Volvo N10 fuel cost Brisbane to Adelaide?

Hi All, I am thinking about buying an older truck to get some machinery down south from Brisbane to Adelaide. I can get a Volvo N10 that seems reasonably good for about $10k. It is a turbo six, bogie drive, would be lightly loaded with about 5t on the tray.

What sort of fuel consumption would I expect? 5km/L?

Regards, Erik

Maybe 3

Around 3 to 3.5

3 seems THE number on full-sized trucks.
You may be able to gain a bit by having a nicely streamlined load ... which is gunna be tricky with machinery.

Erik

As the blokes say, it will cost you about $1,000 for the 2,200km run.

Just be careful carrying stuff on a permit. It cost me $320 a couple of years ago when a copper in Tamworth sprang me for having a light caravan being carried on a permit run in a Mitsubishi Canter.

Lang

I can't tow a caravan home behind a truck with a permit?

Erik

My van was on top of the tray as a load. i do not know the ins and outs of towing one.

I reckon if the van was registered it would be OK as any trailing copper could only see that number plate for his registration check.

Personally I would still put my car on the back of the truck if that is how I got to Brisbane and be pretty confident of getting away with it or talking my way out with a reasonable cop.

*** Just had a good look at Qld Permit regulations. You can now carry a "reasonable" load but not for hire or reward. in other words you can carry your own stuff such as your car, old machinery etc. You would have a hard time explaining a full load of pallets of new items or 1,000 cartons of beer as for personal use. It would seem a registered van (or even a van with its own permit) on behind is OK.

Lang

Thanks Lang.
1000 cartons of beer - ethanol fuel source???

There isn't any way my load could be construed as turning a profit...

if the gear on the truck is your own gear and you say are moving house etc you should have no problem. you can do a display with 50% of truck capacity but moving house and the truck legal should have no problem. Just be polite if pulled up and explain circumstances. Make sure truck has third party insurance as well. also carry a filled in log book that is up to date.
don' ever quote me please
good luck
Graham

Fuel consumption is also governed by gearing. If your N10 was set up for tipper work, for example, it might have low diff ratio which won't help. Is it 8 or 16 sp (which has overdrive)? Single or bogie drive?