Sand Driving Economy for a Auto 3ltr 150's?

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Gents,

We have just returned from a week up at Fraser where I took our Prado, towing our Box Trailer with a RTT on top. The trailer would have been loaded to about 750kgs or maybe 800kgs at a guess. We refuelled at Rainbow before crossing onto the Island. Our campsite was 70kms from where we refuelled where I unhitched the trailer and the rest of the time on the island was driving w/o the trailer.We drove around for the week & I managed to refuel again back at Rainbow before heading off back home.
So, when I worked out our economy we had done a total of 547kms between refills before and after the island for a total of 121.64ltrs in total. This works out to a HIGH total of 22.2ltrs/100kms!!!
I was quite surprised at the usage as our 265/70/17 tyres were down to 15psi(Trailer too), I never really drove it hard. We did drive through some soft sand, but not what I called really dry, powdery stuff as the underneath was still a bit moist.

So, I was curious as to what others have been getting in their D4d 3ltr Prado's for beach/sand driving? (BTW: when we crossed the Desert a few years back, our economy wasn't this bad)

[Symo Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Symo]

About right, given the drag of tyres and trailer. You'll use 12-14 just on the highway with a trailer.

I never check my economy but I go from Brisbane to the island for a week and back on about 1/2 tank but I really not sure what the Economy is.

I suppose I'm going anyway and coming home, it really doesn't matter given it costs $150 for the barge for 10mins the extra fuel is mute.


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[SimpleSi Member Find all posts View Profile Close SimpleSi]

I did almost exactly the same a couple of weeks ago: Fill up at Rainbow, ferry, drive up to Cathedrals (70km at low tide), 5 days cruising the island, and tow back to the ferry. A partial refuel at Rainbow (30L), then fill up closer to Brisbane. Towed a Camel CT, probably 1-1.2T?.
My app shows 15.95L/100 for the week.

663Kms Between rainbow beach fills, and 344Km back to Brisbane for a total of 160.6 Ltrs.

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

I did almost exactly the same a couple of weeks ago: Fill up at Rainbow, ferry, drive up to Cathedrals (70km at low tide), 5 days cruising the island, and tow back to the ferry. A partial refuel at Rainbow (30L), then fill up closer to Brisbane. Towed a Camel CT, probably 1-1.2T?.
My app shows 15.95L/100 for the week.

663Kms Between rainbow beach fills, and 344Km back to Brisbane for a total of 160.6 Ltrs.

We filled b4 leaving Brisbane, then refuelled at Rainbow, then again at Rainbow on the Return trip and finally again back home so I could get some accurate fuel figures for Hwy Towing and then beach driving and the figures were as follows:

1. Refuel at Rainbow (Hwy/Towing): Distance: 233kms Fuel used: 38.17ltrs economy: 16.4ltrs/100kms
2. Refuel at Rainbow (All Beach driving with 140kms of Beach Towing): Distance: 547kms Fuel used: 121.64ltrs economy: 22.2ltrs/100kms
3. Refuel at HOME (Hwy/Towing): Distance: 240kms Fuel used: 29.66ltrs economy: 12.4ltrs/100kms

So, the total economy for the Trip was: 18.6ltrs/100kms. This was not via Trip Computer, but actual and I was running 265/70/17 M/T's tyres, not the most economical tyre to run. The run home economy was very good I thought but don't know why such a big difference from the economy run heading up to Rainbow, we would have been slightly lighter in weight with no food or water left, but I wouldn't have thought that would make much of a difference. I stuck to the 110k speed limit as well.....
I also run a Scangauge II as well and once it's setup, it's always been fairly accurate as well.....