RV Fuel Economy

Coleen, the RVing editor





Working RVers Switch To RVs With Worse Fuel Economy

When working RVers replace their recreational vehicles, they tend to buy an RV that gets the same or worse fuel mileage than the one they had. This is according to an RV Owners' Advisory Council survey as reported in the Good Sam Club's September "Highways" magazine. The article says it was a 2008 survey with nearly 10,000 responding.

Surprised? I was. I thought working RVers would be trading for rigs that are more fuel efficient, not less.

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Comments for RV Fuel Economy

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Older Is Better When You're On a Budget


Well, considering that 1980's vintage RV's around here are selling for as little as 1k, it makes sense to buy older and figure the trade-off in MPG works to your favor.

Outside of the big Luxo-Barges, the depreciation on a motorhome is incredible. In the Phoenix area, it's unusual to hear of anyone getting more than four grand for their rig.
Re: RV Fuel Economy


When you leave things out of context you get
Michael Moore thinking type of rhetoric.

People usually upgrade to larger RV's which
accounts for less mileage. Simple logic defies media
spin for those who think.
Fuel Economy May Not Be the Motivation


I think that fuel economy is not the primary consideration when full timers look for new rigs. Many are trying to upgrade their homes and maybe get a larger rig -- not necessarily a more fuel efficient one. Most of the full timers I have come in contact with do not move their homes frequently. Full timers tend to stay in one area for longer periods of time so fuel economy is not their main interest -- the space and the storage of the home is a greater concern.

I know right now that if we had the opportunity to trade either our old truck or our old trailer we would most likely trade the old trailer for a larger one rather than a newer more fuel efficient truck.
Re: RV Fuel Economy


> When you leave things out of context
> you get Michael Moore thinking type
> of rhetoric.
>
> People usually upgrade to larger RV's
> which accounts for less mileage. Simple
> logic defies media spin for those who think.

Isn't that *exactly* what the initial article suggested? I see no "spin". The bigger the barge, the more power it takes to push it down the road.... I don't need Michael Moore to tell me that.

The same is true of your clothing, BTW (not literally "you", of course, but population-wise). It's easier to buy pants with a bigger waist than it is to reduce our cheeseburger consumption.

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