5. Avoid rough roads – Going off the beaten path may be an adventure but whenever possible at least choose a well maintained concrete road to travel on. Rough roads (dirt and gravel) can lessen your gas mileage significantly (up to 30%).
6. Open your windows – Enjoy the breeze. Instead of turning on the air conditioner on a hot day open the car windows or put down the top to cool down. It makes for a fun ride and will help save fuel. Turning on the air conditioner can reduce fuel economy by 10-20%. However, if you are traveling at highway speeds open windows are not a good idea since they cause air drag and can reduce gas mileage up to 10%. Top down is still
the best option.
7. Slow down – Since we want the windows open to be able to turn of the air conditioner but we don’t want air drag to be an issue, then the solution is to slow down. Even with windows closed driving at 40mph or more will result in great wind resistance. So slow down. Adhere to speed limits. The slower you drive the more gas you save. And since you are on a road trip anyway, the more time you have to enjoy the scenery.
8. Shift gears when needed – Make sure that the speed you are driving it at is appropriate for the gear the car is in. Driving too fast at low gears is definitely a mistake because it will not only strain your car but will also guzzle up gas fast. Gas mileage can be reduced by up to 45%
by driving in the wrong gear.
Image Source: The Affordable RV Road Trip