The other day, I learned a lesson about the onboard computer.
We have a 2016 Rapido, Fiat chassis, standard cab, tank, etc. Driving from France to Spain, I wasn't in any hurry to fill the tank at French motorway prices for diesel but still had about 80 miles in the tank as we entered San Sebastián to camp at Camping Igueldo. If you don't know the approach to that site, it is up a 4km long hill, very steep at the start and narrow all the way. About a third of the way up, there is a loud beeping, accompanied by a low fuel warning and the range went to nothing, well three dashes. No real choice but to carry on and of course we made it.
Checked in at the site but decided to return to the town for fuel before parking. By the time we got to the bottom of the hill again, the range was 180 miles!
In the UK I had run the tank down to a range of 20 or 30 miles, just to check it out. All had been well and I'd built some confidence that it was reasonably accurate, but that was on the flat.
The fuel gauge itself was showing just on the upper edge of the red marks throughout the up and down journey, so logic told me we would be fine, but it didn't half concentrate the mind and exercise the buttock muscles when the alarm went off!
Lesson learned that we would be better entering hilly areas with at least half a tank.
We have a 2016 Rapido, Fiat chassis, standard cab, tank, etc. Driving from France to Spain, I wasn't in any hurry to fill the tank at French motorway prices for diesel but still had about 80 miles in the tank as we entered San Sebastián to camp at Camping Igueldo. If you don't know the approach to that site, it is up a 4km long hill, very steep at the start and narrow all the way. About a third of the way up, there is a loud beeping, accompanied by a low fuel warning and the range went to nothing, well three dashes. No real choice but to carry on and of course we made it.
Checked in at the site but decided to return to the town for fuel before parking. By the time we got to the bottom of the hill again, the range was 180 miles!
In the UK I had run the tank down to a range of 20 or 30 miles, just to check it out. All had been well and I'd built some confidence that it was reasonably accurate, but that was on the flat.
The fuel gauge itself was showing just on the upper edge of the red marks throughout the up and down journey, so logic told me we would be fine, but it didn't half concentrate the mind and exercise the buttock muscles when the alarm went off!
Lesson learned that we would be better entering hilly areas with at least half a tank.