The REAL COST of Towing 1,300 Miles in an RV

Fuel cost reality check for full-time RVers

• Diesel fuel is one of the biggest monthly expenses (described as “basically a mortgage payment”).
• Reported spending this year:
  • ~$969/month on diesel
  • April peaking at ~$1,731
• Fuel costs vary heavily based on:
  • How many miles you drive per day
  • How long you stay in one area
  • Terrain (flat vs. up/down hills)
  • Weather, especially wind (head/tail/side impacts mileage)

How they measured “real” towing fuel numbers (field method)

Instead of relying only on the vehicle computer, they used a hands-on test/verification approach:

• Filled diesel at a station near Big Falls, Minnesota
• Set/zeroed trip readings
• At every subsequent fuel stop to Gunnison, Colorado, they calculated:
  • Fuel added
  • Miles driven
  • Actual mpg = miles ÷ gallons

Lifestyle/travel routine during the drive

• They took a week off from filming to edit and rest, then picked the trip up in Minnesota.
• To stay entertained while driving days:
  • Editing/podcasts/reading
  • Talking to each other
  • Looking for things to notice (including cows—when they weren’t distracted by steering)

RV safety/maintenance lesson (during travel day)

• They stopped because the trailer felt increasingly bouncy.
• They inspected the hitch and found a pin/shock hardware issue (pin was out).
• Takeaway: If something feels “not right,” stop and inspect immediately—small issues can become dangerous fast.

Fuel-stopping strategy + apps used

They planned a “one fuel stop” approach on at least one long day by mapping stations with apps.

Diesel savings apps compared

They compared three diesel fuel savings apps and planned to keep the winners:

• Mudflap
  • Often cheapest in their results
• Open Roads
  • RV-focused; diesel-only
  • Connects to bank/debit/auto processing at month-end
• Upside
  • Diesel + regular
  • Discounts post-purchase via account balance/transfer
  • Not discounted instantly at the pump

Notable outcome from testing

• They often got the best price with Mudflap
• Sometimes beat Open Roads by tiny margins (even ~one cent)
• Avoided unusable pricing/availability with Upside

Sample mileage & savings calculations mentioned

Segment example

• 31.4 gallons for 327 miles → ~10.43 mpg
• Dash/computer showed ~10.1 mpg
• Mentioned purchase total: $142.87 (described as ~$8 saved)

Later segment examples

• 36.8 gallons over 378.4 miles → ~10.28 mpg
• Another stop comparison:
  • ~$4.65 vs $4.89 shown (Mudflap win)

Lodging strategy: “easy on, easy off”

They aimed for back-to-back travel-day lodging when possible:

• Friends if available
• Walmart
• Harvest Hosts (when applicable)

They preferred these options over paying for a full campground when trying to move efficiently.

• They stayed at friends (Furrow Farmers) for one night because the route would have skipped them otherwise.

Driving schedule / mileage pacing

• They generally dislike RV days over ~300 miles (they reference the “333 rule” conceptually: arrive by 3:00, stay for 3 days).
• Exceptions were made to reach Colorado quickly for upcoming responsibilities (a rally they co-host).

Their specific plan:

1. Harder day first to reach friends
2. Then a ~400-mile day
3. Then finish with a ~300-mile day (easier “piece of cake”)

Food / cooking note

• When a dairy-free option wasn’t available (for their usual Walmart-frozen pizza habit), they switched to breakfast for dinner.

Walmart parking practical tips (setup they used)

They used a consistent approach for parking in a Walmart lot:

• Choose a spot with:
  • room and leveling space
• Leave slides arranged so they don’t block areas/egress
• Use the rig’s side entrance stairs instead of extending additional stairs
• Leveling check described:
  • ~0.1 inch off front-to-back
  • ~2 inches off left-to-right
• Keep slides/staging safe (they left slides in so they didn’t obstruct traffic flow)

Camping/boondocking in Gunnison area: navigation challenges

They reached a boondocking area near Gunnison, Colorado, where logistics were harder because:

• Campendium directions had conflicting road guidance
• They nearly went up the wrong/steep access road for large rigs

Key lessons

• Pay attention to the correct county road access for large vehicles
• If the road is too steep or wrong, don’t compound mistakes—stop, reassess, and choose a safer route

They ended up in Hartman Brocks dispersed (boondocking) and set up after dealing with being out of practice from fewer consecutive boondocking nights.

• Animal moment: Their dog Trinity accidentally got out during arrival due to a door left open—handled with treats and repositioning.

Final cost totals for the full towing run (Minnesota → Gunnison, CO)

• Total trip distance: 1,329.3 miles
• Fuel used: 140.74 gallons
• Overall average mpg: 9.44 mpg
• Diesel cost details:
  • Final tank in Gunnison: $5.29/gallon
  • $198.80 for 37.51 gallons
  • 8.54 mpg (hills/mountains worsened mileage)
• Diesel spending during the first 3 days of the month: $688.94

Conclusion/takeaway: Fuel is a controllable expense partly by staying longer in one place and avoiding extremely long daily moves.

App “winner/loser” and what they’ll do next

• They said Upside was unusable for their needs on this trip because Open Roads + Mudflap gave better diesel deals.
• They may keep Mudflap as the primary savings tool.
• Plan: possibly give Upside another chance later, and delete it if it still doesn’t provide savings (they suggested Upside may be the next to go).

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Notable locations, products, and people

Route / places referenced

• Big Falls, Minnesota → (Wisconsin previous episode) → South Dakota (Summit/Sinclair area) → Nebraska (Burwell/Burkw? / “Furrow Farmers” in northeast Nebraska) → Gunnison, Colorado
• Nearby mountain/Colorado entry points (mentions I-7 vs Route 285, crossing the Rockies)

Boondocking spot

• Hartman Brocks dispersed (near Gunnison, CO)
  • Access via County Road 32

Fuel & savings apps

• Mudflap, Open Roads, Upside (diesel-focused comparisons)

Fuel brand/location mentioned

• Phillips 66, Sinclair, Pump and Pantry
• Mentions of specific towns’ stations

Other products/food

• Dia frozen pizza
• Peach crisp
• Breakfast-for-dinner

People referenced

• Kayn, Joseph, Tren
• Dog Trinity
• Friends Sarah and the Furrow Farmers
• Rally partner/sponsor: Untethered (co-hosting mentioned)