Extra 100k out of tank

Submitted: Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 09:00

ThreadID: 26329 Views:3212 Replies:7 FollowUps:14

This Thread has been Archived

Willem

As has been documented here before and is a known fact that, if you lift 'um foot, you get better fuel economy.

It is a tad boring to sit on 90/95kmh but to prove the point I drove 370km yesterday and used 44lts diesel returning 12.1km/l which isn't bad for a heavy truck with a roofrack. Running 265/75/16 tyres at 32psi on bitumen.

This equates to an extra 100km out of a tank of fuel as opposed to driving at 105/110km/h

Lift 'Um Foot !! ( this used to be a sign on a 44 gallon drum the Mereenie Loop Road to Kings Canyon at a particular chicane in the middle of nowhere)

Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator Share

Reply By: gramps - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 09:12

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 09:12

It does get boring but so does shelling out extra cash just to get there a little bit quicker.

Sign was still there in May as well as it's partner "Puttim down agin" a little further down the road.

AnswerID: 129438

Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:17

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:17

Good to hear sign is still there. Haven't been that way since the mid 1990's

FollowupID: 383954

Follow Up By: gramps - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:48

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:48

Too busy laughing to stop for a photo opportunity - bugger!

FollowupID: 383960

Reply By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 09:15

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 09:15

Willie,
When I saw the start of your post I thought you were gunna tell us that you's lifted the roof rack and got another 100 klicks from a tank of fuel. That is what I used to find with my GQ........1000 klm from a tank (145 litre) with rack on and 1100 if I took the rack off.
Can't comment about the GU, cos the rack has been on it virtually since day one and with all the lights/horns/reverse camera/UHF aerial & GPS antenna that I have up there; well let's just say I can't see the rack ever coming off!!! (:-((

Cheers

Roachie

AnswerID: 129439

Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:19

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:19

G'day Roachie

Yes I was mucking around with the roof rack the other day but decided it was too hard taking it off and putting it on again. Will probably remove it when and IF I buy a trailer lol

Cheers

FollowupID: 383955

Follow Up By: angler - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 21:01

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 21:01

I was coming back from the Isa late on evening in my 80 series and quite a few K's out of The Towers the low fuel light came on. I pushed the switch for the aux tank and continued on regardless. Coming out of the Towers heading for Townsville the old girl started to cough a bit and only then I realised I had in fact pushed the rear demister button. I quickly changed over to the aux tank and kept the foot flat till she picked up again.

From then on the standard joke on me was that I could always get another 100K's on the demister.

FollowupID: 383963

Reply By: equinox-Kings Canyon - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 11:06

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 11:06

The sign on the barrel is still there as of this week

AnswerID: 129448

Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:24

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:24

I am planning a trip to the north west of where you are. My mate will be getting permission as he is a white-fella elder of the clan. You may be interested. Some tracks and a bit of serious offroad. You can contact me through my website below.
Cheers

FollowupID: 383956

Reply By: Member - Brian (WA) - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 11:27

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 11:27

Hi Willem.
And it proberly took only a extra 1/2 hr to do the trip. Thats all I sit on 95km.
cheers brian

AnswerID: 129451

Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:28

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 20:28

Hi Brian

Yes and I doubt if it was that much time. But you have to watch your foot on the way home!! A cruise control would be an advantage.

Cheers

FollowupID: 383958

Reply By: Member - ROTORD - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 13:02

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 13:02

Hello All

Drag from air flowing over the vehicle is proportional to the square of the speed ; double your speed , drag increases by four times . So slowing down by only a small ammount will give good savings . So will removing or streamling the roof rack . For those who must have a roof rack , any effort in streamling will give big returns . A simple method would be to mount a pvc pipe across the front of the rack and secure a taut tarpaulin over the pipe and a well shaped load .The tallest part should be about 2/3rds forward . Swags should be unrolled as padding to gain shape .

Has anyone measured the effect of removing a roof rack and adding a trailer ?

AnswerID: 129461

Follow Up By: cokeaddict - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 13:34

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 13:34

"Has anyone measured the effect of removing a roof rack and adding a trailer" ?

..NO BUT !!!!!!...
I did remove the missus once and the savings were increadable....

Saved on mobile hones calls,
Headache tablets,
Less pit stops,
More time to listen to MY music while travelling (this one had no affect on savings except sanity)
Less food to carry

overall quite a substancial saving for one trip. ...SO i dumped the missus for a much more pleasant time away. :-)

The statements above are in now ay factual, I reserve the right to deny any statements made.

ahhh ya gotta laff

FollowupID: 383918

Follow Up By: GOB & denny vic member - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 15:20

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 15:20

funny you should mention that coke
just getting back into the swing this week after 4 weeks off and have only got my tools and bit s and pieces in the nissan fule consumption has dropped normally about 7ks pl with the trailer behind or roof rack on this week with none filled up this morning 8.75kspl trouble is cant carry ladders etc without rack or trailer so next week up goes the consumption again
still only averaged 4.5kpl for our trip with the van on but everything is relative and if you want to travel well you gotto pay

steve

FollowupID: 383925

Follow Up By: Member - ROTORD - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 17:01

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 17:01

Are you sure you saved by leaving the wife at home ? Retail therapy at the shoe shop and beauty salon could make a heck of a mess of any savings in fuel .

My proposition is that when I can no longer fit everything inside , I would be better off with a trailer than a roof rack .

FollowupID: 383932

Follow Up By: gramps - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 17:21

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 17:21

ROTORD,

Agree re the roof rack if only because I'm less likely to forget to unhitch the trailer than I am to remove the roof rack (if that makes sense).

The number of people who drive around with roofracks constantly on I wonder if they realize what they're doing to their fuel consumption.

FollowupID: 383936

Follow Up By: Jim-Bob - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 18:35

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 18:35

G'day Cockeaddict
I remove my missus 9 years ago and I'm still paying for it, but by crikey I've had some great holidays since.

Safe travells.
Jim-Bob

FollowupID: 383947

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 17:44

Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 at 17:44

Yup, take the parachute off the roof, it will go better and get better economy!

AnswerID: 129488

Follow Up By: See You - Monday, Sep 12, 2005 at 15:33

Monday, Sep 12, 2005 at 15:33

Hey Truckster you should empty your colostomy bag of all of the dhiarroea. It would make you 50 kg's lighter and you would get better fuel economy.

FollowupID: 384143

Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Wednesday, Sep 21, 2005 at 14:00

Wednesday, Sep 21, 2005 at 14:00

geez See You, seeing you dont have the morals of a normal person given your logon name and its obvious filthy connotation, why dont you pull your head in