Thread: Max distance you've travelled without a fuel stop and related considerations

I'd say get a diesel. But here are some figures :

Best fuel economy I've had from a Land Rover V8 : 1988 Range Rover 3.5 Manual - Melbourne to Perth, doing 120kph along the Nullabour. 14 litres per 100km on the highway.

Diesel Vs Petrol - Melbourne - Simpson Desert (East-West) - Kings Canyon, Uluru - Melbourne. 200Tdi Defender Ute fully loaded (weight wise) 13 litres per 100km no difference between highway and desert. Vs SIII 2.25 Petrol on LPG about 30 litres per 100km. However the actual fuel costs for the two cars were within 10% of eachother.

300Tdi Defender Melb - Sydney - Melb @ speed limit. 10.3 litres per 100km

TD5 D2a auto Melb - Exmouth - Melb 9 litres per 100km.

Variations (Best to Worst)
Tdi 10 - 13 litres /100km
TD5 9 - 14 ltres / 100km
v8 14 - 30 litres / 100km

I have seen a 300Tdi D1 get 7.6 litres /100km driving Melb - Darwin, but he'd sit on 92kph, and without a roofrack.

Other considerations are excessive fuel costs and detours required to obtain fuel if you are in remote areas, such as the Gibb River road.

So in summary, you will use at least 40% less fuel going diesel, improve your range and fuel availability. However, it is possible to achieve similar financial economy, albiet using a lot more fuel, by staying with LPG and Petrol. The most unreliable thing about my Range Rover was the LPG system, and it did cause issues on the SIII in the aforementioned trip, resulting in lost time.

My current set up, 110 with Long Range tank and sill tanks gives me a range of around 2,400km, which means I can drive back roads, or drive all night without worrying about refuelling. Plus I can be choosy about where I buy fuel from.

Our 110 Puma with a Long Ranger tank can go over 1000kms on a tank, averaging 10.5 l/100kms e.g. we could drive Brisbane -Sydney without refuelling.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

My experience is the same - go Diesel.

However the original post talks about his V8 petrol D2 - so I'm guessing his question is more around: keep lpg & petrol, or go all petrol.

My opinion is - ditch the LPG and go all petrol. I did a recent outback trip and LPG is just too difficult to obtain.

I like the idea of multiple tanks - worst case if you get a hole in one, you don't loose all of your fuel.

The other tactic that I have used - is fill up when you know that the fuel is good quality or cheap (and you don't have too much distance to travel, carting around extra weight)

Cheers,
GG.

PS - I averaged 26.5l/100 km in my 101 over the 5,000 trip...

Yeah, what I'm trying to work out is if a 900km petrol range is sufficient.

If it is then I keep the vehicle, rip out the LPG , fix the gearboxes and drive it until one of us expires. If it's not I invest a greater sum of money elsewhere.

Do I need a longer range than 900km?

Originally Posted by ballbag

Yeah, what I'm trying to work out is if a 900km petrol range is sufficient.

If it is then I keep the vehicle, rip out the LPG , fix the gearboxes and drive it until one of us expires. If it's not I invest a greater sum of money elsewhere.

Do I need a longer range than 900km?

Where do you want to go ?
I assume the 900 km is road driving if you want to do (say) the Madigan then you will be stretching the friendship, low range for days.


Martyn

My old 2dr RRC on dual fuel with twin sill tanks total 92ltrs plus 70ltrs usable of lpg , i could drive Mel to ADL plus drive around for a day without needing to top up.
Drove it to the Flinders Ranges topping up lpg where ever i could with the last servo being at Hawker and then used petrol.

Originally Posted by Bushie

Where do you want to go ?
I assume the 900 km is road driving if you want to do (say) the Madigan then you will be stretching the friendship, low range for days.
Martyn

Well that's what I don't know. I'm building a list going of places to visit and tracks to drive but having not yet travelled much beyond VIC and NSW my perspective is pretty limited.

Originally Posted by loanrangie

.....
Drove it to the Flinders Ranges topping up lpg where ever i could with the last servo being at Hawker and then used petrol.

Beyond Hawker you can get LPG at Leigh Creek if you want to head north off the hwy.
Not worth it tho, massively expensive(for obvious reasons I guess).
ULP was at around $1.60ish, gas was at just over $1.
That was maybe 2-3yrs ago now(didn't have a Rover of any type back then).
On another trip up that way saw LPG at Glendambo and Roxby Downs both at over $1 too, just slightly cheaper in Coober Pedy.

So based on that type of price differential, and the point that the only advantage in having LPG is for price, then for sure you're better off to ditch the LPG and go back to petrol only.

On a trip once up to (anywhere in) QLD, I headed for Bourke for fuel. Big large Bourke, with it's 4 servos, you'd be right to think that at least one of them would sell LPG. Sunday morning, three servos that are on the main (passenger commute)roads, none had LPG.
The chap at the BP told me that the fuel depot had LPG.
Bewdy! .. I'm thinking. Didn't care if it came from a fuel depot or servo, or someone's front porch .. I just wanted my LPG.
He's closed!
But, they had a pay and pump electronic system, insert your card into the machine, choose your fuel, and fill(it with the predetermined amount).
Waited for about 20mins while an old chap with a camper filled his car.
Now my turn.
Went to select the pump, LPG of course ... no option!
The options were for the three petrol pumps, and the diesel pump only.
The LPG pump wasn't connected to the car machine .. after all that .. no LPG! !#$$**ing --it!

My best single fill distance was in my old 2dr RR. Got 640 klms on exactly 80l from somewhere like Leigh Creek(I think), but I remember filling it with 80lt at Broken Hill.
My philosophy is, if you're on holidays, what's the damned rush!
Why do you have to sit on 100km/h all day?
Try it at 90. It may take you another 10 mins to do that 100kms, but you'll probably get an extra km/lt like I tend to do.

I reckon you should be OK with a 900km range.
Carry an extra jerry if you can, just in case, and you're fine.