[20 October 2007]

Fuel

When undertaking any outback travel you should always carry an emergency supply of fuel. If a fuel tank gets punctured, or a fuel line ripped out, you should still have enough fuel to get through. Obviously we do not need every car to carry emergency fuel, however it is recommended that two cars in each group carry an extra 10 litres.

The fuel requirements for the Raid proper are set out in the guide book, so that you can purchase enough for the duration of the next stage prior to departure. The longest distance between fuel stations is 600km. While petrol prices fluctuate, prices on the 2007 survey will give you an indication. The highest price for fuel on the 2007 survey was A$2.00 per litre.

Raiders are expected to purchase fuel sufficient for their own requirements during the Raid.

The amount of fuel required depends on your vehicle. First you need to know how far your 2CV will go on a tank of fuel. One Raider's 2CV travelled 520km on blacktop at 80km/h and the tank and filler tube have a capacity of 27 litres. That equates to 5.19 litres per 100km

When driving the 600km leg on the Raid Survey, the sandy conditions and low gearing caused a consumption of 52 litres. That equates to a consumption of 8.6 litres per 100km. You need to know what the consumption of your car is, then multiply it by 1.7 to allow for the conditions.

On the example above that Raider will need to have the capacity to carry 30 litres of fuel in addition to the 25 litres in the standard tank.

Fuel Calculator

How many litres does your petrol tank hold? litres A
 
How far do you normally travel on a full tank?
(Highway, flat, bitumen, 80 km/hr)
kilometres B


[ C = 1.7 x 600 / ( B / A ) = 1020 x A / B ]

Minimum fuel required on longest leg (600km)
(Track, flat, sand, low gear)
litres C



Windjana Gorge, Kimberley