Petrol availability for long 4wd tracks

[4evershiva]

Hi All,

I know I did a mistake of taking a petrol 4wd, that aside. I got a V6 petrol Disco 3 and was impressed with its 4wd capability with the help of fellow Aulro members on a trip to glass house mountains. Even since then I have been 4wding and have added, on board compressor, bash plate and rock sliders. want to install llams and you know the list goes on.

Eventually I want her ready to do the cape York and the simpson desert tracks. I know the options of adding long range fuel tank and jerry cans, however, my question is what is availability of 98 octane petrol for these tracks. Is it worth building her or stop and sell her and get a diesel disco 4. don't have the cash to buy the diesel but atleast I don't want to keep spending on the disco 3.


Can I put normal petrol at all? will it be a issue??

Advices please.

[isuzurover]

We had a petrol rrc with us when we did the canning stock route. The owner was wishing he had bought a diesel by the end. In most remote areas opal was the only petrol available.

[101RRS]

Your not likely to find 98 every where you will want it but take some octane booster with you and use the available petrol.

Garry

[TerryO]

I'm seriously considering buying a V8 D4 and that would also be used for outback trips.

Is a petrol engine 4x4 ideal for this? In my opinion the answer is no, however plenty of people drive petrol 4x4's all over Australia and most every outback track and have done so for many years.

There are pluses and minues of owning both diesel and petrol 4x4's, however I tend to lean towards the much lower purchase and maintenance costs and much better reliability of petrol engined 4x4's. especially once they are out of the manufacturer warranty period.

Sure the fuel usuage off road is terrible and and petrol is hard to find sometimes but good planning which might include a slightly different route will get you to most destinations without to much fuss.

Will this mean that I will 100% buy a V8 D4? Only if a good one comes up at the right price, otherwise I'll buy another diesel.

Good luck with your decision.

[4evershiva]

the reason I went with petrol was,
1. know nothing about 4wding
2. price was cheap like was a great bargain with only 50,000kms on the clock

Now I am more into 4wding and want a diesel...maybe do the local 4wding for another year or so and then resell this for the disco 4 (diesel)

[Redback]

I'm seriously considering buying a V8 D4 and that would also be used for outback trips.

Is a petrol engine 4x4 ideal for this? In my opinion the answer is no, however plenty of people drive petrol 4x4's all over Australia and most every outback track and have done so for many years.

There are pluses and minues of owning both diesel and petrol 4x4's, however I tend to lean towards the much lower purchase and maintenance costs and much better reliability of petrol engined 4x4's. especially once they are out of the manufacturer warranty period.

Sure the fuel usuage off road is terrible and and petrol is hard to find sometimes but good planning which might include a slightly different route will get you to most destinations without to much fuss.

Will this mean that I will 100% buy a V8 D4? Only if a good one comes up at the right price, otherwise I'll buy another diesel.

Good luck with your decision.

These vehicles are usually old school petrol and will run on anything, new modern petrol engine won't, 95 would be the minimum, from memory some of the more remote outback stations don't carry petrol at all, I think Rabbit Flat is one.

The guys that still drive old petrol engined vehicles(ie)Cruisers, Patrols, usually have up around 260ltrs of fuel from the vehicles, a mate of mines old 80 series had 260ltrs, when he did the Canning, he got a 200ltr fuel drop and still topped up at the Kunawarritji Community

[BigJon]

Rabbit Flat is one.

I think Rabbit Flat is closed now, unless it has reopened recently.

[Epic pooh]

An 80 or 100 series 6cyl petrol uses fuel at about twice the rate of a modern d3/4 v8. They are gutless and horrifically inefficient engines.

Fair point on fuel quality but they will run on any fuel with octane booster (mine has had to run on 91 on occasion without octane booster - be gentle, no harm done).

[NomadicD3]

These vehicles are usually old school petrol and will run on anything, new modern petrol engine won't, 95 would be the minimum, from memory some of the more remote outback stations don't carry petrol at all, I think Rabbit Flat is one.

The guys that still drive old petrol engined vehicles(ie)Cruisers, Patrols, usually have up around 260ltrs of fuel from the vehicles, a mate of mines old 80 series had 260ltrs, when he did the Canning, he got a 200ltr fuel drop and still topped up at the Kunawarritji Community

Hi Redback,
I find myself in the unusual position of disagreeing with you here. One of best mates has done a complete lap of Aus., including the Birdsville, Oodnadatta, Gunbarrel and Savanah way, in his 4.4ltr petrol v8 range rover sport and has run his car on every form of pertol including opal and has never had any problems with it.
I think TerryO is on the money here, with a little planning, driving a petrol car almost anywhere in Aus is achievable. Just ask the backpackers


Rabbit flat is definitely closed and the access road is barricaded off with a no entry sign, I was there in June.

[TerryO]

Attached us a pretty good test on many if the best known octane boosters on the market, the good thing about them is they say the lower the octane the more the increase. With a good octane booster even Opal should do the trick if need be.

As for places to buy petrol in outback Aus, I will try and find a chart I saw recently that shows roughly 90% of places sell petrol as well as diesel and most sell 95 octane now.

Octane Boosters | Fuel Tech Experts

I hope this helps anyone considering using a petrol engined 4x4 for doing outback touring and has been put off after hearing story's that aren't 100% up to date.