Worked examples

Same road. Now hitch the van.

Eight real routes planned twice, side by side: the car alone, and the car towing a 3.2-tonne off-road caravan. What the wind costs, what filling everywhere would have cost, and what FuelOracle saved.

Prices and wind forecast captured 4 September 2026 for a departure on 10 September 2026.

Melbourne, VIC to Mount Gambier, SA, 537 km. 2 fuel stops towing, 1 solo. FuelOracle saves $26.68 against filling up everywhere.

Optimised is the FuelOracle plan. Old-school fills to full at every servo it needs to.
Car onlyDefender 110
$89.50total fuel with the forecast · 37 L bought
Still air, same stops$89.49
Forecast wind, 10 Sep · +0.0 L+0.01
Old-school: filling up at every servo$231.04
FuelOracle saves$6.45
1fuel stop
9.0L/100 km, trip average
517km longest run
  • 20 kmUnited Laverton North37 L at 241.9¢$89.50
Car onlyDefender 110
$231.04total fuel with the forecast · 89 L bought
Optimised: FuelOracle plan$89.50
Old-school pays+6.45
3fills to full
9.0L/100 km, trip average
243km longest run
  • 0 kmFill to full62 L at 259.9¢$161.92
  • 198 kmFill to full18 L at 258.9¢$46.11
  • 294 kmFill to full9 L at 259.9¢$23.01
Car + caravanZone RV Peregrine
$240.87total fuel with the forecast · 100 L bought
Still air, same stops$231.28
Forecast headwind, 10 Sep · +4.0 L+9.59
Old-school: filling up at every servo$317.92
FuelOracle saves$26.68
2fuel stops
20.7L/100 km, trip average
262km longest run
  • 64 kmmetro petroleum corio75 L at 237.2¢$177.90
  • 326 kmMcDowall's Friendly Grocer25 L at 251.9¢$62.98
Car + caravanZone RV Peregrine
$317.92total fuel with the forecast · 122 L bought
Optimised: FuelOracle plan$240.87
Old-school pays+26.68
3fills to full
20.7L/100 km, trip average
243km longest run
  • 0 kmFill to full62 L at 259.9¢$161.92
  • 198 kmFill to full39 L at 258.9¢$100.73
  • 294 kmFill to full21 L at 259.9¢$55.26
The route, leg by legLegs coloured by the 10 September wind forecast at each leg's midpoint. Hover a leg or a row.
Leg 1: 0-64 km, wind +1%, 19.7 L/100 km towingLeg 2: 64-326 km, wind +8%, 21.0 L/100 km towingLeg 3: 326-537 km, wind +8%, 21.0 L/100 km towingmetro petroleum corio: 75 L at 237.2¢ (64 km)McDowall's Friendly Grocer: 25 L at 251.9¢ (326 km)Old-school fill: 62 L at 259.9¢ (0 km)Old-school fill: 39 L at 258.9¢ (198 km)Old-school fill: 21 L at 259.9¢ (294 km)MelbourneApollo BayPort CampbellMount Gambier
Wind againstWind behindLight windWaypointFuel stop, both plansFuel stop, caravan onlyOld-school fill, to full
LegSpanWindAltitudeL/100 km towingBurn
10-64 km+1% light-0%19.713 L
264-326 km+8% against+0%21.055 L
3326-537 km+8% against+0%21.0to destination

Questions people ask about this run

How much does fuel cost from Melbourne to Mount Gambier towing a caravan?

About $240.87 for a Defender 110 towing a 3.2-tonne off-road caravan, planned against the official prices and the wind forecast on 4 September 2026: 100 L over 537 km at roughly 20.7 L/100 km.

How many fuel stops from Melbourne to Mount Gambier?

2 towing and 1 solo on this plan, with an 89 L tank starting a quarter full. The longest run between stops towing is 262 km.

Does the wind matter on Great Ocean Road-Mount Gambier?

On 10 September it cost the caravan run $9.59 (+4.0 L). FuelOracle checks the forecast wind on each leg for the day you leave, so the same road can price differently on a different day.

What would filling up at every servo cost on this run?

$317.92 towing. FuelOracle's plan saves $26.68 by choosing where to fill and how much to buy, not by driving further or filling less than it needs.

How the numbers are worked out

Fuel burn is modelled for this rig: the van behind it, the speed it holds, the climbs and the wind on every leg. The model is checked against the rig’s real fill-ups and tuned over time. Old-school is the same driver with no planning: fill to full at every stop, and whenever the next servo is out of reach.

Worked examples only

These plans were generated once, on a fixed date, to show how FuelOracle helps you plan better and save time and money. Prices, opening hours and wind have all changed since, and every price and saving shown is a guide, not a guarantee. Do not use them to plan a real trip: plan your own and FuelOracle will plan it on today's prices and forecast.

Example plans use official state fuel price feeds and Open-Meteo wind forecasts, captured once on 4 September 2026. Coastline from Natural Earth. FuelOracle is an independent app and does not represent a government entity.

Your trip, today's prices

Know your fuel stops before you hit the road.

Put in your rig and your route. FuelOracle plans them against live prices and the forecast for the day you leave.

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