Fuel Consumption and Safety Margin

[ctb]

IT depends if KTG (my wife) is riding with me or not....

[ctb]

how much usually depends if KTG (my wife) is riding with me or not....she hates to be out there with anywhere close to a quarter tank or less, and much better passenger if we are above a 1/2 tank at ALL times lol...

[marret]

I'm a half tank guy too.

I carry 4 Scepter fuel cans so 20 gallons extra. Part of that is I'm still not sure of my MPG while in 4x4 for extended periods.

[oclv]

I try to keep it simple. On our 9,400# E350, lifted, 4X4, V10 gas, re-geared to 4.56 to maintain speedometer and transmission shifts with 34” tires, we average about 12-14 mpg on road trips. For a quick figure with a built in cushion I just use 10mpg. For long distances in 4X4 low range I use 5mpg for a quick estimate. We have a 44 gal TransferFlow fuel tank so I seldom see the “low fuel” light. You are getting a good idea on your mileage in different conditions so I think if you pick some round numbers with a built in margin of safety you will have good experiences without much stress....

[MarinBlaine]

Sorry for thread drift, but am I reading that it's possible to do the Mojave Road in a 2WD van? Specifically, my unlifted 2WD E250 EB, with limited slip diff?

[86Scotty]

Pretty soon we'll all be doing the Mojave trail in electric trucks and we won't have this problem.

*This bit of sarcasm brought to you with no hint of politics, I promise, just the head scratcher that many people think electric vehicles are the answer to everything.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by MarinBlaine

Sorry for thread drift, but am I reading that it's possible to do the Mojave Road in a 2WD van? Specifically, my unlifted 2WD E250 EB, with limited slip diff?

The whole road in one pass? Probably depends on the vehicle. There are sandy spots here & there that I'd be very concerned about two wheel drive especially if you don't have the right tires and an ability to air down. One thing about the Mojave road is you can bypass some of those bad spots. Manix wash and through the Mojave river to Afton should be avoided... I barely made it through there in four wheel drive. Depending on the time of year there are some water crossings to contend with. I didn't need to engage while crossing when I've done it and the bottom wasn't soft. From Zzyzx to Afton can get sandy as well. There is a grade out of Fort Piute to Lanfair but if there are no wash outs, it's doable. Some of the main dry lake area can be a problem depending on the weather. My van is heavy and has mud terrain tires so YMMV. Here is a link to a trip I did several years back. The Mojave Trail

[daveb]

More on topic, I have an Espar heater that requires the tank to be kept at no lower than 1/4 tank. I look at that as my emergency tank. I've often carried 1-2 jerry cans of fuel but have never had to use what I carry. Even on the Mojave road, I didn't use my spare fuel. I ran out of ice for the adult drinks so leaving out for ice, I just fueled back up at the store in Baker.

[E-350]

Just to follow up on this topic after returning from Death Valley:
Saline Valley Road, 90miles, heavy washboard, aired down ~30%
—> 50% higher consumption was a safe assumption. Was a bit less in reality, but has been a good start on the safe side.