MPG??

Hi folks,

Just come back from our first long trip (as in distance) from north and mid wales (thankfully avoiding the snow) did about 420 miles and if my maths is correct we got about 28 MPG as it stands I dont know if thats good or bad but bearing in mind "Holly" was fully loaded and had a full tank of diesel I didnt think that was bad going.

What does everyone else seem to get?

Neil

I would have hoped for a bit more, but depends where you have been cos in N.Wales many of the roads are winding and often its not possible to get into top gear.
On non dual carriageways/motorways I used to get around this sort of figure with the previous van (Executive)

Hi, Assuming your vehicle is in good condition, as iam sure it is, than its down to a few things.
The main one is your personal driving style.
Dutto is getting high 30 mpg figures.
Most Motorhomes are loaded due to the fixed fittings as in comparison to an empty Transit for instance.
I get 26 mpg, but thats petrol.
We are talking journey figures, not short around town,where all vehicles give poor figures.
regards
Mike
ex Mobile Economy Run competitor (3rd)

In my 1993 petrol Harmony, depending on how many mountains we have to go over, we are getting 28 miles and that is with the fresh water fully loaded.
Shirley

mikethebike wrote:
.........
ex Mobile Economy Run competitor (3rd)

Mike,

Maybe you could get the person that came 1st to let us know how he did it!

Best regards,

Ian

30 on a run, loaded pulling small box trailer(loaded).
That's with a 1.9 diesel

PB

Hi

When I asked a mechanic how I could inprove the MPG of my VW Campervan, to what other owners were claiming, his response was, "LIE ABOUT IT".


Andy

andygump wrote:Hi

When I asked a mechanic how I could inprove the MPG of my VW Campervan, to what other owners were claiming, his response was, "LIE ABOUT IT".


Andy

Andy,

Not with a wife like mine!

I don't have to lie because every litre of diesel put into the tank, every mile driven, all maintenance bills, all spare parts, tax disc, MOT, insurance etc etc etc are ALL written down in Helen's little black book.

This was how she managed to clock the fact that the mpg had dropped off and declare "YOU are driving too fast!"

My fault! No change there then!

It had nothing to do with a huge traffic jam in Rouen, crawling along in 1st and 2nd gear for 25 miles to pass some roadworks, driving in 3rd gear for half an hour with windscreen wipers on full blast to wipe away the hailstones! No. It was just me driving too fast and burning fuel needlessly!

Best regards,

Ian

I have an Autosleeper Topaz, with a 2.5tdi, I am monitoring my fuel consumption carefully, comparing it to my previous Volvo 2.4 tdi estate, this last week I filled up the tank, keep it topped up, that way I can get an accurate mileage, then put it into computer to convert, I had done 342.2 miles, litres of fuel used 44, consumption 35.36 miles per imperial gallon, this was mostly just going to local park to take the dogs, and 2 trips to Lincoln, the other trips shopping, it is my everyday vehicle. also it is in very cold weather, last autumn, only bought it the back end of August , I got high 30`s to low 40`s , my mechanic says I could get more than that, the most I got out of my Volvo was 33, my van is always loaded with bedding etc. I like to be prepared.In case anyone says ,no I do not hang about, I use my gears rather than the brakes an antisipate sp. the traffic conditions as I was taught to drive years ago, I am also a light footed lady driver.

Harper22 wrote:Hi folks,

Just come back from our first long trip (as in distance) from north and mid wales (thankfully avoiding the snow) did about 420 miles and if my maths is correct we got about 28 MPG as it stands I dont know if thats good or bad but bearing in mind "Holly" was fully loaded and had a full tank of diesel I didnt think that was bad going.

What does everyone else seem to get?

Neil

Fully loaded with fuel and water, 28mpg is not far off. All Autosleeper variants are fairly heavy vans mainly due to the internal fittings used (AS used a lot of solid wood), and I remember one owner who decided to remove the shower/toilet door to improve access and was shocked at the weight when he got it off......and that's just one door. I get around 30-32mpg without any load (empty van and no water) but expect it to go down to around the 28-29 mark with the water tank full plus when packed to go off touring.

By comparison a previous van I had, also Transit based but 2.5Di so non-turbo would return up to 38-40mpg on tour. But that was a SWB model, no onboard water tanks, and very light internal fittings.

Must admit I still haven't got round to doing my mpg figures from last years tour!

Hi there,

The last Post brought up a good point. Reduce the weight!!

We ALWAYS try to travel with an empty waste tank, an empty water tank and only a small amount of flush fluid in the toilet; and carry a 3 litre bottle of water for coffee and rinsing the dishes.

We should also just fill the fuel tank to 50% but tend to fill it to the top when we find somewhere cheaper than anywhere else. e.g. on the last trip north we filled up at Morrisons at Berwick-on-Tweed at 141.9p a litre to avoid the need to fill up on the A1 at 146.9p a litre. (Helen is now on the verge of tears after discovering that Morrisons in Skegness is selling diesel at 140.9 a litre today and we still have half a tank full from Berwick!)

With regard to other stuff that can add significantly to the weight:

o We keep clothing and bedding to a minimum. Not easy at this time of the year but they do have launderettes "over there"!

o We only take a very limited amount of dried food (e.g. spices and porridge oats which can both be hard to find or expensive) and almost no liquids (e.g. milk) or tinned (e.g. soups) food. They have shops and markets "over there" and we like fresh meat and vegetables anyway.

o Finally, we have a rule that "If it hasn't been used in the last month then we don't need it!" With the exception of First Aid and Emergency Kit the rule is rigidly enforced and the offending article(s) removed. (e.g. We removed the Anti-Mosquito Wipes and Sprays back in November. We will take a tin of Anti-Mosquito Spray to France next week; but more in hope than expectation.)

Hope this helps someone get better mpg.

Best regards,

Ian

Hi Ian, Reduce weight is a good point. Leave Helen at home will help.
A light foot and good anticipation will do wonders.
Any brakeing done is wasted energy.
All acceleration should be gradual.
Just off topic for a second,where is the warmest place 500 miles from Dunkirk ?
regards

mike

Warwick Duo on Peugeot Boxer 2.2 Diesel. 6 speed. 33.6 mpg average from new. Chuffed.

mikethebike wrote:..........
Just off topic for a second,where is the warmest place 500 miles from Dunkirk ?
regards

mike

Mike,

but can't resist; as usual!

A sauna somewhere??

Bordeaux is 506 miles by road from Dunkirk and in April it averages a "High" of about 17 to 18 degrees.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] refers.

Forecast for tomorrow is "Sunny" at 11 degrees. Skegness is "Cloudy" with 3 degrees.

Please Lord let the sun shine on Bordeaux and all points East, at least for the month of April.

Best regards,

Ian

Many thanks for the replies folks, Looks like im not doing too badly aspecially as on the way there i had to have the heting on full continually (which im lead to believe uses more fuel but could be wrong) and that we were crawling in 1st n 2nd for a good 45 min on the m62 on the way back. I guess for a 99 1.9 shes doing ok :-) thinking about carrying extra weight i guess i should of drank the remaining 12 bottles of stella in the fridge

Harper22 wrote:........... thinking about carrying extra weight i guess i should of drank the remaining 12 bottles of stella in the fridge

That's always a good move .....

..... on the other hand it increases the pitstops!!

Enjoy.

Best regards,

Well, I 'do' all the above to reduce vehicle weight, this gets it down nice & light, then go and screw it all up by climbing aboard

Thanks MM it was becoming a bit neurotic on here

andygump wrote:Thanks MM it was becoming a bit neurotic on here

Andy,

A garage up the road from here was recently charging 149.9p per litre.

As far as I am concerned there is nothing "neurotic" about economising when it can cost up to £6.81 for a gallon of diesel.

There's a tremendous bit of reading here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

On Page 20 you will see that in 1960 (when I started driving) the price for a litre of petrol was 5.1p a litre (£0.23 a gallon).

Even when this figure is adjusted to 2011 prices it only reaches 95.1p a litre (£4.32 a gallon).

"Neurotic" is defined as "A person prone to excessive anxiety and emotional upset."

I don't think that knowing you are being ripped off and trying to do something about it is "neurotic"; more "Common Sense".

Right, back into my straight-jacket before the nurse returns.

Best regards,

Ian

On advice from the T4 Forum, I am filling up with good quality fuel, example BP (not super market fuel, which is cheaper per litr , )I am finding my motor not only runs better I get another 80 miles out of a full tank, so in the long run I find it cost effective. Don`t know whether anyone on this forum has tried this, Just a thought it might be of some use to someone.My husband now does this with his Mondeo , he finds the same so we are well pleased.

Hi there,

To be honest I have tried it and didn't find it any more economical on a "Cost v. Mileage" basis.

All diesel fuel has to comply with a British or European Standard and "Petal's" engine was designed and running without any problems well before the oil companies introduced their "improved and more profitable version". It may be better for a modern engine but I am unconvinced that it makes economic sense to run a 1998 Duetto on it.

In your own case, it may well be that you are now a lot more conscious of trying to improve your mileage with the more expensive diesel so you are driving in a slightly different manner. Even with an "improved" fuel the four key elements of:
o Top speed.
o Right gear.
o Acceleration.
o Braking.
all apply.

Of far greater concern to me is "Although the tax is the same, why is diesel more expensive than petrol in the UK when it is so much cheaper to make?"

I believe the answer given to me by a retired oil executive who said "More profit to the oil companies. They have managed to convince the UK Government that it is more expensive because we have lowered the sulphur level. It actually doesn't cost all that much extra as we have to do it anyway; and we sure as heck haven't told them about the savings made by running downstream equipment with lowered levels of sulphur."

Best regards,

Dutto wrote:
I believe the answer given to me by a retired oil executive who said "More profit to the oil companies."

That looks about right to me. I reckon that, because almost all commercial vehicles run on diesel, they have realised that for business users the spend on diesel is not "discretionary", so they can charge as much as they like. Private petrol-fueled car owners would be more likely to cut back and shop around, so they keep the price lower.

Hi Shell petrol is widely regarded as very good.
regards

Mike

This may sound obnoxious but..................................don't know............................and don't care....................just great to get out on the open road

Tommy-Darcy wrote:This may sound obnoxious but..................................don't know............................and don't care....................just great to get out on the open road

Winnie a 2000 Symbol diesel is averaging about 28 mpg but I haven't been far in it yet. I also do care but what can we do about it other than take it steady on the road and keep the weight down.
I also love the open road so if I sell the house I could have one if those all singing and dancing motor homes with the sides that come out and not give a hoot about the fuel prices. We live in a country that ain't bad if you stop and think about it. Anyway I am not going to sell the house so I will have to keep saying to the misses, " coming through" as we do a dance in the gangway as I pass her cooking on the way to the loo.

It's a great life really.

Best regards, Mike