Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: Betsy2023 on July 17, 2021, 08:12:02 pm
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Hello, fellow Phoenix Cruisers and TRX RVer’s. Well, we just completed our maiden adventure in our new TRX. 6,032 miles. Joshua Tree, CA to NC up to Virginia, DC, Cleveland, Michigan, around Chicago, Omaha, Colorado, Albuquerque, Flagstaff, and back to Joshua Tree, Ca. June 13 – July 15. We love our TRX. The only hazard happened in Des Moines, IO. A broken windshield from a hail storm. We were able to make it home, now waiting on insurance folks about a new windshield. Averaged 11.4 mpg. We did not baby the RV, 60-72 mph when conditions warranted. Our adventure included a 4-hour standstill outside of Albuquerque on I-40
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Are you towing?
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No I was not. The reason we purchased this model was because we did not want to tow a vehicle anymore. Did that before. Thank you.
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Not questioning towing vs not but it enters the equation when gas mileage is noted. Apples to apples is hard to equate without the pertinent info.
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Congratulations on a very big trip ! Just curious, how did you find the campground availability to be ? Reservations ? Drive up ?
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Regarding travel this year. We’re 3500 miles into our trip. No reservations with no problem in high travel places such as twin falls Idaho as well as over July 4th Coeur d’Alene Idaho, and no issue in Newport Washington…..white fish / Columbia falls montana ( close to entrance to glacier nat park). Same goes for St Ignace Michigan (mackinac island visit). Granted we don’t get pick of the litter camp sites but the state parks are almost always outstanding. We don’t go into the national parks like Glacier. Those places are nuts but we did that years ago already. We have yet to make reservations more than 24 hours out simply because I have no idea when I’ll get somewhere. We get side tracked often.
And yes sometimes we have had to call more than one campground.
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Not questioning towing vs not but it enters the equation when gas mileage is noted. Apples to apples is hard to equate without the pertinent info.
For reference.....
Our 2007 E350-V10 2350 (with no slide out) averaged 10.5mpg on the only trip out west that we did not tow our Jeep Liberty. Our fuel economy was calculated from home near Chicago, heading out west to Seattle and many many places in between. It was roughly a 5000 mile round-trip journey with a highway cruising speed between 60 mph and 65 mph. I intentionally lowered our cruising speed by 5 mph (we typically cruise between 65 and 70) during that trip to see how well our fuel economy could be when making the effort.
I wonder what our fuel economy would be with a new 2022 E350-V8 along with 2 more gears in the transmission.
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Congratulations on a very big trip ! Just curious, how did you find the campground availability to be ? Reservations ? Drive up ?
Hi I made reservations ahead of time, found campgrounds pretty full, but most were able to accommodate. I tried to stay at KOA's most of the time. Did stay at a couple of privately owned campgrounds. Weekends seemed to be the hardest and also in popular areas such as the Grand Canyon, and Virginia.
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Ron, I typically only check my mileage at the end of a big trip. What I can say is I have spent $1400 on fuel in one month. We are traveling very heavy this year. Gas prices are all over the board. Last station in Wisconsin I saw was at 2.96. One block later in Michigan and the price was 3.29.
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Ron, I typically only check my mileage at the end of a big trip.
Yep, me too.
A snap shot of one tank full can be very misleading, watching the on-board mpg read-out is even worse. "Trip average" calculated by hand is a real mpg number to value.
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Ron, I typically only check my mileage at the end of a big trip.
Yep, me too.
A snap shot of one tank full can be very misleading, watching the on-board mpg read-out is even worse. "Trip average" calculated by hand is a real mpg number to value.
Is 1 gph for the Onan 4K about right? Running the generator will substantially throw off any manual calculations. For fill ups with no generator usage the ECU (scan gauge) average mpg is comparable the manually calculated mpg.
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I wonder what our fuel economy would be with a new 2022 E350-V8 along with 2 more gears in the transmission.
Dunno, but if a more aerodynamic, 'state of the art' design, 500# less GVWR ,engine about 1/2 the size (3.5l vs 6.8l) and TWICE as many gears (10 vs 5) only gets 1 mpg more than your 2007... (WH) I would have thought 13-15 MPG would be expected. But the real world results are the proof! But I have seen where a bigger motor in the same vehicle gets better mileage before, so maybe the 7.3 would be better.
Our use is on the nice, 'flat' Florida interstates, and our last trip (550mi) LOADED with an overloaded trailer :-[ going 70-75 we barely got 8.
Last weekend ~300mi to Boca Raton with just us, 20 gal of water and ~600# (educated guess....) of video gear and fridge contents, with the cruise set at 85, got us a measured 9.4 MPG. For a rolling HOUSE, I am very happy with that. 2o2 (294 miles, 30.2 gal fillup. We filled up before we left, then re-filled upon getting home at the same pump)
SOMEDAY :lol I am gonna make the time to do the Boca trip with the cruise set to 60-65 and see what we get. Will make a 4 hr trip into a 5+ hr one, but mileage will undoubtedly improve. We will just have to leave at 830am instead of 10am.
@CalCruiser - GOOD POINT! We did run the generator for ...maybe an hour total? To cool down the camper.
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I am glad to here you drove all those miles without any coach glitches. I was curious did you get the slide out model with sofa bed and dinette? Also how was the handling and drive ability compared to the larger (I assume) RV you had previously. And, how was the performance in the mountain passes. Again assuming you got the gas 3.5 turbo but not all wheel drive.
It really sounds like an exciting trip. Pretty long for a shake down cruise tymote
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Hi Hutch42. We did get the slide-out model with sofa and dinette (La Mesa RV in San Diego). I stumbled across it, was looking for Class B but saw this one by accident. Loved it. So glad we did, makes all the difference. Just the two of us, and two dogs, I weighed everything, right at about 14,500. Includes about 12 gals fresh water tank, full tank of gas, full refrig, extra water, etc etc. I weighed the hoses, dumps stuff, clothes, you name it I weighed it, dog food, shoes, sheets, blankets, the two of us, the dogs, LOL etc, etc.
Now driving through mountains, not too bad but around 52-55 mph. We tried to keep the rpm's around 4 - 4.5 when possible when going uphill. Took our time through the mountains. It shifted a lot when climbing, but I figured that would happen, so adjusted for it. Looking back at my purchase, I was asked to sign that I was getting a 2021, didn't dawn on me why I was asked to sign this until later, but in reality, I think we got a 2020, the engine booklet says the engine is a 2019 (This is when I got upset) I called my brother who worked for GM (Not Ford) he said companies like that buy engines in bulk, so to speak, and that is why it probably is a 2019. Live and learn. Grrr on my part. But I read when it was built and it was early 2020. I thought I was getting the turbo with a 10 speed, but totally my fault for not checking closer. I have the Ford E350HD. A stupid mistake I'm sure, but when I looked up the pricing the newer engine was 10K more. I like what we have and now don't mind a bit. The driving is great, did I feel trucks? Sometimes but not bad at all. Sometimes they pushed us when passing but not all the time. I love how easy it is to drive and maneuver. Even made some u-turns. LOL
Oh, I had a 2007 Fleetwood Jamboree 31M before. No comparison. The PHoenix TRX drives so much easier and nicer. Two reasons, newer, and also a lot smaller.
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Ron, I typically only check my mileage at the end of a big trip.
Yep, me too.
A snap shot of one tank full can be very misleading, watching the on-board mpg read-out is even worse. "Trip average" calculated by hand is a real mpg number to value.
Is 1 gph for the Onan 4K about right? Running the generator will substantially throw off any manual calculations. For fill ups with no generator usage the ECU (scan gauge) average mpg is comparable the manually calculated mpg.
Ah yes, great point!
I forgot to mention that I consider one gallon per hour with regard to generator usage. I write the hour meter reading before I start a trip, and then again after. I completely forgot to mention it. Thanks Cal.
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I weighed everything, right at about 14,500.
Hi Betsy,
Is this a typo? Does your TRX loaded up during a trip weigh a true 14,500 pounds?
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Sorry, 12,500 not 14,500. My error. Guess I'm still tired, LOL
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Hi Hutch42. We did get the slide-out model with sofa and dinette (La Mesa RV in San Diego). I stumbled across it, was looking for Class B but saw this one by accident. Loved it. So glad we did, makes all the difference. Just the two of us, and two dogs, I weighed everything, right at about 14,500. Includes about 12 gals fresh water tank, full tank of gas, full refrig, extra water, etc etc. I weighed the hoses, dumps stuff, clothes, you name it I weighed it, dog food, shoes, sheets, blankets, the two of us, the dogs, LOL etc, etc.
Now driving through mountains, not too bad but around 52-55 mph. We tried to keep the rpm's around 4 - 4.5 when possible when going uphill. Took our time through the mountains. It shifted a lot when climbing, but I figured that would happen, so adjusted for it. Looking back at my purchase, I was asked to sign that I was getting a 2021, didn't dawn on me why I was asked to sign this until later, but in reality, I think we got a 2020, the engine booklet says the engine is a 2019 (This is when I got upset) I called my brother who worked for GM (Not Ford) he said companies like that buy engines in bulk, so to speak, and that is why it probably is a 2019. Live and learn. Grrr on my part. But I read when it was built and it was early 2020. I thought I was getting the turbo with a 10 speed, but totally my fault for not checking closer. I have the Ford E350HD. A stupid mistake I'm sure, but when I looked up the pricing the newer engine was 10K more. I like what we have and now don't mind a bit. The driving is great, did I feel trucks? Sometimes but not bad at all. Sometimes they pushed us when passing but not all the time. I love how easy it is to drive and maneuver. Even made some u-turns. LOL
Oh, I had a 2007 Fleetwood Jamboree 31M before. No comparison. The PHoenix TRX drives so much easier and nicer. Two reasons, newer, and also a lot smaller.
The TRX comes with a 350HD chassis, not an E350HD chassis. It's GVWR is 11,000 lbs, not 14,500lbs.
Lookup the Ford VIN, you can use that to get a window sticker that will include where and when the chassis was made.
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Thank you for all the info. I will look it up. Appreciate all your help
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Hi Hutch42. We did get the slide-out model with sofa and dinette (La Mesa RV in San Diego). I stumbled across it, was looking for Class B but saw this one by accident. Loved it. So glad we did, makes all the difference. Just the two of us, and two dogs, I weighed everything, right at about 14,500. Includes about 12 gals fresh water tank, full tank of gas, full refrig, extra water, etc etc. I weighed the hoses, dumps stuff, clothes, you name it I weighed it, dog food, shoes, sheets, blankets, the two of us, the dogs, LOL etc, etc.
Now driving through mountains, not too bad but around 52-55 mph. We tried to keep the rpm's around 4 - 4.5 when possible when going uphill. Took our time through the mountains. It shifted a lot when climbing, but I figured that would happen, so adjusted for it. Looking back at my purchase, I was asked to sign that I was getting a 2021, didn't dawn on me why I was asked to sign this until later, but in reality, I think we got a 2020, the engine booklet says the engine is a 2019 (This is when I got upset) I called my brother who worked for GM (Not Ford) he said companies like that buy engines in bulk, so to speak, and that is why it probably is a 2019. Live and learn. Grrr on my part. But I read when it was built and it was early 2020. I thought I was getting the turbo with a 10 speed, but totally my fault for not checking closer. I have the Ford E350HD. A stupid mistake I'm sure, but when I looked up the pricing the newer engine was 10K more. I like what we have and now don't mind a bit. The driving is great, did I feel trucks? Sometimes but not bad at all. Sometimes they pushed us when passing but not all the time. I love how easy it is to drive and maneuver. Even made some u-turns. LOL
Oh, I had a 2007 Fleetwood Jamboree 31M before. No comparison. The PHoenix TRX drives so much easier and nicer. Two reasons, newer, and also a lot smaller.
Hi Betsy, I am so happy for you. I have been waiting to hear from someone that had purchased a new TRX for about 2 years now. Regardless of the chassis year. the Transit is burning it up in the class B RV's and a great alternative to the Sprinter with far more engine options for the class C's.. It sounds like the folks at Phoenix have built a good quality coach. FYI the 2019 Transit cutaway HD350 had a GVWR of 10,360 LBS and the gas engine is a 3.7L TI-VCT V-6 and 6 speed trans. The 2020 HD350 had a GVWR of 11,000 LBS and the std engine was a 3.5L PEDI V-6 and 10 speed trans. The new 3.5L Turbo only gets about a mile more per gallon (this on a 2021 Leisure Travel Van Wonder.) so your not missing much. You might want to double check the Total weight (loaded) of your TRX. It should not exceed 10,360 or 11,000 GVWR which includes all cargo, water, and passengers for a 2020 or 2021. Thanks for the report and looking forward to hearing more as time goes on.
Hutch 42
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My friend with a Fusion Ecoboost says it’s not very eco in boost mode. On mountain roads that’s basically all the time.
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Hi again Betsy,
You seem to be way over-loaded. I can't help but think your declared weight is incorrect.
During your next trip while loaded up with all your supplies and such (including all passengers) get your rig weighed at a truck stop weigh scale to verify or correct your numbers. Knowing your actual weight on the front and rear tires (weighed separately) will determine the proper tire pressure. The front tires will likely different than the rears. You don't want too much air, or too little air in them. The right amount will provide the best ride and the best handling, and also reduce the threat of a tire blow-out.
Ron
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Thank you for the info Ron, being a rookie at weights, I have a question. Can anyone stop at a truck stop weigh station to get their RV weighed? Is this a weigh station like on an interstate? Never done that but sounds like something I need to do.
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HI again Hutch 42. Thank you for weight numbers. My VIN says it's a 2019 Ford Transit. So question, how do I know how much weight I can put in the RV? aka, food, clothes, dogs, etc.? I only went by what was listed on the website for the weight, and that was probably for a 2021. I"m learning. But I will definitely need to find out the "dry" weight of the RV and then how lbs I can add to it.
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Thank you for the info Ron, being a rookie at weights, I have a question. Can anyone stop at a truck stop weigh station to get their RV weighed? Is this a weigh station like on an interstate? Never done that but sounds like something I need to do.
Yes Betsy, you really should get your rig weighed to determine if you have over-loaded the vehicle, and also to set the proper tire pressure.
Regarding where to get your rig weighed......
Many truck stops (not all of them) have weigh scales called CAT scales.. You drive on and drive off. If you see a scale on-site, it will look something like the picture. CLICK HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixK9BTAXqyY) to watch a video for basic instructions.
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ixK9BTAXqyY/maxresdefault.jpg)
You want to weigh the front tires separately from the rear tires so make sure to drive on so each end is on a separate section of the scale. The last time I weighed our rig, it cost me $10, but that was in 2015. I plan to weigh our rig again during our next big trip out west.
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HI again Hutch 42. Thank you for weight numbers. My VIN says it's a 2019 Ford Transit. So question, how do I know how much weight I can put in the RV? aka, food, clothes, dogs, etc.? I only went by what was listed on the website for the weight, and that was probably for a 2021. I"m learning. But I will definitely need to find out the "dry" weight of the RV and then how lbs I can add to it.
Betsy---there's several yellow sticker labels located at various points of your Ford Transit. Usually on the drivers side inside door panels also on the interior of your engine compartment. The yellow label that your looking for is called the CCC or OCC label. It will list what your TRX weighed when it left the factory. It could also list the available cargo carrying capacity in pounds available. If you have a 2019 Transit chassis you do not want it to weigh more then 10,360 pounds or 2020 chassis 11,000 pounds fully loaded. Thats your Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Because you will not be towing anything you do not have to worry about hitch or trailer weights. In reality it should be somewhat less. Attached is a video on how to read RV labeling. Hope this helps.
Hutch42
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZA1Lhp6GyE
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Hutch42, you are awesome, thank youo, I watched several videos, not I'm going to find a location and weigh my RV, soon.
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Thank you for the info Ron, being a rookie at weights, I have a question. Can anyone stop at a truck stop weigh station to get their RV weighed? Is this a weigh station like on an interstate? Never done that but sounds like something I need to do.
I did a quick search, here is a public truck scale list for your area. Looks like you have a good selection. 2o2
https://apps1.cdfa.ca.gov/publicscales/view.aspx?c=36