Ranger Mods

Hey guys just done a trip from Darwin to Katherine over the weekend towing a trailer and my fuel consumption was around 17ltrs to 100kms, speed was around 120kms most of the trip.
I’m interested to see what’s out there and what I can do to lower the consumption down a bit? And what everyone is getting out of there 3.2ltr engines with an automatic.

The easiest way to lower your consumption is to drive between 80 - 90 Km/h

I know driving at slower speed will lower the consumption etc but I’m generally looking at what others have done to lower it in general. If there is anyone out there that will do tunes etc. I’m happy with the power as it is.

When you find out let me know! bet a dpf delete would help

When you find out let me know! bet a dpf delete would help

At that speed mine is 12.6. running 33 tyres Horsepower factory tune

Yea I think mine is around the same not towing.
Would be interesting to find out what tunes people recommend to get or who to use.

We will assume everyone is listing manually calculated fuel figures and not of the instrument cluster. Think most know figures thrown around that are not manually calculated over a few tanks, then threads seem to magically disappear.

My manually calculated average over 97494.9 km is 11.04 L/100km with most kms to and from work which is 25km and not ideal. Around 2.7 T daily weight at the moment but was heavier for 2 years, engine tune and my own trans tune.

Major items to take into account is whether you tow, what the vehicle weighs, tyre size, where you drive, how long are your drives, did you drive into a head wind all day and on it goes. I drive up hill to work and down hill home and on it goes.

Valid point Stewart, so many variables, I was asked the other day if the MyCal tune had improved economy, I honestly don't know but will determine what it is now based on k's and consumption at the bowser, mind you that's another variable lol.

Hilly13 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:11 pm Valid point Stewart, so many variables, I was asked the other day if the MyCal tune had improved economy, I honestly don't know but will determine what it is now based on k's and consumption at the bowser, mind you that's another variable lol.

People often ask that and I point out that most that get a tune either use more of the right foot or tow and drive it like nothing is on the back, hence fuel economy in general will not improve.

If driven 100% identical to how it was before with the exact amount of throttle percentage then it may but in general term terms I do not expect most to save fuel. More power generally needs more fuel.

Only way to save fuel is drive more efficiently or buy a more fuel efficient vehicle.

saeb wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:20 pm More power generally needs more fuel.

Only way to save fuel is drive more efficiently or buy a more fuel efficient vehicle.

Too true

After the GQ this Ranger is a fuel miser, over the same time frame as in a week sort of deal it's costing around half as much, a little more one week a little less the next but about half, maybe a tad over half would be a fair average, given that I'm not really worried about what it's economy is, I'm just enjoying the experience, for shits n giggles I will get a real average but I tow a trailer 5 days a week mostly around town so it will up there compared to some.

Fitted a Beaudesert exhaust and highway run at 100/110 uses 1l per 100 less fuel. Plus a few extra watts and newtons with a smoother engine run.
Goldie the newie was around 11, now 10.

Cheers

Bennyolsson92 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 20, 2020 7:05 pm Hey guys just done a trip from Darwin to Katherine over the weekend towing a trailer and my fuel consumption was around 17ltrs to 100kms, speed was around 120kms most of the trip.
I’m interested to see what’s out there and what I can do to lower the consumption down a bit? And what everyone is getting out of there 3.2ltr engines with an automatic.

Your speed is your fuel economy killer - for a start when towing your legal maximum speed is 100 kph in every Australian state other than SA where if your CVM is below 4,500 kg you can drive at 110 kph. The 130 kph limit is for single vehicles only !

By comparison we have a 2017 PX2 Wildtrak, 3.2 litre 5 cylinder diesel with a 6 speed auto. It has a upgraded GVM from 3200 kg to 3500 kg and its tare weight is 3260 kg. We have a Signature Elite X off-road Camper Trailer that has a GTM of 2160 kg add to that the tow ball weight and our CVM is 5850 kg.

Okay we towed our camper trailer 15,830 kilometres from the Blue Mountains in NSW to the NT and WA and back over 7 weeks and that included the up the Stuart Highway, Gibb River Road up to Honeymoon Bay, Broome up to Cape Leveque , the Bungle Bungles, Tanami Track, Oodnadatta Track and through the Flinders. In the NT we did the Kakadu and Arnhem Land trip, Darwin, and the Litchfield NP.

Our average fuel consumption was 13.2 litres per 100 kilometres as we used a total of 502 litres of diesel i seldom if ever drove over 86 kph as that's the "sweet spot" of my engine and transmission @ 1520 rpm in 6th gear, for bitumen we used Drive in "Adaptive Cruise Control" on the dirt tracks, even the well graded ones I still used Drive but without cruise control and dropped down to below 65 kph.

To me, when I'm on holiday the journey is at least 60% of the adventure - it takes us 5000 kms just to get to the WA border so why rush it, my attitude is our destination isn't going anywhere so if we are a day, or even a week late, whats the problem. We have two UHF Radios one is on Ch.40 and the other is on Ch.18 and we use them to get other vehicles coming up behind us to get passed us safely.

Incidentally on the approach to Katherine in June 2021 on our way north we saw at least 30 caravan trailer combos pulled over in a heavy vehicle inspection bay by the NT police for speeding infringements, we had noticed a NT policeman holding a hand held speed radar some 2 k's before the truck bay where they were pulled over - all the drivers were subjected to an RBT and combo weight checks were carried out by the NT-RTA and we were told later at Manbuloo Station caravan park that those overweight were fined and had to unload their excess weight before they were allowed to continue. One guy we spoke to had his license cancelled on the spot and confiscated for doing 120 kph and his wife had to take over the drivers seat for the rest of their holiday as well as being fined for being 150 kg over their maximum CVM weight.

If it helps planning trips better, at 170kph average fuel economy is about 25 l/100

saeb wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:57 pm If it helps planning trips better, at 170kph average fuel economy is about 25 l/100

LOL, my type of travelling
Ad a caravan and that will be around 38/100.
That's not a guess

https://www.lewisrv.com.au/blog/caravan ... conditions.

Just to clarify the information posted above

https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice ... alia-80476

Further proof of permitted towing speeds. Most states permit travelling at the posted speed limit. Read the attached for exceptions.

Boydie wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:45 am

Bennyolsson92 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 20, 2020 7:05 pm Hey guys just done a trip from Darwin to Katherine over the weekend towing a trailer and my fuel consumption was around 17ltrs to 100kms, speed was around 120kms most of the trip.
I’m interested to see what’s out there and what I can do to lower the consumption down a bit? And what everyone is getting out of there 3.2ltr engines with an automatic.

Your speed is your fuel economy killer - for a start when towing your legal maximum speed is 100 kph in every Australian state other than SA where if your CVM is below 4,500 kg you can drive at 110 kph. The 130 kph limit is for single vehicles only !

I honestly don't know where you got your info with towing speeds as I surely should have lost my licence if it were true. WA is the only state that is capped to 100kph when towing.

Agreed. Reading the above links clarifys the towing laws in most states.

As of June 2019 NSW changed to 100 kph for all trailer / caravan combinations over 4500 kg. CVM. The previous speed limits were set in 2014 and had never been previously updated or revised. This speed limit is in line with the 100 kph speed limit imposed for all heavy commercial vehicles of 8500 kg tare weight or over that are required to attend MRS inspection stations for road safety and drivers log book checks. From looking at them online it has yet to be updated in most of the MRS hand books but the NSW HWP police are booking people. My neighbor also also puts the charge down to "driving without due caution and control" to cover any arguments.
That's a hard charge to argue or to beat in front of a recalcitrant magistrate.

Just on that why would our "neighbor" (a SA resident) at the Manbullooo Station Caravan site near Katherine bitterly complain that he had his driving license confiscated and cancelled by the NT Police for driving between 110-120 kph towing a caravan if that was a legal and justifiable speed ? Its not something you would brag about. I just made a quick phone call to next door -- like removing advance warning signs of mobile speed cameras in NSW the government is not required to advertise "minor" changes in road rules other than the minister making a statement in Parliament . This change legal obligation advice was legislated by Bob Carr when he was NSW premier along with the legal changes that a person cannot sue the NSW Government for damages or compensation if they are incorrectly charged for an offence and that personal third party injury compensation is limited to loss of income and by the limb affected and that any trauma suffered is not able to be claimed or compensated for.

As far as I am concerned it's people who don't drive fast enough are the biggest danger.
People spend a fortune on a car to give it more power, run cooler etc only to sit at speeds the stock motor is capable of doing
Got one sitting on 80 going to Ceduna in September, bloody nuisance to all.

Thread locked. Everyone has had their opinion.