Miles Per Gallon

Our Kontiki is 3400 Kg MAW 2.8 IDTD Ducato base

We usually drive at 60 on motor/dual carriageway

Light right foot!!

About 28 MPG or when going to gigs, we tow a trailer full of kit, then it's about 25 MPG

Go up to 70 on motorways then fuel consumption rises drastically.

Remember, double the speed, quadruple the drag. Motorhomes are not exactly aerodynamic
 
Firefox said:
Common rail, high pressure injection, a turbo, and computer management like on my engine are great for power and economy.

But they can't be used with veg oil, and are often expensive to repair when they go wrong. Nevertheless I would expect more than 16 mpg on an older type engine. My old CF2 2300 used to do about 25, and that was with a dodgy injector pump and a tired engine.
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I have a renault master 2.2dci and get around 28ish mpg if i'm doing 65 to 70 mph on a long run and can get it to around 32ish if I cruise at 56 to 60 mph. Monitored it last week on a 340 mile round trip with a full gas bottle and 25ltr water onboard, I'm happy with that.

I should add that its a regularly serviced van.
 
Like David & Anne we have a low profile coachbuilt with 2.8 Jdi and get between 25 & 28mpg, the lower figure is usually when doing short trips or driving at higher speeds, but at 60 - 65mph it's 27 - 28mpg.

16mpg is terrible and would suggest a problem, even our 7.4ltr petrol Winnebago did 11.3mpg!
 
Burstner T 605 2.8 jtd long runs can get 30mpg at 2000 rpm faster 26-28mpg messing about in cities just dont look at the fuel gauge there all the same
 
You lot need to forget the big vans - get yourselves a Citroen Berlingo car and make it into a wee camper and on a long drive you can get 60 mpg!!! Woo Hoo - it's the way to go :lol-053:
 
Good fuel economy

My bus is a little half-ton coach-built with a 1.9 TD Fiat Ducato engine. On my recent trip I kept full records of fuel top-ups/consumption. I never went above 60 (seems to be the optimum speed for what are basically bricks on wheels!), and spent approximately half of my 650 miles on B roads - up and down the box, lucky to hit 50. Nonetheless, I figured it out that I averaged 32 to the gallon, which I was more than pleased with.

I've been thinking about looking for, or maybe making, a V-shaped spoiler that I can mount on the cab roof to fill the gap between that and the base of the over-cab bed area. It's the main dead spot for wind resistance, and I'm sure a spoiler would improve fuel economy no end.

Does anyone know of a company that makes 'em?
 
Bewicklass said:
You lot need to forget the big vans - get yourselves a Citroen Berlingo car and make it into a wee camper and on a long drive you can get 60 mpg!!! Woo Hoo - it's the way to go :lol-053:
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And after a couple of wet weeks in it I'd be going round the twist shouting Woo Hoo not able to forget I am in a small van.
OK for a couple of days.
Each to their own, but what I "overspend" in fuel with a larger van I save in campsite charges by wild camping, due to being self contained. I would be much more tempted by campsites in a small van.
 
I think 16 mpg is unusually low and you have a problem.

My 2.8 jtd on a van with 5 tonne MAM does better than that (about 23 to 24 on a decent run).

Ignore your speedo and work off the RPM. Accelerate up to 3,000 revs before changing up and cruise at 2,000 revs or just over for maximum fuel efficiency.

First of all though, get a good diesel mechanic to look at it.
 
Any comments or advice. My speedometer is in Kms. I have noticed when I am driving my Garmin Satnav for example shows I am doing 80 Kph but the speedo is only showing 75Kph. Which is more accurate? I think the Satnav is spot on. Why the difference.
 
David & Ann said:
Any comments or advice. My speedometer is in Kms. I have noticed when I am driving my Garmin Satnav for example shows I am doing 80 Kph but the speedo is only showing 75Kph. Which is more accurate? I think the Satnav is spot on. Why the difference.
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all speedos err on the side of caution. plus they are not that acc anyway, some cars are way off at higher speeds. my car says i am doing 145 but the sat nav says 138.
 
David & Ann said:
Any comments or advice. My speedometer is in Kms. I have noticed when I am driving my Garmin Satnav for example shows I am doing 80 Kph but the speedo is only showing 75Kph. Which is more accurate? I think the Satnav is spot on. Why the difference.
Click to expand...

Speedos should never read low but they can read a little high. I have the reverse situation to you, which is normal.

Have you got the correct tyres fitted, as that could account for the discrepancy.

Alternatively, borrow another satnav and see what happens.
 
maingate said:
Speedos should never read low but they can read a little high. I have the reverse situation to you, which is normal.

Have you got the correct tyres fitted, as that could account for the discrepancy.

Alternatively, borrow another satnav and see what happens.
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I'll check that out tomorrow Jim. The MH needs a run anyway. Thanks for making that point.
 
Byronic said:
And after a couple of wet weeks in it I'd be going round the twist shouting Woo Hoo not able to forget I am in a small van.
OK for a couple of days.
Each to their own, but what I "overspend" in fuel with a larger van I save in campsite charges by wild camping, due to being self contained. I would be much more tempted by campsites in a small van.
Click to expand...

Well I too save on campsite fees!! I have an extremely comfortable bed/sofa, a storage cupboard which is also big enough for cooking on top of and as a table for eating off (Tilly stove does not need to be moved), a porta poti behind the driver's seat in the foot well which enables me to stand up etc, a 25 litre water carrier which fits neatly in the foot well behind the passenger seat and under the bed AND I still have plenty room left to use one of my sliding doors. Oh yeah, and tons of storage space!

So you see. I too am fully self contained! Infact I'm not altogether sure why, if you had a small van you think you would need to use a campsite. I have all the facilities you prob have - just in miniture!! :lol-053:

And of course there is the very BIG added advantage that you can get yourself in the smallest and most beautiful, hideaway spots where you can guarantee you'll have it all to yourself with not a large motorhome in site. :raofl: - now that to me is the beauty of wild camping - if I wanted to be near others I'd go to a campsite!!

Oh and I forgot to mention - there's SOOOO much space in my van there's even plenty of room for my Springer Maisy. Roll on next summer when we shall be touring the north and west of Scotland for a month - in my diddy van :)
 
Bewicklass you miss my point, I'm not attempting to make you see it my way, I'm merely pointing out why I'd rather have a larger van, and pay for increased fuel costs, as I said, each to their own.
I have in the past had small/medium size vans eg VW conversions, but they were for relatively short summer holidays doing the Grand European tour, that sort of thing rather like your month round Scotland.

Nowadays I go to the Med. for 5 winter months. I find a small van claustrophobic for that length of time, I know, I've tried it. Also the amount of clobber I carry demands a larger van..... I tend nowadays towards the comfort side of motorcaravanning rather than the basic. I prefer a built in shower rather than making do with a bucket, that sort of thing. I just weigh up what's important to me.

IMO it is the very miniaturisation of the facilities in a small van that make it a pain, the constant reorganising to make use of the facilities, when all those factors were taken into consideration I used to take the campsite option more often than not.

I obviously can't get into the places that a small van might. However, off the beaten track in Spain there are wildcamp sites that low ground clearance or FWD vehicles can't get into. You win some you lose some.
 
Bewicklass said:
[snip]

I have all the facilities you prob have - just in miniture!! :lol-053:

[snip]
Click to expand...

Except for a miniature spell-checker, apparently :)

I am in the middle of a UK-Russia-UK trip and my incomplete fuel consumption log is as follows:

[Edit: replaced by a complete log]

"Talbot" "Note: some fuel used for heating"
"Date" "Cost" "Currency" "Quantity" "Mileage" "MPG"
21/08/11 40.000 119297
22/08/11 45.000 119552 25.76
23/08/11 40.000 119827 31.25
25/08/11 40.000 120164 38.30
25/08/11 48.42 "Euro" 40.000 120450 32.50 "mileage guessed"
27/08/11 500.00 "RUR" 20.040 120575 28.36 "mileage guessed"
27/08/11 "RUR" 11.670 120650 29.22 "mileage guessed"
27/08/11 "RUR" 8.260 120700 27.52 "mileage guessed"
28/08/11 500.00 "RUR" 19.084 120820 28.59 "mileage guessed"
05/09/11 899.99 "RUR" 33.370 121025 27.93 "mileage guessed"
16/09/11 "RUR" 42.550 121300 29.38 "mileage guessed"
16/09/11 "RUR" 42.000 121614 33.99
17/09/11 "RUR" 30.992 121892 40.78
19/09/11 "RUR" 40.000 122119 25.80
23/09/11 "RUR" 20.000 122304 42.05
24/09/11 "RUR" 20.000 122407 23.41
26/09/11 "RUR" 20.000 122575 38.19
28/09/11 "RUR" 20.000 122728 34.78
"Totals" 532.966 3,431 29.27


I do not fill the 70 litre tank to capacity as there appears to be a leak when I do so.
I began the journey cruising at 50 m.p.h., but as the kilometres grew, between Moscow and Rostov, I would push it to 70 m.p.h. downhill. Sometimes 1-3 hitch-hikers on board, plus partner and self.
 
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Update

Yesterday I went to see an old friend who happened to be an old style diesel fitter , he worked for Gardners repairing broken bus engines .

He had a look through all the old receipts that were in the folder I had and then drove the van for a few miles ( Had a big grin on his face ) and decided that the best solution would be to do this .


Half fill the tank and add two bottles of Redex diesel cleaner , drive for an hour as fast as you can and then let it tick over for another hour then use up as much of the fuel in the tank before refilling .

I did as I was told and hooned it up and down the M60 scaring my son in the process .

The outcome after that is My MPG has improved greatly and the engine seems to run much smoother .

After Looking through the old service receipts and MOT's it turns out that my van has only done 600 miles in the last two years .


So the solution to it all is " Drive it like you stole it " occasionally .



Steve
 
Mine is a 1988 Fiat 1997cc Petrol, with a Talbot Highwayman body fitted.....any ideas anyone what to expect?
Not had it long and only done 140 miles thus far, but it seems to be easily 20mpg, with no motorways driven yet.

For the OP, glad you have it sorted now!
 
Many informed sources on various Vehicle Forums would advise doing just as you have done, as the first line of action if experiencing low mpg, black smoke, low power output, usually down to excessive short cold trips,causing soot build up on injector pintles, combustion chambers etc.
2 stroke motorbike oil, Forte, Redex are all recommended as diesel fuel additives.
 
Fuel Consumption..

I can only speak from experience on driving Mercedes. Years ago driving a self built 410, o/h consumption varied from local 20/23mpg. Touring 25/28 mpg. Coachbuilt [FFB Tabbert 675] on a 410 Auto,Turbo D, local 18/21mpg, touring Europe 25mpg, on the alps down to 13mpg. It was quite a heavy M/H. Current vehicle 54reg LWB Sprinter 313, again a selfbuilt. 3xpax, self, wife, and daughter,in Feb/March[2011] toured Europe, F,D, Bavaria, down into Italy as far as Rome, coast road back as far as Genoa. M/way around Genoa, coast road around the French Riviara[that dunt luk rite], across as far as Lourdes, then up to Tours, Samur, etc etc, Mt St Michel, onto Ypres then home. Total mileage 4598m, all mileages/Litres/ were taken using the trip, the van averaged 36.2mpg. At home it averages 26/28mpg. I have pushed the 76lts to the touching cloth moment, and not trusting fuel gauges, I got to 500miles and re-fuelled. As you can imagine I [we] are well happy with our lot. Hope somehow this helps.. Hoping to go down and visit Chesil Beach 2nd w/e in Oct...Any good Wildcamps in the area???? Any ideas will be greatfully accepted... Happy Camping...:have fun:
 
Byronic said:
Bewicklass you miss my point, I'm not attempting to make you see it my way, I'm merely pointing out why I'd rather have a larger van, and pay for increased fuel costs, as I said, each to their own.
I have in the past had small/medium size vans eg VW conversions, but they were for relatively short summer holidays doing the Grand European tour, that sort of thing rather like your month round Scotland.

Nowadays I go to the Med. for 5 winter months. I find a small van claustrophobic for that length of time, I know, I've tried it. Also the amount of clobber I carry demands a larger van..... I tend nowadays towards the comfort side of motorcaravanning rather than the basic. I prefer a built in shower rather than making do with a bucket, that sort of thing. I just weigh up what's important to me.

IMO it is the very miniaturisation of the facilities in a small van that make it a pain, the constant reorganising to make use of the facilities, when all those factors were taken into consideration I used to take the campsite option more often than not.

I obviously can't get into the places that a small van might. However, off the beaten track in Spain there are wildcamp sites that low ground clearance or FWD vehicles can't get into. You win some you lose some.
Click to expand...


Byronic, I think it is actually you who missed the point of my original post - this thread was originally started as a question on mpg - I merely pointed out how much I get in the way of mpg in my wee camper, which I have to point out is my one and only vehicle (I still need to work and as a supply teacher am often travelling to Newcastle each day from North Northumberland and can not be driving round in a large motorhome each day, not that I'd want to anyway!) I trust you noticed the laughing icon at the end - in my mind that means it's all in good jest.

You were the one who picked holes in my comment in the first place. As you say each to their own but many people cannot afford large vans. I presume as you spend 5 months in the Med you are either retired, have a stack of money or live in your van in which case you don't need to worry about paying the rent or mortgage.

I am just as happy with my van as I'm sure you are with your's, but just think about your reply sometimes - I may well have said "You daft idiots, what the hell you got big vans for, if they do crap mpg. I've got the right size van, you must be mad to have big vans" for the comment I got. However I think you'll agree my comment was not in any way having a dig at anyone.

:lol-053: - means laughing, having a joke!
 
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