Most aero "big" toy house

[86rader]

Yeah, I know, using the word big to describe a toy house is sorta silly. What I mean is full C size, no pop-up chinooks or mirages that don't really have full size baths. 

My vote goes to the Nova Star, with the Sunrader next. I think the cabover of the NS is very well done. I talked to the guy in AZ with one for sale a short time ago that had a 5 speed conversion . From talking to him I got the sense that he wasn't full of crap and he claimed that he could make an honest 24 mpg driven 45-50 mph.  My guess is that it this might be true, given a tail wind. That part of the country has a pretty consistent 30 mph westerly, so maybe he recorded it driving east. I do recall sailing across AZ and NM pretty effortlessly in my old SR. Don't recall mpg numbers but we were taking advantage of it by cruising along at 65-70. 

[Derek up North]

All a guess until someone puts one of each in a wind tunnel. Is a barn door more aero than a garden shed? A parachute?

[86rader]

I am going to get a good baseline mpg with the new SR. Then I would like to do a few aero mods to see it I can get the mpg numbers up. If the auto ever gives me trouble, I would like to make it a 5 speed. 

[Derek up North]

I suppose you could try to prove something using coast down tests.

[WME]

Not a Toy or even a Class C, but this is the gold standard for an aero RV.http://www.tincantourists.com/wiki/lib/exe/detail.php?id=navette&media=nav.jpg

 Its a Navette  

[themagnet]

3 hours ago, Derek up North said:

All a guess until someone puts one of each in a wind tunnel. Is a barn door more aero than a garden shed? A parachute?

Im going for the garden shed with the roof pointed in the desired direction.  No way the parachute wins.

[Derek up North]

[hunkaman]

i often wondered what became of the "CLAMPET'S " CABIN.

 

 

[86rader]

My vote for most aero goes to the Vixen. One thing I don't get though is that any number of manufacturers seem to spend a lot of time getting the nose aero, but they don't do so with the trailing end, and it is a known fact that a boattail rear end will give some decent gains.

[86rader]

There are a number of examples of toyhouse coaches built from scratch. I wonder if anyone has ever given any though to ripping the cab off and building a small A class. I realize that this is roughly 1000X more complicated than doing just the coach and would probably be shotdown by most DMVs, but it would be kinda cool.

[Maineah]

I had a Nova Star I never got any were near the 20 MPG mark! I never exceeded 60 MPH (except down hill!)  13.5 was about tops on the road. Even the 22RE pickups I owned struggled to get 20+ yeah they were all 4X4 and I did know people with 2WD that did get mid to upper 20's so it kind of seems unlikely that a 6,000# brick would do that well. As soon as I hook up my 18' camper to my 2011 Tacoma it's mileage drops 6-7 MPG 50-60 MPH maybe 14.5. I have scan gauge and it's pretty accurate, jumping up to 65 from 55 drops the mileage as much as 2MPG speed is a big factor. Now of course when it comes time to sell the mileage mysteriously jumps up 50%!

[86rader]

I think a good bit is on the driver. There are some toyhousers who think using the dreaded OD is a mortal sin. I don't. I think intelligent use of it is fine. My rule has always been if it will hold OD with a very light throttle, go ahead and use it. I was able to get as high as 18 in a 22ft Sunrader with 4 people and plenty of junk aboard. I honestly do believe I could crack 20 with a 5 speed, given the right conditions. It that auto ever gives me any grief, I will find out. I find myself almost hoping it does blow up as I really do want a 22RE 5 speed rig. I was this close (currently holding index finger and thumb a mm apart) to flying out to Arizona to get that 5 speed Nova Star.

[Maineah]

8 minutes ago, 86rader said:

I think a good bit is on the driver. There are some toyhousers who think using the dreaded OD is a mortal sin. I don't. I think intelligent use of it is fine. My rule has always been if it will hold OD with a very light throttle, go ahead and use it. I was able to get as high as 18 in a 22ft Sunrader with 4 people and plenty of junk aboard. I honestly do believe I could crack 20 with a 5 speed, given the right conditions. It that auto ever gives me any grief, I will find out. I find myself almost hoping it does blow up as I really do want a 22RE 5 speed rig. I was this close (currently holding index finger and thumb a mm apart) to flying out to Arizona to get that 5 speed Nova Star.

I agree with that but most people never have driven a stick. If you use O/D  like shifting a manual there is no reason it can't be used. The transmission is a good bit smarter then one gives credit for. It will shift down if the revs don't match road speed yes lugging it will over heat it. Now on to the 5 speed you'll shift a lot and 5th maybe a bit of wishful thinking if your are not in Kansas but a lot more fun. I do doubt you'll ever see 20 MPG at highway speeds and it will be a push on back roads unless there are no hills. My Tacoma is a manual 6 speed (the Nova Star was one of a very few automatics I have ever owned) If you look around at other MH/camper sites 10-15 MPG is about it no matter what the camper is toy home to 5th wheels weight and wind resistance.

[86rader]

yeah, 20 at highway speeds, aint gonna happen. anything north of 55 will undoubtedly kill mileage, as for hills, gentle rolling hills can actually improve mileage. Fortunately, New England is chock full of them. If you pull the hills with a very light throttle in 3rd or 4th, maybe even 2nd sometimes and coast the downhills, you can do quite well. Where you get killed is the big hills. Crappy mileage going up, then all that hard earned potential energy converted to brake heat going down.