• RV travel is a great value. The PKF Vacation Cost comparison study shows that a family of four can save 26-to-71% on vacation costs depending on the type of trip and type of RV used. More than 80% of RV owners say their RV vacations cost less than other forms of vacation.
• The latest Campfire Canvass survey of RV owners reveals that 53% intend to use their RVs more this spring/summer despite higher fuel prices. Another 38% say they’ll use their RVs the same amount.
• Many RV owning families plan to take shorter but more frequent trips in their RVs. 63% plan to spend five or more weekends in their RVs this spring/summer. 19% will reserve a seasonal site at a campground this summer, and visit it on weekends.
• When fuel prices rise, RVers adjust by traveling to destinations closer to home, driving fewer miles, and staying longer in one place, according to surveys of RV owners conducted by RVIA and CVENT, a leading provider of online surveys and research technology.
• More than 80% of RVers say their RV vacations cost less than other forms of vacation, even when fuel prices rise.
• To save on fuel, RVers typically spend more time enjoying the campground experience and less time on the road. More than 16,000 campgrounds nationwide give RVers the flexibility to save fuel and cut costs by staying closer to home. Whether they travel five miles or 500, they can still enjoy a great outdoor experience.
• Fuel prices would need to more than double from their current level to make RVing more expensive for a family of four than other forms of travel, according to PKF Consulting. PKF’s spring 2008 vacation cost comparison study shows that RV trips remain the most affordable way for a family to travel because of the significant savings on air, hotel and restaurant costs, which continue to rise.
• Fluctuating fuel prices affect the cost of all modes of travel and transportation. Airfares and hotel rates rise rapidly when fuel costs increase.
• Many RV owners surveyed take additional measures to reduce fuel consumption through simple steps like driving 55 instead of 65 miles per hour, packing lighter to reduce weight in the RV, and turning off home utilities to save energy when traveling. RVers travel at a leisurely pace with no tight schedules for flights, hotels or restaurants.

Gas prices have topped $3.20 a gallon in my town and are predicted to be more than $4.00 a gallon by the end of summer. I drive a gas guzzling E350 Ford Superduty. I use this van to tow our 32′ Airstream travel trailer. I have two choices facing these high gas prices: not travel, or follow good fuel savings methods. I choose to do the latter.

There are ways to save gas while towing your travel trailer.

Reduce Drag

First, if you have not purchased your trailer, make certain the one you purchase has a belly pan. Many manufactures have been cutting weight and the belly pan is one place they cut. Undercarriage drag will significantly reduce your gas mileage. We can all inspect our trailers for drag. Look carefully at what you have on the roof — square and boxy items increase drag. Maybe you can install an air foil in front of that older AC unit — or better yet, replace it with a modern efficient one.

Get Rid of Extra Weight

Unload your travel trailer and lay out everything you carry with you. Do not forget the compartments below. They are often filled with unneeded items. Put back only those items you use for one camping trip. We did this exercise and realized we used our trailer to store four seasons’ worth of clothing, old cast iron pans, games our kids outgrew, and much more wasted weight. Repeat this same exercise on your tow vehicle and eliminate those items you do not need.

Pack Carefully

Next lay out all of the items you pack for each camping trip. This includes the bikes you strap to the rear of your trailer and those extra lawn chairs. Carefully decide what is absolutely needed, remembering that each pound requires more fuel.

Manage Weight Distribution & Sway Control

If you don’t have weight distribution and sway control installed on your hitch, get it. Even if you do not notice any sway, your trailer is not pulling directly behind you without sway control. This is costing you money. Your tow vehicle is constantly having to work harder to keep your trailer straight. Weight distribution distributes the weight of your trailer among all of the axles reducing the weight burden on the tow vehicle. These two items will not only save you fuel but increase your safety while towing.

Maintain Your Vehicle

Your tow vehicle must be in top mechanical condition. Have it inspected and don’t forget the emissions systems. A bad oxygen sensor will negate everything else you are doing. Inflate your tires, tow vehicle and trailer, to the maximum pressure allowed. Inspect the tires if they need to be replaced, replace them. Tires with poor tread or badly balanced will reduce fuel economy. Have your alignment checked, a poorly aligned vehicle uses more fuel.

Drive Smart

Driving habits affect fuel mileage. Slow down to 55 on the interstate and highway. If you have cruise control use it. Learn to use your tachometer. You can keep your vehicle at the same RPM while climbing hills and not loose speed by overriding the cruise control and using the gas pedal. I recently took a trip through the Rockies and with practice learned to keep my engine running at a steady RPM without losing speed.

Shut off your engine when stopping for more than thirty seconds. Avoid quick starts and anticipate stop lights by slowing down before you reach the red light. Utilize the old adage that you drive as if there is an egg between your foot and the gas pedal.

Reduce AC Usage

Use your air-conditioner for comfort. If possible turn it off and open the windows while driving in city traffic. Utilize your fresh air vents and your fan to ventilate the vehicle on the highway. Using an air-conditioner can reduce your mileage by one mile per gallon. This is significant when you are only getting a few miles per gallon to begin with.

Use your GPS to Cut Down on Miles

Finally, carefully plan your route and use a GPS. We once loved to travel the back roads and were not bothered by getting lost. Today we can’t afford this luxury. Our GPS unit always gives us the fastest or shortest distance from one point to the another. We now do our exploring after we unhitch the trailer and have just the tow vehicle.

I do not want to give up my beloved Airstream and the RV lifestyle. I make fuel economy a game which I am playing against the oil companies. Each mile per gallon I can gain is a point in my favor and a buck or two in my pocket. The days of freely flying down the highway are over. Today we must pay attention to getting the best fuel economy possible.

What’s the old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is ever so true when it comes to traveling safely and cost effectively aboard your RV. Routine RV Maintenance should be done in regular intervals and record keeping is essential. Although a bit time consuming, good records will add value to your RV when you go to sell it or trade it in. Below you will find a core checklist of essential maintenance to begin your own routine. If you have any additional suggestions please send them our way.

Download a PDF Checklist

As you consider buying a travel trailer, there are three main factors the decision tends to come down to: weight, quality and price. Because this is such an important decision for you, it’s important to make sure you have a way to objectively compare between different trailer brands – an apples-to-apples comparison, so to speak. Here are some insights and questions to ask as you shop for a trailer.

Weight

Different brands of trailers claim very different weights. One reason is that there are different approaches to determining weights. Some weights are “as shipped,” meaning the approximate weight of the final product you will actually be towing, while some lower published weights are actually based on stripped-down or incomplete trailers. A few companies even go so far as to publish weights that exclude important items like the cushions, step, spare tire, etc. The best approach is to weigh the trailer yourself. Second best would be to have the dealer certify the “as packaged” weight: Does the listed weight represent the actual model and features you want?

Another factor to consider is the weight of the trailer’s construction materials. Less substantial materials like an aluminum exterior and plastic windows may weigh less, but they also provide
far less insulation and structural integrity than a fiberglass exterior and glass windows. And frame materials are very important to the safety and reliability of a trailer. Make sure the frame is both high-strength and yet lightweight. If weights are similar, consider which brand has superior materials.

Quality

Buying a trailer is a long-term investment in your vacation enjoyment. You want a trailer that will
hold up and offer you years of trouble-free travel. It would be a mistake to buy a brand that uses
inferior hardware or systems that won’t perform well, or low-quality materials that won’t last. So, as you look at different brands, compare the quality closely. Is the frame powder-coated to resist corrosion? How well insulated is the trailer as a whole – including the floor? Is the underside of the trailer adequately protected from water seepage and floor rot? How substantial is the padding in the cushions, and how dense are the fabrics? Look at every aspect you can think of, andask plenty of questions. As much time as you’ll spend in your trailer, it’s smart to make a careful examination of as many quality factors as you can.

Base Price

Of course price is an important factor in deciding which trailer to choose. But again, make sure
you have all the information you need. Since you want your trailer to fit your exact needs, you’ll probably choose between different floor plans and add some optional features. So what really counts is not the base price, but the final price. Some manufacturers have low base prices, but don’t include important and desired features. This initially appears to make them less expensive, but as you add the features you consider necessary, the competing brands’ cost quickly goes up considerably. As you shop, make sure you factor in all the features you want, for each of the brands you’re considering, and then compare the price. It’s the best way to determine your final cost – what you’ll actually spend to get the trailer you want.

5 Ways To Get the Most Mileage Per Gallon Out of Your RV
Adam O’Connor, www.RVTravelPro.com

Filling up is causing American consumers escalating pain in the pocketbook, with average prices at the pump approaching $3 per gallon. The main reason for rising costs is the price of crude oil, followed by the cost of refining. If a gallon of gasoline costs $2.90, crude oil accounts for about $1.60. Refining costs add another 64 cents or so to a gallon of gasoline. Distribution and marketing costs account for about 11 cents per gallon, and taxes are about 55 cents per gallon. These prices are determined by the global market, which dictates how much people are willing to pay at any moment in time.

The spiraling cost of fuel is adversely affecting the uniquely American way to cruise the country – by recreational vehicle. RVer’s love the ease of being able to drive their home anywhere they like and take pleasure in the amity that RV and motorhome parks offer. Getting an RV is an option you should consider if you want to drive extensively within the United States and are comfortable handling a big rig.

Considering how popular the RV lifestyle has become here are five ways to save at the pump:

1. Find the gas station near where you camp that offers the cheapest gas and shop there first
2. Under-inflated tires require more energy to roll, so check your tire pressure
3. Prices usually rise on the weekend, so fill up on weekdays
4. Fill up at night: pumps deliver more gas when temperatures are lower
5. Fresh gas has more power than gas that may have become contaminated by just sitting there, so fill up at busy gas stations.

While we can’t do anything about the actual price of gasoline, we can do something about how often we need to buy it. Other tips for saving on gasoline include driving at steady speeds – you’re throwing energy away every time you hit your brakes, keeping your engine tuned – some mechanics estimate that a poorly tuned engine can use up to 50 percent more gas than one that is running well, minimizing your driving, buying a more fuel-efficient RV, cutting down on A/C and extra baggage – A/C burns fuel and rooftop carriers will detract from fuel mileage by creating drag, and planning your trips and driving routes to avoid traffic congestion.