Vanagon Fuel (in)Efficiency

For a vehicle that has been described as a rolling loaf of bread by many — the Vanagon is anything but efficient with its fuel.

If you’ve driven a Vanagon you know that fuel mileage is not its strong point.

There are horror stories of 12 mpg trips from some folks in Vanagon World. Yet, I pulled off 18-21 mpg on a long 6,000-mile adventure in a fully loaded 1986 Westfalia camper.

And I am not alone. Many others report 18 to 20 miles per gallon. It’s the universal average for the Type 2 T3 anyway.

If you think that is terrible fuel mileage, other reports suggest that later-model VW Eurovans get a measly 16 mpg, and most Class B motorhomes (I’ve test-driven plenty) get far worse… sometimes as low as 12 mpg.

Poor MPG ratings are subject to many variables; how fast you drive, the RPMs you use, traffic, hills, and the list goes on.

So whenever you read about fuel mileage in a Vanagon know that mpg can change even with the same engine/trans/body type. Even a dirty air filter, a tire with low pressure, or an engine with old corroded plugs affect fuel efficiency. Heck, carrying too many mountain bikes can drag on fuel mileage.

I’ve been keeping track of Vanagon fuel economy online, specifically for the Type 2 T3, and on average, like I mentioned before, real-world mpg is hovering about 18 mpg. That’s accurate. Can it do better? The short answer is yes, ever so slightly.

Here’s my new 2.3 from Go Westy. I wish it was always this clean…

Ways to Increase and Maintain Your MPG: Always run with fresh plugs, wires, coil, and distributor.

• Keep your tires properly inflated at all four corners.

• Keep your cargo load to a minimum when possible.

• Limit using a heavy pedal and maintain a constant speed (under 65 mph preferably) Use cruise control if you have it.

• Avoid long, steep grades if possible. Find flatter alternative routes.

• Don’t idle the engine at Starbucks for prolonged periods unnecessarily.

• Swap out your fluids and clean out the air filter regularly.

• If you have A/C plan to use it sparingly.

• If you are running a cargo rack on the roof plan to add a wind foil to it to reduce drag.

• Get your Vanagon’s wheels aligned every few years.

Increasing fuel mileage is doable using these methods, but don’t expect miracles. Vanagons are neither light nor aerodynamic. That’s the problem. For a vehicle that can double as a backcountry camper 18 mpg isn’t too shabby. And you probably know that manual transmissions get slightly better fuel economy than automatics.

Most Class B motorhomes don’t do anything close to 18. So consider yourself lucky.