Fuel economy

[willwander08]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, David Brady wrote:

I am very new to all this, learning and loving it most of the time. Still in the
shake down
phase, so a bit anxious.

Until we come up with an affordable (steam, hydrogen, fusion) augmenting or
alternative
power source, keeping to basics may help.

Perhaps this is common knowledge to many of you but, as a newbie, I found it
helpful.
There is a good deal of what appears to be FACTUAL information about
speed/weight/MPG
under a variety of conditions.

The following link at WOO is to the "CAT Performance Guide" for coaches
(the .pdf file may also be at this site but I did not see it).

http://wanderlodge.org/TechFiles/CATPerf...eGuide.pdf

Bill -1983 FC 35 SB

> Gardner,
>
> I'm a big proponent of a steam engine hybrid for
> a motorhome. BMW recently announced the availability
> of an adjunct steam engine for their gasoline cars. By
> recapturing exhaust gas heat via a steam boiler, storing
> the steam in high pressure vessels, and using it to propel
> the coach from a dead stop or up the next hill, bmw
> increases engine efficiency by 15%. In our case, we'd also
> have all the hot water we need! We do do a little
> of this in that the Aqua-Hot uses engine coolant to heat
> the hot water and the house. Now we need to capture
> that 1000deg turbo gas energy and store it! I think
> it's a great idea. See:
>
> http://www.gizmag.com/go/4936/
>
> On the cost of ownership: I definitely have a higher rate
> of depreciation, I keep my coach in a private garage, and
> I do do almost all of my own mtce, but even then there's
> big ticket items. This past year for example, I installed a
> new A-H for $5000, then you need to budget for tires
> and batteries, etc, etc. Even by doing the work ourselves,
> it still ain't cheap.
>
> David Brady
> '02 LXi, NC
>
>
> Gardner Yeaw wrote:
> >
> > David,
> > I agree that with a 2002 coach you are still eating the
> > depreciation at a high rate, but I am looking at mid 80's coaches
> > where the depreciation is far less. 20k for storage and maintenance
> > is a pretty big number. I pay about $800 for storage and maybe 1 or
> > 2k for maintenance. I can do most things myself.
> >
> > Actually I thought the steam engine would elicit more of a
> > reaction.
> >
> > Gardner
> > 78FC33
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>