Hi,

We are newbies and don't as yet own a Barth but that is our goal for the very near future.

We understand they are a very solid and safe unit. Because of this I expect maybe somewhat heavy.

Does anyone have an approximation as to the miles per U.S. gallon on a 25 to 28 foot unit with a 454 motor?

And, how is the noise level in the "cockpit"? Can you carry on a normal conversation or do you need ear plugs?

Any info will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Doug and Alison / British Columbia

Neither one of those are really Barth-specific, but both good questions!

Almost any gas engine Class A motorhome will average 6-8mpg. Don't expect any more than that. Maybe every so often, you'll see 9-10mpg at the perfect operating temperature, driving downhill, with a tailwind. But it won't happen often.

Engine noise can be an issue, but re-insulating the doghouse cover (depending on how worn away any factory insulation happens to be) can make a significant different in both noise and heat up front in the driver's area. There is a great how-to thread on another RV forum about this maintenance item if you're interested.

Our 33 ft Regal has 454 V8. At 60 mph we will get around 7 mpg.

The noise level is not too bad.. there is a combination of wind noise, road noise, exhaust noise, and engine noise. Wind noise low, road noise med (bumps, etc), exhaust noise med (dual headers and single short side exhaust) and engine noise low. On my rig the place to start would be the exhaust.

If your doghouse is not well sealed and insulated, (mine is) that may be the major noise source and can be improved, as Scott says.

My 34 foot Regal was really noisy. When I re-carpeted, I took out the carpeting around the dog house. The Barth carpenters that did the incredible woodwork in the back of my coach WERE NOT the same people who framed in the doghouse areas. Once I took out the carpet, there were several areas I could stick my finger through the gaps around the engine. I closed them up, caulked and put in a material called FatMat. It was cheaper and better than the other sound deadening material. I also put in carpet padding and carpet. I also removed the top of the dash and put in this FatMat under the dash. Then, from the front of the coach, I put 2inch by 2 inch squares on all of the metal dashboard I could reach. The coach is much quieter and easier to talk as we go down the road. It's even hard to hear the clutch fan kick in.

I sound proofed the doghouse with a marine insulation that I got for doing a drywall job for a marine guy. Didn't know it cost about 2 bucks a sq.ft. but it's good stuff. Had enough to do inside and out so have double insul. I feel the clutch fan more than hear it now. The most noise is from the tires, Bridgestone, and it varies with the road surface. I have dual exhausts that are not an issue at speed. We feel it's very quiet all around at speed, but we always run with the windows open and don't talk to each other that much anymore anyway so who cares?
Last trip to Georgia we got 8.375 mpg not pushing it but not babying it.
As to speed, you should develop a comfort zone where you feel relaxed and confident, and when the feeling goes away, you're going too fast, so give up a few mph and the warm and fuzzies come back. These things only come with wheel time, and have nothing to do with the speedometer.
The only way to get a good comparison with other coaches is to drive some stick and staple late model coaches in the comparable range, then drive a Barth.
Hope to hear about your new Barth sometime soon, but don't rush in to anything. Get what you want, when you want it, for what you want to pay for it.

Hi Doug.....Welcome!
Since I live in BC, I thought I would put in my comments.
I purchased a 1995 Regal, 460 Ford chassis Barth earlier this year and brought it back from Tacoma, WA. On the trip back I didn't notice overwhelming noise from the doghouse at speeds of 60 mph plus(quiet enough to carry on a conversation) and the miles per gallon on that very short trip ( no added weight + empty everything ) was approx 10mpg......I would expect around 6 - 8 miles per gal when fully loaded.
The coach is under an interior reno ( shower walls, flooring, dining nook/bed and re upholstery of sofa.So the Barth has not travelled very far at all!......YET!Hope to South in the New Year for a couple of months!
Any questions, please drop a line

Cheers,

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Richardson:
I expect maybe somewhat heavy.

Perhaps some members here who own similar-size Barths can give you weights to compare.

quote:

Does anyone have an approximation as to the miles per U.S. gallon on a 25 to 28 foot unit with a 454 motor?

You will get answers all over the map, depending on all the variables.

quote:

And, how is the noise level in the "cockpit"?

69 DBA 5 ft above doghouse @60mph with OEM engine cover and insulation. Tighter latches would make it quieter, I think.

quote:

Can you carry on a normal conversation

Pretty well.

quote:

or do you need ear plugs?

Susan uses them when I sing.

Doug
We have a 1977, smaller unit (21 ft), with a 350 in it. It runs down the highway quite quietly with the exception of when the engine cooling fan kicks in. This summer we took a 2000 mile trip from Whitehorse to Alaska via Fairbanks and Anchorage-- because I probably keep my foot-out-of-it we got just better than 11.5 mpg (Imperial gallon). Because of the excellent body construction there is little rattling other than the window blinds.
Our '77 is obviously old, has just turned over the 100,000 mile mark (can't say if was the first time) so it takes a bit of TLC to keep it going.

Bud

our 89 Barth 25' with a 454 gets 9.3 mpg under normal conditions, around 8.2 mpg if we run the genset (for A/C). Wind and terrain can make a difference, also towing and load (i.e. a full water tank). We can have a normal conversation running motor and genset and A/C at the same time. It is sure not as quiet as a diesel pusher.

Hi everyone,

I have been very impressed with the membership's friendly and helpful response to my questions regarding noise and gas milage. Thank-you everyone who replied. All your replies have been read and carefully digested.
Life is good and especially so when one has something positive to look forward to. One day, maybe soon, my wife and I WILL be happy Barth owners.

Thanks again.
Doug