G'day Keddy, Gibbo, Jock, Shags and others,

I see my handle mentioned in despatches. Sorry for my tardy response but I've been busy analysing stats....... well not exactly.... more like replacing van wheel bearings. A much dirtier job. But there is a record component. Even time I do a bearing service I measure magnet wear and brake shoe lining thickness. Some of the many practical things I record to anticipate future maint requirements.

A reminder that this thread is called 'Nomad Notes'. An application I understand aimed at the caravanner to combine a fuel record, accommodation costs, trip diary, pics. etc. My interest in this thread is limited to fuel records and I explained myself in post #9 [color=#800080]http://forum.candm.com.au/showpost.php?p=26978&postcount;=9[/color]

You will notice quite often on this forum that people ask about fuel economy. It's a popular subject. People want accurate advice. The thrust of my first post was if anyone bothers to keep fuel records why not bother to do it properly.... and to boot, take some of the head-scratching calc work out of it. I tire of economy offerings on the basis of how many kms per tank (size unspecified) unless it was a full tank driven till it ran dry. Others place unwarranted faith in the accuracy of trip computers.

Some recent posts have drifted off the point. Chasing around for cheapest fuel or accommodation is a different and usually unrelated philosophy to record keeping. I agree chasing for a pittance is a mug's game. I never chase fuel but if I need some out in the sticks and it is expensive at town 'A' I'll get only 20 litres when I know 150 kms further on at town 'B' it is 10 cents cheaper and there I'll get 150 litres.

Nobody would challenge the merit of the common recommendation by many professionals that one should have a home budget. I don't mean that everyone should have a budget. I mean how could anyone argue that the 'recommendation' to have one is a dumb concept? OK, so we agree on that. It follows that if you have a home (or any) budget it is completely useless without recording ALL expenses, including 'cream buns'. I just couldn't be bothered with such crazy detail but I did do all the big-ticket items when I had such a budget years before retiring... when I was spending more than earning and had several mouths to feed. So there is also a place for financial record keeping.

To prepare a realistic budget and carefully enter ALL expenses is hard work and not for the lazy. A bit like dieting - needs dedication and discipline. However a fuel record is a piece of cake (or cream bun). Just jot a few numbers on a bit of paper whilst the tank is filling or when the cook is paying. It's dead time anyway. But you know this as many already do fuel numbers. I guess it's the frivolous record keeping that you query - and I agree.

Jock I too like fishing, walking, sightseeing plus many other things. We disagree though about doing nothing. I get stressed and bored doing nothing for more than 10 minutes. As you gleaned, half the fun for me is producing the record keeping tool. Great way to fill in a cold wet day and push the brain to its limits.

I agree that any form of record keeping may seem a bit weird to some people. We all do/like weird things. Apparently some people enjoy watching grown men chasing/kicking a round or oval shaped ball in a public arena. They even pay lots of shekels to go out and queue up in bad weather just to watch. Others like to try and hit a little white ball into a hole in the grass. Yes... weird stuff indeed. Thank the Gods the footy season is over and Bathurst begs.

Regards

delwete

'Onya O/T!
Re your comment on chasing an odd-shaped, pumped-up pigskin bladder around .. yep,....

At birth we are allocated "x" amount of heartbeats until death. How those heartbeats are used up is entirely your own decision.

Re belting a little white ball to buggery, then walking 100mtrs to search for it, and when you find it, belt it again! And do this over and over! And call it relaxation??

It all seems a bit silly to me.

At least with tennis, the ball is confined, and if I lose it, three other people help me look for it!

delete

G'day fellow fuel spreadsheeters,

Just to advise that I have almost finished an update adding a feature to allow selected stats to be obtained. This has been quite a challenge as spreadsheets are not intended to be used in this manner. The intention is to allow the use of a single spreadsheet for the life of a vehicle yet also provide the ability to select a 'window' of entries corresponding to a particular 'trip' and get a set of stats for just that trip - as many have expressed the wish to do.

There is no need to request an update as I am maintaining an email distribution list and will send you the update shortly.

Regards

Oh Aged Techo, Measurer of the Magnets, Keeper of the Records and Disseminator of the Spread Sheets.

I can see I am going to have to investigate this Fellowship of Fuel Spreadsheeters just to see what this is all about.

There are no funny handshakes involved I hope. How do you identify each other? Is it a particular way you hold your nozzle.?

Very intriguing.

How are you anyway. Your appearances on the forum appear to be less frequent than previous.

I must admit after nearly five months of being vanless it was good to park up in the bush for a few days. The old girl tows far better after a few mods. We copped strong winds from all quarters, usual road trains etc, and she was stable as. No WDHs or other magic devices. Good doogs.

Take it easy.
SD

G'day Shags,

No.... never been into funny handshakes.... and how I hold my nozzle is a private matter... although it usually takes 2 hands.

Yeah I have been a bit slower on the forum lately. Things are fine though. Been busy doing annual maint on 2 vans and a lot of time on the poota. Time wasting some would say. Apart from the odd couple Forum topics of late have not been enticing enough to suck me in. Like all things they cycle and no doubt in time I'll have too much to say once again.

Yes I'm looking forward to another trip somewhere. Just waiting for some sunshine. Not sure that you asked but I'll send you a copy of the fool spreadsheet so you may cast a critical eye.

Regards

OT,

Yeah send me a copy.

Despite my claims to be not interested in things technical it is pretty hard to undo 50 years of being in the thick of it.

Forums do cycle no doubt but I guess we have a responsibility as forumites to ensure it does not deteriorate due to a lack of effort on the part of members. Like everything it is a two way street, you get out what you put in.

Me lecture, never! Just ask my kids, the finger comes up and they bolt for the door.

Take it easy.
SD

Two hands, c'mon!!
It's a case of more wrinkles than inches with me.

Rather than reinvent the wheel and create one am wondering if anyone has a spreadsheet that keeps track of fuel usage and consumption. Anything similar would also be great.
Regards Steve with 2007 Jayco Sterling 24'. Absolutely love it.

Use the one OT has invented it is great and takes all the guess work out of it.

Trish