No matter which way you look at it, gas prices are high right now—so we don’t blame you if you cringe every time you go to fill up. This might also mean you’ve been putting off your RV rental vacation for the sake of your pocketbook.

But take it from Fractional Toys, your Rogers and Oakdale provider of recreational rentals: you don’t have to! You deserve some time off, and with a motorhome rental from us that starts with its gas tank full, an affordable vacation is well within reach.

Of course, you’ll probably want to work to save gas when you’re on the road; we get it. That’s why we’ve put together a few handy tips below for doing just that.

Plan Your Route Ahead of Time

As with any vacation, it’s important to budget your camping trip properly to save time and money. Whether you’re staying at a campground or want to head out on an RV road trip, we’ve compiled some essential tips for planning the perfect road trip.

When you think of renting an RV, gasoline is likely one of your concerns. That’s why it’s important to plan your route. When you’ve planned your route, you know roughly how much you’ll spend on the stuff and can budget accordingly. You’ll also be able to know if you can afford any side stops from a mileage perspective.

However, gasoline prices fluctuate, so a bit of flexibility is needed for any RV rental vacation, no matter how much (or little) it costs. It’s best to set a target amount you’ll spend and move money around from other nonessential parts of the vacation budget —souvenir shopping—if need be.

Drive Your RV Safely

While you do not need a special license to drive an RV, it’s important to know how to safely drive an RV to avoid adding costs to your vacation. This includes packing effectively for your trip, as in not over-packing, which adds weight to the RV, decreasing its gas efficiency.

It’s important to maintain a steady speed in an RV. Rapid acceleration and braking can reduce the RV’s gas efficiency. Also, don’t try to gun the engine to climb hills. Try to stay slow and cautious while driving to keep the engine from overheating. The last thing you want is to be stuck on the side of the road with a steaming RV engine.

While driving, keep an eye on the weather. If the weather gets bad, it’s okay to stop for the day to remain safe. Driving an RV on a wet road is less than ideal, so pull over or find a nearby campground or other legal and safe RV parking area.

Check Out Gasoline Apps

The world of smartphones is truly amazing. Now, you don’t need to drive around town to look for the cheapest gas prices. Your smartphone can do that for you with any number of apps that crowdsource or otherwise aggregate the prices of gasoline in a given area. Nerdwallet, your one-stop website for all things financial literacy, has put together a handy list of some of its favorites.

Keep in mind that not all gasoline apps work the same, so you might need to do some virtual shopping to find one that suits you. Some, for instance, offer cash back, while others simply tell you about gas prices in a certain spot. Not all apps are credible or seamlessly functional, too, so be sure to check out reviews to figure out how accurate and consistent the information it provides you is.

Finally, thoroughly familiarize yourself with the app before you need to use it for real so that you can avoid any surprise fees. Gas is too expensive these days to leave anything to chance.

Pack as Much Food as You Can Ahead of Time

Eating out, while a nice luxury expense now and again, can get expensive—especially if you’re on the road and need to scrounge up some grub multiple times a day. Not only is playing food by ear costly in that sense, but all the detours and side stops you need to make for ready-made meals can quickly add up in terms of gasoline.

It’s much safer from a financial standpoint to pack as much food as you can ahead of time, then, if gas money allows, set aside a certain amount for finding restaurants or driving out of your way to get there.

If the thought of packing your food in a moving vehicle sounds overwhelming, don’t fret. Storing your food in your RV is much easier than tent-camping, where the threat of rouge wildlife looms.

To properly store food in an RV, plan simple meals, consider dehydrated meal components, and store food in sealable, stackable plastic containers. Also, use your RV refrigerator sparingly, particularly if you’re going on a road trip. Purchase cold food along the way to keep it fresh and safe to eat.

Use Campground Amenities

When you stop at a campground, plug into the available hookups. If you plan accordingly, you can make sure every campground you stop at has electricity. This eliminates the need to bring a generator, which burns through gasoline to keep the lights and air conditioning on in the RV. If you’re RVing on a budget, skip the rustic campgrounds that lack electricity and running water.

Rent Through a Credible Motorhome Rental Provider

Just like with cars, an RV needs to be in tip-top condition to get the best gas mileage that it can. Anything from neglecting an oil change to old tires can mean your engine works harder—and burns more fuel—to get from point A to point B.

That’s why it’s important to go through a reviewed and vetted recreational rental provider like us instead of a private owner when you’re choosing your vacation rig. Not only will you no doubt receive better service up front, but you can also rest a bit easier knowing that their vehicles are both top-of-the-line and well-maintained. Your recreational rental services provider has a reputation to uphold, after all!

They can also provide you with an expert opinion on how best to save money on gas, as well as provide you with the perfect model to facilitate that for your personal situation.

Consider a Membership with Fractional Toys

A major cost-effective solution to enjoying your summer in an RV is considering a recreational vehicle membership. Our memberships ensure you have access to RVs and many other recreational toys.

Rather than spending the money to buy an RV that you’ll only use a few times a year, which requires a lot of maintenance and care, you can spend your membership points on an RV rental that is ready for you whenever you want. You don’t have to spend time and money worrying about maintenance costs, storage costs, or any other costs, for that matter.

With Fractional Toys memberships, you get the freedom to choose from a variety of recreational vehicles to use throughout the year. Plus, by choosing a membership instead of purchasing an RV, you can avoid inflated RV prices. Navigating prices can be daunting if you’re unfamiliar with the RV market. Skip it all together and rent an RV!

Fractional Toys: High-End RV Rentals and More

Get in on some affordable, last-minute summer fun with our motorhome rentals, camper rentals, and more. To learn more about your opportunities with us, reach our Oakdale office at 651-340-0937 or our Rogers location at 763-406-2488.