Fuel consumption

Not really We got 17.5 out of a 100ser pulling 2900kg as an average

Thanks TomH, was looking at the new 200 series, but got to justify the price tag.

My 2014 BT50 5cyl 3.2 diesel loaded to near GVM and pulling 2200kg does about 15-16L/100km on the highway, 17's on less favourable roads, 19's in the Snowies/High country.

Cheers

We have a 200 diesel and with our 1,650kg caravan on a trip to Winton/Hughenden (5,180 kms) we averaged 15.6l/100km with less than 10,000 kms on the odometer (so we were taking it easy).

Later, with around 20,000kms on the clock (and the same van) we achieved 16,3l/100km on a trip to Melbourne and 16.4 l/100km on a trip to Woolgoolga.

On our most recent trip out to the Simpson (with 55,000 on the odo, a heavily laden vehicle and the van) we achieved 16.7l/100km.

Better figures than you are achieving but with a significantly lighter van, so I imagine that with a 2,800kg van your figures would be higher than what I am achieving. It is my opinion however that diesel will generally use less fuel than a petrol when towing (and it is cheaper per litre at the moment!).

This year on an anticlockwise trip around Aus. we averaged just less than 12L/100km. Average speed around 90 kph. Towing and off-road hybrid weighing in at 2100kg. Did Gibb River Rd, Savannah Way to Cairns and then Cape Yorke.
2011 Holden Colorado with 3" free flow exhaust.
Pedro

As you probably know there are many factors that influence fuel consumption, amongst them being - engine and road speed, roof rack fitted, tyre type, bull bar and accessories, driving habits, ie do you try to keep up with the flow of traffic. As well as what you have mentioned.

Rolling resistance and wind resistance increase exponentially from around the 90 - 95 kmh mark so you need to recognise the impact of higher speed ,if in fact you tend to travel at higher speed.


In an apples for apples comparison I think driving style and top speed will have the biggest impact on fuel consumption.

As others have noted though you are probably not far off the mark, and you have an outfit that performs well.

Good luck,

Rob

It's all very subjective with fuel economy. It does sound a bit on the high side for that particular vehicle set up, but again, how fast do you tow?

My brother in law who travelled around Aus with his 200 series averaged about 22 litres/100ks at speeds around the 85 to 90 ks with his 23foot Jayco Heritage. Not the best, I met a bloke with a new 5.7 V8 petrol Nissan Patrol who reckoned he was getting 17.5 towing his big 24 foot Jayco. Now I'm not one to have a go at people making claims about fuel economy but that does sound a bit suss. Now my BT50 actually has more in the tank at the end of the day than when I started. Hmm, yes well I do get around about 15litres/100ks towing the 2 tonne off road van.

Oversize wheels also chew plenty of juice.

Yours seems extremely high, I'm towing 3.1t with an 2012 colorado, averages around 16-17 lph which i think is a bit high, I have racks, bullbar, plenty of weight in the back and my wheels are a couple of sizes larger.

I would seriously consider a discovery 4, my mate has one and its really good on juice, maybe worth a bit of research.

I took my cousins 550 for a spin yesterday funny enough and was extremely underwhelmed with the power, and it was empty, my colorado would have killed it loaded with gear, and believe me i despise my car so not starting a war.

My mates landy pulls heaps harder than the 550, his is the 3L diesel as well.

Good luck with it.

hi
pk ranger 3.0TD single cab
around city 17 ltr/100km towing 1700kgs
11- 12ltrs/100 city not towing
around 11ltrs /100 highway

swampy

Devil's advocate
1. do you like your current vehicle and is it reliable? If so then think hard about the $s to upgrade and how much the fuel saving might be - a tiny fraction I bet.
2. with the big van you are planning to get then you are not going to be travelling in remote areas so fuel will be readily available.
3. consider your driving style and see if you might be able to be more economical. A drop of 10kph off the top speed will make a big difference. Do you accelerate hard up to cruising speed and then coast? If so then just take a bit more time. It will save.
4. If you are game and have a friend who has experience in towing then go for a drive and ask him to comment on your driving. Even better perhaps get someone you don't know from a towing training centre go with you. The cost may make a difference.
5. As said tyre pressures, load, roof racks, driving style all make a huge difference. I think these will give more benefit than a big investment in a new vehicle. If you had an old one I would agree but your's is quite modern and I doubt anything else is going to make a quantum leap.
6. At the moment you get ~20l/100k. Say you get a vehicle which will return 15l/100k (unlikely) then the saving is 25%. A trip of 20,000km, average price say $1.50 /L will cost $6000. If you magically save 25% then the saving is $1500. How much will a vehicle upgrade cost?

Thanks everyone for you help on this subject. Yes our Pathfinder is fitted with a rhino rack that gets loaded, we have an ARB bar fitted and bigger cooper MAXX tyres. which listening to your advice would build up the fuel usage. Yes we all like our car and are happy with it, my just need to drop a few km/hr. We have heaps of time and not in a rush to get anywhere in a hurry.
Out of a 80litre tank I can get about 400km, a couple 20litre jerry cans on the back might help.

Thanks again. Its been a great help.

Efficient motoring depends on many factors of course.....if you are happy with your current rig, I suggest your consumption would have to be really bad to justify the economics of changing tugs. If I'm cruising on a flat road with no wind @ 85kmh max I'd expect about 17 - 18L/100k (a clean skin 200 series VX TD - 2800kg full height van - if I had a full fuel load and lots of water under the van, I would probably get to 19 / 20L). As mentioned, wind resistance, tyre pressures and throttle position are biggies....try cruising slower when indicated* and get rid of roof loads if possible.
* short of holding up other road users of course....speed is a big factor, in that small increases produces significant increases in engine load.

Hi, how are you working out your fuel consumption? If you are going by the onboard computer than I would suggest that the figures are wrong. Try working the fuel consumption out by the old method, litres used by kms on the trip meter and see what the fivures are then. Bob

We get approx 16 litres per 100 with our Mazda BT50 towing a van around 2,200kg all up at a solid 100-110 kph and that's an average over at least 2,000 kms.