Being a Hypermiler
My Dad was one of the original hypermilers to get the best fuel mileage. When I was a kid, many decades ago, my Dad had a black Volvo from the 1960s. From his work to home there were two huge hills. He would get to the top of one of the hills, turn the car off and coast down the hill and almost up the next one! Then he would start the car and get to the top of the next hill, and coast down the next hill. When I asked him why he did it, he always said it was to “save gas.” He did boast of being able to go back and forth to work for 3 weeks on a tank of gas!
Secretly, I think it was also a game he would play with himself to see how far he could coast! Of course, with the traffic on the roads today this would never be a safe idea! We don’t suggest you try this at home, ever!
But it sure made him an original hypermiler!
What is hypermiling, you ask? It is driving with techniques that maximize fuel efficiency. Those who use these fuel efficiency techniques are called “hypermilers”.
Fuel Prices
Like so many other people, we are concerned about gas prices doubling in the past two years with no plan in sight to bring them back to a sustainable level. This is especially important to us, as we drive a Jeep and Winnebago motorhome. Neither are known for having great fuel economy. Because we have no intention of trading either one, we have been “forced” to become hypermilers, at least to the best of our ability.
When we are at the gas pump filling up a 90 gallon fuel tank, the person at the next pump will inevitably say something about filling up such a large tank and we will say something like, “We didn’t buy it for the gas mileage!” and everyone will laugh. It is true.
It is also true that if we can get 1 more mpg out of our motorhome (or Jeep) then we are “doing well”. So if you see us puttering down the road at 60 mph, it could be we are:
- retired and have nowhere to get to quickly
- enjoying the journey (Destination Or Journey, What’s Important To You?)
- we are hypermiling it!
Increase your miles per gallon by 20%
Since full timing, we have put about 30,000 miles on our motorhome. There are many more things we are doing today to reduce our gas mileage than we did 2, 4 or 6 years ago.
One of the things we have found to be very important is to keep track of our fuel mileage and miles per gallon at every fill up. That information has allowed us to adjust our driving in real time. It has increased our fuel economy.
The second most important thing we have found is maintenance, for example, keeping our tires inflated, having regular oil changes and keeping the air filters clean. All have had a significant impact on the fuel economy in both the motorhome and the Jeep.
By being vigilant, we have been able to increase our mileage in both our Winnebago and our Jeep by about 20%.
These are some of the additional ways we have been able to accomplish improved gas mileage:
- Speed Limit
Follow the speed limit, maybe even a little less. (What is Traveling to “Make Time”?) A motorhome is not aerodynamic. Just because the speed limit is 70 mph, it doesn’t mean you should drive that fast for optimal gas mileage! 55 to 60 mph seems to work best for us in terms of fuel economy. - Tires
Pay attention to your tires! Keep them properly inflated, make sure you have regular front end alignments. If we are driving, we check the tires weekly. On your towing or towed think about if you need those aggressive large tires. Maybe check for lower weight tires or low resistant tires. - Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance
Maintenance includes regular oil changes, air filters, and spark plugs. Have your mechanic check for faults on your onboard computer, specifically your car’s mass air flow sensor and your vehicle’s oxygen sensor. For optimal fuel efficiency they should be checked and/or replaced at least every 10,000 miles. - Tow Haul Mode
Use tow haul mode in congested areas to give you better control stopping and starting. Tow haul mode really makes a difference in stopping and helps prevent a potential accident. Using the tow haul mode on the freeway is normally not needed once you are up to speed. It will actually start slowing you down once you let off the accelerator. - Cruise Control
Cruise control can be good on straight flat roads, but in hilly areas not so much. Your cruise control does not anticipate an uphill grade coming and tends to shift a lot more increasing the engine’s RPMs, burning more fuel. Going downhill, the cruise control uses the engine to slow you to the set speed. This may not be desired depending on the speed limit and road conditions. Tow haul mode or engine brake are good options that you employ to use for controlled hill descents, not the cruise control. Both use the engine to slow your descent speed. - Route Planning
Before leaving on a trip, check your route. Can you find a less mountainous option, a more direct route or is there a route with less stop and go traffic vs. interstate driving? Less hills and an even speed will give you the optimal gas mileage. - Congested Times of Travel
Drive when there is less traffic, not 7–9 a.m. or 3-6 p.m. This is especially true for RV driving in a city or in close proximity to a city! Bumper-to-bumper traffic increases the chances of having to slow down and speed up, decreasing your fuel economy. - Reading the Road
One of the advantages of a large front window in a motorhome is you can see further ahead than you can in a car. You can anticipate your driving needs, for example, when the streetlight has been green for “a while”, the driver who is weaving in and out of traffic behind you, who you just know will cut in front of you, etc. - Weight
Pay attention to the weight you are carrying in your RV and IN or ON your tow vehicle or your toad (tow behind), for example, kayaks and roof racks. If you don’t NEED it, eliminate it! We have a “rule” in our motorhome: something on, something off. If we buy something new like a shirt, we have to eliminate a shirt, thereby not increasing weight and decreasing our fuel economy. - Windows vs. AC
There has been an ongoing debate about keeping your windows down and AC off, or windows closed and AC on. It really is about the same in terms of the effect on your fuel economy. But using your in-dash AC, instead of running your generator and your roof AC, will improve your fuel efficiency. - Idling
Other than folklore from years ago or extremely cold weather there is no mechanically sound reason to idle your vehicle more than 2 – 3 minutes, even a diesel. You are wasting fuel. - Fueling Up
Time your fuel fill-ups for when you leave in the morning or last thing before pulling into the campground. Fuel is dispensed by volume. If you fill your tank when it is coolest outside, the fuel will be denser and your mileage improved. - Parking in the Shade
Parking in the shade helps with fuel evaporation. Of course, there is a trade off if you have a roof top satellite dish! And if parking under or near a shade tree, make sure you have plenty of clearance. Another thought about parking under a tree? Look down. Any bird poo? Don’t park there! - Plan or Consolidate Your Trips
In your tow vehicle or your toad (towed vehicle), combine several short trips into one longer one. Engines are most efficient when they have been running. Notice we did not say warmed up, as in idling, but running, going down the road. - Easy Pass
Use fast pass or easy pass. However, in a motorhome this may be cost prohibitive. Some easy pass programs will charge the same fee for a pass for an RV as an 18 wheeler!
Take-away Point
There are many simple “painless” things you can do to increase your fuel consumption. Some work better or make more sense for a towing or a towed vehicle, some are focused more on a motorhome. Most important take-aways? Know your baseline gas mileage and pay attention to your maintenance.
Your partners in travel,
Kathryn, Dave and Lucky
RVing Nomads
It’s a lifestyle
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