When you take to the highways for the 2011 travel season, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) knows you’ll be keeping a close eye on your fuel consumption.
Here are a few tips to help you stretch your dollars: Because underinflated tires have more surface contact with the road and make your RV work harder, low tire pressure can significantly reduce fuel efficiency. Maintaining correct tire pressure is essential for maximizing your mileage. In fact, just one PSI of underinflation per tire can increase your fuel consumption by 0.3 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It may not seem like much, but that extra fuel can add up quickly on the road, which is one reason why FCCC motorhome chassis offer optional tire pressure monitoring systems to let you know when it’s time to add air.
Keeping an eye on engine RPMs also is critical to achieving the best mileage, and the lower they are, the better. FCCC chassis with Allison electronic transmissions are equipped with a fuel-saving option for those times when climbing and pulling power aren’t a priority. Pushing the mode button on your electronic transmission shifter pad will switch the transmission from performance mode to economy mode. This will cause the transmission to shift gears at lower engine RPMs, significantly reducing fuel consumption.
Throttling back is another key to conservation. At highway speeds, the fuel burned and money spent to go an extra five miles per hour isn’t worth the time shaved off the drive. Other tips include watching the weight of the RV by packing light and dumping wastewater regularly, reducing idling time and refraining from putting the engine under full throttle during the first few driving miles after starting.
Beginning January 1, 2010, FCCC began utilizing Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to meet the EPA 2010 emissions standards. And not only is this simple, clean and reliable system the best diesel emissions technology available, it’s also good for mileage – SCR-equipped chassis provide up to 6 percent better fuel economy than a non-SCR chassis meeting the 2007 EPA benchmarks. And since 2007, all FCCC chassis utilize an engine temperature-activated fan clutch that prevents the engine from running the fan unnecessarily, making for more efficient use of the engine’s horsepower.