[Robert]

IN the interests of safety I would suggest you do not consider a fuel tank for the bus inside the trailer unless you just use it to pump fuel into the bus tank.

Both my previous Liberty coaches had the satnadard tank, 160 and 208 gallons respectively, and each had a 90 gallon auxiliary tank. I enjoyed the extended range because it meant less time in truck stops and the ability to tanker fuel to buy at the least expensive locations.

My current coach has the aux fuel tank location occupied by batteries, probably for weight and balance considerations so the only way I could even begin to contemplate adding capacity would be if I could significantly reduce the weight of batteries and then relocate them such that I continued to remain within limits on all axles as well as side to side. There is a whole lot more to this than just sticking another tank in the coach.

[Archived]

I wasn’t sure if you were wanting to add another tank besides the factory 90 aux tank.

We have the 160 and the 90 and I would like to add another 60 for reserve but no room I am willing to give up in the coach.

If I add a tank in the trailer it would definately be for refuel. We carry Avgas for the boat so adding a tank for diesel is not an issue as far as weight and the added tank would offset the reduced MPG of pulling the trailer.

[Bob]

Robert,

The added tank adds more weight which adversely impacts MPG so if you want to compensate for the lost of mileage when towing you can control the mileage by reducing weight as much as possible, and keeping your foot off the accelerator. We all know just 5 or 10 MPH less makes a big difference in MPG.

My 8V92 averaged 5.6 MPG at about 1800 to 1900 RPM which in that coach was around 61 to 62 MPH. If I got up around 65 to 68 I lost almost 1/2 MPG. It wasn’t a big deal then because fuel was as low as $.63 and never hit $20 per gallon. Today if you want to go fast the question is how much do you want to spend?

[Jim/Chris]

Have just the 160 gallon on mine. Probably would go into sticker shock if I had to watch that fuel pump gauge keep a clicking.

[Archived]

My sticker:: 250 US Gal (95% of capacity) . Must have long range tanks from factory! Looks like one main tank then cross member then another section then another cross member both full width of coach.. All enclosed behind the condensor compartment on side and evap/heat other side. So would that be the same as Jon’s160 plus 90? Bob

[Archived]

Both mine with long range fuel had both tanks in the center between the evaporator and condenser bays plus behind the entertainment center and electrical bay in the second bay back.

[Archived]

Hey Jon,

Banjo Matthews, from Asheville NC had a question he asked everyone coming to his race car fabrication shop. Here it is, “Speed costs money, How fast you want to go?” I think that pretty much summarizes the weight/speed/MPG conundrum.

[Archived]

1800 RPM’s is where I run also and it is right at 63 MPH and we average 5.3 to 5.7 MPG and we have gotten 6.2 but that was 55 to 58 MPH and it was on a 55 MPH road, I just can’t do that on interstate. If I go over 68 MPH it drops to 4.8 to 5 also.

I still laugh when folks tell me the 2 strokes were designed to be on the wood and it does not make any difference in MPG.

I have proved that to be wrong. You keep this one on the wood and you might get 3.5 MPG. but closer to 3.

My tanks are as Jon describes, both in the center, and the main 160 tank is between the A/C condensor and Evaporator, the two tanks have about an 1 1/2″ line connecting them and the 90 is behind the entertainment center.

I understand about the weight, that is why I prefer a 40′. I just thought it would be nice when we go on long trips to pick and choose the fuel stops and take advantage of reasonable prices. The extra 60 gals would give us another 300 miles of cushion which would extend our range to about 1500 miles with about 25 gals left.

Of course that would be under ideal conditions and terrain.

[Archived]

I have a 208 gallon rated capacity. I use 900 miles as my target, but I do trip planning based on any fuel stop from about 600 miles to as much as 1000 miles works. My decision is based on the cost of fuel. On the trip I am now on I passed fuel at $3.92 to $3.97 to get to fuel at $3.74 ($3.64 with the discount) at about a 900 mile distance. My next stop passes fuel ranging from $3.74 to $42 to get to $3.49. At each stop I am taking on nearly 160 gallons at a time so in addition to the $320 the discount program gives me I also am saving almost an additional $750 with a little pre-trip planning.

In our 87 coach I used a 1000 mile range, and in the last coach with the 298 gallons on board I used 1800 miles for trip planning.

But I never saved enough money to make buying the coach a rational decision.

[Bill]

A friend of mine once said,,, damn, keeping up with the maintenance on that bus is like owning a plane.

I said, no,,, it is a great deal more complex and demanding !!!!!

It is the Love of the “Machine”.

If rational had anything to do with owning a bus we would probably all be driving Minnie Winnie’s

Not that there is anything wrong with Minnie Winnies mind you !!

[Darrell]

Jon,

What do you use to find upcoming fuel prices? I have the standard 160 gal but would still like to find cheaper fuel ( even better with discount) if I know when to stop.

[Archived]

Not sure what Jon uses but I have had great success with Gas Buddy for my Android phone. http://www.gasbuddy.com/GasBuddyAndroidApp.aspx

[Chas]

Roy,

Myself like Jon, use the P C Fuel Discount Program website that shows maps based on region and location of Loves in order to pick out the best fuel stop where we get .10 discount off the cash pump price.

http://www.profittools.net/prevost/

[Larry & Diane]

I use dieselboss.com

[Archived]

I use every one of the above, but almost always use the Loves location map and look at fuel prices at their truck stops along my route.

There is money to be saved going to local diesel outlets, however a lot of them are convenience stores. The problem with them is often (but not always) the pumps have the small nozzle ideal for a pickup truck, but not to pump 150 gallons. Often you can use your credit card which gives cash back but then the pump shuts off at $75. I could go wait in line for everyone to get done buying eggs and lottery tickets, give them cash so they will let the pump run but If I am traveling I just want to jump off the interstate, fuel up and get back on the road.

This trip was a good example of houw planning saved some money. I fueled in Baxter TN on the way home from Branson because it was the cheapest fuel along that route. So when I left from Knoxville to Lufkin TX via Monroe LA it turned out the cheapest fuel was actually the Love’s in Lufkin at $3.74. Everything else was $3.92 or above along my route. So I ran 900 miles from Baxter, took on 160 gallons in Lufkin, went on to Galveston, and the route back to Knoxville took me past a lot of fuel in the $3.92 to $3.74 range, but McCalla Love’s had fuel this AM at $3.47. So in Lufkin I saved about $29, and in McCalla I saved about $54, just by looking at prices on the Loves site, plus the discount program saved another $30.40.

My point is I picked trucks stops that were close to my 900 mile target range, that were on my route so I did not have to go into any town to find the cheaper fuel, and the truck stops I picked happened to be the cheapest. I would modify my distance travelled from my target of around 900 miles to as little as 500 to 600 up to 1000 just to put the cheapest fuel in the tank as long as the savings makes it worth while.

With the Profit Tool fuel discount cards I have a simple rule. I am not fueling anywhere I cannot use the card. The convenience of swiping the card, fueling and leaving, never to set foot in the truck stop store has even greater value than the discount so if I do not have a Love’s and their 10 cent discount (as was the case on our Maine trip) I go to the map links provided with the cards to select a participating truck stop.