Author Topic: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?  (Read 57081 times)

Offline Ed Hackenbruch

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #15 on: March 13, 2013, 05:16:30 PM »
MCI 5A,  35ft, 8V71 no turbo, 644 Allison automatic,  Towing a 3800 lb Jeep, fulltiming so we are loaded up all of the time, weigh just under 30,000.  Lots of mountains out here so  seems like we are always going up or down, after 9 years and over 50,000 miles we have averaged 7.24 mpg. 

Used to own a 1968 MCI 5A and a 1977 5C.

Offline robertglines1

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #16 on: March 13, 2013, 05:31:23 PM »
Sounds like everyone is being pretty honest. and consistent . Still cheaper than any other vacation in the end cost. I would have thought the 35ft coaches would have been more efficient.(mpg) from what I have heard. Bob
Bob@Judy  98 XLE prevost with 3 slides --Home done---last one! SW INdiana

Offline belfert

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #17 on: March 13, 2013, 05:34:01 PM »
My bus is 43 feet with a Series 60 engine and a B500 transmission.  I get between 7 and 8 MPG on the highway at 65 MPH.  The last three years I have been pulling a 20 foot trailer so my MPG is less.  It seems like the last few years I have lost a few tenths on the MPG.  Last fall we had less stuff in the trailer yet it seemed the fuel mileage over 4,000 miles was less than the year before with more weight.  The fuel filters get replaced yearly and the air filter has maybe 10,000 miles and just over a year on it.
Brian Elfert - 1995 Dina Viaggio 1000 Series 60/B500 - 75% done but usable - Minneapolis, MN

Offline rampeyboy

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #18 on: March 13, 2013, 06:21:01 PM »
I don't know yet, because my Scenicruiser is not road worthy yet. Anyone have personal experience with fuel mileage of a 8V71, 4 speed Scenicruiser?
Boyce Rampey
Columbia, SC
Scenicruiser 227

Offline usbusin

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  • '60 PD4104-4355 (sold) and '01 Freightliner (sold)
Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #19 on: March 13, 2013, 06:24:30 PM »


Engine: Cat 3126b   300 hp   860 lb-ft torque
Transmission: Eaton/Fuller 6 speed manual overdrive
Rear End Ratio: 3.91
Tires: Michelin 255/80R 22.5
Total Motorhome weight: 25,000 lb fully loaded
Toad Weight: Ford SUV Taurus X  4,000+ lb
Mileage over 130,000 miles = +- 10 mpg (as low as 9.5 and a high of 11.5) Always towing

Gary D

USBUSIN was our 1960 PD4104 for 16 years (150,000 miles)
USTRUCKIN was our 2001 Freightliner Truck Conversion for 19 years (135,000 miles)
We are busless and truckless after 35 years of traveling

Offline Gordie Allen

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #20 on: March 13, 2013, 06:35:49 PM »
1956 GM 4104 with 671 - 4 valve heads
35' (single rear axle)
4 spd Spicer
Drove it from FL to MI after purchase last Feb and got 10 mpg.
Hoping that after conversion the same is true.
Augusta, MI
1956 4104
DD 671

Offline hargreaves

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #21 on: March 13, 2013, 06:39:49 PM »
87 MCI 102A3, 8 in. roof raise, 36,000 lbs, Series 50, 350 hp, 1,200 foot lbs of torque, advanced timing, B 400 trans. 3.73 rear end, 315/80R 22.5 tires, towing a tracker 3,000 lbs. running 60 - 65 mph. averaging 8.5 mpg. and totally happy with that.  Cheers Gerry
now as of Feb 2012 series 50 B400  . Sunshine Coast British Columbia

Offline luvrbus

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #22 on: March 13, 2013, 06:46:32 PM »
Driving 60 mph on a Interstate with a 85 mph speed limit is just silly to me when the speed was 80mph (85 mph now) on I 10 in Texas that is where I ran 5 to 6 mpg  

If you want to drive 60 mph in a 85 mph zone it may save you a little fuel, now your life the jury is out on that one just figure 5 mph on any bus and if you do better it is a blessing and savings  

Most of the older buses the top speed is about + or- 70 mph it all depends on your driving habits and the weight sure a 25,000 lb 35 ft bus will do better than 45ft-54,000 lb bus why worry about fuel you need it to get from point A to B no matter what the income is
Life is short drink the good wine first

Offline bobofthenorth

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #23 on: March 13, 2013, 06:57:50 PM »
What Clifford said.  If I'm careful I can nurse 7.5 MPG out of the frenchy bus (8-92 & 10 spd turning about 1900 @ 65 MPH dragging the Ford Exploder) but more typically it is 6.5 MPG.  And that's 6.5 to the Canadian gallon.  Measured against that wimpy-@$# thing you guys call a gallon that's more like 5 MPG.  I tried running 50 MPH for a couple of months but my blood pressure went up too much to keep on with that foolishness. 
R.J.(Bob) Evans
Used to be 1981 Prevost 8-92, 10 spd
Currently busless (and not looking)

The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you.
Its the last thing but its still on the list.

Offline John316

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #24 on: March 13, 2013, 06:59:39 PM »
200% what Clifford said. We have run 85 in TX and that is totally fantastic. Plan on 5mpg and be thrilled with more. The reality is, there are a lot more bus expenses then fuel.
Sold - MCI 1995 DL3. DD S60 with a Allison B500.

Offline robertglines1

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #25 on: March 13, 2013, 07:08:44 PM »
I had choices this time because I bought shell without drive train so am doing best I can on fuel. A  mpg either way. Most won't be traveling every day. The offset of other cost is the reward. Just my opinion. Select the bus that best represents your overall needs. Sleeping in your own bed has a value also.  I never did to good hanging out in the right lane so my mpg never was to good.   Bob
Bob@Judy  98 XLE prevost with 3 slides --Home done---last one! SW INdiana

Offline chessie4905

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #26 on: March 13, 2013, 07:11:01 PM »
1948 ACF Brill@ 779 cu. in. Hall Scott gas engine, 4.11 with 11:00x 22 tires- 5.5 mpg. 1958 GMC 4104 with turbo 6-71 with n-75's. 4:11 8 to 9.5. 3:55 8.5 to 10 mpg. Current 4905- haven't had a chance to check it yet, as I'm working on it and several other things at the same time. It'll probably get about 12 to 14mpg. ::)
GMC h8h 649#028 (4905)
Pennsylvania-central

Offline Brian Diehl

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #27 on: March 13, 2013, 07:26:08 PM »
Fuel is a small part of the overall cost of owning a bus.  However, it is a cost to be considered and therefore your question is valid.  I have a year 2000 Cummins ISM in my 1985 MCI 96A3.  I drive it like I pay for the fuel and tend to run 65 or under even on the freeway.  I get between 8.5 and 9.5.  The bus is about 30,500 lbs with 3.33:1 gears using an automated Eaton 10SPD Autoshift as the transmission.

Offline morefire

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #28 on: March 13, 2013, 07:45:30 PM »
Yea, fuel consumption wasn't my concern when I pulled the CAT C13 and installed the monster ISX.... but funny enough, the ISX650 burns about the same as the 410hp C13 in normal driving conditions.

I enjoy pressing the accelerator pedal regardless of fuel burn..... I love to feel this huge bus accelerate like a pickup truck.... and the turbo sounds SWEET!!
David G
Toronto, Ontario
2009 Bluebird 40' Coach
Cummins ISX-675HP!!

Offline Ed Hackenbruch

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Re: How many miles per gallon does your bus get?
« Reply #29 on: March 13, 2013, 07:47:23 PM »
To add to my post above,.....i drive whatever the speed limit is whenever possible.
Used to own a 1968 MCI 5A and a 1977 5C.

 

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