Sad Case in Massachusetts...

[Big Van]

I accidentally posted this in the regular forum, not realizing there was an "introductions" section... Anyway, here it is, appropriately re-posted:

This is my first post, and I'd like to start off by saying that this community is really inspiring: regular folks stepping up and doing what needs to be done when industry and government fail to do so.

That said, I have a big question for you all: Is there anything that can be done for my poor gas-guzzling 15-passenger van? (I know, the real answer is to melt it down and make four or five normal sized cars from the resulting material, or even better, a fleet of bicycles. Sadly, I'm in a touring band, so the van is a somewhat-necessary evil.)

Currently this monster gets about 15 mpg when driven conscientiously. I'm wondering if a belly pan, wheel skirts, different tires, etc. would make enough of a difference to even be worth the effort. Are there any appreciable gains to be made on a vehicle that weighs five thousand pounds and is shaped like a cinder block? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Arminius]

First of all, welcome to the forum!

Secondly, yes, all those mods you mention will help. I would also recommend:

1) Remove all unnecessary weight, including unused seats.

2) Buy a ScanGuage.

3) Plan your routes carefully. The SG will help you determine which are the best.

4) Plan your trips carefully. Make fewer trips by taking care of several chores/appointments on a single trip, as much as possible.

[Johnny Mullet]

Welcome here. So what kind of van is it? A Ford Econoline? Do you drive mostly highway? With a large van like that, you may be able to do a few engine/exhaust modifications and then work on the aerodynamics.

[SVOboy]

Welcome to ecomodder! I guess this thing is mostly on the highway? Try pumping up the tires a bit, slowing down, and see how you feel about aeromods,

[swng]

Hi! I am also new here. The first thing I notice is how friendly and supportive the more experienced members are.
I know I have not much to contribute but I do enjoy participating. So let me just state the obvious - a van like yours will probably not become a fuel sipper overnight. May be it never will. However, one often forgets that just good and proper maintenance can go a long way to make a vehicle stay as fuel efficient as it can be. The rest is then up to you. Actually, I mean up to the driving style that you choose to adopt. Obviously, because you carry passengers, some rather drastic measures may not be suitable for you. However, things like better oil (synthetic?), tires (LRR) etc can still help. Also, don't forget to turn off your engine when you want to stop for a long enough while.
Safe and happy motoring!

[Big Van]

Thanks for all the great and quick responses, everyone. The van in question is a Dodge Ram 3500. The engine is a 360 or thereabouts. Tour driving is almost exclusively highway, loaded down with up to eight people and a weighty collection of amplifiers and drums (so weight reduction is kind of a hopeless proposition). I am always careful to drive slowly (usually between 55 and 65), and I'm going to try to implement some of the more involved driving tricks detailed on this site.

Johnny Mullet, what kind of engine/exhaust mods would you suggest? And does anyone know if synthetic oil lives up to the hype?

I'm hoping aero mods will yield decent gains. (I realize, however, that this thing will always be a gas guzzler; I'm just hoping to take the edge off a bit.) One that I'm kind of hopeful for is an addition to the roof, which is now long and flat. I'm thinking kind of like one of those conversion van fiberglass raised roofs, except designed for aerodynamics instead of headroom. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing?

[justpassntime]

Vortex Generators are said to help with such vehicles also.

[Will]

Welcome Big Van. I think the effort that you are putting into trying to increase the FE of the van is admirable. I think that most of the regular aeromods like grille block, tire inflation, wheel skirts, etc. will help take the edge off a little. I have never seen anything for the roof of a van that would help. I think it might just make your cinder block bigger. I would stick, at least for now to the things that most of the people on this site are doing already. Heck, I am sure you would love 20 mpg.

[Johnny Mullet]

For a Dodge with a 360 V-8 I would suggest replacing that huge "20 gallon can" muffler with a glasspack, cherry bomb, or flowmaster type to increase MPG's and power.

Check out the air intake system. If you follow it through, you may find a lot of the air intake is blocked off by a plastic plate down in the inlet area. Remove that if it is on your model. My brother's 1997 had removed his and noticed a huge improvement. Also consider a different air intake system if available for that van.

[tasdrouille]

If I had a van like that I think I would invest in a teardrop trailer.