When RVing, The Best Gas Mileage Trip Calculator Is You

When traveling in an rv, the best gas mileage trip calculator is you. No matter if you are rving in a travel trailer or motorhome, you can expect to get poor mpg in any conditions. These heavy recreational vehicles drink up gasoline, so be prepared for that shock at the gas pump. Fuel efficiency gets even worse when you are going up hills or battling windy conditions. When you live a cheap rv lifestyle as we do, it is extremely important that we don't run out of funds before reaching our destination. We cannot afford unexpected surprises so we calculate gas mileage as effectively as possible. Our fuel calculating method is described further in this article.

We recently completed an 1,800 mile trek from northwest Montana to Illinois in our "new" 1993 Fleetwood Bounder, Class A motorhome. As full time rvers, we weren't new to the gasoline expense of these long distances, but we had never done it in our Bounder. We had a lightweight travel trailer our first few years on the road, and got poor mileage towing that camper. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that we were terrified to try and figure out what mpg we would get with a motorhome. Though we stayed at cheap or free campgrounds along the way, to help cut costs, we knew we had to calculate distance and gas mileage accurately, to be sure we had the funds for this trip.

Actually, we were quite surprised to see that our large Class A was almost identical to the gas mileage we got pulling the travel trailer. This rving is certainly a "learn as you go" deal. However, we didn't know that we would have a good outcome, so we followed precise steps to calculate our mpg, to be prepared for anything.

If you're wondering how to figure gas mileage, you will be amazed at how simple the process truly is. The gas mileage calculation formula is posted below:

1. The first step is to fill your vehicle's gas tank completely. It doesn't have to be overflowing, but make sure it's right up to the top. Then when you are back in the driver's seat and before you leave the gas station, make a note of the current mileage on your odometer.
2. You should then put at least 100 miles on your rv in driving conditions you expect to encounter (city vs. highway miles). When you are close to a hundred miles later (you didn't lose the note, did you?), go to your favorite gas station and fill up just like you did before.
3. Write down how many gallons you put in to the tenth (3.1 gallons, for example) and then subtract the old mileage on the odometer from the new. Take this number of miles and divide it by gallons used (you can use a calculator). the result will be your vehicle's MPG.

So now you know how to calculate the gas mileage you will actually get from your rv. It is extremely important that before you drive long distances, you take your rv on the road for a few hundred miles, to get a baseline for mpg you can expect from your vehicle. Another important factor to consider is how much gear weight you will be adding. Testing rvs when virtually empty, then stuffing full of heavy belongings, will not produce an accurate gas mileage reading. Test your camper with the amount of weight it will be carrying when you drive across the country.

The next item that is important is calculating gasoline costs for your entire trip, so you don't get left stranded. We live cash only in an rv so we cannot afford to make mistakes! Here is how we did it:

1. Get the exact mileage from the city you are departing from to the exact destination you will be stopping at. You will have to decide on your route first. We like taking the backroads and finding the most direct route available. Shaving off 100 miles makes a huge difference in your wallet.
2. Look at the average cost of a gallon of gas in each state you will be traveling through. If going through five states (here is that math again), add up the five average costs per gallon, per state, then divide by 5, which gives you the overall average you can expect to pay.
3. Take the mpg you calculated for your rv when you did your 100 mile test drive. Now you will put it all together. For ease, I will round in clean numbers. Write down the exact mileage you expect to drive. Let us say it is 2,000 miles. Next, divide that number by the miles you get per gallon on your rv, let us figure you get an even, 10 miles to the gallon. Divide 2,000 by 10, which is 200. This figure means you will need 200 gallons of fuel on your trip. Finally, multiply 200 gallons by the average price per gallon you figured above. For simplicity, we will say that all five states combined average $3.00/gallon (don't we wish). So you can expect to pay around $600 for fuel when rving on your long distance journey.
4. The final step - now overestimate like heck. Yes, you've done all you can to get close to figuring your gas mileage, but you might have more weight in your water tanks, wind might be a constant factor, traffic decreases fuel efficiency, you could add more gear than you expected, gasoline prices could rise - on and on it goes. So the $600 is the absolute smallest amount you can expect to pay. For peace of mind, I would plan on $900, to be safe. Anything left over is a bonus!

Of course, during your actual travels, always jot down odometer readings and calculate true gas mileage at each fill up in your travel log.

Hope these gas mileage and trip calculator tips have helped. When rving across the country, you should be able to relax and enjoy the ride. Being prepared for fuel costs, instead of shocked and upset at the gas pump, will ensure a fantastic trip.