Budgeting for fuel is one of those “how long’s a piece of string?” roadie questions, but you can get it pretty dialled in with a simple rule of thumb.

For most campervan trips, a solid daily fuel budget is:

  • Australia: $25-$60 per day for a normal mix of driving and chilling
  • New Zealand: $30-$70 per day (fuel can sting a bit more, especially if you’re covering ground)
  • Big drive days (300-500 km): $60-$120 per day in either country, depending on your camper and where you’re filling up

If you want a quick way to calculate it for your own trip, use this:

  • Daily fuel cost = (km you drive per day ÷ 100) x camper’s L/100 km x fuel price per litre

Typical camper fuel use (rough guide):

  • Small 2-3 berth campers: 9-12 L/100 km
  • Medium-large 4-6 berth campers: 12-16 L/100 km
  • 4WD campers (and heavy rigs): 12-18+ L/100 km

A few real-world tips (because fuel budgets get blown by the sneaky stuff):

  • Remote areas cost more (Outback, Far North, West Coast vibes) – add a 20% buffer.
  • Wind, hills and “she’s fully loaded” can bump consumption up fast.
  • Use price apps to dodge rip-off servos: FuelMap (Aussie) and Gaspy (NZ) are both pretty handy.

If you’re planning to smash big distances most days, budget on the higher end and you’ll be sweet. Yeeeeew! 🚐💨