Freedom is the American dream, and there is nothing that says freedom like an RV. We love being able to pack up and hit the road and travel the country whenever we want. Unfortunately, freedom isn’t free, and RV’s can be expensive to maintain a service. To maximize your RV dwelling time, here are some RV tips for helping you save some money.

Filling up, and using gasoline efficiently

The average class C motorhome gets about 10 miles per gallon at best, which could be anywhere from $150-$200 dollars per 200miles. Here are some ideas to improve those numbers:

  • Keep your air filter clean, this can increase your gas milage by 10%.
  • Try not to go faster than 60 mph, every 5 miles over adds another 10 cents per gallon.
  • Use cruise control to maintain a steady speed, and help prevent speeding
  • Keep tires properly inflated. This helps with gas mileage and prevents *tire blow outs.
  • Avoid stop and go traffic when possible; if you get stuck don’t idle, just turn it off.

Prevent extra costs with proper maintenance and storage

A little work and a few cents today can prevent a lot of work and lots of dollars tomorrow:

  • Store your RV somewhere out of the sun, like a garage, a carport, an awning, or a canopy. If you can, park your RV in the shade on a trip. Prolonged exposure to the sun does a lot of damage.
  • Make an outer cleaning checklist that includes keeping fluids and oils filled, wiper blades fresh, checking for leaks, and cleaning off the mud.
  • Make an inner checklist to clean the fridge, sinks, toilets, windows, and check that cupboard doors and beds are all secured properly.
  • Check that the tires are in good condition, watch for *balding or worn tires that need replacing.
  • Check that the wheels lug nuts are tightened to the recommended torque, there is nothing worse than wheels falling off an RV.

Keep emergency tools in your RV, Like the Cheater Wrench

No matter how much work you put into preventing things for going bad, there are still unexpected things that will happen on the road, like a flat tire. This is a list of emergency tools that are a must have for any RV:

  • Basic tools like a hammer, screw driver, pliers
  • Socket wrench set for tightening little things
  • Rope, wire, and pocket knives for quick fixes
    and
  • The Cheater Wrench for removing and re-torquing lug nuts on wheels to change tires. No RV should ever leave home without this tool. This alone can save hundreds of dollars in service fees.

*In the event of tires failing, it can be nearly impossible to remove and replace the lug nuts from the wheels. They usually have been tightened with hundreds of foot pounds of torque, but the Cheater Wrench makes it easy to remove and replace lug nuts. No need to wait for help. Check out how the Cheater Wrench works, it is awesome.

Sources:

  1. Simple Ways to improve fuel economy – KOA
  2. What to put in your RV toolbox
  3. The Cheater Wrench – a torque multiplier lug wrench
  4. How the Cheater Wrench works