for generator operation, at 8 MPG the range is only 210 miles.

I just drove over 1,100 miles in one day and refueled twice; driving about 400 miles per tank. I didn’t plan well and had to refuel at 2 AM in an isolated gas station that probably wasn’t safe. At 210 miles per tank I would have needed to refuel 5 times, so no way to drive through night without stops.

Just saying MPG can be important to some of us for many reasons.

And that is the main reason I'm concerned about MPG and fuel tank size. I generally prefer non truck stops for cleanliness, cost, and speed getting in and out. That and the Omni like Judge reports doesn't like the large high volume nozzle. I plan travel days, research fuel stops so knowing how far I can go is important. I've seen some people comment they drive to 1/4 tank then start looking. Formula for disaster in my opinion.

[RV Steve]

Thanks to all of you for the helpful replies! We took the RV out for a short day trip to visit a friend of mine who has a farm near Houston. The whole trip was only about 120 miles and we started with a full tank. Actual mpg according to the pump was about 11 miles per gallon. This was relatively flat terrain and I realize on future trips mileage may vary as we get out into the hills and mountains of the country. Nonetheless your answers confirmed the things that we know to do for the best mileage: correct tire pressure, clean oil and generally I will probably not drive above 60 to 65 mph on our trips.

And as a couple of you commented, it is what it is. Whatever the cost of gas is, it is simply the price of entertainment and enjoyment. We are fortunate to have a vehicle like this and it’s hard to put a price on the joy that it brings, especially in these times. But I can put a price on the hotel savings, and that is substantial!

Again thanks to all of you. This is a great forum.

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by Chance

There are various reasons an owner could care about MPG.

The most obvious is cost of fuel. While it can be a small expense compared to total ownership costs, it can still sting at the pump.

Some owners may also want to reduce their carbon footprint. Others would say that if that’s important you should just stay home, but most people don’t live in a black and white world. It seems that 12 is better than 8 MPG as long as everything is close to equal (which may not be, but that’s a different discussion).

One reason fuel economy is important to me is that it affects range. Specs for the motorhome in question shows it has a 35-gallon fuel tank, so if reserving 25% for generator operation, at 8 MPG the range is only 210 miles.

I just drove over 1,100 miles in one day and refueled twice; driving about 400 miles per tank. I didn’t plan well and had to refuel at 2 AM in an isolated gas station that probably wasn’t safe. At 210 miles per tank I would have needed to refuel 5 times, so no way to drive through night without stops.

Just saying MPG can be important to some of us for many reasons.

Oh no we never drive at night

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

Oh no we never drive at night

I don’t drive at night as much as I use to, mostly because 200,000+ miles concerns me a bit more (that I may break down). There are advantages though like avoiding rush hour traffic through major cities. Granted, some construction projects may be more common at night.

Anyway, when traveling from point A to B as soon as possible, I usually fill up prior to 11:00 PM, which will give me enough gas until 5:00 ~ 6:00 AM or longer. And if I happen to stop for 5 or 6 hours to rest/sleep, then refueling during middle of night isn’t an issue at all. That type of driving I do quite often.

This last trip was unusual because I woke up before midnight and couldn’t go back to sleep, so continued with just enough gas for a couple of hours. When I stopped for gas at an Exxon at 2:00 AM, the station was closed but pumps were on. There were no cars anywhere except one to the side parked on grass that looked like a security guard, or someone sleeping. I filled up and got going as fast as practical. I have to admit that it was the first time I felt uncomfortable with my surroundings in a very long time. I won’t let that happen again if avoidable; and long driving range helps a lot in that regard.

[ducksface]

I checked our mileage for a leg of the trip we are on right now(just for this thread).
8.4mpg at 71mph average with a 40mph STEADY 10 O'CLOCK cross wind.


I have never ever planned gas stops.
It happens somewhere below half a tank when we get ice cream at a little shop(try purple cow in SD) or when I see a Chester's Chicken, or it's handy, or I'm bored.
I might say, when we're already on the road:
Lets get gas in Kingman,
but that's as close to planning as we get.

This morning we left Gillette Wyoming on our way to Boise Idaho.
It's just before sundown and we are somewhere in Minnesota.

Planning station stops would be poor planning on our part.