Nissan Patrol as a backpacker car?

[kgoul]

Hi.

I am about to go backpacking Australia and will have to buy a car. I have an eye on the Nissan Patrol, which I think is a wonderful car, but will it be suitable as a backpacker car? I believe I will drive about 12-15.000 km, so the fuel economy has to be if not good then decent. My fuel budget is maximum 2500 AUD Since I will be sleeping in the back of the car, it has to have space for a mattress. I do not have endless of money, so the maximum purchase price is 3500 AUD.

I have searched Gumtree and found some 1989-1991 GQ Patrols to an affordable price, running on dual fuel. Does dual fuel cope with my requirement of an okay fuel economy? I searched Google for answers but the answers were years old, and the LPG price has risen since, so I couldn't really use it..


Thanks in advance

// kgoul

[Cuppa]

No, not really suitable. They use a LOT of fuel. You would be far better getting something like a Toyota Hiace van converted to a basic camper. It will give you much better economy, has enough ground clearance to manage dirt roads, & is light enough to get pulled out easily if you did get stuck anywhere. It would also be much easier to sell to other backpackers when you finish your trip. The only reason to get yourself a high clearance heavy duty 4wd like the Patrol would be if you were planning to take it to seriously remote areas off the beaten track, & if that was your plan, you would be wanting a totally reliable vehicle which you could trust...... & that is going to take you well over your budget.
LPG supplies are not reliable in the outback, & older dual fuel vehicles often run well on LPG, but not so well on petrol. With LPG you get less kilometres per litre, & todays price of LPG, particularly in the outback make it not such a great economic choice.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/stanl...per/1047853837
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/bondi...ped/1049193623
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/sydne...ale/1047808031
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/brisb...ale/1048501847

or an unconverted one - just throw a mattress in.
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/hackh...ll-/1049496725

[Drewboyaus]

G'day mate,
Patrols are awesome machines but fuel efficient they are not. Even the diesels don't mind a sip, just nowhere near as much as a petrol. For your coin you'll be looking at a petrol one and you'll be getting 20-25L/100km.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[kgoul]

Thanks to both of you for the quick response!
I will start looking for a Hiace :-)

Thanks again, have a great day!

//kgoul

[happygu]

Kgoul,

As an example, just so you can get some figures as a base .... using an average fuel cost $30 per hundred kilometres, as I dont know if you are wanting to go into outback areas, or just stick around the coastlines, will give you around 8300 kilometres of vehicle travel in a Patrol with a $2500 fuel budget.

Another thing to consider, is that the back floor of a Patrol is not flat, and you would also need to factor in a bit of work to make it comfortable

[Cuppa]

Mitsubishi L300 vans & Delica’s can sometimes be bought within your budget too.

[Clunk]

Quite a few backpackers buy and sell patrols here in WA. Fold down the back seats and build a platform over the top and there's your bed base. But no doubt these backpackers would be working while on their travels because as stated by others, patrols are thirsty beasts. But they will get you to places Hiaces and other 2wd vehicles will not.

[kgoul]

Thanks for the response. I have decided to put some more money in it. The absolouteley limit of purchase price is 5.000 AUD. I will see if I can find some jobs while traveling to support my fuel economy.

Should I absolouteley go for the Patrol (Yeah, I know it is a Patrol forum ;-)), or are there other cars that will suit my needs just as well?

All I know at this point is, that I will go to Fraser Island and the Simpson desert.

[RubberDuckieGQ]

Might need a 4wd for Fraser Island... what about a holden jackaroo?
They are cheaper so you can get one for 5k.

You can get a Patrol for 5k (I did) but it would likely need a bit of work here and there

Agree with Cuppa on LPG. I've had a few problems with mine and just got it to the stage where it runs well on petrol so basically ignoring gas!

I get a lot more KMs out of petrol, haven't done the maths but for my patrol at least I'm tempted to get rid of gas altogether

[rusty_nail]

how about somthing like the mitsubishi delica? 4wd, available in diesel, plenty of space for backpacker. i have a soft spot for these. they wont do the tough tracks with the patrols etc but they will get you plenty far enough to see the things you wanna see. i just did a quick search and saw 4 below 5K on carsales and im sure there are more on gumtree.