How to Improve RV Gas Mileage
Clint
Improve Your RV Gas Mileage and Save Money With These Helpful Tips...
Gas prices are pretty high right now and since RVs don’t get very good gas mileage, you may find the cost of fueling your RV hurting your wallet. Luckily, there are many simple things that you can do to improve RV gas mileage.
Here are our top tips to you on how to improve RV gas mileage:
The Engine
- Regular Maintenance – Regular maintenance can work wonders to reduce your RV’s fuel consumption. A poorly tuned engine can lower your fuel economy by 10 to 20 percent! So, make sure you have your RV serviced regularly to make sure the engine is properly tuned and everything is running correctly (this will end up saving you money on repairs as well as gas).
- Change Air Filters – Next, you should remember to change your air filter at the proper intervals. This can improve engine performance and your gas mileage by up to 10 percent. Just using the recommended grade motor oil can improve efficiency by 2 percent.
Platform and Tires
- Recommended Weight & Balance – First of all, you should always keep your RV at its recommended weight or lighter so that the engine won’t have to work as hard. You can weigh your RV at a weigh station. You also want to make sure the weight is evenly distributed because an unbalanced RV can have handling problems, which will in turn reduce gas mileage.
- Tire PSI – Another reason why it is useful to know the weight of your RV is so that you can find the proper psi to inflate your tires. Based on the load on the tire, it may need a different psi to achieve max grip and performance. You can usually find a table of tire inflations in your RV manual or on the tire manufacturer’s website. Properly inflated tires prevent premature wear, provide better grip and increase fuel economy.
Driving Your RV
- Driving Techniques – The way you drive greatly effects your fuel consumption. Try to keep the RPMs as low as possible and try not to exceed 50 to 60 mph unless absolutely necessary (back roads are more scenic anyway!). Also, try to use cruise control whenever possible. Cruise control keeps your RV moving at a constant speed which saves gas. Using overdrive decreases engine speed and can also save fuel. Even something as simple as turning off your air conditioner when you don’t need it can help improve your gas mileage.
One or two of these tips may not make much of a difference, but altogether they can make a huge difference and save you money when you’re on the road!
Do you have any RV tips to save gas that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!