Technical Tips and Tricks For RV and Trailers

Saving Fuel - Getting GREEN

The number 1 concern of RV travelers today seems to be fuel consumption and emissions.
Following these guidelines can save you substantially at the pump and help the environment.

The difference between 55 MPH and 70 MPH can mean as much as 5 MPG on many vehicles!
A well tuned engine with clean filters will use less fuel and generate less pollutants.
Stick to roads your RV is designed to handle.
Straighter, less hills ruts and potholes mean less work for the engine.
Consider Bio-Diesel if practical for your RV.
Plan shorter trips. You'd be amazed what you can see and do closer to home with a little web-searching.
Stay in one place longer. Take a bicycle along, do a little walking. Feel better and save fuel.
Come prepared but don't pack everything you own. Traveling with less gear means less weight for your engine to pull.
These days there's a "Mega-Mart" in most little towns where you can find those forgotten "essentials".
Unless you're "Boondocking" only have enough fresh water to safely get you to your next destination.
Dump your holding tanks as often as possible and practical. Eighty gallons in the holding tanks and 50
gallons of fresh water add up to over 1,000 lbs! That's the payload capacity of most 1/2 ton pickups.
Consider solar and or wind power rather than running a generator to keep coach batteries charged.
The cost of a large solar charging system is still less than a replacement generator and there are no emissions.
RV wind generators are available now that produce around 400 watts of power.

With the fuel injected, computer controlled vehicles of today, cruise control is not always the best way to save on gas or diesel. When pulling hills it's sometimes more efficient for you rather than the cruise to operate the pedal. The cruise will keep adding throttle, trying to maintain speed no matter what the conditions are. A human touch on the pedal can often save fuel in these situations. Tread lightly, save money!

Tips for AFTER you run out of fuel (Please read before !)

If you run out of fuel make every effort to safely get your vehicle off the roadway. Try to stop on the most level surface possible. Most fuel pick-up tubes are more or less centered in the tank. If you end up needing to park on a road shoulder which is severely out of level it will usually take much more than a 1 gallon "emergency" gas can to get the pick-up submerged and able to draw fuel. We recently observed a small foreign car with about a 14 gallon tank run out of fuel and park on a steep road shoulder. This small fuel tank required over 4 gallons of fuel in order to re-start. Many motor homes have tank capacities of 70-100 gallons and can require as much as 10 gallons to cover the pick-up if on a steep slope.

Once you have added a sufficient quantity of fuel, cycle the ignition key on for about 10 seconds, then off and repeat this process two or three times. This allows the electric fuel pump to recharge the fuel system so the engine will restart. If your vehicle is newer than about 1985 it probably has an electric pump rather than mechanical so it will NOT help to crank the motor over. It will drain your, battery then you have another problem ! Remember the small car from earlier ? After adding 1 gallon of gas to the tank the driver cranked his starter until the car battery went dead, not understanding that the 1 gallon of fuel he added was insufficient to cover the pick-up in the tank. He then needed to call a tow truck to bring more gas and jump start the car. Even his friends that originally came to the "rescue" with the 1 gallon can didn't understand that the car's steep angle was the culprit. They could have made a couple more trips to the nearest gas station, only 1-1/2 miles away, for more gas, then the car would have started on it's own No need for the $100 tow truck charge.

Handy tips from some of the old "Pro's"

Make and USE a check list for hooking and unhooking your RV, trailer or towed vehicle.
If someone offers to "help" politely refuse. They don't know your routine and will distract
you, with possible disastrous results.
After you're "finished" hooking up or loading take one last walk around. You'd be
surprised how many things can be missed on that check list.
Put a small label on each cabinet with a number then make a chart that show what is in
each numbered cabinet. This can save a lot of searching.
Clean electrical contacts with a pencil eraser.
Use a non water soluble dielectric compound such as Electro-Tek in light bulb sockets and trailer connectors to eliminate corrosion and increase component life.
Can't get those round glass fuses out. Try wrapping a plastic tie strap around then pull
on the strap. Better yet, install the straps before inserting fuses.

Here's a handy traveler's checklist you can use as a
starting point if you don't already have your own.

Disconnect and stow electrical cord, water and sewer hose.
Turn off propane.
Retract and secure steps.
Raise and secure leveling jacks.
Remove and stow wheel chocks.
Check each outside compartment.
Secure and lock doors.
Securely stow and lock bicycles or other toys.
Retract your TV antennae or stow satellite dish
Secure window curtains or blinds in open position.
Latch refrigerator door properly.
Lower roof vent.
Close cabinet doors and drawers.
Secure heavy items that are stored in overhead compartments.
Check vehicle fluid levels and tire pressure.
Lock the entry door from outside.
Clean your campsite.
Know how you will get to your next destination