Dont Let Gas Prices Spoil Your Summer Travel - Tips To Save Gas

Gas prices are setting records. You realize the cost of the driving vacation you had planned will be a lot more than you thought. The trip is going to be so much more expensive you are thinking of not taking it at all. You don't have to cancel your trip! You can travel and control your costs of gas by following some simple tips.

The best fuel saving device is you the driver. Believe it or not you are in control of your gasoline usage. These tips and suggestions will allow you to lower your fuel costs while on that driving trip.

First thing you can do is get rid of all the extra stuff you have sitting in your trunk. Take out that extra tool kit, get rid of the box of paper you were going to take to the recycling center and take out the 50 pound bag of pet food you bought last week. Every 100 lbs of weight that you can take out of your car will save you 1 to 2 percent on gas. The lighter your load the more fuel efficient your car will be.

You already have scoped out the cheapest stations to purchase fuel at around your home. These stations will likely be lower priced than the fuel stations on your vacation route. So, fill up at one of these stations before you leave on your trip. You might even want to buy your fuel one day before you leave. For most people the actual travel day is rushed and hurried. You might run out of time to go to the station you planned on and might have to opt for fuel along your route. If you get your fuel one day before you leave, you can do it without worrying about deadlines and without rushing around.

Don't use luggage racks. This is a very important tip. The wind resistance created by loaded luggage racks will drop your fuel economy a lot. Try and pack your travel gear inside the car. The wind resistance of a loaded luggage rack will get larger and larger at higher speeds. That means any freeway or highway driving will have a big impact on the fuel efficiency of your vehicle if you are using racks.

Use your cruise control on the turnpikes and freeways as much as you can. If you can keep the vehicle speed constant it will be much more fuel efficient. The cruise control on your car will do a much better job of keeping a constant speed than you will be able to maintain manually.

If you use these tips you can still take that driving vacation without breaking your budget on gas costs. Following these easy suggestions will go a long way to help you control your costs.