Petrol availability for remote outback traveling with patrol 4.8

Sometimes I feel for petrol users in remote locations.
They seem to pay a little more than diesel.

I think there might be a bloke on this forum that knows a bit about 4.8 petrol Patrols AND is a very experienced remote outback traveller to boot.... :-)

rooooboy,
I have travelled to some fairly remote locations and the only place that could not access unleaded was Cotton creek (Rudall river NP). With the long range tanks and good planning You should be OK.

Mike.

We drive a 4 litre petrol Troopy with tanks for about 170 litres of fuel. You do have to plan ahead (doesn't everyone!) and assume that you may need to carry some jerry cans on some remote trips. The 4.8 Patrol is said to have a good appetite for fuel, but I think our Troopy could match it!

Your 30 litres per 100 km is probably about right for the most extreme sand conditions but we've done a lot of km on sand and only once (central CSR) burned fuel for a day at that rate. As already said, you will have petrol available almost anywhere you could get diesel - Cotton Ck is a notable exception.

There are a couple of downsides to petrol.
Most (almost all) vehicles in remote areas will be diesels, so
1) you must be entirely self sufficient for fuel and engine spares.
2) traveling with others your petrol vehicle performs differently from their diesels. While they can plod along all day at low revs, you need higher revs, so usually would prefer to travel a bit faster than them; maybe you have to drop down a gear and travel a bit slower than your optimum, which costs fuel. Tackling difficult terrain, dunes etc also requires different approaches which upsets the smooth flow of a convoy. It can all stretch relationships.

Cheers

John

Hi Rooboy

Great Cars , the petrol situation just isn't a real issue , overall the minuses have been for diesel in my experience espically when fuel quality issues arise.

I got the last 2 pasties at Birdsville not long ago just after the races when there was a 100m queue for my mates trying to fill up with the 5c dearer diesel when I just pulled in to the petrol pump filled up instantly then and cruised round to the bakery.

But on the more important issues I have been able to do every trip from full Madigan line to Cape York and the Canning etc.

I do carry usable 215 lt in long range main & Sub tanks and can carry over 300lt if required.

I have crossed the Simpson (Birdsville to Oodnadatta) in my manual 4.8 on just my main 145lt tank and averaged 18lt up the Canning.

My auto 4.8 which I mostly drive uses the same amount of fuel as the manual on a return Melb to Simpson to Melb trip because it uses more in the sand and less on the highway.

A few weeks ago we did a very tough trip over 800km, coming up with a new way to get to the Simpson Geo Centre in my 2010 4.8 auto and got my worse ever consumption of 30lt/100km cross country.


My fuel use conclusions from that trip were ->


MELB to MELB via Simpson Geo-Centre (5000 km +)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Whole Trip 835lt for 5017km or 16.6lt/100km with tyres generally low
e.g. 18 psi bush @ 28psi dirt @ 36 bitumen


Mogul driving 31 lt/100km

Simpson general 25lt

Station tracks 20

Dirt roads 15

Highway Cruise @ 95 13.5 lt/100km

Hi Rooooboy

I have a 2001 4.8 auto Gu and believe that it is a great vehicle.
I have kept fuel consumption figures from new. Overall average is 20.74l/100k.
Highway 17, dirt roads/off road/light sand up to 25.

However when I recently had to use Opal fuel from Warburton W.A. to travel down the Connie Sue my consumption suddenly jumped to an estimated 45l/100k. We had only done about 100k when we realised that consumption was through the roof.
After checking for fuel leaks etc and finding nothing wrong we contacted Nissan Kalgoorlie by sat phone for advice. They were no help with the Service Manager believing that a 4.8 patrol was a diesel.

We decided to turn back as too continue was going to strand us well short of the any new fuel, even though we were carrying extra fuel in jerrys.

On returning to Warburton we refuelled with Opal and continued on the dirt road to Laverton. Fuel consumption back to 23l/100K

So my suggestion is that the 4.8 is high on fuel usage but manageable EXCEPT on heavy going with Opal.

BTW I had done the Connie Sue from Warburton to Cocklebiddy with a 3 litre GQ Patrol many years ago at an average of 25l/100k on unleaded.

Hope this is of some help to you.

Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me could shed some light for the high consumption of the 4.8 on Opal on the Connie Sue.

Hi all, thanks for your replies, looks like petrol is definitely an option to consider.

I'm another supporter of the 4.8. There is no doubt its thirsty and that can be a little daunting at some remote bowser but it feels good on the power.Mine has been to Cape York several times including an extended trip to Cape Melville, The Simpson, Kimberley and numerous trips to Fraser and Morton. Recently we towed our van along the gulf for three months and it was comforting to have such a capable vehicle.

Kind regards

gooday rooooboy ,
mate if ya happy to tip petrol in then do it, petrol patrols are cheaper to buy than diesels .Ive got a GQ efi petrol auto , an have travelled the CSR , Simpson , about 4 times , GRR , Gunbarrel , you name it , for me to travel 1000k on the dirt an sand I need
about 300 lts , 145 in the tank , the rest on the roof , have been doin it for 16 yrs
all the experts will tell you that's its dangerous an illegal bla bla bla .
tell ya what the auto makes easy work of the sand ,
just do it mechpete