Gas Savings Tips for Towing a Travel Trailer

Gas prices have topped $3.20 a gallon in my town and are predicted to be more than $4.00 a gallon by the end of summer. I drive a gas guzzling E350 Ford Superduty. I use this van to tow our 32' Airstream travel trailer. I have two choices facing these high gas prices: not travel, or follow good fuel savings methods. I choose to do the latter.

There are ways to save gas while towing your travel trailer. First, if you have not purchased your trailer make certain the one you do purchase has a belly pan. Many manufactures have been cutting weight and the belly pan is one place they cut. Undercarriage drag will significantly reduce your gas mileage. We can all inspect our trailers for drag. Look carefully at what you have on the roof, square, and boxy items increase drag. Maybe you can install an air foil in front of that older AC unit or better yet replace it with a modern efficient one.

Unload your travel trailer and lay out everything you carry with you. Do not forget the compartments below. They are often filled with unneeded items. Put back only those items you use for one camping trip. We did this exercise and realized we used our trailer to store four seasons' worth of clothing, old cast iron pans, games our kids outgrew, and much more wasted weight. Repeat this same exercise on your tow vehicle and eliminate those items you do not need.

Next lay out all of the items you pack for each camping trip. This includes the bikes you strap to the rear of your trailer and those extra lawn chairs. Carefully decide what is absolutely needed, remembering that each pound requires more fuel.

If you do not have weight distribution and sway control installed on your hitch, get it. Even if you do not notice any sway, your trailer is not pulling directly behind you without sway control. This is costing you money. Your tow vehicle is constantly having to work harder to keep your trailer straight. Weight distribution distributes the weight of your trailer among all of the axles reducing the weight burden on the tow vehicle. These two items will not only save you fuel but increase your safety while towing.

Your tow vehicle must be in top mechanical condition. Have it inspected and don't forget the emissions systems. A bad oxygen sensor will negate everything else you are doing. Inflate your tires, tow vehicle and trailer, to the maximum pressure allowed. Inspect the tires if they need to be replaced, replace them. Tires with poor tread or badly balanced will reduce fuel economy. Have your alignment checked, a poorly aligned vehicle uses more fuel.

Driving habits affect fuel mileage. Slow down to 55 on the interstate and highway. If you have cruise control use it. Learn to use your tachometer. You can keep your vehicle at the same RPM while climbing hills and not loose speed by overriding the cruise control and using the gas pedal. I recently took a trip through the Rockies and with practice learned to keep my engine running at a steady RPM without losing speed.

Shut off your engine when stopping for more than thirty seconds. Avoid quick starts and anticipate stop lights by slowing down before you reach the red light. Utilize the old adage that you drive as if there is an egg between your foot and the gas pedal.

Use your air-conditioner for comfort. If possible turn it off and open the windows while driving in city traffic. Utilize your fresh air vents and your fan to ventilate the vehicle on the highway. Using an air-conditioner can reduce your mileage by one mile per gallon. This is significant when you are only getting a few miles per gallon to begin with.

Finally, is to carefully plan your route and use a GPS. We once loved to travel the back roads and were not bothered by getting lost. Today we cannot afford this luxury. Our GPS unit always gives us the fastest or shortest distance from one point to the another. We now do our exploring after we unhitch the trailer and have just the tow vehicle.

I do not want to give up my beloved Airstream and the RV lifestyle. I make fuel economy a game which I am playing against the oil companies. Each mile per gallon I can gain is a point in my favor and a buck or two in my pocket. The days of freely flying down the highway are over. Today we must pay attention to getting the best fuel economy possible.