Fuel Economy:
Tim: WOW! You see those gas prices going up Al? Even diesel is jumping.
What’s a guy to do?
Al: Ya, what can you do? Actually Tim, we
really can’t do anything about the gas prices - its out of our
control. BUT, I bet you and I could help all our RV friends control
some things that WILL help with their gas costs.
Tim: Sounds great Al
- how can we do that?
Al: What people can do is try and control their
own fuel economy. Let’s face it - nobody is going to quit RVing
just to save some gas. The days of 80 cents a litre for gas may be
over, but there’s always new ways to save. Let’s see how
we can get people to SAVE money!
Tim: OK - you know, we’ve always
told our customers whether they are driving a motor home or towing
a trailer or 5th wheel, there are many ways to improve fuel economy.
By performing a few simple maintenance pro-cedures and changing our
driving habits a little, we can save a significant amount of
fuel.
Al: You know, you’re right Tim. Most of our ‘long
trip’ customers go down I-5 and through the States - so let’s
do some miles per gallon comparisons. We’ll show them some shocking
facts! Its hard to believe, but for each 5mph you go over 60mph, you
are paying about 10 cents more per gallon!
Tim: You mean to tell me
that if I go down I-5 at 75mph, instead of 60mph, I will add 30 cents
to the price I pay at the pump?
Al: You go it Al. It can add up quick.
There are other fac-tors also - let me throw some at you. Here are
the 4 main areas where people can improve fuel economy - and by how
much: 1. dirty air filter - reduces fuel by 10% 2. engine out
of tune - reduces fuel by 20% 3. speeding - can reduce fuel by 37%
4. faulty emissions - up to 40%
Tim: Even checking tire pressures can
increase fuel effi-ciency by 3%, not to mention tire wear etc.
Excessive idling, rapid acceleration, travelling with extra weight
(tanks full) can have a dramatic effect on fuel economy for our customers.
Al: Just little things like using overdrive (not when towing) and cruise
(when feasible), following regular main-tenance schedules, using recommended
grade of motor oil and synthetic oils (1-2% each) and using regular
gas (unless manual specifies otherwise) will all help out in
the end.
Tim: Let’s face it - gas prices are have temporarily
snuck up. BUT, we can really help ourselves by changing a few little
habits. WE can control our own costs better. If we all decide to do
these little things, everyone can continue to RV to their hearts’ content
and still enjoy a relatively inexpensive lifestyle. So get out and
get RVing… “DISCOVER YOUR FREEDOM TODAY”
Drop in, call or email us if you have any questions –
The coffee is always on. Have fun RVing!
CALL ANY OF THE FINE SERVICE REPS AT ARBUTUS RV
Marianne in Sidney at 655-1119 or toll-free 1-888-272-8888
Rolf in Mill Bay at 743-3800 or toll-free 1-800-665-5581
Dwayne or Rick in Nanaimo at 245-0282 or toll-free 1-877-245-0282
Paul or Doug in Courtenay at 337-2174 or toll-free 1-866-330-2174
