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Are you worried about the summer surge in fuel prices this summer? We have received so many questions about how fuel costs will affect our travel plans we thought it was time to talk crude! But not crude as in rude as in oil!

Class C sitting on beach with ocean behind it

How fuel will AFFECT RVers this summer

Think the campgrounds will dry up due to the fuel hikes this summer! Think again! The most recent RV Industry Association (RVIA) Campfire Canvass survey of RV owners may surprise you. According to the survey, even with the predicted surge in summer fuel

55% of RVers intend to use their RVs more this spring and summer than last year
45% are considering another RV purchase
68% said they consider RVing more affordable than those using a personal car or airline and staying in a hotel or rental house, or condominium
RV travel is believed to be 27% to 61 % less expensive than other types of vacations

Outdoorsy, an RV rental market, found that 58% of Americans cut their overall budget to keep their vacations this year. According to Outdoorsy, hotel and airfare costs have increased by 24%-45%, while RV vacation costs have not increased at the same rate. RV travel has fewer fixed prices than other types of travel, allowing costs to remain low for travelers.

Rvers are taking more nearcations than ever before. They are staying closer to home, but they are still pulling out their RVs and hitting the road.

Impact on RV Sales and rentals

According to the April survey of manufacturers by NRVIA, RV sales have not been deterred by rising fuel costs. RV orders are up over 11% from April 2021. Rentals are not slowing down either. The Outdoorsy survey found that 52 percent of travelers said they will turn to rental vehicles while on vacation to save money. First-time RV renters accounted for 79 percent of rentals on the Outdoorsy platform for Memorial Day weekend.

HOW TO REDUCE FUEL COSTS

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HOW TO REDUCE FUEL COSTS 〰️

Stay longer

Drive less by staying longer at each campground is a simple way to save on fuel. We have increased our stays from 3-4 days to a 7-day minimum. This is easy for RVers on the road full time or for long periods. It may not work for someone who only has 1-2 weeks available for vacation.

Drive shorter distances

When creating your trip, choose campgrounds closer to each other. For example, instead of spending a week in Colorado spend 6 weeks. Bounce around the state with short drives to your next campground. It will give you time to soak in all the state offers while cutting those fuel costs.

Sign up for a fuel discount card

We have been using the Open Roads RV fuel program for years. It is free to sign up, and you can save money at every fill-up. Currently, Open Roads can only be used for diesel, but they are working on adding gas to their fuel card. For more info on the Open Roads program, head to the TSD OPEN ROADS FUEL SAVINGS CARD blog or CLICK HERE to start saving on fill-ups.

Check your tire pressure

If your tires are under-inflated, your gas mileage can drop. So get that RV weighed and make sure your tire inflation is spot on! Have questions about weighing your RV? Head to 4 Corner Weight: The BEST Way to Stay Safe. Cleaning your air filters regularly is also a good idea.

know when to Fuel up

Most gas stations raise their prices on Thursday afternoons, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays because people typically go on road trips over the weekend. So the best days to fuel up are Wednesdays or Thursdays before 10 am.

Fuel Up in the AM

Fill those tanks first thing in the morning when temperatures are cooler. As daytime temps rise fuel expands. So morning fill-ups will give you more bank for your buck.

Slow it down

When pumping avoid locking the pump on the 3rd for 4th handle lock. All pumps have a vapor return that sucks the vapor back into the holding tank. If you fill to fast, vapor will come out of the pump causing you to get less fuel than you are paying for.

Avoid

Never fill your tanks when the station is filling their tanks. When the station adds fuel to their storage tanks it pulls sediment up from the bottom and mixes it into the fuel. If you fill up at the same time you will add the sediment to your fuel tank.

Stop Idling

Idling wastes fuel in RVs and cars. Wait for as long as possible before starting your RV as you are packing up and getting ready to head to your next campground. Also, as soon as you park on your site, turn off the engine.

No more lead foot

The best speed for fuel efficiency is 55-65 mph. Any faster and the fuel efficiency decreases rapidly. For example, driving at 85mph uses 40% more fuel than at 70mph.

keep it half full

Gas evaporates quickly when exposed to air. Fuel storage tanks have a floating lid to keep air away from the fuel to prevent evaporation. To keep your fuel from evaporating before you use never let your tank fall below half full.

Cruise control buttons on steering wheel

easy on the accelerator

Stomping on the accelerator burns more fuel. So unless you need to get out of the way, take it easy. It’s an easy way to lower your fuel consumption.

Use cruise control

Cruise control is an easy way to stay off the accelerator and increase your gas mileage.

Drop a few pounds

Is your RV overloaded?? Does it need to drop a few pounds? Now is the time to purge those unused items. The lighter you are the more fuel-efficient it will be.

use a Fuel Apps

Some excellent fuel apps for diesel and gas are available to save you money. You can sign up for apps specifically to save money on gas and apps to save money on diesel.

Get out there

We hope these tips help you to climb into your RV and explore. Have more fuel-saving tips?? Please drop them in the comments for us all.

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Every Saturday, Phil & Stacy publish the You, Me & the RV Newsletter, where they share weekly articles about all things RV and travel. Each week they scour the internet for articles that will inspire and inform you. They also share discounts, sales, and freebies! So don’t miss out! Sign up for the newsletter below.

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