The Cost of our Pastime

Yep, Lionel, you've got to wonder. On LCOOL someone posted the fuel consumption figures for their PETROL LC200 and boy did it make a few diesel owners drop their lips.

I was towing my full height van but I just checked my figures and I averaged 20 litres per 100ks.

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Not great. But I guess if you want those ponies to work you have to feed them.

GFB and Lionel,

Just did a trip up to Coober Pedy then the Anne Beadell, through to Pilbara, Exmouth, then coast to Albany, Esperance and home... Total 11,255k's

Driving Petrol / LPG Mitsubishi Auto with oversize tyres and towing an overweight Jayco. Van had 250ltrs of water on board and 60ltrs of fuel. (never got to run top gear)

Total fuel cost was $3245.00 that is also including the $435.00 of ULP purchased at Ilkurlka, to get us through to Laverton and also having to us ULP instead of LPG at both Meekatharra and Tom Price due to damaged LPG pumps.

I done the maths 2 yrs ago and sold our Diesel to go back to duel fuel, this was based on dearer services etc also, I thought I made a good choice at the time, now I know I did.

This was on a trip where I had probably the lowest possibly use of LPG..

Sorry GB and Lionel, mind u Gone F Bush may be a betta nickname LOL

G'day GB and Blaze, I am interested GB in the direct comparison to air fares and I guess you are thinking that when you get to the other end, you don't do anything. Sit, prop on the beach as there isn't the allowance to do much after the air fares. Don't forget to add in your hotel accommodation cost for the period too. It is a lot more than just a fuel for air fares argument but I am sure you are aware of that.

GB a friend had the petrol 200 as a work car to give it up and will be driving the 76 wagon soon. I guess there were other decisions in all of that.

The 200 diesel apparently, isn't really any more economical than the 4.2 100 series when I hear from owners who are travelling with friends in almost identical configured vans.

Blaze, GB, may have Gone for Bush but it would mean a change of number plates.

GB, have just done the fuel figures including the desert at 19.1. Some has been at over 100-105kph too

Gday John,

I sure wouldn't do the plane trip way, unless it was to just have a look at a small part of the country, in a small time frame. I said to a mate the other day, if I was to want to do say the GRR again, now I would prob fly to Broome and rent a Britz Yota.. Havent done the figures but it must be close and if your on restricted time, it would have to be the way.

I averaged about 23ltrs per ton on our trip, with the slow part being on the desert (and it was rough) speed was around the 25 to 30k mark. Even though it was slow going because your on and off the throttle it still burnt about the same. Blacktop was around 100kph for a fair amount of the time and over 3,000k's at around 110kph. so at 23ltrs per100 it is a higher usage with petrol / LPG but I now talk in how many K's to the dollar not how many K's to the litre and I beat the diesels easily on the combined fuels. Even went close with just ULP. But of course some people just love the flare of their nostrils when they fire up their rice burners... LOL

It's towing the van that does the damage.

Without the van my Cruiser consumes just about exactly half that figure.

G'day Doug,

I heard that you had a crush on Bligh. Is that true? You ol' pirate.

The fuel consumption/price killer was the return trip west over the Nullarbor. We were punching a WA Cold Front from Ceduna to home. I contacted the Weather Office at Eucla and the wind got up to 80kph on the day we drove thru. Combine that with my speed of 80kph and I had a closing speed of 160kph on my van.

That produced a fuel consumption of 30 litres per 100ks.

And that made me stop at Caiguna for fuel at $2.28 per litre. Ouch !!

That's right Willem.

I guess it's easy for us to think about going to a Gathering in QLD or Cape LeGrand but finding the means in our pockets is a whole new challenge.

This might interest some of you my MQ 3.3 Turbo diesel Weight 3.75 Tonne
We my Fuel Cost from 1-1-2008 to now
Travelled 7050 Kms
Used 1159.15 Litres of Diesel
Travelled 6.083 Kms per Litre
Average cost Fuel $1.47
Cost average to travel 100Km = $ 24.20
Average fuel used per 100 Km =16.44 Litres
Total fuel Cost $1706.04 for 7050Kms
Hi Trevor sorry I missed gathering it sounds like you all had a great time , but the doctor had other ideas I had a heart scare .
I won .LOL old age is a S@#$%^&.

Hi Col,

I was looking for you out there and only today thought of sending you a MM but didn't due to time restraints. Now I don't have to. I told you to put your face on before looking in the mirror each morning didn't I, that'll do it to even a young man's heart hehehe. Good to hear you won this round but not so good to hear you were in the ring in the first place.

At 219c/lt out at Innaminka you would have quickly upped the average on your fuel costings had you made it out there.

Catch up with you at a more local gathering one day soon I hope.

Stay safe and best regards,
Trevor.