Last Updated on When it comes to exploring the great open road, there are a few tricks of the trade that will help your fuel efficiency and lower costs. Practising fuel-efficient driving, especially with larger vehicles like motorhomes or campervans, will make a markable difference in your vehicle’s integrity and the longevity of your fuel gauge. Read on to discover exactly what does fuel-efficient driving achieve and some additional tips to protect your pocket.
How to Drive Efficiently
Have you ever considered what driving techniques can help save fuel? Efficient driving and saving fuel dovetail together quite well. Start by planning your route to avoid traffic, minimising stop-and-go driving, and exploring some of the specifics below to master your motoring, mileage, and money.
Effective Fuel-saving Driving Techniques
With fuel prices always on the back of everyone’s mind, it helps to be street- and savings-smart. Here are a few of our top techniques to help you lower your fuel consumption:
Accelerate Gently and Maintain a Steady Speed
How you use your pedals can impact your fuel consumption. Applying gentle acceleration is crucial for conserving fuel, as rapid acceleration burns more fuel than a gradual increase in speed. To put this into practice, maintain your desired speed once you have reached it, especially on highways. This helps to maximise your fuel efficiency.
Tip: Using cruise control (when safe and possible) can assist you in keeping a steady speed, further reducing fuel consumption.
Anticipate Traffic and Coast to Decelerate
One way on how to save fuel is to avoid slamming or jolting your pedals. Coasting to a stop rather than abruptly braking and using gentle acceleration from a standstill helps conserve momentum and use less fuel. This driving technique saves fuel but also minimises wear and tear on your motorhome’s brakes.
Tip: Anticipating traffic conditions allows you to adjust your speed in a smooth manner, reducing the need for sudden stops and starts that can waste fuel.
Avoid High Speeds
When considering how can you avoid wasting fuel, maintaining moderate speeds is key. Fuel consumption increases at speeds above 50 mph or 80 kph due to the impact of aerodynamic drag. Avoiding high speeds, especially when travelling in larger motorhomes, can help conserve fuel whilst enhancing safety on the road.
Practical Ways to Reduce Fuel Consumption
So, what will reduce fuel consumption? Find out in our practical ways to reduce fuel consumption below:
Minimise Vehicle Idling
Minimising vehicle idling is an easy way to reduce fuel consumption – as idling uses more fuel than restarting your engine. When parked or waiting for extended periods, it is more efficient to turn off your engine to save fuel. This practice works in your favour by conserving fuel and reducing excess emissions and avoidable engine wear.
Lighten Your Vehicle and Remove Roof Racks
When it comes to ways on how to save fuel while driving, adjusting your motorhome and campervan’s load will make a huge difference. Lightening your vehicle by removing unnecessary items reduces the load on your engine, helping to improve fuel efficiency.
Removing roof racks when not in use minimises aerodynamic drag. This can allow your motorhome to move in an effortless way through the air while avoiding dipping into your fuel tank.
Tip: If you can bear it, reduce using your air conditioning and turn it on only as needed for better fuel economy.
Check Tyre Pressure Regularly and Track Fuel Usage
One of the biggest contributors to how we can save fuel can be a simple fix – like checking your tyre pressure. Checking your tyre pressure on a regular basis ensures that your motorhome operates with efficiency, as underinflated tyres can increase rolling resistance and fuel consumption. Keeping your tyres at the recommended pressure not only improves fuel efficiency but also enhances safety and tyre longevity.
Explore tools like this motorhome tyre pressure calculator to determine the best pressure for your vehicle. Otherwise, you can expect the average campervan to be below 45 PSI and motorhomes to be about 80 PSI. If you want to determine the best PSI for your vehicle, review your vehicle’s manual or look for your vehicle loading information (you should be able to locate this printed on the driver’s door.)
Tracking your fuel usage can help you monitor your driving habits and identify areas where you can improve fuel efficiency. By keeping a record of how much fuel you use and when, you can spot trends, such as driving too fast or accelerating too quickly, which may be wasting fuel. This awareness enables you to make small adjustments, like slowing down or driving more smoothly, that can lead to significant fuel savings over time.
FAQ
What uses the most petrol when driving?
Braking hard and accelerating too fast uses the most fuel when driving. The more you strain your engine, the more it will consume excessive fuel, while the gradual use of your pedals will use less fuel. Be observant, drive at a constant speed, avoid traffic and use gentle pedal transitions (like lifting off the accelerator while staying in gear).
Does driving slower save fuel?
Slow driving can save fuel in the long run. This is because driving at lower speeds lessens the air resistance, so your vehicle’s engine is not working overtime and consuming more fuel. This is especially helpful when driving a larger motorhome or campervan.
Does skipping gears save fuel?
Yes, skipping gears can save fuel by allowing you to reach higher gears faster, which reduces engine load and fuel consumption. This technique, also known as “block shifting”, can be quite effective during moderate acceleration or driving downhill. However, it should be done with care to avoid putting unnecessary strain on your engine or transmission.
