Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Thor Forums > Thor Motorcoach & Motorhome > Class B & B+ Motorhomes
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 06-08-2022, 10:34 PM   #41
Senior Member
 
Brand: Still Looking
State: Texas
Posts: 6,187
THOR #2121
Quote:
Originally Posted by 16ACE27 View Post
Imagine the surge now in Class B sales with current fuel prices.

I thought the same thing that by next month we may see a bigger difference, but then wondered if van chassis, which have been in short supply, would be available to RV manufacturers in greater volume. It’s hard to say.

What may help RV industry is that commercial/fleet buyers may slow purchasing of cargo vans anticipating an economic slowdown; though commercial vans tend to be plain compared to RV vans, so even that may not help much.

Vans at +/- 16 MPG may still not be enough to offset high fuel cost concerns given many buyers won’t downsize to a B. They will quit camping instead. I’m curious to see what RV industry does next to combat high fuel prices.

__________________
Chance is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2022, 11:30 PM   #42
Senior Member
 
Scubawise's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Vegas 25.6
State: New Mexico
Posts: 5,100
THOR #20220
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance View Post
M-B trying to improve fuel economy and reduce weight in order to increase payload.
If we travel less with our 2 golden retrieves (130 pounds)
Will we save 1 mpg?
__________________
Scubawise is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2022, 02:59 PM   #43
Senior Member
 
Brand: Still Looking
State: Texas
Posts: 6,187
THOR #2121
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scubawise View Post
If we travel less with our 2 golden retrieves (130 pounds)
Will we save 1 mpg?

Not sure about your comment/question.

My response to RSKDSK’s comment did not imply most of the fuel savings will come from weight savings. There are two separate issues, and while related, shouldn’t be taken as one.

When Mercedes Benz switches from a V6 to I4 diesel, most of the fuel savings should come from the smaller engine being more efficient at lower power loads. For example, at idle, a 2L engine burns much less fuel than a 3L, everything else being equal.

I expect a 2L I4 will also weigh less which will lead to greater cargo payload, and to a much lesser degree additional fuel economy due to lower weight. Again, most MPG improvement should be due to thermal efficiency, not weight.

In your case, eliminating two dogs weighing 130 pounds will make very little MPG difference in fuel economy, particularly on the highway. It’s negligible. However, if you were to save 130 pounds by swapping the 6.8L V10 with a 5.0L V8, I expect an additional 1 MPG should be possible when driven at slower speeds; like 60 MPH or slower.

Likewise, I expect smaller Sprinter vans will be significantly more fuel efficient with smaller Diesel engine, particularly when driven easy, but I’m not as sure about improvements on large Sprinter Class Cs where the engine has to work a lot harder. We will have to wait and see.
__________________
Chance is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2022, 03:04 PM   #44
I Think We're Lost!
 
Bob Denman's Avatar
 
Brand: Still Looking
Model: Tiffin Wayfarer 24 BW
State: New York
Posts: 22,195
THOR #8860
We have looked at the B's several times now, and can just not justify giving up all that space in order to get about the same mileage as with our Sprinter C (17 mpg)
But if folks can make it work for them:
__________________
"What: me worry?"
Good Sam Member 843599689
Current coach: Tiffin Wayfarer 24 BW
Bob Denman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2022, 03:36 PM   #45
Senior Member
 
Brand: Still Looking
State: Texas
Posts: 6,187
THOR #2121
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
We have looked at the B's several times now, and can just not justify giving up all that space in order to get about the same mileage as with our Sprinter C (17 mpg)
But if folks can make it work for them:

17 MPG is comparable to a gasoline Class B driven at higher speeds, so a little apples to oranges.

A 4-cylinder diesel RWD Sprinter B van (not the AWD with off-road tires) may be able to achieve 25~30 MPG if driven conservatively, which would make choice a bit more interesting if owner drives a lot.

Having stated that, I agree Class C space advantage, particularly in outside storage, is hard to give up. That’s one reason I like the new breed of Class Cs that have a footprint similar to a van but can have a toy/gear garage. Unfortunately, I can’t park one of those at home, otherwise would gladly pay fuel consumption premium.
__________________
Chance is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2022, 06:58 PM   #46
Junior Member
 
BearfootOutdoors's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Tranquility 19L
State: Arizona
Posts: 10
THOR #25776
And to think, they became number 1 and didn’t have to do a thing to improve their shoddy workmanship, cheap materials, or terrible quality. The prices are cheaper but not at the cost of the hours of work and money I put into this thing to correct all of Thors’s issues. I’ve spent more time fixing this thing in 4 months than I have in the 2+ years of owning my Winnebago Class C. I will forever be a critic of Thor until they actually do something to fix their atrocious quality. I won’t hold my breath. If you’re on the fence about buying a Thor, jump off the fence and run quickly in the other direction.
__________________
BearfootOutdoors is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Thor Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.




All times are GMT. The time now is 02:40 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2