Fuel economy

[David Brady]

Fuel is still a small part of the total cost of ownership.
For my coach I figure $20K per year depreciation, $10K
per year for storage and insurance, and another $10K
for annual maintenance. If I travel 10K miles at a cost of
.50 cents per mile that's an incremental $5K on top of my
$40K of fixed costs. Even if fuel doubles in price I'm only
shelling out $10K, still a fraction of my $40K of annual fixed
costs.


David Brady
'02 LXi, NC

Don Bradner wrote:
>
> I'm not sure whether conservative in this context means
> over-estimating, or under-estimating, price. I also don't know
> anything about your personal retirement financial situation. But...
>
> I find $6 per gallon in 2.5 years to be pessimistic (is that
> conservative?) to a very great extent. Consider the following national
> averages for diesel:
>
> 2000 $1.49
> 2001 $1.40
> 2002 $1.32
> 2003 $1.51
> 2004 $1.81
> 2005 $2.40
> 2006 $2.71
> 2007 $2.95 (estimate to date, current at peak 3.30)
>
> So, to be an average of $6 in 2-1/2 years it will have to rise more
> per year than it ever has in any year to this point. Can it? Maybe.
> Will it? Odds and history say no.
>
> Those of us with 300 gallon fuel tanks who are out doing 10K miles or
> more per year do not pay average prices, we pay less. There is zero
> need to fill in high price areas unless you are staying in one of
> those areas but still using fuel, as apparently Ryan is. I arrived
> home in Eureka, California on Tuesday to find diesel at $3.79 and
> shook my head - used to have to buy some here when I only had 80
> gallon capacity in my SOB even if I did get 8.3 miles per gallon.
>
> I would say that a more realistic expectation of fuel prices (average)
> in 2.5 years is $4 per gallon. I know that looks rosy when viewed
> while the national average is $3.30, but remember it was $3.15 in
> October of '05 and $3.05 in August of '06 also, and that is simpy a
> contributing factor to those year's averages of $2.40 and $2.71,
> respectively.
>
> At 10K miles and $4, your difference, even using the unlikely low end
> of 5mpg for a PT40, is about $3300. I have a similar situation moving
> from 8.3 to 5.2 (and I suspect my 5.2 is on the low end of what is
> likely). I've averaged 15K per year over the past 5 years, so it is
> not insignificant. It just points out that travel is inherently
> expensive, something I'm well aware of. I am not now, nor expect to be
> in the future, a wealthy man, but I do intend to keep seeing the
> country as long as I can afford it, and the extra 1000 gallons of fuel
> does not put me past the breaking point.
>
> Don Bradner
> 90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
> Eureka, CA
>
> On 11/11/2007 at 2:24 AM Gardner Yeaw wrote:
>
> >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
> >> >
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
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