Thanks Grif, wise words. I guess you guys don't use LPG with fuel that price!

Your 90 certainly is more economical, from a previous post of yours you mention keeping the weight down though to possibly get those figures...?
. From what I can gather a disco td5 fully loaded wouldn't get those figures you achieve. Having scoured the hubb for hours these are quotes i have found. Mpg figures are based on uk gallon.
This link was useful.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...nder-mpg-19861

"With our Defender 110 TD5, we averaged about 15 liters per 100 km (18.9mpg) .Nouadhibou to Nouakchott. This was what our TD5 generally consumed both on and off piste. With the roof top tent acting like an air break at higher speeds, and weighing 3200 kg with 220 lt fuel and 100 liters of .... we used closer to 21 liters per 100 km (13.5 mpg) around Lake Chad since we were dragging our rear diff a lot."

"I used an auto Discovery last year in the NT and got 10kpl easily (10L/100 - or 28.5 mpg) tearing around and bush bashing. I never managed to crack 30 mpg which was a shame. But it only carried 150kg of weight.
The high roofed Britz 78 I hired after could not crack 8kpl (22.6 mpg) even at 100kph"

"The figures don't look far off what I'd expect. On my 300 TDI 110, fully loaded we were getting about 15 mpg. Whilst the engines seem good on a stock standard, lightly loaded Defender, once they are loaded up and / or the wind resistance is changed with roll cages / roof racks / roof tents etc, the engine seems really underpowered and has to work quite hard."

"Aerodynamics have a lot to say. Now that we've taken the roof tent off (but not the roof rack)...we use 11L/100 km (26mpg) instead of 15L/100km (19 mpg)"

"It looks to me like our 15L/100km (19mpg) is pretty average accoding to Cols web link."

" a german LC Prado with 3.0 lt engine we drove Nouadhibou to Nouakchott together with, used more than 15l/100km."
>Very interesting, I've heard those Prados have great engines and are efficient - but it seems no better than a td5. So its altogether a normal figure then

We met a French man in a 109 highly modified camper conversion weighing around 3.5 t but with a 300 tdi engine claiming to get 18L / 100 km ( 16 mpg) on pistes and 12l / 100km (24 MPG) on black top at 100-120 kph.

From Landcruiser forums its reported the older ones achieve real world loaded figures of around 21 mpg.

On the road, the 3.0 liter D4d will cruise effortlessly, loaded up in the rear.
Fuel consumption at a steady 60mph, (100km/h) on cruise control, is a respectable 30 mpg, with about 300kg load in the rear.
With the 87 liter tank (19.1 gallons) has given me 500 miles with quarter tank left.
So, perhaps the older land Cruisers were thirsty, I know, because my son in law has one, but the newer ones are very economical, as far as 4x4's are concerned.

Landrover 101 Ambulance Bodied. Chassis cab built in 1977 and built into ambulance in the early 80’s. Engine is a Landrover 300Tdi –
Approx 22-24 mpg on road, can fall to 14 mpg (UK gallon) on soft sand . This engine was bought brand new in 1999 and has covered approx 60,000 Klicks.

I have a Land Rover 127 Ambulance that is fitted with the low compression Rover V8 3.5ltr engine - unless you LPG them they are not really suitable for expedition work as they consume too much fuel ( around 10 - 12 mpg's ) I've removed my engine and have purchased a 200tdi defender diesel lump which I shall be fitting very shortly.

- Mitsubishi Delica l300 Star Wagon expedition equipped.
- Right Hand Drive Year 1994 - 2.5l Turbo Diesel Four-Wheel Drive 5-Speed Manual
- High-Roof About 168.000 km (104.000 miles) total by the time we end the trip
- Average fuel consumption 11l/100km (21 MPG)

If you're going to buy one in the UK, get an ex-military 110. 2.5 diesel engine (nonturbo) which is low in power but extremely reliable and tough. With care it will return 70mph on motorways and about 22mpg and Ive had it climbing big Saharan dunes with no dramas. Perfect overland truck - indestructible and extremely reliable

By big and heavy near 4tonne Land Cruiser drinks on average 16.55l/100km 17MPG

I recently bought a 2003 Ford Ranger; its 2.5l electronic injection intercooled TD produces 109 hp for around 10l/100km 28mpg UNLADEN, this makes me realise that the Iveco 2.5 with 100hp for 13.5l/100km 21 MPG VERY heavily laden is a well specced engine already.

Iveco daily 2.4 high top xlwb we got around 24mpg but only on Tarmac (didn't do any pistes) unmodified van but VERY heavily loaded. Like to the brim, so much we had a blow out. Great engine though, powerful and robust.

Fiat Panda 4x4 loaded up, roof rack 9L / 100km. 31mpg. ,,!

The Jeep grand cherokee was a petrol automatic, with an LPG conversion. At the Defender-travelling-speed of 90km/h on motorways, (unknown how loaded) the Jeep got around 13 l/100km 22mpg (15 when using gas 19mpg) The 200TDi Discovery got 10 l/100km, 26mpg and the 300Tdi 6x6 Defender got a disappointing 15 l/100. 19mpg

Depending upon where you are the HZJ 78 'Troupie' has got to be a real contender.
I think I'm using 13 litres per 100 km 22mpg when fully loaded at 80kmph on tarmac

Fitting a turbo It went up from 13L/100km 22mpg to 17L/100km 17 mpg . However for interest sake I also looked at our naturally aspirated company cruisers today:
105 Series Cruisers (averaged over 5 vehicles, at an average of 30,814km per vehicle) = 13.85L/100km 20 mpg Twenty Miles Per Gallon. Running on a mixture of gravel and asphalt. The use of these cars is mixed gravel and asphalt - good, bad and down right ugly, and pretty comparable to overland type use.
Our two 79 series pickups averaged a rather shocking 21L/100km. Thirteen and a half miles per gallon! These are in pure off highway use, potholes and only saw asphalt when we bought them - also loaded up like hell!

My Toyota 4.2 non turbo uses on the highway, 100 kph 1L to 8 km, in easy terrain (hard surface), 30 to 60 kph, 1L to 6km. In the sandy deserts (really soft sands) however, I remember an impressive 1L to 3km at 20 to 30 kph!

Mercedes publishes figures for the new U500: 20L/100km + 8L/hr.
At 60 mph I get a very close 27.5L/100km with a gross weight of about 12000kg. Using this formula, at 25 kph one would require 52L/100km.
I think you could figure on ~10% less in a U416 with camper due to lighter weight, assuming the motor is in good shape.


I am using a 109V8 and an Range Rover Classic 1985 for my Sahara trips. Fuel economy is poor, but affordable in north africa.
Fuel consuption with roof rack:
expect about 16-18 L/100km on tarmac.
On piste about 25L/100km.
On very soft ground (sand) and in the djungle: anything from 30 to 80L/100km (corresponding figure for diesels: 20-50L/100km or more)