Complete newbie seeking advice

[Pete Masterson]

Ryan,

See below ....

Pete Masterson
aeonix1@...
'95 Bluebird Wanderlodge WBDA 4203
El Sobrante, CA

On Aug 19, 2006, at 1:00 AM, Ryan Wright wrote:

> Hello again,
>
> I'll condense my replies into one message this time:
>
> Bob, Eric: I appreciate your willingness to share major expenditures
> with me. It's great to get a handle on what I might be looking at. The
> numbers look a bit higher than I might have hoped, but they don't
> scare me yet. The 4mpg figure on gas does scare me a bit, however. I
> had thought 8 to 10 was a good estimate. Do any FC owners want to
> chime in here? I understand fuel economy can be a sensitive issue, but
> would love to know what to expect here if it's appropriate to ask. I
> also understand my wanting a 40 footer is going to mean a more
> demanding thirst for fuel.

My 42' with the series 60 engine (no toad) ranged from 4.5 to 6.5 MPG
on my maiden trip (counting running the generator to keep the roof
ACs going) and a shorter overnighter after getting it home. The 4.5
was crossing Kansas on I-70 climbing toward Denver (long, gradual
climb the whole way) -- and I was moving rather fast (around 70-75
most of the time -- I was lightly loaded). But that fill up also
included 2 days in Denver running the genny as I had no shore power.

The previous owner sent me his 2 years of records ... and during that
time he tracked the MPG at an average of about 6 MPG with the
generator using an additional 1/2 gallon per hour. (This is the 15
Kwatt diesel with the 3 cyl Kubota engine.)


> How much fuel economy do you lose towing a
> small car (We'd pull a VW TDI Jetta, most likely)?

I'm not sure what the previous owner was towing, but it would be
included in the 6 mpg figure in his records.

>
> How's the generator on fuel? It's my understanding these small diesels
> barely sip it. Running a full load of all 3 A/C units in the heat, any
> idea how many gallons it might burn through in a day?

I haven't personally tracked the generator use, but it seems that 1/2
to 3/4 gal per hour estimated by the previous owner for the large
generator in my coach is reasonable for estimating purposes. A
smaller generator would use a bit less fuel.


>
> One more question I forgot to ask is speed. Will a coach like an FC 40
> run at 65 to 70 miles per hour easily on typical interstate highway
> driving, or is that expecting too much?

While the newer WB or PT with the 8v92 or Series 60 engine (470 HP)
will easily take the coach above any reasonable speed on the flat---
it doesn't "accelerate" so much as it "gathers speed" ... but it
gathers it quite readily if you don't watch out. Took me 1000+ miles
(on my maiden trip) to get a "foot feel" so that I didn't creep up
faster than I wanted or was safe. Cruise control was a big help there.

The FCs with the CAT 3208 aren't as robust on the hills, but on level
ground they'll get up there as well. Common sense should prevail
however. The tires on my coach are rated for a maximum 70 mph ... and
I respect that...

> <snip>
> Kerry: Thank you again for your comparison of driving. I'm happy to
> hear your comments and it sounds like I'd enjoy the Bird very much.
> Curious what sort of serious undisclosed problems you found and how
> you were able to identify them? That might help me when looking.

There are always a few surprises. My coach exhibited some overheating
on grades in Eastern Nevada, causing me considerable concern (and
having to pull off to cool down several times). The previous owner
(who had traded the coach in to a dealer --- then it was wholesaled
to yet another dealer who I bought it from) didn't mention any
problems in that area ... but he may not have driven it in similar
conditions. I suspect that the thermostats need replacing ... I plan
to take it to a truck/bus radiator shop for a thorough going over
before I move in for full time living. This could be moderate to big
bucks depending on what's found.

The engine-driven AC unit was supposed to have been serviced and
refurbished by the previous owner, but it isn't putting out much cool
air ... so that's an AC shop trip. (estimated to be a moderate
service cost.)

And, while leaving Denver, I met a low hanging tree branch which
damaged my front roof AC ... I'll replace it and probably the rear
unit as well as its cooling is marginal. (Cooling is very important
to me.)

>
> Bill:
>
>> The FC's came in 31,33,35 feet. SP was 36/37
>> PT's are 40 ft. How will you use the motorhome??
>> Boondocking ? # of months per year? full time living?
>> Some private parks, State or National Parks have size
>> limitations.
>
> My intention is to use it for any out of town trips. First, I'm sure
> it will get an awful lot of general camping use within ~100 miles of
> home. Second, trips to visit family in central Idaho will be high on
> the list. Lastly, it would be used on short vacations (A few days to
> weeks); trips to the coast, to theme parks, to tourist type
> attractions in bigger cities (zoos, etc), etc. No full time living,
> but it would probably see use all year around. Maybe one to two trips
> per month on average, with 2 to 4 of those per year being >~100 miles
> from home.

Depending on the grades involved, the central Idaho trip could be
fairly slow in an FC. Otherwise, it depends on where you live. While
I personally didn't have anything against the FCs or older PTs, I was
concerned about the mountains of the west and having sufficient power
to climb without being the slowest vehicle on the road... so that
narrowed my choices to newer/more powerful PT or WB coaches.




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