Date:         Sun, 5 May 2002 15:46:56 -0500
Reply-To:     Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Organization: not likely
Subject:      fuel economy in campers
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

just a point of data for all you folks out there with campers ...

this weekend, i got nagged into being a taxi driver for some
architecture students from Tulane University. it seems that Auburn
University has some Rural Studio where 'tecture students live out in
strange looking (self-designed, of course) 'pods' in a small very
rural community, and design structures and houses for the local county
government projects, while getting college thesis credit for this
work.

well, this weekend was their graduation and show-off party, so lots of
'tecs from all over were invited and taken on a tour around the area
to show off the projects, some completed and others still under
construction (by the students). on the whole, a good idea ...but on
narrow country roads, some unpaved, 300 people in almost as many cars
is a very good example of chaos-on-the-hoof. :)  but still, it was
kinda fun ... except for the mud. lots of mud. LOTS and LOTS of mud.
all over everywhere.

now, to the point! ;)

i drive the camper to work, about 6-8 miles, and since it's been
winter for a long time, i've been getting in the 14's, 15's, and 16's
for mpg. february was 14.0 and 16.4mpg. march was 14.9 and 16.3. april
was 16.1 and 16.6.

for this trip, it was necessary to drive 40 miles on 2-lane country
roads to just get to the place, then the 300-strong
caravan/herd/mobile-mob commenced to trapse over three counties for a
total of 210 miles by the end of the day. then 40 miles back home.
grand total of 296.1 miles ... on 14.1 gallons. or 21.0 mpg. max speed
was 55 mph ... normally we poked along at about 45, which necessiated
having to shift down to 3rd gear to get up some of the longer hills.

but the point is (you just knew there was one in here, right?) that
low mpg around town doesn't mean your bus is running badly ... it all
depends on the type and distance of the driving you do; mostly town
driving means lower mpg. mostly highway trips means higher mpg ... up
to the point of no-return when you are trying to keep up with the
other traffic. ;)

just babbling. :)
joel