Let's apply a little math (as Sully is trying to do in another post) and expand on what Southwind posted.
Using 6000 miles per year, 8 mpg, and $4/gal gasoline, your fuel bill for a year will be $3,000. Let's say that mpg can be increased 25% to 10 mpg-----that would save you $600 a year.
Now comes the "REAL" question. How many more dollars are you willing to spend to save that $600 a year?? I wouldn't spend more than another $10,000. That, unfortunately, won't buy much technology suitable for a low volume, 10 ton billboard that can also tow another 2 ton toad.
Mark
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U on a Ford chassis
2003 Ford Explorer toad with US Gear brakes,
ReadyBrute tow bar, and Demco base plate.
But, what if you were doing 16,000 miles a year and gas cost $4.00/gal and your getting 8 MPG. You are spending $8,000.00/tear for gas, whereas a same size MH that gets 16 MPG only spends $4,000.00/year on gas and if the MH is kept for 5 years, the savings is $20,000.00. Right now fuel efficient cars are selling well and the big SUV's and HD pick-up trucks are hard to give away. I see where Nissan is offering a $5,000.00 cash rebate on the Titan. Bagman.
bagman wrote: But, what if you were doing 16,000 miles a year and gas cost $4.00/gal and your getting 8 MPG. You are spending $8,000.00/tear for gas, whereas a same size MH that gets 16 MPG only spends $4,000.00/year on gas and if the MH is kept for 5 years, the savings is $20,000.00. Right now fuel efficient cars are selling well and the big SUV's and HD pick-up trucks are hard to give away. I see where Nissan is offering a $5,000.00 cash rebate on the Titan. Bagman.
There are very few people that drive 16,000 miles a year---thus a very small market for your scenario. And there's no technology out there that will double the mpg of a comfortable 34' MH at any realistic price.
bagman wrote: But, what if you were doing 16,000 miles a year and gas cost $4.00/gal and your getting 8 MPG. You are spending $8,000.00/tear for gas, whereas a same size MH that gets 16 MPG only spends $4,000.00/year on gas and if the MH is kept for 5 years, the savings is $20,000.00. Right now fuel efficient cars are selling well and the big SUV's and HD pick-up trucks are hard to give away. I see where Nissan is offering a $5,000.00 cash rebate on the Titan. Bagman.
I'll keep the extra 10 feet and actually be comfortable. 4k a year is peanuts compared to how much more you will spend for that new fuel efficient motor home, you will end up with less space, pay more and probably end up with significantly less CCC as well.
That would be a typical american financial decision. Lose 50k+ in depreciation to upgrade their MH to save 4k a year on fuel. Not too mention the depreciation on the new unit.
I've yet to see a hybrid make sense over a similar non hybrid cost wise. Especially since the tax rebates are going away. I have to laugh when people pay an extra 6k for the vehicle and drive mostly highway miles. If you live in a big city it might make sense but for the majority of us that isn't the case.
R.R. locomotives are diesel electric for a reason. Not being an engineer I always thought it would be easier to just run the locomotive through gears and skip the generator but they claim better efficiency by running the current way. That may be a solution for us. I would like to buy an old locomotive and try to convert but my wife says no all the time.
Have you looked at what Lionev.com is doing. That's Lion Electric Motors. They are working on a 40' class A motorhome to run 800 miles on 1 charge. They are trying to prove they can do that in the next 120 days.
Smoky's Den
2001 KSO1 Travel Supreme
PT Cruiser Toad
Wheaton Terrier dog
What gets me. Is I used to drive a class 8 Truck and on a 7000 mile week. We running team. Could average 10 MPG and here is a Class A not getting that. Most to me needs work like the class 8 trucks have gotten over the last 20 years. Make them cut he wind better and inporve the MPG.
I have a buddy with a 35ft diesel pusher and he gets 12 MPG running 50 MPH. Speeding up to 60 He gets 9 MPG. So you can guess he is driving 50 now and smiling the while way.
Pete
2004 C/K2500 4X4 Duramax/allison Trans C/C white short bed 4x4
2006 Okanagan 811 SL
2008 Lund 1825 Pro Guide Tiller, With a Evinrude 90 HP E-Tec
The hybrid model really only works in the city. A motorhome is mostly driven on the highway.
The biggest way to save fuel in motorhomes is to go to smaller units or smaller motors. A smaller motor might mean you climb a hill at 30 MPH instead of 60 MPH, but how much time do you really spend climbing grades on the average trip anyhow?
bsinmich wrote: R.R. locomotives are diesel electric for a reason. Not being an engineer I always thought it would be easier to just run the locomotive through gears and skip the generator but they claim better efficiency by running the current way. That may be a solution for us. I would like to buy an old locomotive and try to convert but my wife says no all the time.
I guess that's why you're not an engineer. Maybe Locomotiveman will pop in, but there's lot's of reasons for electric drive on a locomotive besides efficiency. They include lack of space for all the necessary gearboxes needed to get the reduction and power to all the wheels under a locomotive. Another reason (a big one) is being able to apply full torque to the wheels (without motion) to get the train rolling and then slowly build up speed without spinning the wheels. A large torque converter could do that, but at a tremendous cost of heat buildup and poor efficiency.
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