Should I carry jerry cans of fuel?

Wombat66 · Member

Should I carry jerry cans of fuel?

rgren2 · Guru

It's your choice, and how much do you want to pay for fuel.

http://www.mynrma.com.au/travel/holiday-ideas/sa/across-the-nullarbor.htm

Meredith · Senior Member

There isn't any need to carry fuel on the Nullabor, the furtherest between fuel stops is under 200k. Some people like to, as they then can try and choose the cheaper fuel stops, but personally I don't think its worth the hassle when you can travel 600k or so anyway without filling up if needed.

Tony Bev · Guru

Hello Wombat66

As rgren2 has shown with his link to a website there are plenty of servos on the Nullarbor

From Ceduna SA, to Norseman WA is about 1200 kilometres.
If you use14 litres to the 100 kilometres, you will use about 168 litres of fuel crossing the Nullarbor
If you pay about 50 cents a litre over the normal price (not sure what it is at the moment, or when you are going to travel), you are looking at an extra $84 for each crossing

In my opinion, so I could be wrong, carrying extra fuel is not worth the effort
It is a long drive, with not very much traffic, so if you feel a head wind, then just slow down a bit, and you will not chew up the fuel

If you look on this website
Petrol Spy
And scroll across to the Nullarbor area, you will see the prices from the last time someone updated them

Hope this info helps you out

macka17 · Guru

Hi.

2010 D-Max dual.
79 ltr tank. Never got more than 54 ltrs in there , LOOng after the light came on.
You tell me?.
I never go more than 520km. and get around 9.4 kmpl without van
12.5/13 with van.
It's always good to HAVE a 20ltr can in tray. Just in case.
Diesel for car. petrol for Boat/genny etc. Even if you carry it empty
just for 'Ron.

brickies · Guru

Prado 180 lts no need to carry extra

macka17 · Guru

YEA.

Pity it's a Toyota.

Chuckle.

The only one apart from the Troopy to touch though hey.

I carry both 20 ltr and 10 ltr red Jerry's.
For 'Ron.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

Last time I drove that way (Dampier to Newcastle) quite a few years ago I wasn't towing a van but driving a gas guzzling old Valiant fully loaded luggage rack and pulling a pretty heavier trailer. I took 3 full jerry cans of fuel with me just in case I couldn't make it between stops - when I got home 5 days later I still had them. What you saved on fuel for only 1 fill you probably spent carrying it around. I personally would take a jerry can for an emergency and probably as Macka17 said an empty one. This is not an isolated outback road it is a main highway you may wait a little longer but there are always going to be people including truckies who would stop and help you out if in the unlikely scenario that you miscalculated on the distance between fills. By the way if you're a golfer join the Nullarbor golf club it'll put some interest in your trip.

erad · Guru

I used to have a NL Pajero, running mainly on gas. We towed our caravan around the block twice, each time taking a jerry can of petrol to get us over the areas where we couldn't get gas. Alltold, I used 2 tankfulls of petrol on the whole trip, and that was way up North where gas was few and far between. I used the petrol from the jerry can once I was clear of the areas where gas was scarce so that I minimised the danger of leaks into the cabin. I also used the jerry can across the Nullarbor simply to avoid being fleeced by the servos along the way - both with petrol and gas.

In reality, if you are just crossing the Nullarbor, it isn't worth the hassle of decanting the fuel into your tank. Norseman, Mundrabilla, Penong and then Ceduna are the normally the cheaper places to fill. Support them and hopefully they will stay in business, and maybe the others may then come down to their levels with their prices. To be fair to the others, they are providing a service to the travellers and I guess the travellers should be prepared to pay for that service, but somehow their prices seem way above what they should be.

rockylizard · Guru

The Belmont Bear wrote:
~~~SNIP .....This is not an isolated outback road it is a main highway you may wait a little longer but there are always going to be people including truckies who would stop and help you out if in the unlikely scenario that you miscalculated on the distance between fills. By the way if you're a golfer join the Nullarbor golf club it'll put some interest in your trip.
erad wrote:

~~~SNIP ..... In reality, if you are just crossing the Nullarbor, it isn't worth the hassle of decanting the fuel into your tank. Norseman, Mundrabilla, Penong and then Ceduna are the normally the cheaper places to fill. Support them and hopefully they will stay in business, and maybe the others may then come down to their levels with their prices. To be fair to the others, they are providing a service to the travellers and I guess the travellers should be prepared to pay for that service, but somehow their prices seem way above what they should be.

Gday...

The comments above are the most informed so far.

It is just another highway - it is no longer an "outback adventure" ... albeit an enjoyable journey ... especially if, like I do, you take a week or so to slowly check out all there is on offer, and some great bush camping along the way.

Indeed, the roadhouses (therefore fuel outlets) are closer together than on some other 'outback' highways ... including the sealed ones.

Each time I have crossed (both ways) I fill up at EACH roadhouse irrespective of the state of my fuel tank. I like to think that -

I am supporting each roadhouse, helping them to remain in business;
I get plenty of rest and 'leg-stretch' time;
I can stop and enjoy the ambience of the each part of the ever-changing country that the strip of smooth, black bitumen dissects; and
I like to think I am amortising the price variations at each roadhouse - therefore minimising the overall impact of dearer fuel at any single roadhouse.

For the past eight years, I always carry an empty jerry and only fill it if I think I am going to bush camp for a long period and do some exploring without the van, and might need some to get back into town if I do too much exploring.

Cheers - just lay back and enjoy the trip across the Nullarbor - John

banjo · Senior Member

Just be aware that the Nullabor fuel stations can and do run out of fuel sometimes.

On one of our East to West crossings we were heading to Mundrabilla to fill back up, got there and people everywhere, no diesel but truck on way they said.

We had two 20lt jerry's in reserve so put that in tank and we were on our way again and filled up at next place, most were stuck till the truck arrived, which we saw much later in the day heading East.

-- Edited by banjo on Saturday 3rd of September 2016 10:51:11 AM

dogbox · Guru

you would be surprised at the number of people who run out of fuel because they didn't want to pay the extra few cents a ltr so you could always carry some for those who run short

keep your tank topped up just in case the next one is waiting on a delivery or has a problem with their power

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

I topped up with $80 half way . ( 300 litres total) Yes it hopefully puts some money into roadhouse . Extra 30c a litre . But we where paying $1.50 to $1.60 a few years ago .,

rockylizard · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
I topped up with $80 half way . ( 300 litres total) Yes it hopefully puts some money into roadhouse . Extra 30c a litre . But we where paying $1.50 to $1.60 a few years ago .,

Gday...

Have I mis-read something confuse $80 = 300 litres total?

My first run over the Nullarbor was in 2012 ... diesel was $1.98 > $2.03 per litre then ... so have many years is a "few"

cheers - John

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

$1.62 a few months back in Nullabor.. It was a top up ., mind you I don't let it get below 1/4 full . Wind was behind us too .. Yes 300L tank . Can cruise 1200 - 1500 klmrs easy .. Wind plays a big toll. Was going into head wind . So stopped for the day .. No hurry .. Next morning it was a tail wind . Seems we where a big sail ..

-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Saturday 3rd of September 2016 01:57:50 PM

dazren · Guru

I left Geelong start of May. First trip across Nulla, To be 'safe ' As towing my 2700 kg van. I put 20 ltr s Diesel in the back of the Collie !! Done the WA Goldfields/ then up the west coast to Ningaloo Reef. then zig zagged thru National parks etc, up to Darwin, them across to Jabiru and around Kakadu, then down through FnQ, and at present at Wamuran North side of Brisbane !!

Still have that original 20 ltrs of diesel in the back !! -- So IMHO don"t bother

Bruce and Bev · Guru

I always carry 2 x 20 litres of diesel in the fitted carriers on the rear of my van (wouldn't carry petrol on the rear).

Its not just about price (although you can expect around $1.60 on the Nullabor, but peace of mind. We have also struck a long stretch of main highway in SA where none of the servos had any fuel as the trucks were several days late.

We have only been forced to use one of the 20 litres when we arrived in a remote town during a weekday to find the fuel station was closed for goodness knows how many days as someone in the owner/operators family had died (don't know what the locals did for fuel).

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I carry 2x10 lt in back of Collie. Mainly because I got caught out by 'hi flo diesel'. The Collie only has low flo inlet and could only get hiflo and was getting very low on fuel. I also got low on fuel and the servo had no diesel. Another thing I have noticed is there are many servos a car and van wont get in. I have since made an adapter to fit on the bowser gun to fit the Collie and start looking for fuel around 1/2 full now. All works well now.

macka17 · Guru

A spare 20l in Jerry is convenient for
Servo out of stocks.
Servo power off.
Fuel system leak and draining tank.
Just plain go over mileage of tank.
dirty/mixed fuel.

And just plain old peace of mind when you get that little light come on
and you still have 50/80km to next servo.

Annnnnnnd. just maybe.
that poor bloke and his missus just need a helping hand.

Spare 30 bucks in back of tray/boot.
Does no harm. and can just save "somebody's" day.
spare fuel for outboard.
Spare fuel for Genny.
The list just goes on, and on. and on.
You never know.

Gawd. The idiot still has a bit of humour left in there after maybe 2 hrs sleep in last 3 days.
And here he was hoping the Pain blocking surgery was going to be.
The Be all and end all of the pain.

Some things are not fixable it seems.
Maybe next time hey.

Wombat66 · Member

Thanks for all the advice.

Wombat66