Fuel and water amounts from those who been to Kimberleys

[jetcrew]

Having a long think about fuel and water on the trip.

Car- V8 petrol 100 series 25 L/100 (over estimating but lets go with that)
fuel tank 75L Sub 40L = 115 L =  400-450KLM  Range
Water tank 40 lts

Camper - 140 ltrs water in 2 tanks  can carry 4 Jerry cans

So the issue is the config of the jerrys and roofrack

so to start out I have

180L water onboard
115L fuel onboard

Additional space 4 jerry camper
option 2 jerry roof rack

whats your thoughts if you have traveled there before

1st Question
4 or 6 jerry cans

2nd question -
what configuration

I was thinking 2 fuel on roofrack , 2 water on camper & 2 fuel on camper  But people are telling me thats way overkill I just think with the V8 ptrol it would be nice to have 80ltrs of fuel on-board but thats more weight I have the ARB roof rack holder which is nice and secure and metal jerry to suit it so they are up and out the way.

How many fuel jerry do you think i should carry ?

Should add just 2 adults 1 child ..for the water situation

Jet

[tracker]

Having a long think about fuel and water on the trip.

Car- V8 petrol 100 series 25 L/100 (over estimating but lets go with that)
fuel tank 75L Sub 40L = 115 L =  400-450KLM  Range
Water tank 40 lts

Camper - 140 ltrs water in 2 tanks  can carry 4 Jerry cans

So the issue is the config of the jerrys and roofrack

so to start out I have

180L water onboard
115L fuel onboard

Additional space 4 jerry camper
option 2 jerry roof rack

whats your thoughts if you have traveled there before

1st Question
4 or 6 jerry cans

2nd question -
what configuration

I was thinking 2 fuel on roofrack , 2 water on camper & 2 fuel on camper  But people are telling me thats way overkill I just think with the V8 ptrol it would be nice to have 80ltrs of fuel on-board but thats more weight I have the ARB roof rack holder which is nice and secure and metal jerry to suit it so they are up and out the way.

How many fuel jerry do you think i should carry ?

Should add just 2 adults 1 child ..for the water situation

Jet

      Hmmmmmm.....Scratching head....See no mention of beer anywhere  !!.....

                                    Cheers Tracker.

[jetcrew]

      Hmmmmmm.....Scratching head....See no mention of beer anywhere  !!.....

                                    Cheers Tracker.

That's already sorted tracker 😃😃😃 priorities hey ,  first water and fuel 2nd lol

J

[Traveller]

G'day Jetcrew. We have a Patrol ute and we didn't take any fuel jerries, and 70 litres of water, for 2 adults. There is water available at a lot of places, and we used it for non drinking duties and managed the Kimberleys without needing to top up.

On the GRR, for diesel, we topped up at Kununurra, Drysdale Station (twice I might add, and at $2.40/litre why wouldn't I), then Derby after heading out to Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary, Bells Gorge, Tunnel Creek, and Windjana. I tend to keep the tanks topped up and not let the rig run down to vapours. The biggest fill was 110 litres and this was towing. The last thing I heard was the Imitji Roadhouse is closed (a real bummer as they were the cheapest).

Made the Cape Leveque run easily without extra fuel.

We went from Fitzroy Crossing, into Purnululu, and then back to Halls Creek and used 126 litres with a far bit of driving in Purnululu.

If you are coming or going via the Tanami then you will definitely need to carry several jerries as we used around 160 litres between Halls Creek and Alice via Wolfe Creek Crater. The Rabbit Flat Roadhouse was very closed.

I am green at the thought of you getting to go to this fantastic area. Have a great time, I am sure you will.

[Roo]

Hey jet, the hundjy should have 92 or 95l in the main tank. Also 45l in the sub.....but....the fuel light comes on in my hdj100 with about 20 litres spare in the main and only 5 spare in the sub tank.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[speewa158]

When traveling l have found it best to be able to carry about 1000Ks of fuel . What ever you can carry in your tank/tanks then jerries . Going up the Tanami the longest stage is from Tilmath wells to Billaluna about 700Ks . Never pass a fuel stop to top up . You will have to sort out just how much you will need to carry . Enjoy 

[feisty]

Hey jet, the hundjy should have 92 or 95l in the main tank. Also 45l in the sub.....but....the fuel light comes on in my hdj100 with about 20 litres spare in the main and only 5 spare in the sub tank.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I thought the tanks had more capacity also.
I prefer to carry water on the roof especially after I had a boat tank leak while on the roof rack. Made a mess of the paint.
Plus that allows you to syphon the water easily into the camper.

[jetcrew]

Yes the tanks have more capacity but i found they leave a fair bit in the tank when your done so my figures are i guess based on guaranteed usable fuel available. Every 4WD I have owned has never quite lived up to the quoted fuel figures in the tanks.

Jet  

[edz]

Best way to settle that tank query Jet, is to do a total  kilometer run out to empty from full test and refill literage to absolute full ... Ohh and carry a jerry .. to get going again .

[jetcrew]

Best way to settle that tank query Jet, is to do a total  kilometer run out to empty from full test and refill literage to absolute full ... Ohh and carry a jerry .. to get going again .

I'm happy to work off my combined 115Ltrs

Seems this is about 20 short of the factory amount at 135 or so from what others are saying so if there is 20ltrs left in there it can be back up back up.

I don't want the dregs of my tank through the system just to establish how far past empty I can go .
Fuel light is empty for me Edz and becomes the usable amount . Which is about 115ltr for me .

Jet

Jet 

[Roo]

Jet, The light coming on with 20L spare is so it reminds you to fill up or switch over. It gives you a fair bit of leeway so you don't run out on the spot. The sub has very little wiggle room so when it comes on, your all but out. Don't fret about the dregs of your tank, do you reckon it sits there quietly on the bottom of your tank? what happens every time you fill up, it mixes up and then you start up and driveaway....does your engine splutter and die from all those dregs you just stirred up? No. your fuel system is continually circulating fuel up to the fuel rail and back to the tank, fuel filters have a purpose, let them do the job. Don't worry too much about great wads of water building up in your tank either, ethanol sorts that out pretty well by diluting water particles so it will pass through a filter and then be consumed by the engine. It also strips the varnish than used to build up in fuel systems over time too. If you always use non ethanol fuel (Premium 98 is usually no ethanol)then you may still have a lot of build up, might be a good idea to carry a spare filter and run a tank of e10 through the old girl to give her guts a clean out. My experiences only, yours may differ.

[MDS69]

As Roo said don't worry about dregs. Your fuel pick up is at the bottom of the tank.
If you must carry water or fuel on the roof I would look at fuel for 2 reasons.
1 it is lighter than water, roughly 30kg of unleaded verse 40kg of water plus the weight of the containers.
2 you can tip the fuel in to your tanks as the you use the cars tanks and get the weight off the roof.

[itchvet]

Having a long think about fuel and water on the trip.

Car- V8 petrol 100 series 25 L/100 (over estimating but lets go with that)
fuel tank 75L Sub 40L = 115 L =  400-450KLM  Range
Water tank 40 lts

Camper - 140 ltrs water in 2 tanks  can carry 4 Jerry cans

So the issue is the config of the jerrys and roofrack

so to start out I have

180L water onboard
115L fuel onboard

Additional space 4 jerry camper
option 2 jerry roof rack

whats your thoughts if you have traveled there before

1st Question
4 or 6 jerry cans

2nd question -
what configuration

I was thinking 2 fuel on roofrack , 2 water on camper & 2 fuel on camper  But people are telling me thats way overkill I just think with the V8 ptrol it would be nice to have 80ltrs of fuel on-board but thats more weight I have the ARB roof rack holder which is nice and secure and metal jerry to suit it so they are up and out the way.

How many fuel jerry do you think i should carry ?

Should add just 2 adults 1 child ..for the water situation

Jet

My FIRST suggestion ?? Check out the manufacturer recommended load capacity for the car first. Remember, exceed the recommended capacity and you can wave your insurance cover goodbye in the case of ever making a claim.
I did a trip thru the Pilbara last year with 80 liters in the camper and 40 liters in jerry cans mounted on the camper trailer draw bar. (I'm talking about water here.)
Fuel was never an issue as my range was never threatened, of course I run a diesel which returned about 12 liters per 100 K's at 100 K/hr.
Believe being in a rush up there, is contrary to good thinking, you want to have a good look around and enjoy the place, rushing around doesn't cut it I reckon.

[itchvet]

As Roo said don't worry about dregs. Your fuel pick up is at the bottom of the tank.
If you must carry water or fuel on the roof I would look at fuel for 2 reasons.
1 it is lighter than water, roughly 30kg of unleaded verse 40kg of water plus the weight of the containers.
2 you can tip the fuel in to your tanks as the you use the cars tanks and get the weight off the roof.

Actually, someone correct me if I've got it wrong, but I believe it is ILLEGAL to carry fuel on the roof in W.A.
IMHO, it's a crazy idea anyway, if it leaks the car gets covered in it and if it ignites.....................goodbye car, and possibly passengers as well.
Would it be worth the risk ?

[jetcrew]

Ok I,ll clear a few things up to try and get the thread back on track and get the info the tittle is asking for.

This is in no way dis respecting anyone's opinions or personal beliefs.

I dont care about the manufacturers log book  ..I know what I fill each time.. hence I put the figure in the first post

Running my car down the highway till my car conks out as it has run out of fuel is pointless IMHO ..I know what is usable

I am happy my car gives 75ltrs of usable fuel on the main tank / 40 in the sub and thats what I  base my calcs on.

Weather or not my insurance covers my  weights is of little concern to me .... its a forum myth that anyone will turn up and start to weigh each item I have on my car .

As for it being illegal to have fuel on the roof in WA ..I dont know so fair point maybe worth investigating easy swap to water but then as posted a weight increase which will then void my insurance apparently. Pretty sure no  is going to climb up on my rack and do a random inspection of my roof rack jerrys. 

As for covering my car in fuel ..boo hoo I sat on a 300ltr fuel bladder for 6 hrs in the gulf through some pretty bad weather I only got nervous when the wheel man started to smoke  it was a soft ride though. I,ve  run around with phos grenades strapped to my chest  in a prev life so 2 jerrys on the roof rack in certified containers will hardly get me nervous 

I have the ARB certified fuel carrying rack with brand new metal fuel cans that sit the correct way up when in the rack ..so I,m happy with it.
 
My question was in the thread tittle .. I respect opinions but I want to hear from people who have traveled the area in a petrol vehicle and see how much fuel/water they carried and was enough or too much etc. so I can then add that into my thought process and inventory.

Sorry if I sound unappreciative for the other responses ..thats not my intent but this could go off on a tangent  on any number of topics. just trying to resett back to the original question.

Jet

[trevc]

150v6 Prado - 2A 2K - 18 days on the Gibb circa July 2014
150 litre tank and no additional jerries refueled at ElQ, Drysdale x 2, Barnett Roadhouse?
Water  -  carried 40 L in CT onboard tank, plus 4 x 20L jerries on the CT and additional 20L spread throughout the car.

Plenty for us, we refilled water at El Q, Drysdale Station x 2,  Bell Gorge

Trev

[jetcrew]

150v6 Prado - 2A 2K - 18 days on the Gibb circa July 2014
150 litre tank and no additional jerries refueled at ElQ, Drysdale x 2, Barnett Roadhouse?
Water  -  carried 40 L in CT onboard tank, plus 4 x 20L jerries on the CT and additional 20L spread throughout the car.

Plenty for us, we refilled water at El Q, Drysdale Station x 2,  Bell Gorge

Trev

thanks Trev,

140 water 150 fuel thats positive news for me 

Jet

[GeoffA]

Hey Theo,

Completely different rig, but we only needed fuel jerries on the Tanami.
Fuel wasn't an issue for us through the Kimberley.

On our 8 week trip last year we topped up with water at Kununurra and Cape Leveque.
The water quality at Kununurra was pretty good (I thought it had a very faint mud taste).
Cape Leveque (Kooljamon) water was very good.

 

[Snapman007]

Have you factored in to your economy figures any weight differences between your old and new camper?🤓

[jetcrew]

Have you factored in to your economy figures any weight differences between your old and new camper?🤓

Fuel usage will be 25l/100 for the purposes of the planning this is with a decent fudge factor to the high side ...as mentioned 

Jet

[marvellous_matt]

Actually, someone correct me if I've got it wrong, but I believe it is ILLEGAL to carry fuel on the roof in W.A.

I can't confirm or deny this, however it's worth noting that when towing you are limited to 100km/h. I learnt this when pulled over for a breath test/speed check, and was let off with a warning, thank goodness. I had not come across this limit in other states.

[Roo]

I am happy my car gives 75ltrs of usable fuel on the main tank / 40 in the sub and thats what I  base my calcs on.

This thread becomes a resource for other users in time so its best to clarify the facts. Your main tank has 92 usable litres, not 75. Test it yourself if you wish to confirm, I did.

 I'm sure you feel safe knowing that you have spare in hand but carrying an extra 20 on the roof if you don't need to is silly. I've been travelling for a few years now and the biggest issue I have is weight.....GVM I mean not my beer belly. I'm going through a weight loss programme currently to try shed nearly 400kg to get the 'cruiser close to GVM. The adverse effect on fuel economy is easy to see in my records.

[chester ver2.0]

Jet

I did it with a 90 litre water tank in the camper and 60 liters stored in the Dmax for water

For fuel i have a long range tank starting out with 128 litres in Derby and then did a 50L top-up at Mt Barnett

This covered us for about 10 days running around up there i found whilst stressing about fuel we actually ran out of water first as it was quite hot

[jetcrew]

Jet

I did it with a 90 litre water tank in the camper and 60 liters stored in the Dmax for water

For fuel i have a long range tank starting out with 128 litres in Derby and then did a 50L top-up at Mt Barnett

This covered us for about 10 days running around up there i found whilst stressing about fuel we actually ran out of water first as it was quite hot

Thanks mate much appreciated

Jet

[jetcrew]

This thread becomes a resource for other users in time so its best to clarify the facts. Your main tank has 92 usable litres, not 75. Test it yourself if you wish to confirm, I did.

 I'm sure you feel safe knowing that you have spare in hand but carrying an extra 20 on the roof if you don't need to is silly. I've been travelling for a few years now and the biggest issue I have is weight.....GVM I mean not my beer belly. I'm going through a weight loss programme currently to try shed nearly 400kg to get the 'cruiser close to GVM. The adverse effect on fuel economy is easy to see in my records.

Start your own thread if you want to clarify facts ... buts its common knowledge the fuel light comes on with about 17ltrs left in tank ... difference between 92 and 75 is ..........

Toyota state that you should fuel up ASAP after your fuel light illuminates... so I am not sure what facts I am misleading people on. If you like to drive around on the 17ltrs left in there with your fuel light on be my guest but dont tell me thats the facts ..

I HAVE 75 LTRS OF USABLE FUEL IN MY MAIN TANK FOR THE PURPOSES OF MY CALCULATIONS  ...anyone who bases fuel calcs on driving around with the fuel light on in a remote area obv has different planning rules to me and they can base thier calcs on 95ltrs for all I care, in fact I dont care thats up to them.

For those who have provided me info thankyou I will use this to form a decision.

For those who are concerned about my GVM/GCVM? leaking fuel/ the safety of my family/ the state of my insurance/ weight of my camper/road rules in WA and the amount of fuel left in my tank after my light comes on to tell me to put more fuel thankyou for your time but is has been wasted, I did not want that info or opinions. 

Jet