Towing Km's how do you record them?

iana · Guru

Towing Km's how do you record them?

jade46 · Senior Member

Not cheap but these are what semi trailers use
www.ebay.com.au/itm/Couplemate-Hubodometer-Stainless-for-Caravans-and-Trailers-Parallel-Hub/153758773760

iana · Guru

I have been using a program put out by Garmin, that gives me the km's traveled. I just wondered what others on here do to record their towing KM's.

Whenarewethere · Guru

When I fill up the tank I write on the back of the receipt with a pencil the data from the car & stick it in the speadspread later.

Zero the trip meter each tankfull of fuel as rounding errors creep in, & you can compare trip data to actual data, factor in the car's odometer to the GPS if really keen

Set up on a spreadsheet how many hours you actually spend driving using the car's average speed data.

Brenda and Alan · Guru

Iana we use a very old fashioned device called a diary, with it we can record distance travelled whilst hitched very simply.

Alan

Landfall · Guru

x 2 for the diary along with a record of fuel useage.

-- Edited by Landfall on Saturday 28th of December 2019 08:23:49 AM

littledick · Senior Member

Trip computer in car is all I require, record in book when destination reached.

Dick.

Radar · Guru

iana wrote:

Just wondering, when reading about how many thousands of k's one has towed a caravan. Is that the odometer reading from the beginning of the trip to the end, including the touring (shopping etc.) of the vehicle un-hitched as well, or do you somehow just record towing Km's.

We keep a record of our spending including kilometres travelled with and without caravan. This really got started when we were trying to work out a realist spending budget but now a habit. I find by recording my fuel cost we really know when things are going to be needed. Eg. tyres, servicing. No guess work, no dash board litres per hundred real litres per hundred.

Possum3 · Guru

X 3 for diary. Child-bride enters all details on Tablet every fuel stop and notes bob-tail excursions. Always in front, as always following Wiki Camps notes.

Whenarewethere · Guru

X 4 diary, forgot to mention, idiot proof!

dabbler · Guru

I don't bother and do my distance based maintenance using the vehicle odometer. I service the Hilux myself and it's much simpler when schedules align.

iana · Guru

I guess I didn't explain it properly. And that is how do you work out the km's the caravan has traveled. The rest is irrelevant.

Brenda and Alan · Guru

When we arrive at our destination we note in diary the odometer reading and add "van off" if we unhitch. When we leave maybe after a couple of days travelling around, we again note odometer reading and add "Van on". At the end of the trip we add up mileages where van is "on" Hope this helps. Brenda.

Delta18 · Guru

At the end of a trip I sit down with google/Apple maps, I input Start and End points of the trip, add Via to get actual route travelled with the van then enter the total in a diary.
My car speedo gives me actual distance the Car travelled on the trip which includes side tracks, sightseeing etc.

gwb · Senior Member

we do as what Brenda and Allan do. Works for us.

Gus1949 · Senior Member

I don't understand the obsession with know fuel consumption van on / van off. What do you do with that information, truck the caravan home because you are using to much fuel or cancel the trip until the price of fuel comes down.? I spent a life time at work messing about with spreadsheets etc the last time I would want to do is spoil my trip over fuel figures. In reality does any one use the information constructively?

KJB · Guru

I'm with you , Gus..... it is like planning and keeping to a schedule - it takes the fun , adventure (dealing with the unknown) and enjoyment out of travel.

yobarr · Guru

Gus1949 wrote:
I don't understand the obsession with know fuel consumption van on / van off. What do you do with that information, truck the caravan home because you are using to much fuel or cancel the trip until the price of fuel comes down.? I spent a life time at work messing about with spreadsheets etc the last time I would want to do is spoil my trip over fuel figures. In reality does any one use the information constructively?

I'm with you Rowan....if you can't afford the fuel,you can't afford the car.And as another poster pointed out,were talking peanuts anyway.Who cares? If you let the fuel expense affect your travels,it might be wise to head home and watch TV instead? Cheers

TheHeaths · Guru

KJB wrote:
I'm with you , Gus..... it is like planning and keeping to a schedule - it takes the fun , adventure (dealing with the unknown) and enjoyment out of travel.

With recording the vans kms, I write each leg distance into a log book each day with respect to the van. Each day I enter onto a spreadsheet the various costs for the trip and the total kms based on the odometer readings when we fuel up, so I have a record. And it has nothing to do with being able to afford the travel or the car either.

I disagree with the comment above, as I find it interesting playing with numbers, and have since I was a child. In my case it doesn't take any of the fun, adventure or enjoyment out of the travel in the least. Perhaps that is because I am a retired accountant!

We change our plans as we go, we spend as we like or need to, and our schedule varies as we go.

In short, everyone does it different, and everyone enjoys different things. Isn't it grand.

-- Edited by TheHeaths on Sunday 29th of December 2019 07:27:39 PM

iana · Guru

I only record the caravan Km's, as when it comes to selling you have a figure to give. I don't worry about fuel consumption.