What are some options for good gas mileage in overlanding vehicles?

[MOAK]

It is a major kunundrum for a lot of folks. I find it interesting that the most reliable trustworthy vehicles also get the poorest fuel mileage. We have an 80 series Landcruiser. Our upcoming trip will cost about $500 more in fuel than normal? ( I figure normal to be $3.50 a gallon. ) But then, I have zero car payments. A buddy of mine has a new Colorado diesel, he no longer brags about MPGs because his car payments are over 400 a month. If I were looking for a newish, smallish overlanding rig, I’d go with the RAV4. About 30 mpg stock, lifts are available in order to fit oversized tires as well as racks, etc etc.

 

[old_man]

From my decades of experience, the biggest impactors for mileage for an overlander are; correct gearing for big tires, excess weight.

I am running a 38 year old 4.7L stroker in my Cherokee running 35" tires and I get 21mpg on the freeway, 18 pulling my teardrop. I have control over the fuel/air ratio and timing. I keep it tuned to a razors edge.

 

[tjZ06]

The guys at TFL recently did a video listing the best seven off-roaders for fuel economy:

1. Rivian R1T/R1S
2. Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
3. Jeep Wrangler 4xe
4. GMC Hummer EV
5. Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid
6. Jeep Gladiator Rubicon 3.0L EcoDiesel
7. Chevy Silverado Trail Boss 3.0L Duramax diesel

Some (most) of those vehicles are quite pricey and likely not everyone’s cup of tea as an overlanding platform.

If you’re looking specifically for a full-size truck, they also did a video on the top five half-ton pickups for fuel economy:

1. Chevy/GMC 1500 with the 3.0L Duramax diesel
2. Ram 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel
3. Ford F-150 with the V6 Hybrid
4. Toyota Tundra
5. Nissan Titan

if I were going to buy a new vehicle for an overlanding rig today, personally I’d be looking hard at the Ford F-150 with the 3.5L V6 Hybrid (23 city/23 hwy/23 combined). The F-150 Tremor offers a lot of nice off-road features like a locking rear diff, but right now it only comes with the non-hybrid 3.5L V6 rated at 16 city/20 hwy/ 18 combined. If they offer the hybrid in the Tremor in the future, that might end up being the best of both worlds. In the meantime, a properly kitted out non-Tremor F150 with that hybrid could be a very capable overlander.

And yes, if you’re wondering, TFL also did a video of the worst five half-ton trucks for fuel economy.

Generally speaking, the TFL Truck and TFL Off-road YouTube channels are a great resource. They review all of the popular trucks and SUVs available in the USA. I particularly like their comprehensive towing tests for trucks.

I haven't watched the review yet, but the problem with most of the EV or hybrid options is they don't actually work out for the Overlanding use-case. On long trips you're either SOL with a pure EV, or purely using the ICE on the hybrids. Now, where they DO shine is when the vehicle is also a DD. I have a buddy at work that just got a Wrangler Rubicon 4xE and he has a ~20 mile each way commute to the office. He can mostly do his daily drive in pure E (drive in, charge for free at the office, then drive home, charge at low-rate hours overnight at home).

-TJ

 

[tjZ06]

Just soft road, me, a dog and maybe one more

I have been looking at the trailhawks too

It sounds like a Compass Trailhawk might be great for you.

-TJ

 

[JeepWave]

I haven't watched the review yet, but the problem with most of the EV or hybrid options is they don't actually work out for the Overlanding use-case. On long trips you're either SOL with a pure EV, or purely using the ICE on the hybrids. Now, where they DO shine is when the vehicle is also a DD. I have a buddy at work that just got a Wrangler Rubicon 4xE and he has a ~20 mile each way commute to the office. He can mostly do his daily drive in pure E (drive in, charge for free at the office, then drive home, charge at low-rate hours overnight at home).

-TJ

If you aren't as averse to DEF fluid as I am, those GM and Ram diesels look like pretty compelling overlanding platforms. My dream vehicle would be a 60-series Land Cruiser with the Cummins R2.8 diesel crate engine, but that's not in the budget this year. :)

 

[genocache]

So weight as stated is a big factor. So is shape.

My 2008 Suzuki 650 V-strom gets 55mpg fully loaded, I've done Arizona and gone to Oklahoma and back on it. 175miles per tank, so that defeats your fuel stop adversity.

My 1960 Land Rover 109 is shaped like a brick, so I try not to put stuff on the sides or roof. Still on hwy trips it gets 20+ mpg out of the 200TDI and with dual tanks I get around 500 miles per fill up. No lie it's going to hurt paying $150 to fill up both tanks........ No smog, no DEF, no computer!

 

[tjZ06]

If you aren't as averse to DEF fluid as I am, those GM and Ram diesels look like pretty compelling overlanding platforms. My dream vehicle would be a 60-series Land Cruiser with the Cummins R2.8 diesel crate engine, but that's not in the budget this year. :)

Between those I'd lean towards the GM, since I haven't seen a *ton* of issues and overheating being reported. The Ecodiesel in the RAMs seem to be pretty problematic. In the Jeeps overheating is a big issue (probably due to the smaller grill/radiator), though the RAM seems less impacted. But there seem to be other issues with them that are ubiquitous across all 3 generations of Ecodiesels, and the new 3rd Gen version seems like might be worse-yet since it's even more complicated (2 different EGR systems, for example).

It's a bummer, cuz I think an Ecodiesel Gladiator would be such a bad ass rig, and having driven all of the current JL/JT powertrains other than the 392 JL... the diesel is definitely the best suited to the JL/JT platforms when it's working right. ;)

-TJ

 

[200LC]

Between those I'd lean towards the GM, since I haven't seen a *ton* of issues and overheating being reported. The Ecodiesel in the RAMs seem to be pretty problematic. In the Jeeps overheating is a big issue (probably due to the smaller grill/radiator), though the RAM seems less impacted. But there seem to be other issues with them that are ubiquitous across all 3 generations of Ecodiesels, and the new 3rd Gen version seems like might be worse-yet since it's even more complicated (2 different EGR systems, for example).

It's a bummer, cuz I think an Ecodiesel Gladiator would be such a bad ass rig, and having driven all of the current JL/JT powertrains other than the 392 JL... the diesel is definitely the best suited to the JL/JT platforms when it's working right. ;)

-TJ

I don't believe the eco diesels are Cummins motors, I could be wrong

 

[tjZ06]

I don't believe the eco diesels are Cummins motors, I could be wrong

They are not, not at all. They're basically Fiat motors, so an Italian diesel. But I don't think I implied they were Cummins. With respect to the RAM I should have clarified I was speaking about the 1500s. A RAM 2500+ will be a Cummins, not an Ecodiesel.

-TJ

 

[Crusader]

I'm about to go get my Jeep Gladiator diesel from the dealership. 28mpg

 

[pcstockton]

JDM Diesel

 

[tjZ06]

JDM Diesel

JDM meaning Japanese Domestic Market. By definition you can't buy any JDM anything in the US, and the OP is in Mississippi. That said, I know JDM is often just used to mean Japanese vehicles. What Japanese manufacturers currently offer a diesel 4x4 in the US?

-TJ

 

[Zombie_Hunter_Adventures]

I just ordered the Long Range America 17 gallon auxiliary tank for my Jeep Gladiator that already has a 22 gallon main tank. I’ll have a capacity of 39 total gallons which will be perfect for long overlanding trips in Mexico, Canada and Mexico I have scheduled. My MPG is still not good and will only get worse with the added weight but it is what it is. I will no longer have to carry the 11 gallons in rotopax I do now in the bed freeing up space.

 

[MidOH]

I'm about to go get my Jeep Gladiator diesel from the dealership. 28mpg

28?

Hahahahahahjajajhajajnnajajjsnjah haha. You're not planning on running the bicycle tires for long?

 

[Billiebob]

I'm going to do my first build this summer and this will be my 2nd vehicle.

In all the trucks and SUVs people use, which are the ones with better than 20+ MPG?

I drive to see family several times a year and I hate stopping for gas. I was hoping for something with 350+ mile highway range.

Aerodynamics are top of the list sooo....

No roof rack, nothing hanging outside the vehicle.... period. Manufacturers are pretty good at cd efficiency thing. ADD anything outside kills gas mileage, range.
Tires, keep them stock. Adding diameter, rotational mass, unsprung weight kills economy and range. Forget ego if you want to run 350 miles on a tank.
Speed, the last real component. Unless you buy something so ugly it is a hyper miler..... speed, anything over 50mph kills range.

Any other discussions are just guys trying to justify an RTT or lifts and 33s or driving fast.

The Holy Grail to extending range is as old as the automobile.
Clean aerodynamics.
Minimal rotational mass.
Speed..... rather lack of speed.

There are no secrets.

 

[Billiebob]

"I'm going to do my first build this summer"

define "build"
Cuz building an overlander vs building a hyper miler are polar opposites yet your post says you want to build a hyper miler. Which would be very cool on overland bound.

 

[Desert Runner]

Honda Ridgeline? Too bad there's no off road support (maybe a good reason)
Don't buy a Toyota. The truck will out live you, has great aftermarket support but the mileage sucks. Everything I owned or own is between 10-16 modded for off road.

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Back when I was doing proto-type testing on vehicles, we did quite a few diesel work ups,.....Range Rover, Mercedes, Mitsubishi. but no Toyota/Lexus diesel engines. Just their gas engine power train line. There are a lot of hoops the ,Gov puts out to the manufacturers for certification, and Toyota showed no inclination to try and bring their overseas diesel engine line-up to their small truck and car line here in the US. Just their business commercial truck engines for certifications. Lucky Europe, South Africa, middle East. Asia, and Australia among other's..

The vehicles were wired to the hilt with sensors and computer logs, which were downloaded and sent daily to off-site engineers who also monitored and sent updated files/programing all types of conditions to see how the power trains and emissions reacted to set parameters established by the .GOV. Remember the VW shenanigans, After that, a Lot more stricter over-site was done.

 

[smritte]

Remember the VW shenanigans, After that, a Lot more stricter over-site was done.

Heh. funny you bring that up. They weren't the first, just the ones who got caught. I wish I could remember who it was that had a pin switch on there hood. I'm thinking late 80's-early 90's? May have been Pontiac?
Anyway, two diffrent timing maps. Hood closed better performance. Smog guy opens hood to smog and timing/fuel sets to diffrent parameter.

 

[Billiebob]

It is a major kunundrum for a lot of folks. I find it interesting that the most reliable trustworthy vehicles also get the poorest fuel mileage. We have an 80 series Landcruiser. Our upcoming trip will cost about $500 more in fuel than normal? ( I figure normal to be $3.50 a gallon. ) But then, I have zero car payments. A buddy of mine has a new Colorado diesel, he no longer brags about MPGs because his car payments are over 400 a month. If I were looking for a newish, smallish overlanding rig, I’d go with the RAV4. About 30 mpg stock, lifts are available in order to fit oversized tires as well as racks, etc etc.

THIS ^^^^

Rav4, Subaru, even Prius have 2" lifts which will deliver better gas mileage than a stock Tacoma, Ranger, Bison.....
but the big thing on a 350 mile trip will be areodynamics. Keep the exterior stock and clean.

 

[Billiebob]

Heh. funny you bring that up. They weren't the first, just the ones who got caught. I wish I could remember who it was that had a pin switch on there hood. I'm thinking late 80's-early 90's? May have been Pontiac?
Anyway, two diffrent timing maps. Hood closed better performance. Smog guy opens hood to smog and timing/fuel sets to diffrent parameter.

That was the air pump / smog pump delete thing. I don't think Chevy did it, it was more an after market cheater thing lots of people bought into. But I've never heard about the hood switch interlink.... sounds like a purely California deal where the EPA was a dictator, after market, not GM driven. There were hundreds of after market smog cheater things in the 1970s, 1980s.