Fuel Mileage 2011 V10 Class A

[RichyFL]

We took our first trip light winds about 14,000 lbs. 68 to 70 mph and about 6.5 mpg. I know at 60 it should do much better. Is this average? I will probably dial down to 64 to 68.

Has anyone used a SCTFlash tuner?

I know the electric fan project just moved up on my list.

[JamieGeek]

We sort of have a class A (the Axis is really a C in A clothing) but it does have the V-10 (although with the smaller and lighter chassis we typically get 9 mpg).
This is our 3rd V-10 we've had though. Our first two were in pickups and my last one (an F-350) I got a tune from these guys:
Got a 2006-2015 V10 RV ? - 5 Star Tuning
There service is 2nd to none and the guys at Ford Trucks - swear by them. On our F-350 I gained about 1 mpg but a lot more seat of the pants oomfh.
Note: Not paid by them, just a happy customer.
I kept my SCT tuner so that I may get a tune for our Axis.

[FW28z]

In my view, 70mph is too fast if you want good fuel mileage (which is a relative term with mohos). The conventional wisdom is if you exceed 60mph, you really start to lower your gas mileage.

While I have a Class C, it's a 30ft coach, and weighs about 11,500. So it is a bit lighter than yours, and perhaps a bit less cross section to the wind. Still, I would not expect more than a 10% or so difference.

With the V10, I am getting up to 10MPG if I do my best. And that is going 55-60mph.

My engine is just slightly different; 2 valves rather than 3, so my engine is about 50hp less. However, while you may not see 10MPG, I am sure you will see a significant improvement in fuel mileage.

I would recommend an OBD gauge to measure your fuel mileage so that you can find the "sweet spot" for fuel mileage. Something like a ScanGauge2, ScanGaugeE, Garmin EcoRouteHD, etc. They cost around $100~150 depending on which one you buy, but they will pay for themselves quickly if you gain a couple MPG.

I am using one and have found 10MPG. I started out with the Garmin EcoRouteHD (which is displayed by either my GPS or Android smartphone), but then I just changed over to a ScanGauge2 as I wanted a dedicated display (the Garmin had a nicer display, but I could not view the map when displaying fuel mileage).

Also, look at installing AirTabs. I am thinking of doing that next year. One thing I did notice is when I installed my vent covers. I put in the Fantastic brand vent covers, which are probably the largest ones you can buy (the others would not let my vents open fully), I swear I lost 0.5MPG according to the EcoRouteHD!

If true and not just my perception, then AirTabs should help. Before installing them, I could easily get 10.5MPG or slightly better on the highway. But since then, I am struggling to get to 10MPG.

But I suppose that is the other beauty of using a OBD display; it will tell you if anything you did; from changing tire pressure, re-loading the coach, and so on; how it affects your fuel mileage.

Of course, it could all backfire and make you feel depressed. I had fuel flow gauges on my boat, and I struggled to reach 0.8MPG! That was so depressing that we sometimes did not take the boat on trips. One of my boat buddies suggested using the fuel flow gauge as a coffee cup holder (i.e. set your coffee cup on the gauge so that you could not see it).

But on the other hand, since we got rid of the boat and now own a RV, we are ecstatic at getting 10MPG.

[blw2]

once you get into the micro view looking at fuel efficiency, a variable that i think is easy to over look is ethanol content and fuel blends.

I'm not sure if they really vary the ethanol content in gas all that much, but it would make a difference if they do!

I notice the sticker on the pump says something like (up to 10%)...... I'll say this, that when they first starting adding the ethanol and they put these stickers on the pumps..... i had just bought a Silverado that has a factory MPG readout. I was watching it very closely at the time, on my commute that was extremely consistent..... so with the only significant variable being fuel blends, I was able to really notice the slow decline as they weened the public onto ethanol. They did it slowly so that we didn't notice that we are getting far fewer miles for the same price per gallon.

On top of that, i wonder if the stupid blends from region to region, or seasonal changes might affect that number too....???

[FW28z]

Yea, my perception that the vent covers lowered my fuel mileage could be from other causes other than increased drag.

[RichyFL]

Hooked up a computer to the OBDII and played with various speeds looks like 58 to 65 are optimum speeds. Went to 9.8. The programmer moved to number one and electric fan number two.