Air Cooled 14MPG normal?

[InventEd]

Hi,

Just been to France in our Air cooled 2ltr (new engine from the VW engine company in the last year) and looking at the fuel purchased we averaged 14.1MPG! Is this normal? It is an automatic Super Viking and we were probably travelling at 60-65mph for a lot of it on motorways.

Just thinking if I should be checking for fuel leaks, carb problems etc or if this is normal. Van runs a single carb and runs very smoothly.

If this is normal then what are the thoughts on converting to gas. Looks like I would make my money back pretty quickly!

Cheers

[ghost123uk]

I've never owned an Aircooled, but I would say, given the conditions you quote, then yes, that is within the goal posts.

Going less than 60mph would make a noticeable improvement

If you do enough miles to warrant it, go gas

[petethefeet]

Hi,
We have a 2.0 CU auto in a pop top Devon running with twin Solex Drosal (Brazalian) carbs, if I drive it carefully I get 18 -20 mpg. on a trip into France on the D roads I managed to get up to 22mpg but that was very good for us. I have seen it down to 16 mpg running around locally.

[multisi]

Having auto gearbox dont help with good mpg.

[InventEd]

Hmmmm, OK thanks, sounds like it is pretty normal, if on the low side. Anybody done a gas conversion on an air cooled as gas prices seam to be half of the petrol?

Wife is keen to get rid of her day car and use the T25 as her run about. Probably looking at doing 3000 miles per year in it I reckon. At current prices that is £950 in petrol a year!

[ghost123uk]

Anybody done a gas conversion on an air cooled as gas prices seam to be half of the petrol?

Well it's certainly been done lots of times. It's not quite so simple as with a water cooled engine because the vapouriser has to be kept warm, usually by warm water, but on an Aircooled, it's done with a heat probe welded into the exhaust system. Your problem is you couldn't hardly be much further from the recommended places that can do this one with confidence. They are The Campershack in Grantham and Gasure in Chester. I think Gasure has a chart somewhere on their website so you can work out how long it will be before the installation has paid for itself in fuel savings.

Probably looking at doing 3000 miles per year in it I reckon. At current prices that is £950 in petrol a year!

That's not a lot for a daily driver !! = It would take around 18 months to 2 years to pay for the conversion (I'm guessing).

[R0B]

I get 12mpg on my 2.1 auto using LPG. I have tried every type of system open loop, closed loop, and I'm now using a blos system, the milage has hardly changed using any of the systems.The only upside is the price of LPG.

[InventEd]

That's not a lot for a daily driver !! = It would take around 18 months to 2 years to pay for the conversion (I'm guessing).

Mostly 15 mile round trips to VW heritage at Shoreham or the beach and then 4 or 5 longer distance trips away a year. The vans mileage has an inverse relationship to the number of breakdowns. With each breakdown my wife's confidence drops and she drives less. As the period between breakdowns increases then the mileage goes up. Longest VW without a breakdown so far is 14,500Km. That was a complete circumnavigation of Australia in a 76 bay without a single breakdown. I would like to put that down to my great engineering skills but I think luck was most of it!

I digress, milesage might reach 5000 miles this year so I am seriously considering the conversion. Heading to Yorkshire on holiday next week so may toss a coin between the two companys suggested as they both could be on route.

[R0B]

You will need to book a few weeks/months in advance to get either company's to fit you a system methinks.

[ajsimmo]

Sorry, we don't currently convert air-cooled, as the hot poker type LPG heater in the exhaust does not meet CoP11 standards. As we state all Campershack conversions are completed to comply with CoP11 guidelines, we can't fit the pokers, and therefore can't do air-cooled.
(Please check with your insurer before having your van converted elsewhere, as if converted this way it cannot be certified as meeting CoP11 standards nor entered on the UKLPG database.)

[djaychela]

I've got an air cooled 2.0 cu engined 4 speed manual Devon, and have just got back from a 750 mile trip to Belgium, getting there on the channel tunnel (180 miles each end in this country, often flat to the stop on motorways). Averaged 22mpg overall.

[Asw]

Gas for air cooled. I'm sure I read somewhere about using the engine oil as the heat source for the vaporiser... i think the vaporiser came from a boat?

[mrhutch]

yup, basically a coil of copper round the exhaust manifold!