# Motorhome MPG.



## Obanboy666 (Mar 9, 2014)

This has probably been asked many times before but being new to motorhoming i'm clueless to what mpg i should get with my motorhome.

2013 Swift Sundance 594RS. Luton overhead cab which i realise will have an adverse effect on mpg, ducato 2.3 Euro 5 engine, 3.5 ton max wieght, 6.5 metres, manual gearbox.
Motorhome has only done 800 miles so engine not 'loosened' up yet.
I tend to drive at about 55 -60 max and to date on 3 ventures out wildcamping ive averaged approx 23.5 mpg according to the lcd display.
Intend filling up before next trip out and working out the mpg the 'old' foolproof method.

Is this mpg about the norm ?

I would be interested to hear from anyone with a similiar vehicle what they are getting.


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## shawbags (Mar 9, 2014)

keep it at 54-55 and it will do better ,that 5 mph less can make a big difference , doesn't sound like it's doing too bad as it's new and a big motorhome.


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## phillybarbour (Mar 9, 2014)

5000kg 3 litre euro 5 does 22.8 average calculated correctly, on the motorway I tend to run at 62mph.


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## Neckender (Mar 9, 2014)

My last motorhome Auto Roller low profile 2.2 Ford engine, according to computer display, 70mph 25mpg.
55mph 32mpg.
I know its less than this if I checked the old way, just hope my new Auto Sleeper Broadway low profile 2.2 Peugeot does similar.
Both of these vans 3500kg.

John.


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## Beemer (Mar 9, 2014)

2.8 JTD in an A class 4.5t with tag axle - *25mpg* at about 60-70mph.


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## tugair (Mar 10, 2014)

Fuel economy will improve as the engine gets more 'run in', but that won't be till you have about 5,000 miles on the clock. 

I've been lucky enough to have 3 New Mhomes, a 3·3t, 2·1 ltr and two 3·5t, 2·3's. All have returned 30-35mpg.

Keep it to about 1,750 - 2,000 revs, about 50-55; don't allow it to labour; don't carry unnecessary weight; anticipate ahead -use your higher road position to lengthen your observations and be gentle with acceleration & braking.  Weather also plays a part - less economy in cold or windy (headwind) conditions.
Finally, don't worry to much 're this as unless your annual mileage is high, it's only a few quid extra per mpg, over a season.   :idea-007:


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## Siimplyloco (Mar 10, 2014)

Brimmed the tank today after 500 odd km driving over some fairly rugged Spanish terrain: 6% inclines etc. Worked out at 23.4 mpg running at around 50-55 mph. Most of it in 6th gear, and not bad for a vehicle over four tonnes. Merc 2.7 Sprinter with Sprintshift box - which is a delight to use.....
John


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## Steve121 (Mar 10, 2014)

tugair said:


> Fuel economy will improve as the engine gets more 'run in', but that won't be till you have about 5,000 miles on the clock.
> 
> I've been lucky enough to have 3 New Mhomes, a 3·3t, 2·1 ltr and two 3·5t, 2·3's. All have returned 30-35mpg.
> 
> ...



As cold air is more dense, ie. greater oxygen content, the engine should run more efficiently, resulting in less fuel being used.


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## Deleted member 38556 (Mar 10, 2014)

Why worry about MPG 
If you have to budget on fuel 
You should be asking should I own a motorhome. Not how many miles will I get to the gallon

It's a motor home a brick wall 
Not an Eco  car 

I just fill it up  drive it till it needs filling up again. 
Drive at a steady 55 
Keep revs low 1500/2000
I budget £2500/3000 per year 
Gets me every where I need to go too 


36 feet  Gulstream sun sport Chevy 6.5Ltr Diesel Auto    

How do you manage your motor homing year ?


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## K9d (Mar 10, 2014)

Steve121 said:


> As cold air is more dense, ie. greater oxygen content, the engine should run more efficiently, resulting in less fuel being used.



The oxygen content is still around 20% no matter what the density, the ecu will sense the denser air and add more fuel to get the correct air/fuel ratio, engines can perform better on colder days but then you will need to push through denser air, overall it will make no real difference.


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## Tezza (Mar 10, 2014)

Motorhomelover said:


> Why worry about MPG
> If you have to budget on fuel
> You should be asking should I own a motorhome. Not how many miles will I get to the gallon
> 
> ...


Not all lucky enough not to worry about mpg.... So that means I shouldn't have a Mh because I do??I'm on a limited budget so every mpg saved is extra in my pocket and not in the chancelors.  Last year I did 25000 miles. My Mh is my only transport and we are away in it nearly every week for a few days. So I'm carefully how I drive it to get the best economy I can.
Wow.....must be nice to have unlimited funds. I'm jealous


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## wtrlnds64 (Mar 10, 2014)

Our 2013 Adria Coral takes roughly 100 quid to fill in the UK and we get around 30 - 33 mpg.  We don't really worry about the MPG though, as we just want to go where we please and when we please. Adventure before demeture (Dementia) is our motto!


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## Deleted member 38556 (Mar 10, 2014)

Tezza said:


> Not all lucky enough not to worry about mpg.... So that means I shouldn't have a Mh because I do??I'm on a limited budget so every mpg saved is extra in my pocket and not in the chancelors.  Last year I did 25000 miles. My Mh is my only transport and we are away in it nearly every week for a few days. So I'm carefully how I drive it to get the best economy I can.
> Wow.....must be nice to have unlimited funds. I'm jealous



Not unlimited funds 
£2500-£3000 per year 
That's is my budget. 
I live in my motorhome full time in the UK  

Just enjoy your motorhome  as much as I do mine 

If I did 25000 miles it would cost. Me £12000.oo  ouch. Don't never jealous of me. lol 

Yours Ian


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## Obanboy666 (Mar 10, 2014)

Motorhomelover said:


> Why worry about MPG
> If you have to budget on fuel
> You should be asking should I own a motorhome. Not how many miles will I get to the gallon
> 
> ...



Dont have a budget on fuel but being new to motorhoming i am curious.

Obviously it would be useful to know if it is performing normally after taking into account speed, driving style etc.
It could highlight a potential problem if i am getting a lower than average mpg.

Only managed about 25 mpg when towing caravan with Santa Fe so actually wouldn't expect much more than that in my motorhome.


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## Deleted member 38556 (Mar 10, 2014)

Obanboy666 said:


> Dont have a budget on fuel but being new to motorhoming i am curious.
> 
> Obviously it would be useful to know if it is performing normally after taking into account speed, driving style etc.
> It could highlight a potential problem if i am getting a lower than average mpg.
> ...



Not sure a MPG check would show up a problem  in fuel consumption before you got some other indication first 
If there was an engine problem that would seriously drop the MPG 
It would be fully noticeable in the performance  driving. 
Most modern engine have a CPU you would get a management fault pop up well before you'd notice low MPG


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## james1508 (Mar 10, 2014)

Obanboy666 said:


> This has probably been asked many times before but being new to motorhoming i'm clueless to what mpg i should get with my motorhome.
> 
> 2013 Swift Sundance 594RS. Luton overhead cab which i realise will have an adverse effect on mpg, ducato 2.3 Euro 5 engine, 3.5 ton max wieght, 6.5 metres, manual gearbox.
> Motorhome has only done 800 miles so engine not 'loosened' up yet.
> ...




We have just gone from a van conversion to a new motorhome. Elddis Majestic which is also an over cab bed, 6.5 mtr, 2.2 130bhp model. We have only had it a month , filled up Once and by working it out on what milage v actual full tank it would seem the computer is right. I  got 23 mpg . mixed driving between 60 to 70 mph. I also heard that new vehicles do less ??   I am hoping so . The autocruise was reregistering 29 mpg on the computer.

regards

James


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## 2cv (Mar 11, 2014)

My Renault Traffic based Bentley averages 33mpg in mixed use (motorway, town, rural). It has gradually improved with miles, about 8000 now. 3250kg.


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## angelaa (Mar 11, 2014)

We have an autocruise stargazer and working it out properly we get 29 mpg, but on display it says we are doing 32 mpg.  We are thinking about upgrading our motorhome, and fuel consumption does come into it.  We are hoping to retire next year, so diesel consumption needs to be taken into account.


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## K9d (Mar 11, 2014)

Our 1988 Hymer, 2.5 diesel, returned 24mpg over a 400 mile round trip, I'm happy with that as its better than my V6 Alfa used to do, doesn't sound as good though.


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## john cardiff (Mar 23, 2014)

A woman on a mission to save money...

Let me tell you more than happy to scroll pages on fuel economy.
Autocruise starfire 1.9 pls anyone have a rough idea.

Gill


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## Deleted member 775 (Mar 23, 2014)

ok i havent got our van now ,but here,s my findings from what i remember of our old bedford 2.3 petrol engine considering it was only 4 gears . i used to recon on 20mpg at about 50 mph (to be honest it wouldent do much more ) which wasent bad at all considering the car i had did aqbout the same   ,i have had some cars that only managed 10 /15 mpg mind you .so people getting in the 30s mpg in there vans  are doing ok remembering what they get for it.to be honest i think most vans are pretty economical to run all in all , when you look at small cars that do 50+to the gallon and then look at a motor home that will return 30mpg and then consider on a weight/size comparison and what you do with it  which is the most economical realy ,+who the hell wants to ride is a stupidly small car like a citroen c1 (you might as well put wheels on a coffin there that unsafe to me) . so to me a motor home is a realy economical vehicle to run realy .


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## Deleted member 19733 (Mar 23, 2014)

On motorway at steady 60-65 mph we get around 29mpg, on a mixture of country lanes and hilly roads, we get around 25 mpg.

Our unit is a Burstner Performance 821t, whith a Renault 3l 140bhp, 6speed manual motor, 8.2m long with tag axle, weighing in at 5.5 ton, it works for us.

:drive::drive::fun::fun:


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## Steve121 (Mar 23, 2014)

K9d said:


> The oxygen content is still around 20% no matter what the density, the ecu will sense the denser air and add more fuel to get the correct air/fuel ratio, engines can perform better on colder days but then you will need to push through denser air, overall it will make no real difference.



As the air is more dense, there is more oxygen (ie. density) per cubic metre (or whatever unit you prefer). 

You have an ECU? I don't!


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## Tezza (Mar 23, 2014)

We get 22-23mpg on a fiat 2.8jtd with bed on cab. 5 speed box just under 7mtrs lengh. OOpssss forgot...normally drive between 55-60mph even on motorways.Never accelerate hard or brake to fiercely


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## drewdt3 (Mar 23, 2014)

Spec and results same as Tezza


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## Tezza (Mar 23, 2014)

drewdt3 said:


> Spec and results same as Tezza


Ohh thats good to know...i thought maybe i should get a little more but if your getting the same then i dont have to worry too much lol


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## barryd (Mar 23, 2014)

I seem to get about 22-23 out of ours however I drive it.  2.5TD 7metre coachbuilt but I did once get just 17mpg chasing a ferry doing about 80.


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## Oak (Mar 23, 2014)

Just talking to someone at the show and he told me you can have your engine retuned to improve fuel consumption. Seems unlikely to me but thought I'd ask whether it's possible and if so are there consequences?


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## K9d (Mar 23, 2014)

Steve121 said:


> As the air is more dense, there is more oxygen (ie. density) per cubic metre (or whatever unit you prefer).
> 
> You have an ECU? I don't!



Handbags at dawn is it ?

I don't have an ECU either, I do have an exclamation key on my laptop but I also know when to use it.


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## Tezza33 (Mar 23, 2014)

Oak said:


> Just talking to someone at the show and he told me you can have your engine retuned to improve fuel consumption. Seems unlikely to me but thought I'd ask whether it's possible and if so are there consequences?


There have been a few threads about it
http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/wild-camping-motorhome-chat/32818-engine-remapping.html
http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/wild-camping-motorhome-chat/35168-remapping-cost.html


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## Chevycouple (Mar 24, 2014)

Well I hoped I would never have to admit to this, I get 8MPG, she does sound pretty nice with it, 5.7l V8, three speed auto and tend to cruise at around 60/65, I know its not quite as good as it could be we figure there are no other real costs so its worth it.


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## Tezza33 (Mar 24, 2014)

Chevycouple said:


> Well I hoped I would never have to admit to this, I get 8MPG, she does sound pretty nice with it, 5.7l V8, three speed auto and tend to cruise at around 60/65, I know its not quite as good as it could be we figure there are no other real costs so its worth it.


I couldn't afford to turn that around on my drive , I presume that is petrol so have you considered a LPG conversion?


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## GRWXJR (Mar 24, 2014)

I dont have a motorhome.  I have a campervan.  Not even an exotic one, an LDV Hitop Lwb with the old Ford 2.5Di non turbo, and a twin wheel 3.5 tonne chassis.  Mind you its at least a tonne below max payload.

25 to 26mpg if I insist on doing over 60mph.  Thats on Welsh dual carriageways and the M4, which aint flat.  Keep it under 55mph and drive like a forward planning nun, or potter round the lanes at low speed and close to 30mpg is possible.

Seeing as thats not much less than new van conversions do at similar road speeds (cept for uphills!) I'm pretty happy with that from my low budget LDV, for which I have developed a strange fondness.

Wots an ECU :wacko:?

G.


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## Huxley (Mar 24, 2014)

We get 25mpg with our 2.2 ltr sprinter 316 coachbuilt (2011).


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## tadpole58 (Mar 25, 2014)

We've had our 08 Renault Master conversion for about 9 months now and over 4000 miles it has averaged 36mpg which I am quite pleased with


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## Captain Biggles (Mar 25, 2014)

*Mandrake, shame on you*



mandrake said:


> ok i havent got our van now ,but here,s my findings from what i remember of our old bedford 2.3 petrol engine considering it was only 4 gears . i used to recon on 20mpg at about 50 mph (to be honest it wouldent do much more ) which wasent bad at all considering the car i had did aqbout the same   ,i have had some cars that only managed 10 /15 mpg mind you .so people getting in the 30s mpg in there vans  are doing ok remembering what they get for it.to be honest i think most vans are pretty economical to run all in all , when you look at small cars that do 50+to the gallon and then look at a motor home that will return 30mpg and then consider on a weight/size comparison and what you do with it  which is the most economical realy ,+who the hell wants to ride is a stupidly small car like a citroen c1 (you might as well put wheels on a coffin there that unsafe to me) . so to me a motor home is a realy economical vehicle to run realy .



".........Who wants to drive in a Citroen C1......", well my wife does actually, I refer to it as our 'Shopping Trolley' as it only costs £20/yr Road Fund Tax, runs all month on an egg cup of petrol, the tyres cost about a pound each and it's that small that I don't get a hernia stretching over the roof to clean it.

But, don't despair, our other car's a Volvo S80, 30 seconds to change a headlight bulb and there's a pair of sandals and a free cardigan with each one purchased.

p.s. and we do all our shopping at IKEA and listen to old Abba Hits.

Captain Biggles   lane: (Sven)


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## Aethelric (Mar 25, 2014)

Autosleeper Nuevo 2.5 litre 3.2 tons coachbuilt. Can go up to 32 over long motorway trips at 60mph. On mixed driving lowest I've got on a tank full is 27mpg.


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## Tezza33 (Mar 25, 2014)

Captain Biggles said:


> ".........Who wants to drive in a Citroen C1......", well my wife does actually, I refer to it as our 'Shopping Trolley' as it only costs £20/yr Road Fund Tax, runs all month on an egg cup of petrol, the tyres cost about a pound each and it's that small that I don't get a hernia stretching over the roof to clean it.
> 
> But, don't despair, our other car's a Volvo S80, 30 seconds to change a headlight bulb and there's a pair of sandals and a free cardigan with each one purchased.
> 
> ...


My Wife has a Fiat 500C and I have a Fiat Panda, I bought it because the dogs are not allowed in the 500, we love them both and there is nothing wrong with small cars although when I was working I always had a Jag


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## Deleted member 775 (Mar 25, 2014)

Captain Biggles said:


> ".........Who wants to drive in a Citroen C1......", well my wife does actually, I refer to it as our 'Shopping Trolley' as it only costs £20/yr Road Fund Tax, runs all month on an egg cup of petrol, the tyres cost about a pound each and it's that small that I don't get a hernia stretching over the roof to clean it.
> 
> But, don't despair, our other car's a Volvo S80, 30 seconds to change a headlight bulb and there's a pair of sandals and a free cardigan with each one purchased.
> 
> ...



i apologize for knocking citroen c1 they sound a great economical little car :wave:  they are great for a city car ,but unfortunately not for me .best car i had lately  was the seat Alhambra 1.9 turbo diesel 70 miles ish to tenner of diesel and bags of room inside


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## john cardiff (Mar 25, 2014)

chevycouple said:


> well i hoped i would never have to admit to this, i get 8mpg, she does sound pretty nice with it, 5.7l v8, three speed auto and tend to cruise at around 60/65, i know its not quite as good as it could be we figure there are no other real costs so its worth it.



wow..


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## mark61 (Mar 25, 2014)

Chevycouple said:


> Well I hoped I would never have to admit to this, I get 8MPG, she does sound pretty nice with it, 5.7l V8, three speed auto and tend to cruise at around 60/65, I know its not quite as good as it could be we figure there are no other real costs so its worth it.



Makes me feel a bit better. 
Mine can guzzle a bit, but I enjoy the oomhh. lol


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## Deleted member 775 (Mar 25, 2014)

Chevycouple said:


> Well I hoped I would never have to admit to this, I get 8MPG, she does sound pretty nice with it, 5.7l V8, three speed auto and tend to cruise at around 60/65, I know its not quite as good as it could be we figure there are no other real costs so its worth it.



ouch if i turned up with one like that my wife would have a thromby.


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## johnkyte (Mar 25, 2014)

I have a 89 Transit ambulance     23 MPG    at 56 MPH


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## antiqueman (Mar 26, 2014)

*fuel tokens*



Jays said:


> We have a 3.0lrt Ducato, according to our inboard computer we average 29.5 miles per gallon.
> We have a limited budget so hate filling up.
> Last year we bought off ebay 30p off a ltr  of fuel just before we went to Dover.
> Filled up at Carlisle.
> ...



What exactly did you search for on ebay to find 30p off a litre, I do a lot of miles and would be very interested.:drive:


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## jagmanx (Mar 27, 2014)

*mpg I have a 3.5 ton low profile..nearly 30mpg*



Obanboy666 said:


> This has probably been asked many times before but being new to motorhoming i'm clueless to what mpg i should get with my motorhome.
> 
> 2013 Swift Sundance 594RS. Luton overhead cab which i realise will have an adverse effect on mpg, ducato 2.3 Euro 5 engine, 3.5 ton max wieght, 6.5 metres, manual gearbox.
> Motorhome has only done 800 miles so engine not 'loosened' up yet.
> ...



It mainly depends on speed also light touch with right foot.
I try to keep below 55  (also helps with tyres and safety)
But have cruised at 60 on motorways


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## bru (Mar 27, 2014)

not checked mine as not getting enough use to worry about at min ,
nowdays some lorrys are restricted at 52 and some at 56 this is because that when they are most economical
so somewhere round these figures you should get your best mpg ,


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## welshrarebit (Mar 27, 2014)

We must be daft or something. 
Can't work out our mpg costs. 
We have done 3.728 miles in the last 6 months touring Europe spending 980 euro on diesel. 
How can we figure that one out. 
We don't have an mpg readout on our van.
07 transit 3500t.6.6mtrs long.
minds gone a complete blank on how to work it out. 
We usually keep to 55mph.
HIGHEST  price 140euro lowest 120euro a litre


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## Wooie1958 (Mar 27, 2014)

trishandtez said:


> We must be daft or something.
> Can't work out our mpg costs.
> We have done 3.728 miles in the last 6 months touring Europe spending 980 euro on diesel.
> How can we figure that one out.
> ...





You need to know how many Litres of fuel you have put in ?

Then divide the number of Litres by 4.546 and that will convert it into Gallons.

Then divide the total number of Miles by the amount of Gallons used and that will give you the M.P.G.


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## Wooie1958 (Mar 27, 2014)

Given the figures you`ve used 753.84 Litres of diesel assuming an average price of 1.30 euro per litre

Divide that by 4.546 and that comes to 165.82 Gallons.

Divide the total number of miles 3.728 by 165.28 and that comes to 22.55 M.P.G.


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## Val54 (Mar 27, 2014)

If you assume an average of 130 € per litres that would give you 22 - 23 mpg


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## Deleted member 207 (Mar 27, 2014)

Driving style can be the greatest impact on fuel economy, even with the Euro class electronic diesel engines. Try using your tachometer to get your upshift gear changes, when starting use just enough throttle to get the vehicle moving and then change up, then increase rpm to about 20% more than the first upshift and then just keep that pattern going until you are in top gear.

Use the brakes to slow down and not the engine/gearbox - except on steep hills of course. Clutches are cheaper than gearboxes as well!!!

In metro areas, look well ahead for traffic lights, increase speed if there is a red light 500m away - its going to change to green. Slow down if there is a stale green light 500m down the road - its going to turn red. Keeping the vehicle moving will improve mpg. Avoid coming to a full stop whenever you can.

"Skip shift" when the road conditions allow - downhill starts are ideal - start in 2nd, goto to 4th, etc. Skip shift going up hills as well - let the engine "lug down" to maximum torque and then change down two gears (eg sixth to fourth) which should bring the engine revs upto maximum horsepower and keep the vehicle speed constant.

Learn how to read the engine map for your engine, max torque, max horsepower, max economy, etc. Drive to the style that the engineers who designed the engine want you to drive. You want to be driving the vehicle in the rev range that gives to you a compromise of high horsepower, high torque and good fuel economy. 

If you drive like this you will find that your engine will actually do less work (eg total engine revs) for a given number of kms. Its possible to extend service intervals as the vehicle will also have less brake applications and gear changes - I've seen one driver who managed to get his service intervals doubled due to his driving style - but a high mileage vehicle. Time based servicing may still apply if you are doing low mileage.


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## caspar (Mar 27, 2014)

We gave our beloved motorhome up recently due to me imminently having to stop driving. However, it had only done about 50 miles since its last MOT, and that was largely due to simply not being able to afford the running costs. We have many happy memories, loads of friends, spots to return to over and over again and I still enjoy the companionship on here. 

We always got around 25mpg pretty much however we drove on all four of our old motorhomes. The most recent was a 1991 J reg. The best? For me the ancient Merc 208D which I knew every square centimetre of, sold to a now friend in Spain and which would go anywhere slowly. For my wife the Fiat Ducato. 

Now my Octavia Estate auto will see out my driving days and is just about big enough to cwtch up in for a night if necessary. At 50+ to the gallon a motor car is better for us than a motor home. Maybe one day we'll be back owning one again!


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## Wooie1958 (Mar 28, 2014)

trishandtez said:


> We must be daft or something.
> Can't work out our mpg costs.
> We have done 3.728 miles in the last 6 months touring Europe spending 980 euro on diesel.
> How can we figure that one out.
> ...





Wooie1958 said:


> Given the figures you`ve used 753.84 Litres of diesel assuming an average price of 1.30 euro per litre
> 
> Divide that by 4.546 and that comes to 165.82 Gallons.
> 
> Divide the total number of miles 3.728 by 165.28 and that comes to *22.55 M.P.G.*





22.55 M.P.G. for a 07 Transit 3500t. kept down to 55mph is not very good at all in my opinion and something isn`t right.

There`s plenty of members with the same type vehicle ( i think ) on here, maybe they could comment.

If it is correct then there`s no way i`m ever having one.


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## trevskoda (Mar 28, 2014)

Captain Biggles said:


> ".........Who wants to drive in a Citroen C1......", well my wife does actually, I refer to it as our 'Shopping Trolley' as it only costs £20/yr Road Fund Tax, runs all month on an egg cup of petrol, the tyres cost about a pound each and it's that small that I don't get a hernia stretching over the roof to clean it.
> 
> But, don't despair, our other car's a Volvo S80, 30 seconds to change a headlight bulb and there's a pair of sandals and a free cardigan with each one purchased.
> 
> ...



listening to abba? there is people in nhs who might be able to help you.


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## Kontiki (Apr 2, 2014)

I am getting just over 25mpg on my Rapido A class, 3.85t, 3 litre Fiat. This is the average worked out after just over a year. You can only work your consumption out over a reasonable amount of time/miles. Taking one trip can't give you any confidence in the results, I have had mpg ranging from 19 to 29 mpg on individual trips but my overall average is what I look for.


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