1kwik72
Lansing MI
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Anyone towing a heavy load with an 8.1L Kodiak? Just curious on what you are getting for fuel mileage. I have an 08 GS 6316 that I tow a 28' trailer that probably weighs in the 8500-9000lb range. Its hard to gauge actual fuel mileage as we use the generator probably 6-12 hrs a weekend but that plus a 140mi round trip has used 34 gallons each of the last 2 weekends. The trip is split 50/50 freeway 70-75mph / regular roads @ 55-60mph its pretty flat with just a couple of exceptions. Part of it may be my driving habits I like to hang with traffic  By my calculations including generator usage I am getting about 3.5 - 4 mpg. This isn't a big deal I can handle the 125 bucks a weekend to go racing at my local track. I was thinking about a trip out west this fall to do some racing and visit family, it looks to be about 4200mi round trip. At 4mpg that could get way expensive  .
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ronfisherman
SE Michigan
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Joined: 06/05/2006
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The guys with 8.1's and towing seem to be getting 7-8 mpg. Generator must be using more than you think. Slowing down to 55-60 will help a lot. have you checked out Kodiak Chassis Class C Yahoo group. Lots of info on mileage there.
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Rick Jay
Greater Springfield area, MA
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Joined: 02/02/2003
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Hi,
Looking at your numbers...if we figure the generator uses about 10 gallons of fuel (without knowing actual load or runtimes, that could be a decent guess) that means you used 24 gallons for 140 miles, which is 5.8 mpg. At the speeds you're travelling AND the fact that you're probably over the GCWR by a few thousand pounds, I think that's not too far off.
Try to slow down to the 60-65 mph range for one. Then try to more accurately log the generator hours and the approximate average load (one AC, two AC's, electric water heater (probably NOT a good idea), refrigerator (again...probably better on propane), etc.).
One other thing is that you'll generally get more accurate results with a greater fill volume AND if you can use the same station, same pump, same aisle each time. Still, on my rig I've been able to easily put an additional 5 gallons into my tank (on a 50 gallon fill) after the pump first kicks-off, so that can add a variable to all of the calculations. So trying to be as consistent as possible at fill-up time may help with your numbers too.
But I suspect slowing down will yield your most noticeable increase in mpg.
On my class A with the 8.1/Allison and running with a GCW of about 25,500 lbs. (towing the Honda Odyssey), I've seen mpg numbers anywhere from high 6's to high 8's. The biggest factors seem to be the weight of my right foot and whether or not the generator is running. Needless to say, the "high 6's mpgs" usually occur in the heat of the summer (one or two AC's running) PLUS pushing the speeds to the 65-70 mph range, instead of my usual 60-65 mph range.
~Rick
* This post was
edited 05/05/08 07:53pm by Rick Jay *
2005 Georgie Boy 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22.
Rick, Gail, 2 girls (11 & 6), 2 boys (7 & 4), 1 plump Golden Retriever.
2001 Honda Odyssey with Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
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Mile-High-Endura
Colorado
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Joined: 06/08/2007
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So far I've made 2 trips this year from just south of Denver to Pueblo towing a 20' open trailer with a 3100 lb. car, a Yamaha Radian motorcycle, storage box and a 3200 watt Subaru generator on board. Traveling at 65 mph on cruise control I'm at half a tank. Its nearly 400 miles total. About 1/2 the trip is on I-25.
I'm using the Subaru instead of the Onan much easier on gas (5 gallons for over 20 hours run time).
Mileage is usually around 7. Our house is at 6500' over Monument Hill- Black Forest area (7300') to Pueblo (5000'). It has no modifications engine or suspension and tows fine. Also I'm not a Chevy guy.
Jeff
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1kwik72
Lansing MI
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Yeah I am sure my driving habits are most of it  The load on the generator Saturday night (7hrs or so)was mostly just the TV and the fridge was set to auto. I did run the convection oven and the microwave for dinner for about 45 minutes and Sunday Morning the Generator was on for about 2hrs or so running the water heater and the wifes hair straitening iron. I haven't weighed it yet but if my guestimations are correct I am probably right at the GCWR. Most guys I have talked to with this floorplan are right about 17,500lbs fully loaded on the coach. I don't have a lot of stuff in there right now So I am probably under that. The trailer is another story, the listed weight from the manufacturer is 4958lbs the factory rep said to add 10% or so for the finished interior and cabinets so that would put it about 5450 for the trailer plus my 2980lb Nova plus a 300lb quad 125lbs of fuel and probably 200 plus pounds of gear. for about 9100ish lbs I may be a tick over but not probably more than a couple hundred pounds
Craig
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exfuzz02
Lakewood, WA
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Joined: 03/19/2005
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I like life in the slow lane.....55 to 60...If on a 2 lane road I pull off when I safely can and let everyone behind me who wants to go 80, fly by. I get around 6 mpg towing my Jeep Liberty.
2007 Jayco 33DS, Greyhawk/Kodiak Chassis,Chev V-8
Toad: 2004 Jeep Liberty 4x4.
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mfa
Florida
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Joined: 08/28/2006
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I've got a 2006 GS 6316 with the 8.1L. Running ~65 mph in flat country I get around 7.5 mpg. Towing a 3,000 lb Honda Civic at 65 mph, I get around 6.8 mpg.
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acomputerdude
Illinois
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Joined: 01/17/2008
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This may sound silly but the generator in our class C says that it uses 1/2 to 1 gallon of fuel per hour which sounds excessive to me... it also sounds loud and my family likes to run it all the time. What I did is bought a Honda EU3000is and run it basically 24 hours a day on about 5-8 gallons of fuel in spring/fall/winter and about 10-12 gallons in the summer with A/C. It's also very quiet so it doesn't bother neighbors or us while trying to sleep. We dry camp almost 100% of the time while racing and it's been one of the best investments I've made. Just a thought and my 2¢.
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dleslie125
Southern Ontario/Palmetto FL in Winter
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acomputerdude wrote:This may sound silly but the generator in our class C says that it uses 1/2 to 1 gallon of fuel per hour which sounds excessive to me... it also sounds loud and my family likes to run it all the time. What I did is bought a Honda EU3000is and run it basically 24 hours a day on about 5-8 gallons of fuel in spring/fall/winter and about 10-12 gallons in the summer with A/C. It's also very quiet so it doesn't bother neighbors or us while trying to sleep. We dry camp almost 100% of the time while racing and it's been one of the best investments I've made. Just a thought and my 2¢.
That half to one sounds right and I think your own numbers might validate them. Your 3000i must be much smaller than the gennie in your MH which has to be at least 4000 (mine is 5500 watts) would certainly use more. With both AC's on in our unit I don't doubt it would swallow over 1/2 gallon per hour.
12 gallons a day for your 3000 is a 1/2 gal an hour.
My son takes as 2000i to the track and I have to say it is pretty quiet. If I were buying tomorrow I'd try to have the gennie deleted (we rarely dry camp and while he needs the gennie in the paddock his track has 30 amp and water in the camping area) and I'd buy a 2000i or 3000i for those rare cases we need juice.
I guess one could say we tow heavyish - almost 6000 lbs for the Tahoe and our 8.1 is getting 7.4 mpg. The ScanGauge will show 8+ on a flat stretch with no headwind, but it is the overall average that counts. What has surprised me so far is that the 8.1 can't match the 7.6 we got from our Cummins ISC and the 8.3 from the Cat C7 - and the actual GCW's of those were much higher. I can see why GM is going to dump the 8.1 as it is far from fuel efficient. Yesterday there was a lot of chatter on CNBC about $200 a barrel oil. $7 to $8 a gallon will change the RV landscape considerably.
Don, Bev & Phil
07 Jayco 32SS on Kodiak May 07 Yahoo Kodiak Group
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1kwik72
Lansing MI
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Yeah thats one variable I didn't think about. We had some crazy winds the first 2 trips out. It was so bad on the 25 or so miles heading to the west that it would downshift frequently when the wind gusted. Nothing like getting broke in driving a 65+ foot long billboard
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