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Old 05-30-2016, 05:08 PM   #1
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Fuel savings

Hello FR family
We are new to RVing so we thought we would seek help from some of you veteran campers.

What do you do to save money on fuel (diesel if it matters)? We were thinking about the "gas cards" that save you a few cents at each fill up, the Good Sam card (saves at Flying J), and then of course speed and tire pressure.

Any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
-Ben
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Old 05-30-2016, 06:40 PM   #2
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Travel with only necessary items, including water. It's all about saving weight.

The turtle wins the race, watch your speed. Keeping RPM's low as possible. This does not always work out, especially in the hills and mountains but on slight inclines if you try to keep it in a higher gear this will keep RPM's lower. You will lose a little speed though.

All that being said, if you're camping, you really can't expect fuel saving. Although anything you can helps I understand.
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Old 05-30-2016, 06:53 PM   #3
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I have noticed that any one that offers a fuel card is usually more expensive to start with. We use gas buddy and locate a reasonable fuel station, we can find a cheaper per gallon station within a few exits and still fuel up at a quality station, I won't fill up at a non busy, back woods station, always something that will sell a lot of fuel. We keep our speed around 62-63mph also. I have tried it all, 5th gear, a little higher rpm, some say this helps, me, I keep it in 6th, usually gets into 6th just at 60ish. I set the cruise and let it eat.
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Old 05-30-2016, 07:03 PM   #4
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I just feed the beast. 1-2 mpg is about the only difference I can find by using different speeds etc. In the grand scheme of things it's just the cost of doing business...Not worth it to me to worry about it a lot. I'm not rich but I'm not going to sweat the small stuff. If this is the difference between going and staying home I have picked the wrong hobby..
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Old 05-30-2016, 07:07 PM   #5
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Do this; take some time and research best credit cards for cash back rewards. Credit card rewards programs vary widely, so it's best to have the cards at hand (i.e. fuel rewards) that give you, the consumer, the best edge. I'll get you started Best of the Rewards Cards
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Old 05-30-2016, 07:12 PM   #6
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Flying J cards save you 3 cents/gal... nothing to sneeze at, but sometimes they are hard to find especially traveling off the interstate system... TN, AL and GA all have the cheapest fuel prices if your traveling in that I-75 or I-65 corridor to get south. Go slow and save fuel. Get the Flying J app and the Gas Buddy app for your smartphone to find cheap fuel.
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Old 05-30-2016, 07:20 PM   #7
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The stations that use gas cards also honor them for diesel. We only use the Good Sam card as we often stop at Flying J or Pilot. I'm more interested in fresh fuel in a place that is easy in/out for diesel with the 5er in tow than saving a few cents per gallon.
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Old 05-30-2016, 07:30 PM   #8
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Most times the best prices on fuel will be a mile or so off of the interstates . Two weeks ago fuel in Ocala Fl Flying J was 49 cents higher priced than a busy Handi-way one mile over .
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Old 05-30-2016, 07:40 PM   #9
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Most truck stops are higher along the interstates. Those 3 truck stops at SR 326 and I-75 in Ocala are notorious for high priced fuel. Just a few miles off the expressway usually will reward with a lower price. I try to plan my fuel stops based on my research and not sticker shock. I find the fuel cards are a joke because of the higher price to start. Save money by researching your fill up locations and gas buddy before you travel. Or if you spend the night a Walmarts, fill up there.
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Old 05-30-2016, 07:45 PM   #10
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In our rig, I find the convenience of a truck stop far out weighs the savings of a couple cents per gallon. Besides, I would burn an extra gallon or two just running around trying to save a couple dollars. I love Flying J stops etc.
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Old 05-30-2016, 07:59 PM   #11
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Get the Gas Buddy app, stay away from Pilot/Flying J and Loves, I have found that WalMart and Sams has the best prices by far. Loves is ridiculus over WMT, like 25/30 cents a gal. But if your worried about the prices you are in the wrong Hobby
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Old 05-30-2016, 08:02 PM   #12
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Personal thing..........but I get ticked off that Loves/J advertise gasoline at a set price, but diesel is more via credit card. Like I'm gonna give them my cash on a long camping trip. Duh!

And they're usually the most expensive. And my Good Sam's Card has only worked once. Most of the time it just freezes up the auto pump and wastes my time.

I get fuel where I can fit into the pump, though. Sometimes that's a Flying J......if it has to be, it has to be. 9 seconds later, I forget where I got it and move on along!
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Old 05-30-2016, 08:03 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Montgomery View Post
In our rig, I find the convenience of a truck stop far out weighs the savings of a couple cents per gallon. Besides, I would burn an extra gallon or two just running around trying to save a couple dollars. I love Flying J stops etc.

Kingsland GA ~~ exit 1 on the FL border. Flying J was $2.49 - $0.03 with the GS card for diesel. Directly across the street was BP and Shell both at $2.17. No way was it worth it to fight getting in/out even for that difference on 30 gallon. I was staying at a CG 1/2 mile away (Country Oaks ~ nice!) so fueled after dropping the 5er. On the road would have been happy they have all that land available for me and the 18 wheelers.
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Old 05-31-2016, 06:37 AM   #14
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My Cedar Creek 32RL and my Silverado 3500 have never been in a truck stop. I fill up when I'm unhooked from camper, I have a 100 gallon fuel tank. I am retired military and I have a PenFed rewards credit card and I get 5% off at the pump, at two bucks a gallon that's .10 cent off. If I was to go to a truck stop and have to take the card inside then I get nothing, it only works at the pump. If I use Sam's card, I put that card in first and then my card. There is a roundabout way to become a member without being in the military


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Old 05-31-2016, 06:53 AM   #15
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I find it difficult at times finding a gas station that I can maneuver through. There have been times where I had to exit the highway at 4 different exits before finding a station I can fit in. Even some truck stops are problematic. Since my truck uses gas, I have to pull in where the cars go and some of those pumps just won't work. Im usually stuck paying whatever price the big enough station is charging.
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Old 05-31-2016, 09:25 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by timfromma View Post
I find it difficult at times finding a gas station that I can maneuver through. There have been times where I had to exit the highway at 4 different exits before finding a station I can fit in. Even some truck stops are problematic. Since my truck uses gas, I have to pull in where the cars go and some of those pumps just won't work. Im usually stuck paying whatever price the big enough station is charging.
Been there, I have got to the point if I need gas I just pull in if it looks like I can squeeze in at all and I have given up trying to please people. If I block off half the pumps because of a poorly designed fueling station so be it. I have found many Flying J stations that are very poorly designed for RVers with a Gasser TV. When we leave the station I back out if necessary and have the DW act as a traffic guide. I was quite surprised that in Wisconsin and the north west part of Michigan you get better designed stations on the back roads than the interstate a lot of times and the pumps accept Canadian credit cards where on the interstate they don't in a lot of Flying J's.
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Old 05-31-2016, 01:07 PM   #17
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I carry 10 extra gallons of gas with me as an emergency backup just in case I can't find a suitable gas station in time. One time, I uncoupled my trailer just so I could gas up.
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Old 05-31-2016, 01:18 PM   #18
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Stay away from Illinois, especially near the Chicago area if you are looking to save some dollars and cents. One of the highest in the nation. I try and fuel outside of the state, if not, far away from the city. When possible of course.
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Old 05-31-2016, 01:22 PM   #19
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I check Gas Buddy for beat prices in the area we are at. Also if Walmart's have fuel stations their diesel is usually the cheapest plus if you purchase a Walmart gift card and use that for fuel you get around 5 cents off ( I think) so for us with 2- 120 gallon fuel tanks that 5 cents adds up. With large fuel tanks we are able to price shop and load up at the less expensive areas and skip the higher priced stations.
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Old 05-31-2016, 04:18 PM   #20
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I also agree to stay away from Flying J, the diesel is always a lot more then most every where else around here. Gas Buddy is what I use mostly but I can fuel up with just the pickup once I drop the fiver and that is not so with a MH and they can be hard to get into the cheap fuel stops.
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