Your Miles Per Gallon

[Ballenxj]

Just back from a 1200 mile road trip ~80% highway ~15 city ~5 off road. It was quite shocking to average out the fillups but the van, fully loaded and 6800lbs at the scales with us, fuel and food/water for one week... averaged 18mpg!

Not bad at all for a fully loaded full sized van with a V8.

 

[highdesertranger]

whoa cortttt did I read that right. do you live in Sumpter, OR. I have done some prospecting there. spent several summers there, great small town. sorry about the derail. highdesertranger

 

[cortttt]

whoa cortttt did I read that right.   do you live in Sumpter, OR.  I have done some prospecting there.  spent several summers there,  great small town.  sorry about the derail.  highdesertranger

No problem. I was referencing Accrete's post from another Forum. I actually drove down from Portland a couple of weeks ago but I don't know if I went through Sumter or not. I look forward to getting back up to Oregon in the summer though and  checking Sumter out. Thanks for the tip...

An update on my mileage for the 2010 GMC extended 1 ton - my mpg almost entirely around town dropped down to 13.7 mpg. Then it was up to 16.8 on a trip down to Phoenix averaging about 65 MPH. I think around 60 may be this van's sweet spot.

I had a mismatched tire - I changed that out - but MPG shrank a bit - and I'm still getting vibration in the steering wheel. I think either one of the tires or the alignment is off...that could have some effect on MPG I suppose.

Next I put a K&N filter in = then measure (don't expect much of a change) = then a performance muffler - and then measure (hope for a small positive change). I wlll also adding roof racks and solar and a vent (expecting MPG to drop).

 

[Ballenxj]

An update on my mileage for the 2010 GMC extended 1 ton - my mpg almost entirely around town dropped down to 13.7 mpg. Then it was up to 16.8 on a trip down to Phoenix averaging about 65 MPH. I think around 60 may be this van's sweet spot.

That sounds about normal for a full sized van. That's about what I get both around town and at 65 MPH. I go on road trips at least twice a month, and have used various different vehicles. In a van though, any wind is extremely hard on mileage unless it's a tail wind, seeing as how a van has similar aerodynamics to a garage door. Even a side wind seems to kill mileage.

 

[accrete]

Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express 1500 AWD 5.3L van - with high top and loaded to the gills...

HA!! Love it. THX so much for the copy/paste thingy. The Sumpter Oregon trip was a blast. Except that I did the loop in the wrong direction! the way I did it counter-clockwise put us driving into the up-river winds on the Columbia River going home to the coast. I was so surprised we got anything approaching what we did.

We just got word yesterday from Rob @ Van Specialties in Portland that the Aluminess bumpers/boxes arrived so they'll be put on by month's end. I'm going to weight the van at the scales here on the coast before dropping the van off, then do it again on the return (attempting same fill levels in fuel etc). I've been told that the steel-stock to aluminum-custom come very close in weight. I have no idea what kind of wind funk will take place with having what is basically a buck-stop bumper up front...but better to put a dent in an elk than the elk dent the van.

: ) Thom

OH a silly PS... These rigs deserve a category of their own... I think we can all say that we get way more "Smiles" to the gallon than most other types/styles of transportation!

 

[cortttt]

HA!! Love it. THX so much for the copy/paste thingy. The Sumpter Oregon trip was a blast. Except that I did the loop in the wrong direction! the way I did it counter-clockwise put us driving into the up-river winds on the Columbia River going home to the coast. I was so surprised we got anything approaching what we did.

We just got word yesterday from Rob @ Van Specialties in Portland that the Aluminess bumpers/boxes arrived so they'll be put on by month's end. I'm going to weight the van at the scales here on the coast before dropping the van off, then do it again on the return (attempting same fill levels in fuel etc). I've been told that the steel-stock to aluminum-custom come very close in weight. I have no idea what kind of wind funk will take place with having what is basically a buck-stop bumper up front...but better to put a dent in an elk than the elk dent the van.

: ) Thom

OH a silly PS... These rigs deserve a category of their own... I think we can all say that we get way more "Smiles" to the gallon than most other types/styles of transportation!

I imagine those big Elk would put quite a dent in the van! Those things are huge.

Are you measuring the van weight on a truck check on the highway? I'd like to give that a shot when I get everything loaded on..

 

[Ballenxj]

I think we can all say that we get way more "Smiles" to the gallon than most other types/styles of transportation!

I agree! I have been vanning off and on since around 1983 or so. Started with a short wheel base 1967 GMC that a GF & I traveled in a bit. We had curtains dividing the driver compartment from the back, and covering the back and side windows, a full sized mattress, a large cooler, a couple bags for our stuff, and away we went. Traveled to the Reno Tahoe area, and hit KOA's for showers and laundry. Don't see too many of them any more?

 

[accrete]

I imagine those big Elk would put quite a dent in the van! Those things are huge.

Are you measuring the van weight on a truck check on the highway?...

Yea the Elk are big! And there is a herd of about 60 or so that we pass on our daily commute. Sometimes they are grazing within a step of the asphalt...they have no fear. Fortuanately I've only seen about 1 roadside kill in ~6 or so week frequencies and they are usually younger ones.

Yes on truck scales. There are a set on hwy 101 going south between Warrenton and Gearhart/Seaside. It is an automated scale that is open 24/7.

I agree! I have been vanning off and on since around 1983 or so... Traveled to the Reno Tahoe area, and hit KOA's for showers and laundry...

Luv to explore the Reno/Tahoe area...it is our old stompin' grounds and also where we were living when we got married. The 4x4 club we were part of had adopted a small section of the Rubicon Trail that we helped clear each spring with the Army COE. Fun times. The bears are a ridiculous and needless problem up there now. Not to start a convo, but IMO, they need to give out more bear tags to thin population so the bears can be bears and not be a bother.

: ) Thom

 

[Ballenxj]

Luv to explore the Reno/Tahoe area...

One of my fondest memories of the road around the lake was having the pleasure of watching a pair of Jaguar XKE's playing grab ass with each other at speed on the Nevada side while heading South. I rarely ever see those old Jags anymore, let alone running together like that.

 

[KMAG YOYO]

Reckon I get 19 MPG highway, 70 MPH. That 3.7L V6 gasser is a magical feat of engineering, has some real giddyups too.

 

[NeedAnEscape]

Reckon I get 19 MPG highway, 70 MPH. That 3.7L V6 gasser is a magical feat of engineering, has some real giddyups too.

It's quite impressive how much better the euro style vans are. I hope they hold up well so I can pick one up after the price drops a bit.

 

[Theadyn]

Year- 1996
Make / Model- Ford E150 mid-top
1500/2500/3500- no clue, haha
Normal Wheelbase / Extended version- Normal
Engine- 5.8l V8
Tranny- Automatic
Drive (2WD/AWD/4WD)- 2WD
Average driving speed on highway- 65-70
# of Miles on the Van- 124k
Loaded up / Moderately loaded / Not loaded up - you decide- was loaded on the trip that I checked the mileage
Towing something?- no

This was going over Texas hill country using the dash A/C, me and daughter loaded for a 10 day trip, going about 65mph with town and highway driving, averaged about 16mpg. We discovered a leak at the top of the gas tank when we filled up, so I just haven't filled it up since. Hence, why I haven't checked it since then (too cheap to get it fixed, lol).

I do believe going slower increases the mileage. Also, using a light foot on the stopping and going in towns. I don't have a roof rack or solar, which could increase the wind resistance.

Not great, but not that bad either. My Ford Escape I sold just over a year ago didn't have crap in it and only averaged about 20 mpg, and I couldn't sleep, cook, or go to the bathroom in that thing. Pretty happy with it.

 

[cortttt]

Year- 1996
Make / Model- Ford E150 mid-top
1500/2500/3500- no clue, haha
Normal Wheelbase / Extended version- Normal
Engine- 5.8l V8
Tranny- Automatic
Drive (2WD/AWD/4WD)- 2WD
Average driving speed on highway- 65-70
# of Miles on the Van- 124k
Loaded up / Moderately loaded / Not loaded up - you decide- was loaded on the trip that I checked the mileage
Towing something?- no

This was going over Texas hill country using the dash A/C, me and daughter loaded for a 10 day trip, going about 65mph with town and highway driving, averaged about 16mpg.   We discovered a leak at the top of the gas tank when we filled up, so I just haven't filled it up since.  Hence, why I haven't checked it since then (too cheap to get it fixed, lol).

I do believe going slower increases the mileage.  Also, using a light foot on the stopping and going in towns.  I don't have a roof rack or solar, which could increase the wind resistance.

Not great, but not that bad either.  My Ford Escape I sold just over a year ago didn't have crap in it and only averaged about 20 mpg, and I couldn't sleep, cook, or go to the bathroom in that thing.  Pretty happy with it.

Not bad for that big V8! Now that I bought a van - I agree - definitely willing to shave a couple of miles per gallon off my 4Runner - and its only couple of miles - for all the benefits the van brings.

 

[Zerviz]

I am not sure if minivans count?  but here are my details:

Year- 1996
Make / Model- Renault/Espace

Normal Wheelbase / Normal
Engine-  2.2 litre Turbo diesel (pump not common rail

Fuel:   Vegetable Oil
Tranny- 5 spd Manual
Drive (2WD/AWD/4WD)- 2WD (fwd)
Average driving speed on highway- 55
# of Miles on the Van- 209,000 miles
Loaded up / Moderately loaded / Not loaded up – loaded up in full camper mode - 51mpg
Towing something?- trailor

Drove from UK to Poland on one tank

 

[cortttt]

I am not sure if minivans count?  but here are my details:

Year- 1996
Make / Model- Renault/Espace

Normal Wheelbase / Normal
Engine-  2.2 litre Turbo diesel (pump not common rail

Fuel:   Vegetable Oil
Tranny- 5 spd Manual
Drive (2WD/AWD/4WD)- 2WD (fwd)
Average driving speed on highway- 55
# of Miles on the Van- 209,000 miles
Loaded up / Moderately loaded / Not loaded up – loaded up in full camper mode - 51mpg
Towing something?- trailor

Drove from UK to Poland on one tank

51 MPG - really? - on vegetable oil on a 200,000 mile plus van.....wow

 

[Ballenxj]

51 MPG - really? - on vegetable oil on a 200,000 mile plus van.....wow

That is pretty impressive.

 

[ascii_man]

51 mpg: are those Imperial gallons or US gallons?

 

[highdesertranger]

or miles or kilometers? highdesertranger

 

[cortttt]

Nissan NV MPG estimates from Nissan NV Forums

http://nissannvforum.com/topic/803-...-low-roof-and-high-roof/?hl=mileage#entry4619
http://nissannvforum.com/topic/803-...-low-roof-and-high-roof/?hl=mileage#entry4619

• I have a lightly loaded Cargo HT 2500, 6 cyl. Last 8-10 tanks I’ve averaged 13/14 MPG combined. Maybe 60/70% city. No hills - SE Michigan is flat.
• My 2012 high roof with V-8 consistently gives a minimum 15 mpg and that is with rolling hills, a roof rack and AC unit up top, and running boards down below (basically a lot of drag). Also weigh in at 8200 lb after the conversion. 
•  I have a basic, no rack, no running board, no anything 3500SL V8 and I am lucky to get 15 consistently.  Lately it's been in the mid to high 14's and that is fairly flat, pretty easy going roads at easy speeds of 45-55mph. 
• I get 9mpg in all city and 11mpg with a mix of city/hwy and I drive like a granny!! Something doesn't add up. For example, when driving all city- 95 liters (25.1 Gal) will get me 375km (233miles). That's 9.28 US MPG. Are people perhaps estimating Imperial MPG which would be 11.15mpg? I have v8 3500 passenger. By the way, I'd never want a v6 because a vehicle this big is so much more versatile with a v8

http://nissannvforum.com/topic/830-gas-milage-on-nv-1500/?hl=mileage#entry5008
http://nissannvforum.com/topic/830-gas-milage-on-nv-1500/?hl=mileage#entry5008

• My NV 1500 s low roof averages 19 to 20 around town on my daily commute , and I get into the low/mid 20's when traveling .And it's been doing it for about 65k miles now ...
• Don't feel too bad, my 3500 is getting under 200 miles a tank, approx 6.7mpg. I too was told and shown 15 mpg by my salesman. Of course that was before I bought it. 
• I have the 2500 V6. It gets 11 -13 around town (Denver). 19-21 going up and down the mountain highways to the ski resorts in the rocky mountains.
• First long distance drive today with the new NV2500 V6 HR from DC to Christiansburg, VA. A total of 264 miles, some of it in DC in city traffic running errands before freeway between 50-70mph, and a 30min traffic jam at 15-20mph. The NV loaded to the brim with approximately 1,500lbs of household goods. We averaged 17.9MPG, which I am very happy about. We did drive very conservatively, lots of coasting and not gunning it up the hills.
• I do the math and do not rely on the mpg display on my 2012 NV 2500 with V8. I also add up the miles and divide by gallons used during our trips, as who knows what the pump cut off is at each fill up. Last trip of almost 5000 miles, mostly secondary roads showed 15.6 mpg. This included a lot of mountain driving, eg 13% grades at 10,000' and periodic idling the engine to keep the camper house batteries charged when dry camping for long periods.
• As luck would have it we put 4954 miles on our NV between 9/27 and 12/2012. The mpg was 14.1 or 15.3 if you believed the computer. (This optimistic reading may be why it was deleted, I won't include it below.) The best per tank mpg was 17.2 and the worst was 12.4, when we were towing out car home after picking up the NV in California. By the end of 2013, we added 16,834 mi and averaged 16.3 mpg. The worst fill up mpg was 13.2 and the best was 17.8. 2014 looks about the same. Worst fill up mpg was 11.5 (Saga of 30 psi under inflated rear tires and dry camping) and best was 18.1 and 18.3. I don't believe 18+ mpg so toss the high and low out.
• I've got 56k on it now and I use it for a daily driver and for road trips and camping with my Trials motorcycles  . My 2012 has the mpg average monitor and Nissans logic in the program is silly . But after not resetting it for over 15k , (it showed 19.6) forever ... I reset it last week to see what my new commute would show , and it settled right back in @ 19.6 . And yes I back it up with a paper and pencil too and it is fairly accurate . I get into the low 20's when traveling with aluminum bike trailer in tow / draft behind the van ...
• I have '13 2500 high roof v6.I'm mostly driving 2 lane rural highways with little stop and go activity. Some freeway too.
    I'm seeing 18 + regularly, calculated at the pump. No computer. Have not seen 19 or better. I use a light foot, accelerate slowly, and rarely go over 62- 63 mph. I'll draft a big rig on the freeway.
  
  
   
  

 

[NeedAnEscape]

Nissan NV MPG estimates from Nissan NV Forums

• Don't feel too bad, my 3500 is getting under 200 miles a tank, approx 6.7mpg. I too was told and shown 15 mpg by my salesman. Of course that was before I bought it. 

That's worse than my van with a big block does towing.