Fuel Saving Advice for RVers

Most RVers have an open ear for fuel saving advice.

As much as we love the RV camping lifestyle, there are questions that plague us. What is our impact on the environment? How much will gasoline prices continue to rise? How much longer can we depend on this non-renewable resource?

So here are some tips to increase gas mileage. None of these are new (except perhaps the last one). In our busyness we sometimes forget:

Tire Pressure: According to an NHTS survey only 4% of respondents checked tire pressure on a regular basis. For every pound of under-inflation, fuel economy is reduced by 2%.

There are few gas savers as simple and cost effective as maintaining tire pressure, especially when dealing with the heavier loads of RVs.

Air Filter: It's estimated a plugged air filter can reduce mileage by up to 10%. You can find them at your local auto parts store and for most vehicles they're easy to replace. fuel saving articles

Load Reduction: Especially in RV towing situations this is particularly important. We tend to try packing everything but the kitchen sink. For every additional 200 lbs of load, gas mileage is reduced by 1 mpg.

A very simple piece of fuel saving advice is traveling with empty water tanks. A gallon of water weighs almost 10 lbs. Waiting to reach your destination before filling will reduce your load by 300 lbs or more.

Load Distribution: We think of this as primarily a safety concern, but an RV that is bouncing and fishtailing down the road wastes fuel, in addition to being hazardous. Keep weight out of the rear of the recreational vehicle as much as possible.

When towing a travel trailer, adjust the load distribution bars so that the towing vehicle is level. (Of course this assumes your trailer and ground-to-top-of-ball height are a proper match.)

An excellent device to reduce fishtailing is a sway control bar (or anti-sway device). I picked one up at a local auto parts megastore for $69. When adjusted with the right tension it makes a noticeable difference in sway.

To sum up, an RV that you don't have to struggle to keep on the road is going to save you gas. Haul with the right towing equipment, keep tires properly inflated and pack wisely. water for fuel kits