The Average RV Gas Tank Size and Tips to Go Further
Traveling in an RV is perfect for those who are adventurous, bold and at the same time want to cut some costs. If you want to travel around without spending tons of money on high flight fares, RV is going to be perfect for you. In addition to that, you won’t have to splurge money for restaurants either! In a camper, you can cook your own meals and surprise your family members with some specialties on the road.
All in all, buying an RV is a great decision, and it will help you save money while traveling, but it does come with one cost — you’ll need a lot of fuel to keep it running!
Well, you win some you lose some, right? So even though you’ll save up on overall travel costs, you should be prepared to pay slightly more than what you might be expecting. However, here comes the good news — traveling in an RV will be less costly than any other form of traveling, even when you include the gas cost!
If you’ve come here to find out more about RV gas tank sizes, you’ve come to the right place! Average RV gas tank size depends on the type of motorhome it’s for. The average RV gas tank size ranges from 25 to 150 gallons. It all comes down to the exact type of RV that you have. For instance, a class A type of RV will come with the biggest gas tank of them all!
RV Gas Tank Sizes
How Big Are RV Gas Tanks?
Let’s talk size! Depending on various factors, such as the type of the camper, its size and brand, the gas tank sizes will vary a lot. However, the general principle is simple, the bigger the motorhome, the larger the tank will be. So a luxurious class A will grant you with the largest capacity of all other types, which will allow you to refuel it less frequently. On the other hand, a class B and a class C RVs will have a slightly more compact gas tank, giving you a more limited fuel capacity.
Average RV Gas Tank Size Class A
The most luxurious type of RV is the class A type. Naturally, these are the ones that cost the most! This is literally a home away from home and, for this type of RV camper, you should be prepared to spend around $70,000 to $100,000. Their engine is, obviously, extremely powerful, and it’s mounted in the front. As far as the gas tank size goes, class A tanks have the capacity around 80 to 150 gallons. Still, the exact capacity will vary based on the brand, manufacturing year and the size of the RV itself. Overall, Class A motorhomes are extremely expensive, extremely large and that’s why their tanks are way bigger than of any other RV’s.
Bounder RV Gas Tank Size
Fleetwood Bounder is among the top-selling gasoline class A RVs on the road at the moment. Bounder offers comfort and reliability. And it’s a brand that has been connecting families with the great outdoors for a very long time now!
Being a class A, this RV comes with numerous high-quality features that all have one and only purpose — to make you enjoy your travel to the max!
When it comes to the gas tank size of the Bounder, this RV offers an amazing capacity of 80 gallons!
Average RV Gas Tank Size Class B
Class B motorhomes are not as luxurious as class A, which leads to a logical conclusion that their price is also not as high. A regular class B motorhome would cost you somewhere from $35,000 to $75,000. Also, a class B motorhome comes with a freshwater hook up, a sleeping arrangement that’s built on a van and an extension that provides more headroom. The average class B RV gas tank capacity is 25 gallons. So when you compare this capacity to the one of a class A RV, this is way less. In addition to that, as per class A, the manufacturing year and the RV size will also influence the gas tank size.
Average RV Gas Tank Size Class C
A class C motorhome is usually referred to as a “mini-sized” mobile home. Their price is even lower than what you would have to pay for a class B. Basically, they can cost you less than $40,000. A class C would normally come with a cab attached to the motorized RV structured as a van. Essentially, there is not much room for luxury in this type of a camper. And when it comes to the RV gas tank capacity, you’ll have room for 40 to 80 gallons here.
Ford E350 RV Gas Tank Size
This RV belongs to the class C motorhome category. It’s pretty compact, but it still offers a satisfactory gas tank capacity. In fact, its fuel capacity is around 55 to 57 gallons, which is pretty impressive, we must say!
How Much Gas Does An RV Use?
Class A has a typical fuel tank that holds 100 to 150 gallons and the average for it is 8 to 10 miles per gallon. That way, with the gas that costs $2.5 to $4 a gallon, the average fill up that should cover around 800 to 1,500 miles would cost $250 to $600.
When it comes to Class B campers, they are pretty similar to standard family vans, and they can get to 10 to 25 miles per gallon, depending on numerous factors.
Finally, a class C motorhome has a fuel tank that holds around 25 to 55 gallons and can cover 10 miles per gallon. That would mean that a fill-up of $60 to $220 would last you around 250 to 550 miles.
What About The Mileage?
When compared to cars, RVs have mileage per gallons which is considered pretty low, as they are longer and heavier. However, the mileage will depend on many factors and not all RVs will give you exactly the same one. The mileage can depend on the manufacturing year, the brand, the model, the size and more! In addition to that, it will depend on how you’re treating your RV and maintaining it. Naturally, if you neglect your RV, you’ll end up being punished with a higher gas consumption.
In order to keep your RV well-maintained, you should tune it with the help of an RV professional. That way, you will be able to get a maximum efficiency out of it. Some technicalities, like correcting the tire pressure, will go a long way in helping you reduce how much gas your RV consumes. Keep in mind that a high tire pressure leads to a lower fuel consumption. So you always need to make sure your tires carry the right pressure, which is neither too high nor too low.
Average Gas Mileage For Class A Motorhome
As we’ve mentioned earlier, class A motorhome is the largest motorhome on the market. Class A RVs are built on a bus chassis, and they have a build that’s similar to an 18-wheeler truck. Thanks to their big size, the class A campers tend to have the lowest gas mileage. On average, they can handle around 7 to 12 miles per gallon
Average Gas Mileage For A Class B RV
Next in the line is the Class B RV camper. This one is also known as a campervan. Class B is the smallest type of motorized RVs. Still, it comes with a kitchen, a toilet and a shower. To some, it might feel a bit claustrophobic and cramped because of that. However, this class makes up for the fact that it’s so small in size with a better gas mileage. Its mileage averages from 10 to 25 miles per gallon, which is way more than what class A brings to the table.
Average Gas Mileage For A Class C RV
Lastly, the class C motorhome sits somewhere in the middle, as the gas mileage goes. If you end up choosing a class C RV, you’ll have an average of 17 to 22 miles per gallon. Which is quite good too!
Rough Mileage Numbers
In order to give you an idea of how many miles you can travel without going for a refill, we decided to give you some rough numbers. For instance, if you have a class A motorhome with a 100 gallons of gas in the tank, you can easily travel for 1000 miles. In a class B RV, with 25 gallons of gas in the tank, you can cover around 400 miles. Finally, with a C class RV, with 25 gallons of capacity, you can expect to travel around 450 miles. Again, we’d like to note that this calculation is rather average, and it will vary on many other dependent factors.
We recommend you to always refill the gas when you pass by a gas station. Basically, when your amount of gas reaches ¾ of the tank, you should start looking for a gas station. In fact, certain RVs tend to switch off when the gas goes below ¼, and you certainly want to prevent that from happening.
Our Tips To Reduce Your RV Gas Costs
It goes without saying that the prices of gas are quite high. But let’s be honest here, you put gas in your car too. And airfare costs are extremely high at the moment. Average gas price goes around $2.5 to $4 per gallon, and we have some useful advice on how to cut your fuel costs when traveling in an RV.
1) Keep an eye on discounts - We recommend you fuel up at a truck shop that has more competitive gas prices or, even better, use a discount card. If you don’t already have one, it’s high time you got it!
2) Stick to a smaller motorhome - The rule is pretty simple, the smaller the rig, the less gas it will consume. So a large 40-foot class A will cover 8 - 13 miles per gallon. A C class will cover around 10 to 15 miles per gallon. And a thrifty van style class B will cover around 18 to 20 miles per gallon, which is pretty cheap.
3) Don’t go crazy while packing - Keep it low key when packing because the lighter your motorhome is, the less fuel it will spend. Ultimately, if you don’t REALLY need it, don’t bring it!
4) Slow down - The optimum speed for saving gas is 55 miles per hour. Don’t speed up, and you won’t be guzzling that gas!
Final Thoughts
Once you figure out what kind of RV suits you the best, you can start planning your next trip. First, you should make a checklist of numerous things. Starting from the food you need to prepare and bring with you, then the clothing and other items, all the way to the accessories that will make your trip more comfortable and enjoyable.
When you go on a long trip, you should pay attention to the amount of gas you will need. So you need to calculate the capacity of your motorhome’s tank and how many miles you can go without needing a refill. This is a very important part of your long trip in an RV, and you always need to plan ahead in order to know when it’s refill time.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, the RV mileage will strongly depend on numerous factors. If you have already driven an RV, you already have a clear idea on what the average RV gas tank size and fuel relation is. However, RV gas tank size is not the only thing that matters when it comes to mileage. For instance, even the terrain of your trip may have an impact on the mileage. So whether the road is mountainous or smooth is just another thing that might impact how much fuel it will end up consuming.
All in all, choose wisely, calculate everything, maintain your vehicle properly, and you’ll be ready to hit the road!
