Fuel economy

[Gardner Yeaw]

With the recent surge in fuel prices I am being forced to
reconsider our desire to upgrade to a PT 38 or 40. My 78FC33 gets
between 8.5 and 9.2 mpg towing my 1995 Jeep Cherokee sport. We are
thinking around 8 to 10k miles each year for the first few after
retirement. Cutting the mileage roughly in half with a bigger coach
will put a huge dent in the finances. If I just assumed
conservatively that diesel will be around $6 a gallon in two and a
half years: at 8.5mpg, 10k miles =$7,058, at 5mpg, 10k miles =
$12,000 (3rd grade arithmetic really was useful after all). And
that's just the first year of retirement.

Now if I could tow a portable bio-diesel system behind me and
collect vegetable oil from the various food venues along the way????
Actually, why not use the heat from the retarder and the diesel
exhaust and coolant system to pre-heat water for the steam boiler to
run a hybrid diesel-steam engine system? Honey, would you throw
another log on the fire, this next hill is a steep one!

Gardner
78FC33


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Al" wrote:
>
> Ryan,
> With an '86, you are certain to have to change out all fuel
lines
> in her to make them compatible with your biodiesel. The biodiesel
> will eat out the fuel lines from within. They will not fail
> overnight and you will start to see them leak. But rest assured,
it
> will have to be done. Bob Loomis and dropped a 150 gallon tank in
> mine and I would hate to have to do it will 300 gallons. Word of
> advice, when you do it, go buy all-thread and use them to lower
the
> tank with fuel in it. Chances are you will have all the spray
foam
> on the tank. When we did mine, even with some fuel in it, the
tank
> did not budge. We had to top her off and use the weight to lower
and
> then drain out the fuel. Took us better part of a week but now we
> could probably do one in a day.
>
> Al Johnson
> '96 BMC B75 ==> B100
> Mandeville, Louisiana
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ryan Wright"
> wrote:
> >
> > Jon,
> >
> > On 11/9/07, Jon wrote:
> > >
> > > Dan I think the future of these big units will be only for
the
> guys
> > > who have those extra retirement bucks. Our diesel fuel
prices up
> > > here in Washington are almost 3.60 a gallon and probably
going
> up
> > > further as I type.
> >
> > $3.80 a gallon down the street from me. This is getting
ridiculous.
> > Thankfully, I have found a source of used vegetable oil and am
going
> > to process my own bio diesel. That will get my cost down under
> $1.00 a
> > gallon from now on.
> >
> > As for me, my '86 PT-40's (8V92) worst gas mileage so far was
> 4.13mpg.
> > That was sailing through Nebraska at 80mph with the generator
> running
> > and four A/Cs on full blast. Later in the trip, when I slowed
down
> to
> > ~70mph, I got about 5mpg. I believe if I keep my speed down and
am
> > careful on my next trip I'll be able to coax her closer to 6mpg.
> > Honestly, for a coach that weighs in at 41,000lbs, that's not
half
> > bad.
> >
> > -Ryan
> > '86 PT-40 8V92
> >
>