It’s no secret that large RV’s, whether they have their own engine or need to be towed with a tow vehicle, can be gas hogs. It makes some people think twice about how many trips they are going to take with their existing camper or RV; others consider downsizing; and others who are considering the purchase of a camper or RV to hold off.

But, when a person factors in the costs of vacationing while either flying or driving, staying in hotels, and eating out all the time, vacationing in an RV or camper either and cooking your own meals is usually the most cost effective option plus you get to sleep in your own bed every night and drift off to sleep hearing the sounds of waves crashing onto shore or crickets chirping instead of the guy in the room next to you snorning or the people above you having a party.

To help keep your gas costs as low as possible, do a little research on the Internet.

I found a couple of good sites.

The first is fuelsavingzone.com. There’s a good article on the site about getting a gas card that pays you back 5% on your fuel purchases. It’s titled “Getting a Gas Card Can Save You Hundreds.” The best part of the article is where stresses that you pay the card of each month. Otherwise you won’t be saving any money and will in fact likely end up paying more for the gas than if you would have paid full price because of all the interest you could end up paying.

For gas prices at gas stations in the United States and Canada, check out gasbuddy.com. You can search by zip code, city, state, or by county in each state. It’s a handy tool to use when vacationing because gas prices at stations just few miles apart can vary by 10 or 15 cents a gallon.

For example, last month when I was driving through Des Moines, Iowa, the gas stations on the west and east ends of town has prices that were 12 cents higher than gas stations in the middle of town. All the stations were right off of I-80, but the ones at either end of town were easier to get in and out of because they weren’t on the busier city streets. But for 12 cents a gallon I’ll maneuver my way through a little bit of traffic.

Check out both these websites to help you save money on gas while using your camper this year. You might save enough to be able to take an extra trip this year!