Fuel Choice and availability

Hi Guys,

We are currently investigating the possibility of doing the rally in our landrover 101 ambulance because we like a bit of a challenge and it will give us the incentive to actually fix the thing rather than leave it rotting in the corner of the yard! Obviously running it on petrol will be somewhat crippling financially so we are looking at alternatives. An LPG conversion is possibly the easiest option as we have most of the bits already but we are also considering a diesel engine conversion.

My question to the combined wisdom of the forum is this: - The rally regs state that enough fuel must be carried for 200 mile stages. at the 10mpg or so that we expect to get from the beast that means 120 litres of LPG to allow for unusable capacity. Max realistic capacity is 2 x 100 litre tanks giving possibly 50-70 miles reserve (plus petrol for emergencies). Having very little experience of driving on the continent I have no idea if LPG is readily available enough for us to carry enough fuel between fillups without major diversions looking for gas. A diesel engine will give approximately the same "pence per mile" figure but will only need approx half the fuel to do it. (It will however be missing that v8 sound!)

So the main questions are:

1-What is the availabilty of LPG on the proposed route.

2-What is the cost differential between LPG and diesel in the countries visited.

3-What would you guys do in our shoes. (answers such as using an L200 will be treated with the contempt they deserve )


Many Thanks in advance


Gareth

Gareth - No doubt Nick will be along soon and offer his detailed techo knowledge (and explain the benefits of a L200! ) but to your Q: Yes you might have a petrol guzzler but there will be plenty of opportunities to top up eg - there are long stretches of motorways all of which have the usual services inc LPG. In the main it's a matter of keeping a decent amount of fuel in the tank at all times (say down to a 1/4).

You will pass through Luxembourg twice (and dependent on navigiation it could be nil, once, three or four times!!). The Principality has cheap(ish) fuel and many on the rally topped up their Jerry cans there.

As for 'real' costs and other info this might be worth a look http://www.drivelpg.co.uk/filling_up.php

Cheers Keith,
Knowing that there are plenty of opportunities to refill with LPG is good to know and leaves the decision making process reliant on simple mechanical issues.

Cheers

Gareth

My Jeep Cherokee goes through petrol like its connected direct to Piper Alpha

We never found a time when we had problems getting fuel. As Keith says, try not to let your tank go below 1/4.

I think the guy in Luxembourg is probably still in Barbados with the amount of us that pulled in and filled up because of how cheap it was

IIRC some of the overnight stops had fuel stations very close by (that's if you manage to navigate to the overnight stops!)

Aye ye haid plenty og 'Gas' reet enough Steve.
Dunno aboot it being LPG tho

anon

evo4x4 wrote:

Gareth - No doubt Nick will be along soon and offer his detailed techo knowledge (and explain the benefits of a L200! ) .......................

Cheers guys, I think we are probably going to go the LPG route if only to keep the v8 soundtrack! Must pull finger out and get the beast running and roadworthy I suppose :-)

Don't worry I've got a decent tow rope, I tested it a week or so ago pulling a certain persons L200 out of the mud when it got rather stuck.......

TOM@TEAMGALLOWAY wrote:

Don't worry I've got a decent tow rope, I tested it a week or so ago pulling a certain persons L200 out of the mud when it got rather stuck.......

I would like to point out, at this juncture, it wasn't me

nickburt wrote:

TOM@TEAMGALLOWAY wrote:

Don't worry I've got a decent tow rope, I tested it a week or so ago pulling a certain persons L200 out of the mud when it got rather stuck.......

I would like to point out, at this juncture, it wasn't me

I'm sure it wasnt, yours isnt allowed in the mud is it??????

Sandy wrote:

nickburt wrote:

TOM@TEAMGALLOWAY wrote:

Don't worry I've got a decent tow rope, I tested it a week or so ago pulling a certain persons L200 out of the mud when it got rather stuck.......

I would like to point out, at this juncture, it wasn't me

I'm sure it wasnt, yours isnt allowed in the mud is it??????

Oooooo - hmmmmmm .........

TOM@TEAMGALLOWAY wrote:

Don't worry I've got a decent tow rope, I tested it a week or so ago pulling a certain persons L200 out of the mud when it got rather stuck.......

Mate,
I don't know what's more worrying......you got.g shiny or Stuart going Japanese! You will be pleased to hear that I've been perfecting my being towed skills today following the failure of a very shiny new dangled electronic ignition thingy.....I'm thinking of rebranding myself as team luddite!

I will point out that I did not get my l200 stuck in the mud. My darling wife was piloting the vehicle through that particular fields boggy drainage ditch. I will point out that someones disco III almost didn't pull it out due to funny new fangled differentiwatzits.

Constructive dialogue. Good to see

New clutch. New ignition barrel. New fuel pump and line. A few new wires. The ambulance now runs and will drive. Next time. Fuel filter required