Fuel consumption on a Warwick Duo

So even if my computer was inaccurate by similar amount, I am still achieving 5mpg more then Timedout-.

AutoSleepy_Don wrote:

IanH wrote:
Look at the figures, no way any Duo could ever achieve 37mpg.
They even said it was from the trip computer
Not remotely possible IMHO!!!!

Peugeots own figures are in the high 40's so it must be possible at least theoretically.

Remember that manufacturers figures are theoretical. At best they are obtained on a level test track at a constant speed. Under those conditions and on a still day I would expect figures in high 30's or 40's. You can see how consumption varies if you switch to Instantaneous consumption on your display. I have seen figures as low as 5mpg when starting off with a cold engin and 99 on a gentle downhill. That also shows the effect of getting 3 tons moving off - however gently - and of going uphill. Yesterday, on my way home from the MOT I filled up and reset trip A. After about a mile I was showing 32mpg. By the time I was home 5 miles away it had dropped to 22 in normal traffic and with a very small amount of gentle hill.
Last week I was in Yorkshire and Cumbria with no hurry and gentle driving I filled up before we left home, topped up at Kendal (30.2) and again yesterday (28.5). The hills of Cumbria took their toll. Those figures are from the trip computer but I can calculate actuals as I always brim. And I don't recall significant wind. The vast majority of the miles were on motorway, cruising at 55mph actual from satnav.

And yours Ron is a 'aerodynamics of a housebrick' coach-built.

It is no coincidence the van conversions get better mpg than the coachbuilts that lip above the windscreen is a fairly effective airbrake.

I think I’ve cracked it.

Perhaps those of us getting proven fuel consumption of mid 30mpg have a lot of journeys travelling downhill.  As modern engines use no fuel when travelling in gear with the foot off the gas (not coasting, which does use fuel), this will save gallons of the stuff.  Eventually.  If there’s enough long hills.

Obviously we can never come back home (uphill) but it’s a thought. 

Sadly we are all on a downhill trajectory

Rolyan wrote:I think I’ve cracked it.

Perhaps those of us getting proven fuel consumption of mid 30mpg have a lot of journeys travelling downhill.  As modern engines use no fuel when travelling in gear with the foot off the gas (not coasting, which does use fuel), this will save gallons of the stuff.  Eventually.  If there’s enough long hills.

Obviously we can never come back home (uphill) but it’s a thought. 

When I used to get low on fuel in my younger days, I used to drive flat out and coast down hills, to get to the nearest garage quicker!

You see you can prove anything if you try hard, when we take the Focus to Bristol we use M27,M3,A34,M4,M32 and get 45 mpg, if we come back via Bath and A36 we get 24 mpg and it takes ages.
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Richard

rgermain wrote:

Rolyan wrote:I think I’ve cracked it.

Perhaps those of us getting proven fuel consumption of mid 30mpg have a lot of journeys travelling downhill.  As modern engines use no fuel when travelling in gear with the foot off the gas (not coasting, which does use fuel), this will save gallons of the stuff.  Eventually.  If there’s enough long hills.

Obviously we can never come back home (uphill) but it’s a thought. 

When I used to get low on fuel in my younger days, I used to drive flat out and coast down hills, to get to the nearest garage quicker! .
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Richard

You do realise that you were using ‘coast and glide’ before it was invented 

It’s a proven, documented technique for reducing fuel consumption, although perhaps not ideally suitable for modern road conditions.  Did you realise that you were a trailblazer. 

My car being a plug in hybrid does this automatically it suggests to remove power when appropriate ( even though it is a bmw )  and due to gps turns on regenerative braking when approaching a junction or roundabout.

Very interesting this thread,

 I and ( my Husband, also at last after years if him not wanting to know, ) drive a 2003 Amethyst 2.4 Ford  3.5 ton coach built. since I bought her have kept regular checks on fuel usage, not to try and cut down the expense, but if there is a big difference means that something could be wrong, 

Arrived home from Norfolk this week, average 29.76 mpg. this has been constant since I bought her , fill to fill check, apart from when collected from the dealers and drove home, 22mpg, ouch, after a good service, best oil and filter change every 3000 miles, and BP Ultimate fuel we have the average of 29plus, which means we have got over 30, coming back we were stuck in a traffic jam. so for a 23ft,coach built  motor home I am more than pleased with the mpg. 

Would have thought van conversions would be better mpg.my Topaz gets 30-35. and she is 20 years old.

Hi All

Just back from 3 weeks in Spain. Here are the ACCURATE results of this trip.....

To be pedantic, here in North Norfolk to Portsmouth for the ferry is 209 miles each way, all done on A11, M11, M25, and A3 at the maximum speed possible
All of the miles in Spain were done at 2kph below speed limit (GPS Speedo and cruise control) where possible, so 88, 98 or 118Kph where possible
Some of the route was over mountain passes, no possibility of any speed therefore, one max ht was 6200ft, the next highest was 4450ft as an example
So, a real mixed bag of motorways, dual carriageways, rural roads, cities, Madrid's "M25", best avoided, btw, just like our M25!

So, Mileage on odometer leaving here, 22287, mileage here on return, 23871, total trip mileage, 1584.
Total mileage in Spain.....1042.

Fuel used, tank full here to tank full here, 56.57 galls , that works out at 28.000707 Mpg remarkably close to my 2yrs of ownership average of 27.6!!

So that's it, I will NOT comment on this any more, but as a last word, if you own a £30 to £40k vehicle and are worried about the last decimal of MPG you should consider depreciation, road tax, MOT annual servicing, habitation servicing, then you need to stop worrying about, practically, irrelevant MPG!!!!!!!!

IanH wrote:Hi All

Just back from 3 weeks in Spain. Here are the ACCURATE results of this trip.....

To be pedantic, here in North Norfolk to Portsmouth for the ferry is 209 miles each way, all done on A11, M11, M25, and A3 at the maximum speed possible
All of the miles in Spain were done at 2kph below speed limit (GPS Speedo and cruise control) where possible, so 88, 98 or 118Kph where possible
Some of the route was over mountain passes, no possibility of any speed therefore, one max ht was 6200ft, the next highest was 4450ft as an example
So, a real mixed bag of motorways, dual carriageways, rural roads, cities, Madrid's "M25", best avoided, btw, just like our M25!

So, Mileage on odometer leaving here, 22287, mileage here on return, 23871, total trip mileage, 1584.
Total mileage in Spain.....1042.

Fuel used, tank full here to tank full here, 56.57 galls , that works out at 28.000707 Mpg remarkably close to my 2yrs of ownership average of 27.6!!

So that's it, I will NOT comment on this any more, but as a last word, if you own a £30 to £40k vehicle and are worried about the last decimal of MPG you should consider depreciation, road tax, MOT annual servicing, habitation servicing, then you need to stop worrying about, practically, irrelevant MPG!!!!!!!!

IanH , you are a double of me, same driving speeds etc. just below max allowed and on the satnav not speedo. I totally agree with your figures.

I have just filled up till pump stopped ready for our trip to France next week, had to take a rest when I saw it cost me £98.78! + £8 for LPG.

While I was there I had to laugh at the person at the next pump who really tried to get every last drip out , raising the pipe high in the air and rapid shaking in the fuel inlet!   Drip, drip. .0000000000001mpg more? Then when they pulled away almost left rubber on the forecourt, BMW.

I will report back on our return, but expect to match your figures, if not lower.

I enjoy our van and after spending £50k and doing 4k a year, fuel is my last concern.
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Richard

I agree the thread has possibly run its course, but just to point out that as far as I can see no one on here has expressed any concern about the actual mpg or fuel costs.  Representing it that way is just a straw man fallacy, made accidentally or otherwise. 

The actual point has been about what IS achieved against what SHOULD be achieved, and it’s reasonable that drivers consider this. A significant difference can indicate an underlying problem with the vehicle.

I’ve owned vehicles that did just into double figures and I didn’t give a flying hoot. But I would have been concerned if they should have been returning >20. 

That has always been the point here, the difference in actual v expected and why, not the absolute figure. To suggest otherwise is disingenuous at best. 

However, it’s been jolly interesting and I’ve personally found ALL contributions valuable and enlightening, even the ones I didn’t necessarily agree with.

A mate has a coach company and chatting with him last week about fuel costs, the 7 MPG he gets from one of his coaches made me feel a lot better about my 32/33!

rgermain wrote:

IanH wrote:Hi All

Just back from 3 weeks in Spain. Here are the ACCURATE results of this trip.....

To be pedantic, here in North Norfolk to Portsmouth for the ferry is 209 miles each way, all done on A11, M11, M25, and A3 at the maximum speed possible
All of the miles in Spain were done at 2kph below speed limit (GPS Speedo and cruise control) where possible, so 88, 98 or 118Kph where possible
Some of the route was over mountain passes, no possibility of any speed therefore, one max ht was 6200ft, the next highest was 4450ft as an example
So, a real mixed bag of motorways, dual carriageways, rural roads, cities, Madrid's "M25", best avoided, btw, just like our M25!

So, Mileage on odometer leaving here, 22287, mileage here on return, 23871, total trip mileage, 1584.
Total mileage in Spain.....1042.

Fuel used, tank full here to tank full here, 56.57 galls , that works out at 28.000707 Mpg remarkably close to my 2yrs of ownership average of 27.6!!

So that's it, I will NOT comment on this any more, but as a last word, if you own a £30 to £40k vehicle and are worried about the last decimal of MPG you should consider depreciation, road tax, MOT annual servicing, habitation servicing, then you need to stop worrying about, practically, irrelevant MPG!!!!!!!!

IanH , you are a double of me, same driving speeds etc. just below max allowed and on the satnav not speedo. I totally agree with your figures.

I have just filled up till pump stopped ready for our trip to France next week, had to take a rest when I saw it cost me £98.78! + £8 for LPG.

While I was there I had to laugh at the person at the next pump who really tried to get every last drip out , raising the pipe high in the air and rapid shaking in the fuel inlet!   Drip, drip. .0000000000001mpg more? Then when they pulled away almost left rubber on the forecourt, BMW.

I will report back on our return, but expect to match your figures, if not lower.

I enjoy our van and after spending £50k and doing 4k a year, fuel is my last concern.
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Richard

Enjoy your trip Richard, glad to see that not all of us, comparatively oldies, dither around at 45 mph in 6th with half of the UK or foreign drivers stuck behind us!!!
Bw
IanH

Dbvwt wrote:A mate has a coach company and chatting with him last week about fuel costs, the 7 MPG he gets from one of his coaches made me feel a lot better about my 32/33!

I suspect the fuel price increases hit him harder than most of us 

IanH wrote:

rgermain wrote:

IanH wrote:Hi All

Just back from 3 weeks in Spain. Here are the ACCURATE results of this trip.....

To be pedantic, here in North Norfolk to Portsmouth for the ferry is 209 miles each way, all done on A11, M11, M25, and A3 at the maximum speed possible
All of the miles in Spain were done at 2kph below speed limit (GPS Speedo and cruise control) where possible, so 88, 98 or 118Kph where possible
Some of the route was over mountain passes, no possibility of any speed therefore, one max ht was 6200ft, the next highest was 4450ft as an example
So, a real mixed bag of motorways, dual carriageways, rural roads, cities, Madrid's "M25", best avoided, btw, just like our M25!

So, Mileage on odometer leaving here, 22287, mileage here on return, 23871, total trip mileage, 1584.
Total mileage in Spain.....1042.

Fuel used, tank full here to tank full here, 56.57 galls , that works out at 28.000707 Mpg remarkably close to my 2yrs of ownership average of 27.6!!

So that's it, I will NOT comment on this any more, but as a last word, if you own a £30 to £40k vehicle and are worried about the last decimal of MPG you should consider depreciation, road tax, MOT annual servicing, habitation servicing, then you need to stop worrying about, practically, irrelevant MPG!!!!!!!!

IanH , you are a double of me, same driving speeds etc. just below max allowed and on the satnav not speedo. I totally agree with your figures.

I have just filled up till pump stopped ready for our trip to France next week, had to take a rest when I saw it cost me £98.78! + £8 for LPG.

While I was there I had to laugh at the person at the next pump who really tried to get every last drip out , raising the pipe high in the air and rapid shaking in the fuel inlet!   Drip, drip. .0000000000001mpg more? Then when they pulled away almost left rubber on the forecourt, BMW.

I will report back on our return, but expect to match your figures, if not lower.

I enjoy our van and after spending £50k and doing 4k a year, fuel is my last concern.
---------
Richard

Enjoy your trip Richard, glad to see that not all of us, comparatively oldies, dither around at 45 mph in 6th with half of the UK or foreign drivers stuck behind us!!!
Bw
Ian

Thanks, will do.

I will try and not hold up any foreign drivers, well maybe the odd German in a Merc or BMW to name a few trying to break the sound barrier  
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Richard

Must remember to book next week's ferry! This time next week we expect to be in an site near Laon! I hope to average around 28 - 29 mpg over s 4 week trip. But my Nuevo does have the aerodynamics of a breeze block as those pesky van conversion folk keep telling me.

inspiredron wrote:Must remember to book next week's ferry! This time next week we expect to be in an site near Laon! I hope to average around 28 - 29 mpg over s 4 week trip. But my Nuevo does have the aerodynamics of a breeze block as those pesky  van conversion folk keep telling me.

I used to get 30 on our Nuevo ES but nobody would believe me.

I suspect that tyres have more effect than we believe and that small variations in engine "adjustment" or tolerances and sensor sensitivity may make significant differences. I remember how much difference getting the distributor settings absolutely right could make when we could make those adjustments.

inspiredron wrote:I suspect that tyres have more effect than we believe and that  small variations in engine "adjustment" or tolerances and sensor sensitivity may make significant differences. I remember how much difference getting the distributor settings absolutely right could make when we could make those adjustments.

Those were the days, points, coil, spark plugs you could reach, strobe gun, suppressor on the coil and leads, drop the gear box and change the clutch before lunch!

Simple times and petrol was cheap so fuel use was not a real headache!
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Richard

Fuel seemed cheap looking back from today, but at 5 shillings a gallon when on £4 10s 6d a week apprentice wages, it was still quite expensive at the time...
Al.

We average about 32-33 mpg in our 2017 (2018 model) Fairford.  Did start around 28 but got better once run in.

Averaging 29/30 mpg since first refuel, running on CC on motorways at 60mph, otherwise around 55 mph, aircon running on hot days and to demist screen in the mornings.
Boaby

burlingtonboaby wrote:Averaging 29/30 mpg since first refuel, running on CC on motorways at 60mph, otherwise around 55 mph, aircon running on hot days and to demist screen in the mornings.
Boaby

I almost got that when in France in May, 26/28mpg at a constant 130 (kmh)! on toll roads. Did drop to 23/25 at best when on rural/non toll roads. Also on CC, + a/c
Going back in 3 weeks to make the most of France just in case of you know what after 31st. Will report back with new figures.
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Richard