# How many nights / miles / gallons?



## MarkJ (Sep 27, 2017)

We first bought a motorhome in an October a few years back. I keep a kind of log of where we go and like to tot it up every year.

In the year just gone (it's nearly October and I know we're not away again in the next couple of weeks) we've

Spent 41 nights away
Driven just under 7,000 miles
Used about 260 gallons of diesel

Anyone else sad and keep stats like these?


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## trevskoda (Sep 27, 2017)

I am in fact getting just over 30mpg from my iveco 6.3 ton bus at 50/ 55mph to which im well pleased,a ford fiesta would be hard pushed to get this.:lol-061:


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## malagaoth (Sep 27, 2017)

Not sad at all, I do much the same myself although I dont keep a track of fuel far too depressing!


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## Deleted member 71915 (Sep 27, 2017)

trevskoda said:


> I am in fact getting just over 30mpg from my iveco 6.3 ton bus at 50/ 55mph to which im well pleased,a ford fiesta would be hard pushed to get this.:lol-061:


The fiesta would return 60+ at that speed


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## mossypossy (Sep 27, 2017)

Did about 600 miles around Normandy this August in my 6 wheeler and got 32mpg. 

It is all about wind resistance and speed. Keep the speed down and the mpg goes up. Simples.

Oh, and don't have an overbed cab.


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## mossypossy (Sep 27, 2017)

I think I have all my own teeth.


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## witzend (Sep 27, 2017)

Running cost are nothing compared to Depreciation if you need to worry about costs there's a real worry if you only use your van for a few weeks a year now much does that work out at per week.


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## barryd (Sep 27, 2017)

Mrs D keeps all sorts of stats and figures on everything (accountant). I'm not interested but I'm amazed at the op's mileage. 7000 miles in 41 days.  That's 170 miles a day!

I've been away since June, I'd have to check but I think it's less than 3000 so far.  Do you ever get out of the van?


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## MarkJ (Sep 27, 2017)

barryd said:


> Mrs D keeps all sorts of stats and figures on everything (accountant). I'm not interested but I'm amazed at the op's mileage. 7000 miles in 41 days.  That's 170 miles a day!
> 
> I've been away since June, I'd have to check but I think it's less than 3000 so far.  Do you ever get out of the van?



Mad run to Spain helped: there in two days, back in three. There were reasons we had to do that, but I'm not sure I'd do it again!


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## MarkJ (Sep 27, 2017)

mossypossy said:


> I think I have all my own teeth.



Yep me too. Missing other bits, but no dribbling yet.


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## maingate (Sep 27, 2017)

Chainsaw Charlie said:


> I guess for the older ones keeping a record is useful ,as soon they won't remember where they are let alone where they have been, also nice to remember having the ability to chew food before you need to start liquidising :dance:



That accurately describes me. 

I keep a diary with where we have been, otherwise I would forget. I also log the fills with Diesel and LPG, during the long Winter nights I usually work out the average MPG and how many Litres of LPG used. It's surprising to find out how much has been spent on Diesel when it's all added up.


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## Obanboy666 (Sep 27, 2017)

Only know miles between buying my pvc last August and mot this September, 6,500 miles and 83 nights away.
Haven't a clue on Diesel used but average around 34 mpg going off onboard computer.


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## molly 2 (Sep 28, 2017)

Chainsaw Charlie said:


> You can't go admitting in public that you only get 26mpg half of them truly believe they are getting high 30's !


. I do get  the high 30'/  honestly..


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## jagmanx (Sep 28, 2017)

*Keep track of nearly everything !*

All spending.
Daily mileage
Daily gps location and name
Set tripmeter to zero when I fill up with Diesel so accurate mpg usually 28 or 29.
Record dates of lpg fillup maybe 20 days on 1 tank 11kg but I have 2 tanks.
Spend categorised eg camp diesel food tolls /ferry tourist  other repairs
:wacko::wacko::wacko:
:lol-049::lol-049::lol-049:

All very sad
Usually drive 50 to 55mph
Sometimes more on quiet Mway


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## barryd (Sep 28, 2017)

Keeping good records of where you have been is more useful than anything. As I've been traveling Europe for nearly a decade now and mainly Western Europe its getting harder to find new places!

We always have a bet on the gas usage though when we fill up and I can usually guess what's in the tank within a litre just depending on the time of year and where we are. 

As for mpg I haven't checked it for years but it always seems to be roughly 22mpg no matter how you drive it.


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## Caz (Sep 28, 2017)

My Swift Sundance did 28.5 MPG no matter whether i was going fast or slow, long runs or short. 1.9 Ducato base.

My Autosleeper Trooper - VW 2.5 - only does 37 MPG in England and Wales, but in Scotland and France (lower speeds but steady running as less traffic hold ups) it returns 44 MPG. :dance:

So far I've spent 95 nights away in 2017. In 2016 it was 97 altogether.


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## 2cv (Sep 28, 2017)

I'm glad to find that I'm not the only one keeping such records, I also record tv reception and phone signal at overnight spots.
This year has been 7200 miles, 97 nights, 58litres lpg and 33mpg.


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## Auld Pharrrt (Sep 28, 2017)

MarkJ said:


> We first bought a motorhome in an October a few years back. I keep a kind of log of where we go and like to tot it up every year.
> 
> In the year just gone (it's nearly October and I know we're not away again in the next couple of weeks) we've
> 
> ...



I keep careful and accurate records of fuel use as well as what work I do on the van (parts, part numbers and prices) but the only record of my wanders is in my head with occasional photographs.

I always remember where I got super duper roadside eggs (double and occasional triple yolks,) home made jams etc.


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## alcam (Sep 28, 2017)

Auld Pharrrt said:


> I always remember where I got super duper roadside eggs (double and occasional triple yolks,) home made jams etc.



Now your talking !
You can , basically , do feck all about mpg . You can select the best breakfast option


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## Minisorella (Sep 28, 2017)

I don't keep proper records but the motorhome has clocked up over 25,000 miles since we bought it in 2011... with no trips overseas. 
I know this because the van counts it for me, yay! :raofl:

I've gone back over my diary and in 12 months I've spent 171 nights away in the van, 142 of them in 2017. 
If I didn't keep an electronic diary of everything I should be doing, I'd never turn up anywhere on the right day... let alone in the right outfit :lol-049:

I do keep a record of what I spend on everything. With fuel, I often forget to note if it was the van or the car, so I reckon I've poured around £1,200 into the tank in the past 12 months. Again, I have to keep an electronic note of what I spend because I'm forgetful and an impulse buyer and would be in no end of trouble with the bank 


No idea what the mpg is now but Martin kept an eye on that when he was alive and he told me it averaged around 32mpg. Now I just fill it and hang the consequences. I keep a light foot most of the time but Birdie tends to fly sometimes when I'm not looking and has been known to do over 80 when overtaking a numpty on a motorway who kept slowing down to 45 and speeding up again... I was the essence of patience but Birdie had definitely had enough :dance:

By far the saddest bit of all this is that I now have a strong desire to keep immaculate records but I will resist with every ounce of rebellious strength I have!  
You lot are such a bad influence :hammer:


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## mark61 (Sep 28, 2017)

Haven't kept records for years, but might start doing them again when on trips, if only to remember routes & overnight stops. I'm normally reasonably good at remembering but replying to a post re Switzerland and Italy a couple of days ago and I couldn't remember which roads I took, and it was only a few months ago, :lol-049:

I do do random MPG checks occasionally, if roads are empty in Germany I can get down to about 14/15 MPG


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## 2cv (Sep 28, 2017)

A few years ago I got a little psion organiser. As an exercise I entered my car fuel usage over a few years. It amazed me how much it changed seasonally, always being higher in the winter, probably due to greater use of choke (carburettor then, automatic chocke). Some may see this as sad, but I enjoyed it at the time.


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## Fazerloz (Sep 28, 2017)

When it's nearly empty I fill it up.


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## barryd (Sep 28, 2017)

I like to keep a record of the scooters miles vs the vans and last time I checked on this trip the scooter was ahead at over 3000.  Had to have a rear tyre fitted a few weeks ago as they only last about 3-4000.  The mpg is averaging over 100 though


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## Linda (Sep 28, 2017)

I keep a journal on our longer trips so we know where we have been, meals out etc.  I keep a record of fuel, mileage and gaz as well as what we use cards for or cash withdrawals.  

The rest of the time we don't have a clue!


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## Auld Pharrrt (Sep 28, 2017)

The fuel records I keep are a simple Excel spreadsheet into which I add the mileage and the amount of fuel ... it keeps a running total of costs and MPG.

I find it easy enough to scribble the mileage on the receipt and keep it in my wallet until I get home to add it to excel.


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## jennyp19 (Sep 29, 2017)

I start off with good intentions as follows
Day 1 know to the penny what we’ve spent, 
Day 2 forgot to take mileage (occasionally I manage to get to day 3 as we’ve not had to fill up with fuel or buy shopping)
Day 3 working fuel costs doesn’t quite work due to forgetting to take mileage
Day 4 where were we yesterday
Day 5 why the heck am I bothering
Day 6 scrap idea and get on with holiday. 
Day 7 damn that’s the first week gone - life’s too short to worry about skiing ����


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## alcam (Sep 29, 2017)

hairydog said:


> Jenny, if you pay by card you can add the cost up at the end of the year, and you can get the total mileage at the end of the year. So you may not know the mpg but you will know the cost per mile.



To each their own but it is beyond me why anybody can be bothered . If you don't have the money you can't do it . Once you've done it you can't undo it . Maybe best not to know what you've spent ?


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## Deleted member 9849 (Sep 29, 2017)

When we first got the truck 5 years ago I used to religiously keep a record of the mpg at every fill up using the brim to brim method and odometer.After doing this for a couple of years,getting increasingly dispirited at averaging 25 mpg and frequently being called a ''saddo''by mrs wakk I now don't bother.All I do now is reset the odometer to zero every time I fill up the tank and know then I have a range of approximately 400 miles before the next top up.


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## Auld Pharrrt (Sep 30, 2017)

***** said:


> For me it is nothing at all to do with affording it or not, and coming from a Transport Industry background, I do like to know my running costs!
> Then you can decide if you have more cost effective options! Maybe different roads, tolls, or even a different type of holiday!
> After each long tour we do, I know within a couple of quid what I have spent. Don't get me wrong, I don't watch every penny, but I itemise into four categories, which are fuel, tolls, aires, everything else!



I like to keep an eye on my fuel consumption because it alerts me to anything going wrong ... a serious drop in MPG would be a great "head for home" warning.

But, it is easy for me, I just got my van through another MOT and the miles from previous MOT?

12/10/2015: 106607 ... when I bought it.
28/09/2016: 111871 ... 5,264 ... last year's mileage.
25/09/2017: 116421 ... 4,550 ... this year's mileage.

Mileages taken from MOT certificate.


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## RichardHelen262 (Sep 30, 2017)

I never keep count of costs, I do set the trip clock every time I fill up and occasionally I have a quick guesstimate as to mpg it is roughly about 25 mpg. But who cares ? It's about enjoying the adventures


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## Auld Pharrrt (Sep 30, 2017)

helen262 said:


> I never keep count of costs, I do set the trip clock every time I fill up and occasionally I have a quick guesstimate as to mpg it is roughly about 25 mpg. But who cares ? It's about enjoying the adventures



My main interest, as said above, is to keep an eye on the health of my engine, but I do find it amusing to compare it against what some folks will spend on a package holiday.  My running fuel total for the van since I bought it is £1,235.38 plus about another £300 or so on bits for MOT's/repairs etc. Not too bad I would say for two years of sheer pleasure.  I have no idea how much I spent on the conversion and stuff bought for my personal comfort etc., THAT'S what doesn't matter IMHO.


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## Trompete (Oct 16, 2017)

*Log book keeper*

Have kept Captain's Log for 20 years, mainly a narrative, a big help to my age related memory loss !
26 weeks away this year ..minimum cost thanks to WC and Mhome stopover.


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## trevskoda (Oct 16, 2017)

I dont care how much it costs cos im still sending out the begging emails and hoping for a good return,someday.:bow:


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## iampatman (Oct 16, 2017)

I note everywhere we’ve been, with comments, on maps.me. As for the rest of it - I check my bank account and if I have the same or more after a month = happiness, if I have less = misery. Life’s too short to worry about every penny, pound, cent or euro. When we were younger and our kids were at home we _had_ to look after every penny. Now we don’t have to. Our lifestyle now brings us happiness and if it costs us money so be it.
Pat


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## Martin P (Oct 18, 2017)

Just added up the totals from our 3 week NC 500 trip 2400 miles
25.46 mpg. Mixture of motorways A roads ,narrow lanes and a few miles in reverse!
07 Renault Master low profile coachbuilt. Semi auto gearbox


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## alcam (Oct 18, 2017)

iampatman said:


> I note everywhere we’ve been, with comments, on maps.me. As for the rest of it - I check my bank account and if I have the same or more after a month = happiness, if I have less = misery. Life’s too short to worry about every penny, pound, cent or euro. When we were younger and our kids were at home we _had_ to look after every penny. Now we don’t have to. Our lifestyle now brings us happiness and if it costs us money so be it.
> Pat



Same school of accounting as me


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## iampatman (Oct 18, 2017)

alcam said:


> Same school of accounting as me



I follow some blogs where folks account for every penny/cent - a coffee here, an ice cream there, 50p in this parking meter, €1.15 on a bus ride. I’m thinking get your head out of the spreadsheet and enjoy the sunset; stop logging the cost on your phone and enjoy the glass of wine. But hey, different folks for different strokes eh? 

Pat


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## Auld Pharrrt (Oct 19, 2017)

iampatman said:


> I follow some blogs where folks account for every penny/cent - a coffee here, an ice cream there, 50p in this parking meter, €1.15 on a bus ride. I’m thinking get your head out of the spreadsheet and enjoy the sunset; stop logging the cost on your phone and enjoy the glass of wine. But hey, different folks for different strokes eh?
> 
> Pat



I worked with a guy like that, he could account for every penny he earned,, saved and spent going back for many years ... I personally couldn't be bothered with that, but he found it interesting ... he wasn't a meanie or tight wad, he just had a genuine interest in following his money.

I guess it's like everything else in life, horses for courses.


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## RodYork (Oct 20, 2017)

Does anyone record their expenses on a spreadsheet?
I would like to do this and was wondering if anyone could recommend one please?


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## Auld Pharrrt (Oct 20, 2017)

RodYork said:


> Does anyone record their expenses on a spreadsheet?
> I would like to do this and was wondering if anyone could recommend one please?



I keep a note of my fuel, and when I remember, my spares etc. But I just use a bog standard spreadsheet with a couple of formulae to do yhe counting.


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## Canalsman (Oct 20, 2017)

There's an excellent app called Fuelio for recording all fuel and vehicle expenses ...


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## jagmanx (Oct 20, 2017)

*Yep*



Auld Pharrrt said:


> I keep a note of my fuel, and when I remember, my spares etc. But I just use a bog standard spreadsheet with a couple of formulae to do yhe counting.



Just use the one you have or are familiar with

Also loads of apps for phone/android
But I prefer a SS with column headings such as Diesel Gas Food Camps Touristy Other MH items (not diesel or Gas) Tolls/Ferries/vignettes
Keep a separate SS for diesel  
Litres Gallons cost mileage done mpg/
Whatever suits you !


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## Auld Pharrrt (Oct 21, 2017)

One thing, if you use an app, most are written/set using U.S. gallons ... remember to set the options/settings to UK gallons.


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## Auld Pharrrt (Oct 21, 2017)

jagmanx said:


> Just use the one you have or are familiar with
> 
> Also loads of apps for phone/android
> But I prefer a SS with column headings such as Diesel Gas Food Camps Touristy Other MH items (not diesel or Gas) Tolls/Ferries/vignettes
> ...



I have a workbook which on one page is purely for fuel ... a second worksheet for parts/part numbers/date & mileage fitted/repairs ... but I often forget to fill it in etc.  The part numbers are useful when re-ordering stuff like filters etc.


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## jagmanx (Oct 21, 2017)

*Yep SS wins*



Auld Pharrrt said:


> I have a workbook which on one page is purely for fuel ... a second worksheet for parts/part numbers/date & mileage fitted/repairs ... but I often forget to fill it in etc.  The part numbers are useful when re-ordering stuff like filters etc.



SS wins for me more flexible
Sheets such as 
fuel all years diesel so mpg and gas so GPD (gasperpay)
2017 UK 2017 Ireland
daily records odometer reading (hence daily miles)camp camp rating then spending all ( camp cost , tourist toll/ferry/vignette other MH (MOTetc) misc
2016 as above but Eurozone Denmark Norway Finland Sweden Just useul to compare costs and note that Scandinavia not too expensive so maybe revisit !
simple formulae etc
Keep a paper diary to note during the day
Use diary for possible overnight GPS from Maps me Camper contact and of course WC
I also haave a simple nested notepad application for other items


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## campervanannie (Oct 21, 2017)

I read every post in this threads and have come to the conclusion some of you are nuts, I have a budget of £350 per calendar month for my diesel addiction with a £50 buffer I average 12000/13000 mp year this money is for Diesel food camping fees and gas once it’s gone it’s gone and I enjoy spending every penny. mpg who gives a rats ass it’s still better value than a packet of fags ( X nicotine addict ).


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## jagmanx (Oct 21, 2017)

*Everyone who suscribes to WC is nuts*



campervanannie said:


> I read every post in this threads and have come to the conclusion some of you are nuts, I have a budget of £350 per calendar month for my diesel addiction with a £50 buffer I average 12000/13000 mp year this money is for Diesel food camping fees and gas once it’s gone it’s gone and I enjoy spending every penny. mpg who gives a rats ass it’s still better value than a packet of fags ( X nicotine addict ).



Just different varieties   !!

I see you have a budget for 1 item !


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## campervanannie (Oct 21, 2017)

jagmanx said:


> Just different varieties   !!
> 
> I see you have a budget for 1 item !



I have a separate budget for the Vodka that comes under house keeping


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## Dezi (Oct 21, 2017)

RodYork said:


> Does anyone record their expenses on a spreadsheet?
> I would like to do this and was wondering if anyone could recommend one please?



Hi, because we ran two businesses  we used, and still use, quicken financial package to keep our finances in check.  

However for a more simple household management budget then free ready made Excell spread sheets are more than sufficient.

Look over these. 

https://www.spreadsheet123.com/ExcelTemplates/budgets.html

Dezi  :cheers:


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## r4dent (Oct 25, 2017)

MarkJ said:


> We first bought a motorhome in an October a few years back. I keep a kind of log of where we go and like to tot it up every year.
> Anyone else sad and keep stats like these?




Yep I'm sad as well.  I only keep stats on where we go and how long for.  I'd be a lot sadder if I kept details of my diesel.
I started keeping detail in Feb 2011 when we moved from caravans (almost 40 years) to a Motorhome.  I retired in April 2011.

Before you ask, 2014 & 2015 were busy years with other things taking up a lot of time.


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