Fuel consumption on a Warwick Duo

Being new to running a camper are a bit disappointed with the fuel consumption. We have a 2012 Warwick Duo. This is the Boxer base with the 2.2 130bhp Ford engine and a 6 speed manual box. Over the years I have driven innumerable hired vans for moving stuff and most panel vans are reasonable on fuel. Lutons are terrible. With our Warwick we seem to be getting about 25mpg on average but under 20 in rural areas. 
I recognise that fuel consumption is a function of driving style but I am an old man and I drive like one.

Looking a posts on the forum some of you are getting figures in the high 30s . What’s going on? Is there something wrong with our van? We are not overloaded so that’s not it. I have never exceeded 65mph yet and I accelerate gently.

My Sussex (Marquis special Warwick) has same engine and is a 2010 model. I left my computer untouched for 2000 miles and the average mpg showed 35.2
I've just driven 150 on motorways for 100 of those. I cleared the computer at the start and it shows average of 40.8.
I tend to trundle along at 50 off motorway and 60 on motorways.

Paul
Your speeds are just about the same as mine. I use cruise as much as I can and work on 50mph single carriageway (often less) and 60 on dual carriageway. 
It sounds as if we need some investigation.

My long term average on a 2017 Kingham with 18k is 26.5 mpg.

Kingham wrote:My long term average on a 2017 Kingham with 18k is 26.5 mpg.

That's about what I achieve, never seen over 30 mpg. I wonder how some do it. Still not bothered too much, 2.l focus does 21mpg!, Fiesta gets 45 on motorway but 25 round town.
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Richard

Ours does 36.5 according to the trip computer

My Warwick Duo has the 2.2 150bhp Peugeot Boxer engine with the manual gearbox.i tow a small trailer loaded with a 300cc scooter. Tend to stick to the speedimits and try to accelerate sensibly. Fuel consumption is normally just over 30mpg.

I remember a previous thread regarding fuel consumption on the manual Peugeot Boxer.
The consensus of opinion was an average of 30mpg is to be expected.
 My 2004 2000cc HDI compares well with all the reports on later engines, over several dozen European trips of over 2000 miles, the average is always 30mpg.
Al.

My long term average on my Nuevo Is about 27mpg. I tend to cruise at 88-90kph actual by God which is a tad below 60mph indicated. Last season I was consistently getting better but I have not broken 30 mpg on the computer over a full tank yet, though have seen 31 on occasions. I use cruise control extensively and do not accelerate hard. Hill climbing is very thirsty and I suspect that those who are getting really good consumption figures are either lucky with their ECU programming/sensor performance or are driving round Essex type countryside at a steady 45mph.

Taking figures from new in 2016 its overall average is 32.7mpg.  On longish trips the trip computer shows 35mpg

IMHO  those computer readouts are a good bit over.Best to go by fuel put in.
Over 4 motorhomes and many thousands of miles about 25 seems normal.
Of course not only high speed,but hills ,wind ,town and roundabouts are killers.
Dont to forget to add on toll costs if you use them.  

Micky

Thanks everyone. There seems to a wide variation in experience on this subject. I will do some brim to brim tests but in recent years I have found vehicle trip computhave become reasonably accurate. They seems to work well in Mercedes, Toyota, Skoda and later Hyundai (totally inaccurate in older Hyundai).
I suspect if my trip is wrong it is showing better consumption than actual. I have done about 3000 miles since buying the van in November and fuel costs are high.

The fuel consumption figures on this thread do vary widely. We have the 2.2 120bhp Ford engine in our Symbol and although smaller than other van conversions I have done brim to brim recordings in the 4 years we have owned the van and the average over 25000 miles is 32mpg although the computer indicates a figure higher than this. When we trundle down to Spain we can record a repectable 34mpg with keeping to about 60mph on motorways and keeping to the normal speed limits.

Jeff

The usual thing if you have poor fuel consumption is to blame the driver but I really do drive carefully. I once managed 72mpg on a 400 mile run from deepest Cornwall to the East Riding in a Mercedes C220 estate automatic. I get close to 50 in my automatic petrol Roomster. I never break the speed limit having once been spoonerism for speeding on a Triumph 750 back in 76.

We have had three trips to Norfolk this year in different weather conditions. From Grimsby it is mostly single carige way roads with heavy trafic in places. Our fuel consumption was interesting. 
One trip we managed Kings Lyn to home on 1/4 tank, not sure of the distance. The last trip in the high winds and having to keep the speed down the low fuel light came on as we got home. That was nearly a full tank of fuel in the same trip. I don't want to think what the mpg was. The shape of the Rienza can't help with the slab sides and the Luton over cab.
My mates V8 long wheel base defender struggled to keep the mpg in double figures at motorway speeds with all his off road gear winches at both ends and a size 12 right foot.

I drive to the channel ferry ports at max poss speed, then when in abroad, I stick like glue to the speed limits, but if its 130Kph, I'll do 128Kph, so not hanging around.
In UK it goes as fast as traffic will allow, rarely use 6th gear, unless at circa 70Mph on motorways.
Since I got it now 2 yrs ago, and, we do record every litre of fuel that goes in it and mileage, it does 27.6mpg.
I think that very acceptable for a 2.2 ltr engine shifting a bungalow weighing more then 3 Tonnes!
The worst thing that can happen to these is pootling along at 45mph in 6th as seems to be the norm here in E Anglia, its a white van, white van man beats the living daylights out of it every day. My very knowledgeable garage who look after it say they never have emission lights etc on white van man, because the thing is designed to be driven by them!

Oh and btw the onboard fuel consumption readouts lie like cheap Changi watches, don't forget they were programmed by the manufacturer to con those not capable of recording real information...........fuel in........trip mileage............real mpg!!!

As IanH says, 30mpg, plus or minus 10%, for a van weighing upwards of 3 tonnes, shaped like a brick and carrying everything but including the kitchen sink is pretty good.
As a comparison, I have a 1200cc motorbike weighing 200kgs, and although obeying the speed limits (admittedly getting to them much quicker than in the van..), I seldom get more than 55mpg..
I also have a 100cc scooter weighing 100kg that averages only 3 times the mpg of my van.
Al.

While we are drifting off topic  :hugegrins:I got 70 mpg in my golf GTDI in Germany on the autobahn 4 up with luggage.(2003)?
All my motorbikes 50 to 60,never did accurate   figures

Micky

IanH wrote:The worst thing that can happen to these is pootling along at 45mph in 6th as seems to be the norm here in E Anglia, its a white van, white van man beats the living daylights out of it every day.

When I learned to drive I was taught to avoid labouring an engine but these engines (most modern turbos) are at their most efficient at large throtle/low revs.
I'm not sure how many rpms 45 in 6th is but it sounds like it might be good for efficiency.

I reckon on 2000 rpm on a Diesel.

Micky

I agree re 2000rpm but see that as a minimum
My rule of thumb is to use the same gear as the speed limit, say 3rd in a 30 limit, 4th in a 40 limit and so on. If you do that and obey the speed limit the engine will be doing 2000 or so rpm and will be free spinning.
I did a 2000mile trip through the Pyrenees last year, once got 7000ft, and we averaged 27mpg from home door to home door, accurately measured.
On that trip I don't recall ever exceeding 3000rpm, remember 3000 in 6th is near enough 80Mph.
As an aside, my ex 1.9cdti 150 Astra estate on a German trip did 49Mpg at 100Mph! It managed 36 pulling a caravan at 60!

AutoSleepy_Don wrote:

IanH wrote:The worst thing that can happen to these is pootling along at 45mph in 6th as seems to be the norm here in E Anglia, its a white van, white van man beats the living daylights out of it every day.

When I learned to drive I was taught to avoid labouring an engine but these engines (most modern turbos) are at their most efficient at large throtle/low revs.
I'm not sure how many rpms 45 in 6th is but it sounds like it might be good for efficiency.

Sorry to disagree but it wouldn't enter my head to go at 45 mph in 6th.
Too much of that is asking for DPF/EGR problems
I'm going to the coast today, a 60 mile or so round trip, all on B roads the odd A one, it's probable that I won't use 6th at all and most of it will be in 4th!

Ian is right, i find the same on our van, never see to get into 6th gear unless at 60 mph, and would change to 5th on a big long hill. It doesn't tolerate 5th until almost 50 either under similar conditions.

I can tell it is labouring when on any sort of incline at anything less than 2000rpm, which apart from ruining emissions equipment, certainly isn't going to do the crankshaft bearings etc any good when you request torque to accelerate.

If on a very flat & straight road using minuscule acceleration, you can get away with a higher gear, but otherwise there is too much nvh. I never treat any engine harshly and always warm up gently, but otherwise don't be afraid of using some revs - it won't blow up !

So - mpg wise, between 39.2 and 41.5 seem to be the trip computer averages over the years. The true measured consumption is 36.6 over 48,000 miles and 7 years, which indicates a 10 to 15% over estimation of the computer.

Van is never used for local journeys or urban work, and never exceed a true 60 on the motorways, so that probably flatters the figures.

AutoSleepy_Don wrote:

IanH wrote:The worst thing that can happen to these is pootling along at 45mph in 6th as seems to be the norm here in E Anglia, its a white van, white van man beats the living daylights out of it every day.

When I learned to drive I was taught to avoid labouring an engine but these engines (most modern turbos) are at their most efficient at large throtle/low revs.
I'm not sure how many rpms 45 in 6th is but it sounds like it might be good for efficiency.

Don

Did an experiment this morning. 45mph in 6th is 1750rpm. As an aside that was 45mph on the very accurate gps hud speedo. The vehicle one was showing 41mph!

Bw
Ian

Ian is that right? Your Van speedo is  under reading?

Micky