Expeditions West:
www.expeditionswest.com
All rights reserved: 11/16/2003
by: Scott Brady
Topic: Expedition Vehicle Fuel Consumption Rates and its impact on
GVWR
Given all vehicles listed were completing a 1000 mile expedition fully
self supported, in which all vehicles attained EPA city mileage. The
5gallon Jerry Can requirement is based upon all of the vehicles having
the same
sized gas tank as the Tacoma 6cyl Xtra Cab. The Tacoma 6cyl is the
reference vehicle.
Reference:
Unleaded/Petrol Fuel: 6lbs per U.S. Gallon
Total Gallons Required= 1000 (miles traveled) / EPA (City) Mileage
Results:
Vehicle |
EPA (City) | Total Gallons | Fuel Mass | Mass Variance | 5gal Cans Req. |
| Tacoma 6cyl | 17 | 59 Gal | 354 lbs. | Reference | Reference |
| Suzuki Sidekick | 22 | 45 Gal | 270 lbs. | -84 lbs | -3 |
| Tacoma 4cyl | 18 | 56 Gal | 336 lbs. | -18 lbs | -1 |
| Tundra V8 | 15 | 67 Gal | 402 lbs. | 48 lbs | +2 |
| Land Cruiser | 13 | 77 Gal |
462 lbs. |
108 lbs | +4 |
| Discovery II | 13 | 77 Gal | 462 lbs. | 108 lbs | +4 |
| Hummer H2 | 8.5 | 118 Gal | 706 lbs. | 352 lbs | +12 |
| Unimog 416 U1100 | 14 | 72 Gal | 514 Lbs. | 160 lbs |
Payload Comparison (lbs.):
| Vehicle | Payload | Fuel as a % of payload | Payload Remainder |
| Tacoma 6cyl | 1,585 | 22% | 1,231 |
| Suzuki Sidekick | 898 | 30% | 628 |
| Tacoma 4cyl | 1,630 | 21% | 1,294 |
| Tundra V8 | 1,525 | 26% | 1,123 |
| Land Cruiser | 1,470 | 31% | 1,008 |
| Discovery II | 1,600 | 29% | 1,138 |
| Hummer H2 | 2,200 | 32% | 1,494 |
| Unimog 416 U1100 | 7,300 | 7% | 6,798 |
General Conclusions:
- Available payload is a much greater factor than MPG in this study,
unless fuel cost, or environmental impact is considered. For example,
the H2 Hummer
uses nearly 40% more fuel than any other vehicles in the study,
but it also has the highest Payload Remainder.
- The vehicles at the two extremes (Hummer and Sidekick) both had
fuel payloads over 30% of available payload capacity
- The Tacoma proved to be the most frugal selection, using much
less fuel, while still having a high Payload Remainder.
- The Discover II also did well in the Payload Remainder, but suffers
from poor economy based on the size of the vehicle.
For additional information or comments