Just when I thought...

I might run out of projects on the RV I found a web site on "Hypermileing" Never heard of that? Hyper means in excess, Mileing, you know like Miles Per gallon. Of Course!
People, more like fanatics, get up to 90 miles per gal. on regular cars, but with a few "RADICAL" modifications. Like you wouldn't even recognize the car after they make the outside look like it was born in a wind tunnel. Nothing is left untouched, including gutted interiors, changed engines, & drive trains, windows, and are so low they never dare go over a speed bump. 65 changes possible.
And then there's driving techniques.
They shut off the engine on declines, stoplights, never idle, put on egg on top of the accelerator, have many fuel instruments, go shopping ONCE a month, use every known MPG improver made to man (most don't work). 108 techniques listed.
Me? I'm going to do the ones that are relatively inexpensive, really work, will work on our BOX (the RV), have a reasonable payback and Linda won't yell TOO much at me about.
But then we have gone from 14.1 to 16.5 mpg, a 14.5% improvement. Spent just over $400. Payback is 15k miles and we have plans for 40k miles in trips so...
The best one so far is having more power (dual exhaust) to make it up some of the steeper hills around here ABOVE 40 mph.
Got a list of 20 more projects from this website.... That'll keep me busy for a couple more weeks.
Mesas on Mars (in blue).

Savings

Money pits such as airplanes, boats, garage queens, extra motorcycles, swimming pools, RV's and long distance hobbies never have a payback. I know I had them all.
But what the hay, we gotta waste money on something. Ya, you do too. Why work if you can't spend part of it on what you like, then learn to hate it (especially pools).
These have money savings, sometimes. Take the RV for instance. We've spent $408 on things to get better gas mileage on it. IF we keep it, If it will get 16.5-17 mpg the payback is 15-18k miles. At $2.5 a gallon. But IF gas goes up, the savings will be faster! (Oh forget gas will be more).
So far spent $5800 on the RV. IF we use it, IF we stay at campgrounds, IF we don't eat out, it will save us versus driving a car on trips. The Accord costs $.50/mi. to drive due to depreciation and gets 27 mpg. But the RV costs only $.35/mi. and gets 15-16 MAYBE 17 mpg. The difference is depreciation, RV will only be $2-4k, not like the $25k on the car.
Car traveling means gas plus motels plus eating out. Flying and renting a car even more. The RV is gas, RV parks at half or less than a cheap motel, and eating out, and that can be $20-50 per person per day. Let's not forget which is better for you, eating too much poorly prepared OUT or eating correctly IN (and we can BBQ!).
Then there's, we'll take that trip next year... in the car and we never do. Or there's, we gotta use that damn expensive toy sitting in the driveway. And we will, MAYBE?
And then there's getting in trouble like in the pic.

Linda put me up to this....

It was her idea. Don't blame me. We don't use the cooking stove top in the RV. Maybe twice in 5 trips. HER idea was to take out the L.P. tank and use the small metal propane bottles instead. All well and good except it was a bitch to get out. When the side steps were installed after the tank was installed the brackets were in the way so I had to disassemble more than necessary. Then it fell out on the cement. Bang!!! Glad I wasn't under it.
I guessed it was 60#'s. After weighing it and the peripherals that go with it, it was almost 80. Wow. That's 200 we have taken out. But of course we've added about 235 so were 35 behind. BUT again if we hadn't it would be 435#'s extra.
Add to that: us (we won't talk how much), clothes, food, motorcycle stuff, trailer, must haves like microwaves, computers, maps, service manuals, tools, folding chairs, awning, jack, house battery, spare parts and a motorcycle we're at 6800 pounds! Poor little 318 c.i. engine has to push our box along at 55-65 mph, it's a wonder it gets 15-17 mpg.
I'm working on getting more aerodynamic drag points reduced. Found several small ones today.
Should get 17 mpg (14 before working on MPG) without the trailer and bike when I get through. (1100 lbs)
We went to Dollar stores today to find plastic boxes lighter than our suitcases for clothes. The storage area (above the driver's seat) is trapezoidal shaped so nothing really fits and it is 32" deep so something has to always be in front of what you want.

16.5

That's right gas mileage improved from 15.1 to 16.5 mpg. Went to Phoenix, more hot and humid than El Paso. Visited with Carolyn and Bill. We went antique shopping in Glendale on Friday.
Stayed in a Mobile home park, kinda weird staying between 2 mobile homes in a large lot.
Carolyn and Bill went to a furniture and accessory show. They bought a few things to continue their business.
Was 90 even at night. House A/C did keep up with heat due to hazy weather.
Left Thursday, came home Sat. 455 miles is a long way to go at 55-60 mph. 8 1/2 hours, only 7 in a car at 75. 350-400 miles should be our max. even with both of us driving.
Just a few easy things to do this time. But both cruise controls not working right. My throttle lock would not hold the throttle open, and the Dodge installed cruise would not hold speed either. Worked on both on return. No leaks, or problems except my air dams lost all the springs so they were not effective on return home.
One other note: sitting up high I can see down at the road directly in front of RV, it like hypnotises me, makes me feel very tired and irritated.
Pic is Carolyn, we were celebrating here 69th birthday, a few days early.

232 and more to come

Yep, 232 projects on the RV and trailer. Still got a few more up my sleeve.
Added Vortex Generators. See picture. 15 to a side, 11 on top. Suppose to reduce drag and therefore increase mileage.
Makes it look like a dragon's neck from behind.
This and reducing brake drag, reducing weight and other aerodynamic drags should get us to my next goal of 16-17 mpg. Have got 15 before many MPG improvements were made.
Won't be taking the trailer and any bike. They're about 1100#'s.
Going to Phoenix soon for Carolyn's birthday next week, we are going to celebrate, she will be 69.
Still about 100 here, and 110-115 in Phoenix and Indio. Ya,Ya... it's a dry heat like in hell! Except the rainy season is hitting PHX hard. So the humidity will be up.
Added a curtain behind front seats to keep cool in, heat out, hope it helps.

When Your Hot...

102 again. Been 100 for over a week. Pool is 98. 80 at 7:30 am. 91 at 7000' in Silver City. Too hot to work outside or even ride in the afternoon. Drove Venture to Glenwood NM, was in mid 90's. Carolyn's over 110 in Indio. Going to PHX will be about 110.
Oh but it's a dry heat!
Sweat by the glassful, can't drink enough. Got cover off the pool, windows open in the RV. Even opened up the shed over 110 in there.
Don't hear the dogs backing much lately. Hummm... TOO BAD!
75 in here, Evaporative coolers work great in less than 20% humidity. 18" insulation in attic really works and the triple panes in the kitchen make it much cooler, used to be hot while eating. The kitchen upduct helped too. Last month's electric bill, $65 includes pool 1 1/2 hp motor running 2 hours a day.
It was "Chili" in the field pic, pun intended!

Well the FIX list is getting smaller

1st trip 2 pages, 2nd trip 1 page, 3 trip 1/2 page, this the 4th trip only a few items. MPG actually went down .5 mpg, but I screwed up a front brake (image that), it was dragging. Fixed it in Silver City. Got so hot only had 1 front brake. And it's really hilly there.
Stayed 3 nights this time. 2 nights in a private RV park, the most expensive we've paid so far, $25/nite. They locked up the bathrooms at 8pm. 3rd night stayed in a State Park that was nicer and cheaper. But they too locked up the bathrooms. Also no dump station, you get the idea...
We rode the Venture up to the Gila cliff dwellings 1st full day in am, then I went by myself to Glenwood NM to check out their RV park (singular) in the pm.
2nd full day we rode up the Mimbres River then part way up more of the Gilas, and had brunch in Mimbres (town). Very dry in NM.
Got home to the 100 degree temps, screw it, wait until tomorrow to work on it.
Was chilly at night in Silver City, turned on heat after midnite. Then by 9 am A/C back on.
In 2 weeks to PHX to see sis and bro-in-law. Probably won't pull a bike too hot there, 110.
Ya, almost as hot as pic, but all we saw were deer.

More about the same

Ok it's more about the same, but it keeps me busy, thinking, active, creative and "out of trouble"?
Ordered parts to make the RV's exhaust system into dually. Figured it would be $150 but ended up at almost $180.
I was concerned about problems like, engine running too rich or lean, too noisy, weigh too much or have a lot of leaks. I ordered a 6' flex piece of exhaust piping but it came in almost a foot short. I called Summit Racing where I bought it from and they sent me another full 72" piece. So far I have not heard back they want the short one.
I had lots of time to plan everything out and it went by plan except all the pieces were a full 2 1/2" inside diameter (ID). No way to connect them. Went to Pepboys and they had all the parts I needed. But it cost the extra over what I thought I needed originally.
Then I had to cut the old exhaust pipe off the engine, it was a no return decision, I'm not regretting yet.
Every thing installed fairly easily, with a minimal cussing! Mostly tools not within reach.
I disconnected the engine computer (ECM) for fresh start up.
As soon as I hit the starter switch the engine fired right up, I had anticipated a short grind because I had worked on the fuel system.
Rolled it off the ramps and drove off. As soon as I turned out of the drive way, the throttle response was improved. The vacuum and the idle speed are up (that's good).
Right off the line at every light it has more power. Got up to 75 mph better, but it is 5700#'s without the trailer and bike, so it's no speed demon. Another 1100#'s for them.
Today were off the Silver City, camping. Hoping it is better thruout this trip and long term. I also put in new sway bar bushings and 4 new shocks in hopes of better handling and reduced swaying when semi's pass.
The steering when we bought it had about 30 degrees of slop. I tightened up the gear box and the wandering is almost gone.
As Linda keeps saying "It's our NEW vehicle" Just 21 years old...
Since it's truck size and an older vehicle it is a lot easier to work on than front wheel cars. Parts are much cheaper too. More when we return.

Now what?

I'm collecting parts to make the single exhaust on the RV into dual exhaust. Probably will end up about $175 was hoping for $150 but it always costs more than expected, takes longer to do and encures several problems in the installation.
Normally dual exhaust reduces exhaust gas back pressure, increases horsepower and increases gas mileage by 1-2 mpg. I don't expect that much with the RV because of the weight (6700#'s including the trailer and bike of 1000#'s) and aerodynamic drag. It's a big box going thru a fairly dense fluid (air) and drag increases exponientially with mph.
That's why I've slowed down to 55-60 mph.
Also put an air dam on the front under the radiator that pivots in case we hit sometime (tire shapenal or speed bumps). Hope this gives about a tenth of a gas mileage improvement.
From here on out major bucks would have to be spent to increase HP and MPG with little payback.
I start with the cheapest. Tune ups, free flowing air filter, open up the intake track and allow cooler inlet air. Then check the intake manifold, look for vac. leaks, check computer codes for failed sensors. Then the lengthier process of reducing any weight. I then remove as much outside, top and underneath air drag points as possible. (Mirrors can cause a .5 mpg loss!, dirty vehicle .1 mpg)
Then go for the exhaust. This one has two narrow 2" exhaust pipes going into a restrictive collector Y pipe that is only 2 1/4" down stream with a catalytic converter and a very quiet (restrictive) muffler and even narrower bends. I'm taking one whole bank of cyl's, 4 of the 8 and adding it's own exhaust system with less restritive cat. converter and muffler. This will add 25 lbs but as stated before "should add" HP (10?) and MPG (.5?)....
More after our next trip.
Pic is Linda drying out a cooler at Monahans Texas Sandhills State Park (& 105 degrees)