Setting Up Fuel Information
When first setting up your default settings, you will find the RV/Truck Fuel Information tab under RV Info. The values that you enter will be used in calculations for the fuel feature. This information can also be changed for a particular trip under Trip Settings.
- Fuel Type will be used to automatically select the fuel type when researching fuel costs. You have four fuel options available- Unleaded Regular, Unleaded Plus, Unleaded Premium, and Diesel.
- Fuel Capacity is your vehicle’s total fuel capacity.
- Fuel Reserve is the estimated point at which you’d like to be alerted that your RV will be running low on fuel.
- Fuel Economy is your estimated fuel efficiency calculated in miles per gallon
- Fuel warnings will be displayed on the trip map as you hit your reserve limit. If multiple is selected, the warning displays from every point onward as though you fill up (to full) at each marker.
Low Fuel Indicator
RV LIFE Trip Wizard's Low Fuel Indicator (shown as on the map) feature provides you with a better understanding of when and where you'll need to refuel in between trip stops. This can be particularly helpful when traveling in rural areas or other places where service stations are in short supply.
How Low Fuel Indicator Works
Using the above scenario, let's say our RV gets an average of 14 miles per gallon (in red) with a fuel tank capacity of 24 gallons (in blue). When we multiply these two numbers, we get:
14 MPG x 24 total gallons = 336 total miles
This means that, on average, our RV is capable of traveling 336 total miles on a single tank of gas. Of course, we'll need to fill up before our tank goes empty. That's where the Fuel Reserve field comes in!
The Fuel Reserve feature (in red) lets you set the number of gallons you'd like to have left in your tank when the Low Fuel Indicator icon low fuel indicator.png appears on your trip map. In this case, we set the number of gallons to 4. If we do the math:
14 MPG x 4 (reserve) gallons = 56 miles in reserve
The Low Fuel Indicator icon will show up on our trip map when we're left with about 56 miles of fuel before the tank runs empty.
This feature comes in handy for planning purposes or during the trip, giving you a heads-up on when and where to begin searching for a gas station before your tank reaches Empty.
Using the Low Fuel Indicator with Your Trip Map
Suppose you’ve created a trip just like the one we've created below. The Low Fuel Indicator icon can be seen shortly after our initial stop at the Mingo RV Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This strategic placement allows you to anticipate refueling needs conveniently as you navigate your journey.
Based on our calculations in the previous section, once you reach this point on your trip you have 56 miles left before your tank is empty.
You'll also notice there is only one Low Fuel Indicator icon on the entire trip map, even though the total distance would require multiple fill-ups. This is because Trip Wizard cannot calculate your future gas mileage unless you add additional fuel up information.
How to Add Fuel During Your Trip
Let's say you've just reached your first trip stop Mingo RV Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and you want to fill up here instead of waiting until your fuel tank gets any lower.
To add fuel information on your trip:
- Tap or click the Mingo RV Park stop and select Edit (the pencil icon) from the pop-up that appears on the right.
- The Edit Trip window will appear. You can check your Previous Stop Fuel, Fuel Used, Arrival Fuel, and Departure Fuel here. As you can see, you have used 18.25 gallons of fuel to reach your first stop, with 5.75 gallons of fuel remaining.
- In the Fuel Added tab, enter the number of gallons of fuel you added to your vehicle. If you’ve topped off your fuel, simply check the Top Off checkbox. In this example we assume you topped off your fuel. Click Save and wait to be returned to your map.
- You will see that the fuel indicator has now moved just beyond your next trip stop at Kansas City. Continue to repeat this process each time you fill up to ensure you always remain up-to-date and aware of your fueling needs.
Adding a Fuel Stop to Your Trip Itinerary
Some of our users like to add Fuel Stop/Gas Stations to their Trip Itinerary before they embark on their trips. You can use the Research Tab to find fuel stations and add them to your trip.
Checking Nearby Gas Prices
To check nearby gas prices around a campground area:
- Click on any campground icon in the area whose gas prices you want to check.
- A pop up showing the campground information will appear. Click on "Park Details".
- On the bottom left of the park details screen, click "Nearby Gas Prices".
You will be redirected to a third party website in a different tab. This website will show you fuel prices close to the campground that you clicked on. Here, you can find prices for specific types of fuel.