Cheaper to carry fuel long distance or buy on route at higher prices?

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  thereyougo on 28/10/2013 - 07:29

  I'm starting to plan a similar trip except it will be up the guts and right around WA then back to Mildura. Eager to know whether or not to bring 5 jerries along for the trip.

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  _Bruce_ on 28/10/2013 - 07:35

  The amount of fuel you use to weight is very complicated, but let's roughly approximate it to linear. This is very much exaggerating the effect. Fuel is lighter than 1 Kg/L but you also have the container, so let's just use 1 Kg/L.

  So if your car is 1200 Kg and you carry 120 Kg of fuel then you are using 10% more fuel. This is before you take into account people/cargo, which will lower the percentage, and both of the approximations above, which will lower the percentage.

  Summary: At worst case 10% difference makes this worthwhile.

  PS: This only considers cost of fuel, not stopping distance, break wear, environmental impact, ride comfort, etc.

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  ujwols on 28/10/2013 - 07:40

  I think it is so much of hassle for not much of saving 36$ ..(120*.30)

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    ESEMCE on 28/10/2013 - 08:25

    +3

    Agreed.
    Add on the difficulty of transferring fuel from Jerry Can to tank, plus having the stench of petrol in the car (after you've transferred the fuel and undoubtedly spilled some on the can at best, or more likely on your clothes/shoes/skin), plus the wasted cargo space in what sounds like an already small car, danger of fire in the event of an accident.
    All to save $100..
    I'd much rather camp on the side of the road for one night to save that sort of money.

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  mskeggs on 28/10/2013 - 08:22

  Safety issues as well with that amount of fuel on hand. And it's a hassle to transfer.

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    _Bruce_ on 28/10/2013 - 08:28

    Good point, but I suspect the danger from increased stopping distance is actually higher.

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  srhardy on 28/10/2013 - 09:21

  +2

  a single jerry for emergencys or to get to a bigger town for better priced fuel is always a good idea, make sure it seals so NO fumes but!

  if you can smell it, use it and dont repeat/reuse…

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  Timocracy on 28/10/2013 - 12:49

  I've done a lot of outback driving, in your case a 20l jerrycans will be fine. It'll give you a 50% increase in range to close to 1100km. Just plan your trip to top-off in major towns(and take 15c/l off vouchers). Only time one can hasn't been enough for me was the nallabour even then I only needed about 20L from the expensive places. Most important thing is to only buy fuel from the 'busy' fuel station in town, small petrol stations tend to have dodgy fuel. Carry a small amount of metho, if the car starts coughing you've got some dodgy fuel. Pour 500ml of metho in to give it a clean. I'm no mechanic but that's what a mechanic told me to do. I've had it happen several times and it always works.

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  wa01 on 28/10/2013 - 19:30

  Thanks for the ideas. Answers the question well.

  All things considered, say 6% added cost to carry x6 full jerries in a 1.2t car.
  Then you can(?) cut that figure in half as the fuel will be used up along the way.

  Best guess: Carrying x6 Jerrycans in a small car on roadtrip, may add 3% to fuel cost and save 15 to 20% overall cost.

  So as a rough guess, driving around Oz (14000 km) with x6 Jerrycans might save
  (ulp $1.65 avg)
  Without jerrycans = $1384
  With x6 jerrycns = $1148

  Saving $236

  Does that seem reasonable, or are my assumptions way off?

  One thing about fuel smell from jerries, I got a 120L plastic storage box that fits 3x jerries (shorter the better) and just tucked black plastic over it without a lid, didn't smell petrol on 5 day trip. Wouldn't sleep in the car but for travelling it stopped the smell.

  Anyway thanks for help.