RV Gas Tips - Randi Crenshaw

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5 FUEL SAVING PRODUCTS FOR YOUR MOTORHOME .PIRT TAHT EKAT .TROHS SI EFIL CITY LIVING TO RV PIONEERING Let me start by introducing myself, my name is Keith Bertrand, and I am a native to the greater Nashville area. In August of 2019, I decided to sell my home, purchase my first RV, and live out my dream traveling around the US. I bought a 2005 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37c with 57k miles on it. We couldn't wait to hit the ground rolling! Myself, my girlfriend, Randi, plus our additional two co-pilots (Ollie and Bellini), recently returned to Nashville from our first 2-month excursion traveling the USA. We had some fantastic times while going, though we certainly encountered some unfavorable situations to owning an RV. It is pretty apparent that the majority of motorhomes (all sizes) are a "gas-guzzler". Although, being a new RV owner, I still was astonished, spending roughly $120+/- every other day at the gas station. I was fortunate to average 6-7 miles (if that) to the gallon. I began to research and educate myself on ways to better my motorhomes fuel .orP avnaC yb otohP .dnartreB htieK yb nettirW conservation. Of course, the redundant suggestions such as keep your foot off the pedal, keep tires fully inflated, and keep your motor tuned up were apparent. But, I needed more than this. I investigated and scoured the internet to discover products, information, blogs, Facebook groups, anything that would provide me more long-lasting results. I have personally invested in the products below, and each of them has helped reduce my "frequent flyer" miles at gas stations. According to a recent study, vacationing in a motorhome (with a family of five) is 20% - 63% less expensive than other types of vacation travel. However, as more affordable as this may seem, fuel cost for traveling in an RV can make anyone cringe. A “Class A” Motorhome gas tank holds between 80-120 gallons. Thus resulting in costing you around $170 to $250 (per fill-up)! Newer motorhomes are pushing to be more fuel- efficient. I've put together a few fuel-saving products to hopefully improve your fuel economy. 1) GAS FUEL ADDITIVES — ($7 TO $15) I know this is a simple and inexpensive fix, but I felt it was worth mentioning. I'm sure others would differ, but for a small cost of an additive, I will error on the pro side! Mechanic experts often categorize fuel additives as a "fix in a can" solution. The confusing part is, there are different kinds of fuel additives on the market today, and, for the most part, fuel additive benefits are unclear for consumers. So, how do clogged fuel injectors affect fuel economy? A high mileage RV motor's fuel injectors are likely to clog to an extent. The reason is due to impurities in the fuel and carbon deposit inside the engine. The clog, in return, causes reduced fuel injector pressure. Fuel additives act as a cleaner removing clogs and other deposits from within an engine's fuel delivery system. The majority of the fuel additive contains polyether amine, a compound that washes away the carbon deposits residues. If left unattended carbon deposits create the fuel injectors to deliver less gas. Improper fuel flow leads to an imbalance — the auto-computer attempts to adjust the phenomenon by adding more fuel to the system. By adding more fuel in the order, thus increasing fuel usage, which reduces .SACUL yb sotohP .dnartreB htieK yb nettirW gas mileage. Experts recommend cleaning and servicing the motor's fuel injectors often to maintain a healthy fuel economy. Further helping restore engine performance to optimal levels. Unclogging the fuel injector is one of the more inexpensive ways to improve your RVs gas mileage. It's simple to add fuel injector cleaner in the fuel tank per manufacturer's directions. The video below shows a test run using a fuel system additive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDUogAQzLAc 2) AIRTAB® — ($159 TO $199) I came across AirTab® after reading about another RV owner having installed these on his motorhome and I decided to give them a try. AirTab® is a unique wishbone-shaped vortex generator added on trucks, trailers or motorhomes to increase fuel economy and aerodynamic performance. At speeds over 55 mph, the RV encounters turbulent air in the form of large vertical eddies tumbling into the partial void. Still, the large alternating eddies cause the RV to sway. The impact gets worse due to more disturbances from larger passing vehicles. Thus increases driver workload, fatigue, and the drag, thus decreasing fuel economy. After installed, AirTab® creates two tight swirls of air, and when combined, they reduce the suction drag at the rear of the vehicle driven at high speed. .®sbaTriA & dnartreB htieK yb otohP .dnartreB htieK yb nettirW If you operate an RV, measure the sides and the top perimeter of the trailing edge. An RV will need roughly 3 AirTabs® per lineal foot estimated no closer than 4-inch centers. As a reference, I needed 67 AirTabs® on my 37C Fleetwood. Overall, AirTab® is an inexpensive way to improve and recognize significant fuel for your RV. With shipping and taxes, they run right at $3.00 apiece. (Installation tip: when placing my AirTab®, I was informed they are more effective if installed at the rear rooflines.) To learn more about AirTab® or to purchase, please visit http://www.airtab.com. 3) SYNTHETIC GEAR LUBE OIL — ($150 TO $190) Back in the yonder' days (when I was younger) I replaced my rear axle gear lube oil in my four-wheel-drive truck and was blown away with the difference it made. When I first got in to drive my truck for the first time, I couldn't believe how easy the truck rolled down the road. I decided to do the same with my Fleetwood, and it felt like a completely different RV! We were all taught to know synthetic designed oils are better than conventional oil. Even so, conventional oils provide adequate lubes for the performance. But, conventional oils can't match the hygiene performance and protection of synthetic fuels. Base oils used in traditional oils have different molecule's, weights, and sizes. They also contain unwanted materials such as wax. Synthetic oils are pure, with uniform particles and slip easily over one another. Motor lube viscosity is resistance to flow. The lower the thickness, the more the oil circulates. Low-viscosity is a more natural pump through the engine and the best for fuel .naH-niM eeL yb sotohP .dnartreB htieK yb nettirW economy. Synthetic oils provide less opposition to moving engine parts and hence increases fuel economy. Think of it; you have a jar of honey and a glass of water. Stirring the water requires less energy than mixing the honey. The same logic applies to engine and motor oils. Thicker oil requires more energy, which increases fuel consumption to achieve high energy. Disclaimer: Be sure to replace the oil in your rear axle with synthetic gear lube oil designed for your RV model. 4) DIGITAL TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR — ($150 TO $190) Our initial RV trip to New York, we experienced a blow out on the interstate just 3 hours north of Nashville. At the time, my girlfriend was driving, but we didn't feel anything and only heard a small thud, which we assumed was something we ran over on the interstate. We kept driving, but both had an eerie feeling. Having a tire monitor display is a device that could have saved me a bunch of time, money, and anxiety while traveling. Unfortunately, I hadn't discovered it in time, but you live, and you learn! Learning from our first "trip," a month before our journey (round 2), I replaced all four tires on my back axle to make sure we were safe on the road. Being as they were brand new, I dismissed having to monitor and check the air pressure continuously. Big mistake, again! I returned home, and I discovered I had 20 psi in one of my inner rear tires. Due to it being an inside tire, it was hard to see or notice. Nonetheless, I am not only passionate about this product for numerous safety reasons but also for its gas-saving purposes too. .hcetQ-B yb sotohP .dnartreB htieK yb nettirW A tire loses pressure at an estimated rate of 1 PSI to 2 PSI a month, and thus reducing the fuel economy. Most RV owners and drivers ignore tire pressure and end up paying dearly for the mistake (like me, for example). Tires affect everything from handling, braking, and acceleration - even gas mileage. A tire deflated by only eight psi can increase rolling resistance by 20%. The effect can be worse if the temperature swings over 20 degrees Fahrenheit on the same day. As the pressure drops, the instant digital tire pressure check reveals the change. Always check your tire pressure to make sure it meets manufacturers' specifications. Be sure to follow the established guidelines by the tire manufacturer when filling your tires. Below are a couple highly rated tire sensor monitors found on www.amazon.com. 5) REAL-TIME FUEL ECONOMY DIGITAL GAUGES ($99 TO $150) New RV models come with a real-time fuel-economy display on the instrument panels, but if you have an older RV, features such as this are not standard. By installing instantaneous gas usage monitors, it is a step further to help your fuel economy there are plenty of aftermarket gadgets that can do this. Yet, finding the best immediate gas monitoring for your RV is often a challenge. Fortunately, my Fleetwood Pace Arrow does have a fuel-economy-display, but not as accurate as I'd like it to be. I bought a gas usage monitor for my rig to help me monitor and track where my gas mileage was declining or improving the most. Owning a gas monitor is both a blessing and a curse. It's excellent in a sense it continuously keeps me aware of my MPG, but I also find myself continually checking it to try and better each mile to the gallon. .EeguaGnacS yb otohP .dnartreB htieK yb nettirW Below are a couple highly rated Real-Time Fuel Economy Digital Gauges found on www.amazon.com. The products pictured above are products I have purchased In the past or plan to purchase In the future. This tip or article Is not sponsored by the company ScanGauge. MY CONCLUSION You can save on fuel consumption! The most effective way is first to change your mindset and driving style. The fuel-saving products highlighted above are intended to educate you on additional options besides the fundamental tips out there today. I created a pretty simple chart below to explain how I calculate and monitor my savings when traveling. The table is an RV averaging seven mpg and $2.50 of regular gas. Not only does conserving gas help the environment, but your wallet as well! It's win-win! MILE TRIP = 500 MILE TRIP = 1000 MILE TRIP = 1500 MILE TRIP = 1 MILE INCREASE / 8 MPG Save 9 gal. / $22.50 Save 18 gal. / $45.00 Save 36 gal. / $90.00 2 MILE INCREASE / 9 MPG Save 16 gal. / $38.50 Save 32 gal. / $77.00 Save 64 gal. / $154.00 3 MILE INCREASE / 10 MPG Save 21 gal. / $52.50 Save 42 gal. / $105.00 Save 84 gal. / $210.00 .dnartreB htieK yb nettirW 4 MILE INCREASE / 11 MPG Save 26 gal. / $65.00 Save 52 gal. / $130.00 Save 104 gal. / $260.00 I thoroughly enjoy driving around our beautiful country and now I can do it a lot more cheaply. My goal is to continue to find ways to travel farther on less gas and less money. More to come in the future. This is a map of our travels beginning August to October. The 2005 - Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37C I purchased In 2019. DISCLAIMER: Last updated: December 04, 2019 The information contained on landwaterproducts.lpages.co/rv-gas-tips website (the "digital downloadable guide") written and researched by Keith Bertrand is for general information purposes only. RV Gas Tips assumes no responsibility for errors, misinterpreted information, or omissions in the contents on the information or tips provided above. In no event shall RV Gas Tips written and researched by Keith Bertrand be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other arising out of or in connection with the use of the tips or products or the contents of the digital downloadable guide written and researched by Keith Bertrand reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modification to the materials on the digital downloadable guide at any time without prior notice. 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