Filling RV with Diesel

[SuperSweet]

What about using Bio diesel. That’s all that is offered in some places.

[Bob Denman]

If it's what you've got: it's what you've got to use...

[Travelin' Texans]

Originally Posted by SuperSweet

What about using Bio diesel. That’s all that is offered in some places.

Most diesel pumps you'll find a label stating "fuel may contain XX% bio fuel". Which means at any given time it MAY be mixed with a bio fuel, you nor your vehicle will know the difference.
The same with gasoline in most areas will be up to 10% ethanol as stated on the pumps.
With either bio diesel or ethanol blended gasoline your mileage may, or may not, drop slightly.

[lspotho]

Roadrunner255 - my Thor Siesta RV is built on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis, which uses a diesel engine. I don't pretend to be an expert on this, but I have not seen these 2 points mentioned in the thread:

#1 Mercedes says Bio Diesel should not exceed 5% - maybe it's 10% but no higher than that. They say using a higher Bio Diesel % does some damage (I don't remember what) and can void the warranty. The problem is, as others have said, the pumps will pump what they have, without specifics - so there is not a lot you can do about it. You may want to see what Ford says about this - but, when you are low on fuel, what are you going to do?

#2 I think this is true of all modern diesels: there is another fluid to worry about: DEF - Diesel Exhaust Fluid. (If this is basic info, stop reading any time.) DEF is not burned in the engine but it does a) get injected into the exhaust to reduce pollution and b) Mercedes says it is injected into other parts of the engine to clean, etc. Here's the kicker: my RV has NO GAUGE for how much DEF is in the DEF tank. MB says a full DEF tank will last 10k miles. I get a dashboard alert at about 15 or 25% left, and at about 5%, you cannot go above something like 5 or 10 mph. And filling it is fun because - a) no gauge, and b) no way to tell if it's full / getting full except overflow, or the sound the fluid makes as it nears the top... I always carry a gallon or two of DEF in the RV.

I do get 15 mpg on my Mercedes Sprinter-based RV.

Dan

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by Travelin' Texans

you nor your vehicle will know the difference.

Well, if you are driving a MB Sprinter diesel you may well find that there is a difference.

MB has been warning their users to avoid bio-diesel and to not use anything beyond B5. I saw a news article about a year ago saying that a MB Sprinter diesel owner was denied warranty service due to his continued use of B20. Don't know if it was true or not, but MB does warn owners.

I have no idea what RV dealers selling MB diesels say to their customers in places like Iowa where I would assume B20 is probably all you can get.

[Bob Denman]

Have you ever seen bio-diesel mixes that were more than 5% "bio"?
The DEF tank on my Sprinter is pretty easy to see through well enough to figure out how much DEF is still in it. I use a battery powered transfer pump to move the fluid into the tank, and it's pretty easy to control.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by lspotho

the pumps will pump what they have, without specifics - so there is not a lot you can do about it.

You can check for what the pump is supposed to be delivering. Pumps that deliver bio-diesel are supposed to be labeled as such, although as I understand it a pump can have up to B5 (5%, acceptable to MB) without specific labelling. If there is more than 5% bio then the pump is supposed to specify how much, up to B20 (20%).

That is one of the reasons I chose a Ford diesel since Ford says anything up to B20 is acceptable. As it has been, I almost always see a label telling the user how much bio is in the diesel, mostly saying B5 which means it may be pure diesel or have as much as 5% bio where I live in Arizona and where I generally travel (Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, California, etc). The most bio-diesel I have seen has been, interestingly, in Texas where I would have thought there would be only straight diesel.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Have you ever seen bio-diesel mixes that were more than 5% "bio"?

Yes. Often. In Texas of all places.

B20 also has the side effect of lowering my fuel economy numbers since the bio apparently has less energy than the straight diesel. My straight diesel numbers usually run between 17 and 20 mpg while my bio-diesel numbers are more like 15-17.

[Bob Denman]

I guess all you can do is read what the pumps are dishing out, and shop accordingly...

[lspotho]

Originally Posted by AJMike

You can check for what the pump is supposed to be delivering. Pumps that deliver bio-diesel are supposed to be labeled as such, although as I understand it a pump can have up to B5 (5%, acceptable to MB) without specific labelling. If there is more than 5% bio then the pump is supposed to specify how much, up to B20 (20%).

That is one of the reasons I chose a Ford diesel since Ford says anything up to B20 is acceptable. As it has been, I almost always see a label telling the user how much bio is in the diesel, mostly saying B5 which means it may be pure diesel or have as much as 5% bio where I live in Arizona and where I generally travel (Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, California, etc). The most bio-diesel I have seen has been, interestingly, in Texas where I would have thought there would be only straight diesel.

My first awareness of the bio-diesel percent was while filling my tank up from 50% full to 100% full, just as we headed up into a nearby national forest for a 2 night stay. The pump said "May contain up to 30% Bio Diesel." And the sticker on the vehicle said "Do not use more than 5 (or 10?) % Bio..." I just made sure, for the next couple of fill-ups, to look for the local 5% stations...

Dan

PS - We are in CA, of course.

[lspotho]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

The DEF tank on my Sprinter is pretty easy to see through well enough to figure out how much DEF is still in it. I use a battery powered transfer pump to move the fluid into the tank, and it's pretty easy to control.

I will have to look for my DEF tank! Thanks for that...

Dan

[Bob Denman]

. This is a new turn of events for me. I've never seen anything but straight diesel up here....

[BASSMAN]

I worked as a heavy equipment mechanic in the field, only fuel we got in Southern California was #2, the red dyed is exempt from road use tax, the IRS would send out a uniformed officer with a badge, pistol and hand cuffs on his pistol belt, he would dip the fuel tanks of any vehicles on the job that might also be used on the road, he use a clear plastic tube and put his finger over the end and pull up a sample, if it was red he issued a citation and its expensive, he would even dip the operators personal diesel pick ups, some times they got carried away with the red dye and it would plug up the fuel injectors, always keep a diesel tank full especially when you store it as the moisture will build up over a short period time, always check your water separator if it has a clear bottom on it, never run out of diesel as some engines can be a real bitch to re prime, just putting fuel back in the tank and cranking will not cut it.

[Mgtv53]

Originally Posted by lspotho

Roadrunner255 - my Thor Siesta RV is built on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis, which uses a diesel engine. I don't pretend to be an expert on this, but I have not seen these 2 points mentioned in the thread:

#1 Mercedes says Bio Diesel should not exceed 5% - maybe it's 10% but no higher than that. They say using a higher Bio Diesel % does some damage (I don't remember what) and can void the warranty. The problem is, as others have said, the pumps will pump what they have, without specifics - so there is not a lot you can do about it. You may want to see what Ford says about this - but, when you are low on fuel, what are you going to do?

#2 I think this is true of all modern diesels: there is another fluid to worry about: DEF - Diesel Exhaust Fluid. (If this is basic info, stop reading any time.) DEF is not burned in the engine but it does a) get injected into the exhaust to reduce pollution and b) Mercedes says it is injected into other parts of the engine to clean, etc. Here's the kicker: my RV has NO GAUGE for how much DEF is in the DEF tank. MB says a full DEF tank will last 10k miles. I get a dashboard alert at about 15 or 25% left, and at about 5%, you cannot go above something like 5 or 10 mph. And filling it is fun because - a) no gauge, and b) no way to tell if it's full / getting full except overflow, or the sound the fluid makes as it nears the top... I always carry a gallon or two of DEF in the RV.

I do get 15 mpg on my Mercedes Sprinter-based RV.

Dan

My 2013 chassis sprinter makes 18 miles per gallon at 60 miles speed,15 miles at 70 miles. Does anyone know how many gallons of def it takes

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by lspotho

#1 Mercedes says Bio Diesel should not exceed 5% - maybe it's 10% but no higher than that.

I am pretty sure it is 5% - B5 - not 10%.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by lspotho

The pump said "May contain up to 30% Bio Diesel." And the sticker on the vehicle said "Do not use more than 5 (or 10?) % Bio..."

That is interesting. I have never seen, nor heard of, anything above B20 in terms of biodiesel. I did not even know that there was 30% biodiesel.

My RV is on a Ford chassis and the Ford diesel allows use of B20 (and that is one of the reasons I bought it rather than an RV on the MB Sprinter chassis), but even it would not allow the use of B30.

What National Park was this? I want to be careful in case we end up going there.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by Mgtv53

My 2013 chassis sprinter makes 18 miles per gallon at 60 miles speed,15 miles at 70 miles. Does anyone know how many gallons of def it takes

I check my DEF tank every other fill-up, and usually find myself topping it off at three tankfuls.

[roy stone]

Originally Posted by roadrunner255

Hello All,

Got a question regarding filling RV with Diesel, first diesel vehicle I have owned.

Ford recommends Ultra low sulfur diesel.

During out last trip I noticed #2 diesel, auto diesel, the larger high capacity trucker filling pumps which don't fit the "auto" diesel fuel opening.

Then there is the Exxon/Mobil synergy diesel which is supposed to increase fuel mileage as apposed to Shell' V power.

So is #2 diesel what is considered "auto" diesel and is it considered "ultra low sulfur" diesel?

What brands are #1 and should it be used in our RV?

What are folks using for brands when they are available?

Cheers!

Use your own judgment, but most high-end stations will have pumps, usually with a green nozzle that will indicate on the pump that it is ultra-low sulfur. I move between Massachusettes and NC often during various times of the year and never had any problems during the three years. Many truck stops, such as (Flying J, Love, and Pilot) will have bays for RV's that have ultra-low sulfur pumps. The more you travel in a diesel the more you'll learn. Good and safe adventures.

[Bob Denman]

Green pump handles...

[yukongrant]

Usually green pump handles. I pulled into one station and had the green handle in my filler but for some reason looked at the price and it was very high. Turned out to be super duper gas. Dodged a bullet. Now, I always check to make sure it is in fact diesel.