I got my 454 powered P-30 up to 7.5 with the addition of a MSD and new wires/platinum plugs.

Hey Bill h, how does yours do with the overdrive?

Windsor, what is an MSD?

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My Regal 32 with the Ford 460 carbureted normally aspirated engine and a full banks exhaust system, which was over loaded by 500#, gets about 5 mpg in the mountains of the Carolinas and Virginia and well over 8 mpg in the plains of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Home in New Hampshire now removing 'stuff' I don’t really have to carry to get under the load rating.


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89 Barth Regal 32
Runs like a Deere
New Hampshire

1988 completely stock 454 P-30 28' pulling Geo Tracker on 2500 mile trip Idaho-California-Idaho average 7.6 mpg.


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Gary & Edie
North Idaho
1988 28' P-30 454

MSD is multi spark discharge.

OK - lets say I get a $20,000 loan on a diesel and average 13 miles a gallon. The loan for 144 months @ 9.2% = $230 month.

The national price for diesel fuel as of 7/20/04 is $1.74 a gallon. So if I drive 12,000 miles annually, living full-time in it, then It cost me 12,000 divide by 13 = 923 gals x 1.74 = $1,606 divide by 12 = $134 monthly.

OK - lets say I get a $20,000 loan on a 454 coach and average 8 miles a gallon. The loan for 144 months @ 9.2% = $230 month.

The national price for gasoline, as of 7/20/04 is $1.93 a gallon. So if I drive 12,000 miles annually, living full-time in it, then it cost me 12,000 divide by 8 = 1,500 gals x 1.93 = $2,895 divide by 12 = $241 monthly.

Ok - then it saves me $107 a month buying the diesel over the 454. So the diesel loan payment is then equal to $230 - $107 = $123 monthly payment compared to the 454. Hmmm.

OK - say I drive 24,000 miles annually:
Diesel = 24,000 divide by 13 = 1,846 gallons x $1.74 = $3212 divide by 12 = $267 monthly.

Gasoline = 24,000 divide by 8 = 3,000 gallons x $1.93 = $5,790 divide by 12 = $482.50 monthly.

This is a savings of $215.50 monthly - wow wee!!

So now my diesel loan payment is equal to $14.50 a month compared to a 454 loan payment.

So if I drive 30,000 miles or more annually then I will be pocketing money.

Monday morning, first thing, I'll have to see about a loan!!

Good math, only problem is that your diesel loan would be more like $45K.

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Don't forget the mandatory 60 minute idling period before driving away every morning. Diesels eat a lot of fuel idling, so that must be figured into the calculations, as well.

Seems that the earlier in the morning, the longer the idling period, too.

Our Barth Diesel DON"T have to run 60 min before pulling out Of camp ground or at Home!That no "BULL" just the FACT!I knew you was Kidding Bill H. Not towing we get about 13.5 per Gal.

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Jay&Shelby 95 Regency 34ft. 300 hp.

[This message has been edited by bubbiebarth2 (edited August 09, 2004).]

Why do the diesels need to idle an hour?

Sounds excessive to me.

Seems a 10 minute warm up would suffice.

Dave: The MSD is an ignition system that is an add on to the factory HEI. It controls the spark and gives you multiple sparks instead of one. It gives better performance and mileage. I got another mpg with the addition of that and a new cap/rotor/RV plug wires and new bosch platinum plugs.

[This message has been edited by Windsor Dalrymple (edited August 08, 2004).]

While we are discussing averages, I don't know any full-timers who average anywhere near 30,000 miles per year! Maybe the year they go to Alaska, but not in a normal year. Anyone who is full time want to comment on what their average annual milage is?

quote:

Originally posted by Windsor Dalrymple:
Why do the diesels need to idle an hour?

Sounds excessive to me.

Seems a 10 minute warm up would suffice.

Windsor, that was posted partly in jest. I thought the little winking smiley would be a tip-off.

I don't know too much about diesels, but I think you are right. Quite a few do idle them for what seems like a long time in the morning. I know some just like the sound. Heck, some even like the smell. Maybe there are other reasons, too. I myself love the sound of a BF 109, but not until I have had my tea and toast.

Bill H wasn't the BF 109 a Nazi plane. I know that because in my early computer days I used to love the Battle of Britain software...ha ha, thought you could fool me.

I think they let it run for air reasons. You have air brakes, air suspension, air operated shifters, and they think they need to run it to pump it up...

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Yeah, the BF was WWII. I have never had an engine send chills up my spine like the sound of that one does. The ones with the DB engine, that is. Some had Merlins and others.

A few years ago, I attended a Battle of Britain air show, car show, motorcycle show, etc, and some Spitfires, P51s and one BF were there and did stuff. The BF reminded me of the faceless Teutonic Knights in helmets in Alexander Nevsky. All choppy and totally sinister.

I also have to build up my tag bag pressure before driving. The little electric air pump does it fine.

Bone stock, I think, 1973 25 foot Barth with a 454 (the engine is red, I think that means a crate motor but am not sure).

From Kentucky to Los Angles last weekend, best 300 mile run 10 mpg, worst 6.5 mpg when Bob wanted too keep up with the trucks running 80 plus. 8 Mpg over the hill at Flagstaff. So 8 to 9 plus mpg looks like the mean but we have not done the run from Los Angeles to Reno yet, we may see a real drop on that run.

Oil consumption, well at first two quarts per 300 miles, then when things settled in about half a quart every 300 miles.

With the tranny cooler, everything ran great, the engine temp worked up on the hills over Flagstaff but that was the only time it moved from the center. When I have gages with real numbers I will let you know.

Timothy