Even with fuel prices dropping, it seems like everyone’s still trying to get the most for their dollars at the pump. Suggestions are springing up everywhere on how to do it, and most of them are pretty smart. But on the other hand, you’ve got some ideas circulating that could do a lot more harm than good.
A trucker with over 20 years experience–and heaven only knows how many miles in his logbook–recently took on a the advice of the co-founder of the popular gasbuddy.com, Jason Toews. The maven of cheap gas buying had written a piece in a popular women’s magazine, giving advice on how to save fuel. Toews suggests: “Driving behind a tractor trailer on highways can save you about 10% on gas. The reason? It reduces wind resistance, so you use less fuel.”
The professional driver was aghast with the suggestion. Writing in a blog, road2trucking, the driver says he can gaurantee that tip will save you lots of gas, “If you follow his advice, you will save less money on gas, when you are DEAD! You will be dead, therefore will not have to spend any more money on your future gas purchases! That’s 100% guaranteed savings on gas!”
Most RVers have plenty of experience dodging “gaters” on the highway. Not the reptillian swamp lovers, but those tire “caps” that sometimes blow off tires and then lay in wait for the unsuspecting driver to run across them. Now imagine “drafting” a semi truck when a gater blows off one of those trailer duals. Catching a gater on your windshield can do more than just ruin your day, it could be a quick end to your RV lifestyle.
Drafting, too, puts you in the trucker’s blind spot, and if he doesn’t know you’re there, a quick slam stop can compress your motorhome pretty thoroughly. And even if “nothing happens,” in terms of truck-generated debris or panic stops, paying off a “following too closely” citation can more than chew up any savings you might have made by being sucked along in a semi’s slipstream.
Better you should follow a few other fuel savings tips that are recognized as safe:
Be gentle on the accelerator.
Keep the rig tuned up.
Make sure your tires are properly inflated.
Don’t run the air conditioner (or windshield defroster) when you don’t actually need it.
Install a “real time” fuel consumption gauge and use it to “train” yourself into more economical driving habits.
Gauge your “drive time” through high traffic areas and try to avoid rush hour stop & go traffic.
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