Chinook RV

Short version:

What sort of mileage can I expect out of a Chinook Destiny with an 8.1 Vortec?

Longer story:

My wife and I are getting close to buying an RV. We traveled by motorcycle for many many years, and have, for the last ten years, spent our holidays on my 28' sailboat.

But we have recently adopted a couple of little dogs that do not like the sailboat. As a result, sailing is now limited to day trips, by myself.

So an RV it is.

Now, a new one is out of the question, especially as we're not sure RVing is for us. I suspect it is, but you never know. We could just rent something, but the price of rentals is ridiculous. I'd rather commit by buying something, even if it turns out to be a mistake and I end up eating some cash afterwards, than throw away thousands on a 10 day rental.

Looking around locally, I see two RVs that interest me. One is a 2003 Chinook Destiny with an 8.1 Vortec engine. It's a bit bigger than I'd like .. a 20 or 21 foot model is what I had in mind, but gosh, it's a nice machine.

My one concern is mileage. If an RV agrees with us (and the dogs), we might want to take a trip across country, and that would mean 10,000 miles worth of gas. Being retired and on a small pension, gas mileage is a potential deal breaker.

So, can anyone tell me what a guy might expect? Even in rough numbers? I have no clue what to expect.

Thanks in advance.


Alan

Without being too exact, it seem most every RV get's about 10mpg. Some large (45') get 8, some sprinter based (Winnebago View) models do a fair bit better (15ish). Some day, someone will build a conversion on the tesla semi truck.. then 50 years past that, I can afford one haha.

I think electric 18 wheeler is only good for short haul. For long haul, 20% or more of the cargo space will need to be batteries. What is next? A battery operated locomotive or aircraft carrier? For something above certain size, it is just not efficient unless it is for a short distance.

Anyway, I don't know about the Destiny, but for my V10, it is ~11 MPG. You only paying for the gas when you are moving, so if you stays in a spot for a few days, it is not going to cost much in the stationary period.

Sail boat does not use gas, but it will take months to go from sea to shining sea... the route is different, and I don't think it is fair to compare one to another. You may want to see if it is possible to tow two motorcycles in the back, and use them to explore the local area.

The battery bank could be huge in the floor of an RV. A huge battery bank helps with super charging station time(regarding is slowed down above 80% and something about the first few percent also). Besides, you could make a sandwich, watch a show, and be on your way after a little break.. I think (hope) it'll be amazing. I doubt I'll want to pay for one in my lifetime though.

Manitou, I don't know how young you are, but I certainly do not expect much in long-haul EV application for RV, 18 wheeler, or anything similar, within my lifetime. Hybrid is good idea, to regenerate the energy when rolling down the hills, but full EV application is just not practical in what is available in next few decades of battery technology.

When I told my coworkers the MPG of my rig, they all are surprised by how much it costs to fuel it up. But one thing that I remind them is that in majority of America, we still have access to cheap gasoline (and diesel). I do not pay $4/gal when I get out of my local area, for example. Going slower definitely will help a lot. Maybe I will look into lower my rig to the ground for better ground effect, add panels to the bottom to make it more smooth, or add one of these things (well, maybe if I have a side entry model)