11 MPG over 100+ Miles in 4WD on White Rim Trail, Canyonlands Utah

[lazynorse]

I'll share my surprising finding after completing the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands, Utah. I averaged a very low 11 MPG for this trip. Same truck, with all my gear and supplies, I was getting between 16 and 22 MPG between Washington State and Utah in 2WD. White Rim Trail is mostly bumpy, rocky, and uneven with a couple areas of very steep and semi technical terrain. Average speed I drove was 8 - 10 mph, which the terrain itself informs but also for viewing enjoyment. I was in 4wd the whole time, with a couple notable sections in 4-low.

Truck load is the truck and a Snugtop Rebel canopy with a Yakima Skybox 12 up top (long, narrow). I had a Gazelle T4 tent, Gazelle small gazebo (both pop up, about 55 pounds combined) and two folding camping chairs. I'm guessing 100 pounds total above the canopy. Two occupants, myself and my wife. Iceco JP50 fridge in the back with a Jackery 1500 battery. Two, stacked Milwaukee Packout x2 drawer units with kitchen, hygiene, lights and misc camp tools. 8 gallons of water across x3 containers, 5 gall in a Wavian steel fuel can, air compressor and basic recovery gear, clothing for warm and cold/wet, sleeping bags, bins of dry goods. If you're used to week+ long camping trips, this would be familiar.

Truck mods are Firestone Destination XT 255/75/17 C Load, Eibach Pro Truck suspension front and back with Icon Multileafs in the rear (option 2), resulting in a near 3" lift in the front, 1" lift in the rear, with just 1" of rake back to front. Totally loaded for the trip, I squatted, resulting in a 1" reverse rake, so nose high (barely).

This is not my first long adventure, but it is the first time I remained in 4wd, driving slow on truly offroad track over 3 days and 100 miles. THAT really did a number on MPGs, and critically, range. Usually, our offroad camp trips blend more forest service road or highway miles with relatively fewer truly 4wd trails. Due to that, I generally don't see the huge MPG declines.

Thought I'd share this should anyone plan on traversing very long 4wd tracks. Continually check your MPGs and range, make sure you have additional fuel or can make it back to town.

We were in Utah for 2 weeks, remote camping and trail driving. Never needed my 5 gall Wavian gas can, but White Rim Trail made me glad for it, should I have been turned around by an obstacle at the 90 mile mark - this happened literally the week before I arrived.

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[cmhmh]

I did the White Rim in April and got 16.24mpg with a similar overall payload and build, though it was significantly warmer then vs. the last few weeks.

 

[lazynorse]

I did the White Rim in April and got 16.24mpg with a similar overall payload and build, though it was significantly warmer then vs. the last few weeks.

Wow, I wonder what the deal was on my end then? My trip was end of October, and it was low 30's at night, morning. Low 60's during the day at the warmest. We did a lot of stopping, looking, photos. We did the trip clockwise. My highway MPGs were what I expect, 16 at worse poking around town, 18 - 22 at highway speeds under 75. I haven't recalibrated my speedo since my tires, which are 32". I did roughly calculate the new tires would down-estimate my MPGs by 5%, so I mentally round up 1 MPG. Maybe I was getting 12 then, but not 16. This is a mystery!

Hardscrabble Hill sure is something, isn't it. Not crazy technical, but no way to know for sure if anyone is oncoming. Didn't mind poking my way forward through it but precious few if any pull offs. Imagine doing that in reverse, lol.

 

[shovelhd]

Starting and stopping kills your MPG.

 

[Blue Streak]

Brings back great memories. Did that trail back in the late 70s with my 77 Jeep Cherokee. Spent time along the way camping. Do they still require you to sign in & out. When we went we had to fill out a form to let them know how long we planed to stay out on the trail. then deposit it in a drop box when done so they knew you came out & didn't have to come looking for us.

 

[cmhmh]

Wow, I wonder what the deal was on my end then? My trip was end of October, and it was low 30's at night, morning. Low 60's during the day at the warmest. We did a lot of stopping, looking, photos. We did the trip clockwise. My highway MPGs were what I expect, 16 at worse poking around town, 18 - 22 at highway speeds under 75. I haven't recalibrated my speedo since my tires, which are 32". I did roughly calculate the new tires would down-estimate my MPGs by 5%, so I mentally round up 1 MPG. Maybe I was getting 12 then, but not 16. This is a mystery!

Hardscrabble Hill sure is something, isn't it. Not crazy technical, but no way to know for sure if anyone is oncoming. Didn't mind poking my way forward through it but precious few if any pull offs. Imagine doing that in reverse, lol.

I agree that stop/start kills mileage.

My speedometer actually got corrected changing from my OE 265/60/18s to 265/70/17s.

Hardscrabble was definitely the hardest part IMO. It was very loose when I did it.

Overall, most of the drive was perfectly fine in 2WD. I got lucky and snagged a permit just a week before I went. Very, very pretty drive overall.

 

[cmhmh]

Brings back great memories. Did that trail back in the late 70s with my 77 Jeep Cherokee. Spent time along the way camping. Do they still require you to sign in & out. When we went we had to fill out a form to let them know how long we planed to stay out on the trail. then deposit it in a drop box when done so they knew you came out & didn't have to come looking for us.

You're supposed to check in at the visitor center but I saw zero rangers on my actual drive.

 

[Blue Streak]

We saw non either. We stayed out several days. We witnessed a swarm of hornets come close to were we camped & all nest into a tree near our camp. We moved.

 

[lazynorse]

Brings back great memories. Did that trail back in the late 70s with my 77 Jeep Cherokee. Spent time along the way camping. Do they still require you to sign in & out. When we went we had to fill out a form to let them know how long we planed to stay out on the trail. then deposit it in a drop box when done so they knew you came out & didn't have to come looking for us.

You have to secure a permit and designate campsites, which you cannot stray from. There’s a quota for how many permits each day. Online reservations open months in advance and are immediately booked, like trying to buy a Taylor Swift ticket. You can’t just go and camp wherever. This is a good thing, btw or it’d be loved to death. We spent 3 nights, campsites roughly 30 miles apart, so plenty of leisurely travel and enjoyment at each campsite.

 

[LawnMM]

I'll share my surprising finding after completing the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands, Utah. I averaged a very low 11 MPG for this trip. Same truck, with all my gear and supplies, I was getting between 16 and 22 MPG between Washington State and Utah in 2WD. White Rim Trail is mostly bumpy, rocky, and uneven with a couple areas of very steep and semi technical terrain. Average speed I drove was 8 - 10 mph, which the terrain itself informs but also for viewing enjoyment. I was in 4wd the whole time, with a couple notable sections in 4-low.

Truck load is the truck and a Snugtop Rebel canopy with a Yakima Skybox 12 up top (long, narrow). I had a Gazelle T4 tent, Gazelle small gazebo (both pop up, about 55 pounds combined) and two folding camping chairs. I'm guessing 100 pounds total above the canopy. Two occupants, myself and my wife. Iceco JP50 fridge in the back with a Jackery 1500 battery. Two, stacked Milwaukee Packout x2 drawer units with kitchen, hygiene, lights and misc camp tools. 8 gallons of water across x3 containers, 5 gall in a Wavian steel fuel can, air compressor and basic recovery gear, clothing for warm and cold/wet, sleeping bags, bins of dry goods. If you're used to week+ long camping trips, this would be familiar.

Truck mods are Firestone Destination XT 255/75/17 C Load, Eibach Pro Truck suspension front and back with Icon Multileafs in the rear (option 2), resulting in a near 3" lift in the front, 1" lift in the rear, with just 1" of rake back to front. Totally loaded for the trip, I squatted, resulting in a 1" reverse rake, so nose high (barely).

This is not my first long adventure, but it is the first time I remained in 4wd, driving slow on truly offroad track over 3 days and 100 miles. THAT really did a number on MPGs, and critically, range. Usually, our offroad camp trips blend more forest service road or highway miles with relatively fewer truly 4wd trails. Due to that, I generally don't see the huge MPG declines.

Thought I'd share this should anyone plan on traversing very long 4wd tracks. Continually check your MPGs and range, make sure you have additional fuel or can make it back to town.

We were in Utah for 2 weeks, remote camping and trail driving. Never needed my 5 gall Wavian gas can, but White Rim Trail made me glad for it, should I have been turned around by an obstacle at the 90 mile mark - this happened literally the week before I arrived.

Interesting and thanks for the information and photos. I think it's a good bit of anecdotal experience. Calculate fuel based on a potential worst case of 10mpg. So if you were planning on 250mi off road you likely need supplemental fuel.

10mpg x 18ga = 180mi worst case. To be safe without any refueling opportunities it might be wise to have an additional 70mi for the trip to ensure you'll make the distance assuming there's a gas station relatively close to the trailhead. 10mpg x 7ga = 70mi so an extra 7g of supplemental fuel.

I'd be interested in others off-road mileage experience. I'm still a novice.

 

[philanderer]

ive done the trail several times (not with my current truck, but with a 4g ranger and a gen 1 raptor) and it is an absolutely amazing drive. this is the white crack campground at the southernmost part of the trail. i camped there once
https://naturalimagesgallery.com/white_crack_panorama/white_crack_panorama.html

 

[Bob902]

This is a bucket list drive for me.

 

[TheDo114]

I'm getting between 10 and 14mpg when I leave it in 4wd for hunting. Lots of mud and stop start so it kills millage.

 

[Cabose-1]

Wow those are pretty good mpgs. I get 16 to 18 on pavement in 2wd.
Ill find out how it gets if i keep track of it this weekend at the deer lease. 10 miles of dirt in and out plus whatever driving around the hunting area.

That is some nice country side you guys have pictures of.

 

[Conman50]

Just curious, would it be bad at all to drive off-road in 2wd and only switch to 4wd when needed? Would constant switching cause damage to the transfer case?

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