What's the best RV/motorhome aerodynamically?

[slowmover]

RIALTA



After looking around a bit I think this fits the bill for (near) current production of an aero motorhome. Others (older) would also include Winnebago LESHARO and Itasca PHASER.

Motorhomes have a high cents-per-mile cost, so older & cheaper is not necessarily a bargain when repairs start to mount. I haven't looked into the problems with RIALTA at any depth, but were I looking to cover 10-20,000 miles annually I think this would be a good start given it's limitations.

Motorhome Magazine Open Roads Forum: Rialta - tell me about your experience, thoughts, input.

For brand new (and longest life in this instance) I'd stick with a motorhome based on the Sprinter.

This is but one example:

ERA | FREEDOM. FLEXIBILITY. FUN.

Expediters average at 20 or above using these vans in commercial service, with good records, overall.

More:

Roadtrek Motorhome, RV Camper Van, Class B Motor Homes



Airstream Interstate

Brand new is about $130k, three years about $75K


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[Snowman9000]

The best MPG in Sprinter RVs is said to be in the 5 cylinder diesel versions, which were made up till ~2006. Many owners report ~20 MPG, give or take. They seem to hold their value quite well. So they cost a lot to buy, but you might consider it a "rental", in which you get much of your "deposit" back when you sell. :-)

[Cd]

Don't know if this was already posted, but look at this one : Monaco-Vesta
It's diesel has a tapered tail end and a clean roof.










Also, I came across this one : A " Hunt House Car "

[KamperBob]

I love that Hunt House Car.

This summer I met a couple full timing in a Vesta.
Ref post: kamperbob.com/blog/?p=1831

[Cd]

The front of the Hunt HouseCar is nice, but at the back it all falls apart aerodynamically .


I just noticed that this one is missing the front wheel covers.

[ron]

nice post. my wife and I are on the lookout for a used trailer 24ish feet, I want good aero she wants the ritz. Viewfinder v nose looks very good. what do you all think.

[trooper Tdiesel]

this is the only one ive come across like it.
when it came up for sale a few years back i was real tempted to go get it.

its branded as a GEN2 81/82 LUV but its just a isuzu pup badged as a luv
its a N\A version of the 2.2L in my trooper..so about 40hp at 3,000
i would expect something like it to get just under or at 20mpg



source...
LUVTruck.com • View topic - Chevy LUV Motorhome?

[ron]

good luck with that , in 1974 my company Paul Munroe hydraulics had an Idea to save fuel costs and got luv trucks and rangers , with the addition of a service box they averaged 12 mpg max and would'nt roll over a 2x4 and that was before they were loaded!

[Sven7]

Just wanted to pop in and say Sprinters are a no-no because they have terrible build quality. A friend of mine worked in a body shop a couple years ago when they got a sprinter in. It had rust holes around the windshield frame, on a less than ten year old van!

[flying kurmaster]

Just back from my sejours in Canada, managed to get more work done inside and some ecomoding on the Kurbmaster. I installed a camback, angled 10 degree wings down the sides at the back, made out of alluminium, I fabricated fender skirts out of alluminium checker plate and installed them, I found a small air dam off another truck and installed it with plans of adding an alluminium extension onto it in the futur. I started a belly pan and got two sides done from the front suspension to the rear with 24 inch sheets of alluminium. My plan is to join both sides in the middle with three more pieces like fish fins with openings toward the back to let hot air from exhaust system disipate, also allowing air to flow around the transmision for cooling and direct air over differential. I installed an air dam between the front and rear wheels. For this I extruded a length of evesthrough bent the back side over on an angle and mounted it upside down along the side. The benfits, so far, have been modest, I did a bit of testing on the camback rear wings and fender skirts, with little gain but testing was done on first run of any distance after van sat for 10 months so possibly some residue of old fuel and perhaps some sticky jets etc..??? I have since changed the angle of the camback installed the partial belly pan, front dam and side dam but have not tested it. I also installed the spare to the front of the van which may have been creating drag, when I tested it. I am still on or abouts 16mpg give or take a tenth. Two very noticable positives are, the van is quieter, and far more stable. I used to be comfortable cruising at 80kph with her now I am very comfortable at 90 and even 95kph she sits a lot better on the road.
I hope these pictures work out I loaded some of these in my album but can;t get them