Comming across the Flinders Highway from Mt. Isa to Charters Towers, I had quite a head wind and it did terrible things to the fuel usage. Usually 17 to 21 litres, it shot up to 24 per 100kms. I also wonder if we were gradually climbing up the Great Dividing Range, maybe that had a contributing factor.
I was talking to a road train driver along the way and said to him I had heard that they got down to 1litre per 1 km, and he replied in some of his driving he had got as low as , wait for it, 1ltre per 750 meters . Mind you he said he was pulling 115 tonnes, so everything in perspective I suppose.
One caravanner told me sometimes its better to just wait a few days for the wind to drop. But on some of those highways doesn't the wind always blow . I have heard the Barkly and Eyre across the Nullarbor always have wind.
--SNIPPED--- I'm always sceptical about people quoting fuel usage as one never knows the big picture stuff- what was the wind like, the gradient, the distances travelled, the load, air conditioning, other traffic etc.
For example, Ford advertise that the Territory will give 1000 kms per tank of fuel..... we've done 15,000 kms in ours and the average is still 10.2 (ish) for the whole 15,000. With a 75 litre tank thats just over 750 kms per tank. It is obvious that the sort of economy they advertise is done with minimum load, not towing anything, not using air con and using flat country roads.
Gday...
You are right - fuel economy should be calculated over an overall distance rather than just for a single tankful - or even for a single trip.
Load, wind, ambient temperature, humidity, elevation, terrain, how often you pull out and pass, use of the right foot all impact on fuel consumption. In fact, the right foot is the major determinant to fuel economy (or not )
I maintain a spread sheet of my Landy's usage. In fact, I still have the spreadsheets for every vehicle I have owned over the past 16 years. Yes - I am a sad case
The Landy has covered 39,106km as at last tankful and has consumed 5,530ltrs of diesel. I tow a 2600kg van and it has been attached for probably 32,000km of that.
The best fuel consumption I have achieved is 8.97ltr/100km (obviously without van) and the worst was 19.71ltr/100km - the average fuel consumption over the 39,106km is 14.14ltr/100km.
I plan my fuel usage between fills when travelling assuming a range of 450km from a tank - or 15ltr/100km. I tend to fill at each major town even if I only need half a tank.
Cheers - John
-- Edited by rockylizard on Tuesday 11th of September 2012 11:00:02 AM
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There is an interesting article on www.goseeaustralia.com.au titled "Sail your caravan through the Nullarbor winds". The months in order most likely to have winds kind to caravanning are May, followed by June and April, however it is well worth reading the whole article.
We were coming home up the Hume Hwy this week and i was watching the instant economy screen. While we got 10.1 litres per 100kms as a trip average towing a trailer / using air con, but going along flat sections it was heaps better. The best I did was down hill went down to 1.8 litres/100kms, and worst was a long uphill push where it went to 27.
I'm always sceptical about people quoting fuel usage as one never knows the big picture stuff- what was the wind like, the gradient, the distances travelled, the load, air conditioning, other traffic etc.
For example, Ford advertise that the Territory will give 1000 kms per tank of fuel..... we've done 15,000 kms in ours and the average is still 10.2 (ish) for the whole 15,000. With a 75 litre tank thats just over 750 kms per tank. It is obvious that the sort of economy they advertise is done with minimum load, not towing anything, not using air con and using flat country roads.
Its not just headwinds that play havoc with fuel consumption when towing, cross winds can be just as bad. Coming down the Stuart Hwy in the last couple of days we had some horrendous easterlies, had to cling on to the wheel to stop being blown off at times, and the fuel consumption went through the roof.
Its not just headwinds that play havoc with fuel consumption when towing, cross winds can be just as bad. Coming down the Stuart Hwy in the last couple of days we had some horrendous easterlies, had to cling on to the wheel to stop being blown off at times, and the fuel consumption went through the roof.
I've found the best solution in Central Aust if high winds are forecast is to get most of your driving done before mid morning when the wind seems to pick up.
Not infalible, but the hours between dawn and 10am seem to be the best time to travel.
-- Edited by Santa on Wednesday 12th of September 2012 12:11:06 PM
i recently crossed the nullabour when the winds where gusting to 90 kph that really knocks the fuel usage about came across on caravan on the side of the road that had run out of fuel miscalculated how much fuel was being used with a head wind. he had to leave his wife with the van an catch a lift to get fuel could have been worse it could have happend in the middle of the nite
We always have to be prepared for the unexpected out there. The first trip up the Strezlecki Track leading a truck with bulldozer travelling at 15-20 KPH I used 3/4 of a tank of diesel, with the sign up from Lyndhurst to the oil field and back to Innamincka. The second trip I used much more because I was travelling 80-90 KPH with sign down, and had to put in the 40 litres from the 2 jerry cans I carry. That was up to Innamincka and back to Moomba. I wouldn't get back to Lyndhurst without the jerry cans. Towing a van, tyre pressure, vehicle design and accessories, speed, wind direction all play a part in your consumption. Without my van or sign I used to get from Broome to Karratha on a tank of fuel. That's 850 kms. With the van on I got to Pt. Hedland BP, averaging 8 kms to the litre. With the sign, head or tail wind I average 6 kms per litre. Just make the most of your travels, keep the foot up a bit and enjoy the ride.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
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Just returned from my trip north and with plenty of hills and head winds I averaged 15.13 l/100klms or 6.61 klm per litre over 10087 klms in the new ranger This was better than my big trip with the prado and with tail winds most of the way 16.5l/100 very happy Ken
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