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hi fwiw i have traveled across country in an rv (a fleetwood 32 footer built of of a chevy g30 van) one of the best things for my fuel efficiency was adding 2,800 pounds of weight to the rear of my rv!!! ok i know what your thinking dead weight like that kills fe and why the h**l would you drive up a mountain like that. ok heres the scoop, i towed my trans am, its relatively aerodynamic (at least compared to the rv) and its 18' long, it really made up for the added weight. so heres what i recommend doing (off of my list of to dos before my next trip)
*grill block
*belly pan (you can go to rv parts stores and buy big sheets of fiberglass)
*tire pressure
*electric radiator fan
*the skirt thing under front bumper
*skirts around sides
*new shock absorbers/ springs
*tow something more aerodynamic
*make an angled roof extension (not to sharp of an angle)
*radius as many sharp angles as possible (anyone have a good idea of a radius? i was thinking 1.5 in??)
*get rid of useless mass
*switch to lighter materials (heavy wood counters -> fiberglass counters carpet -> vinyl)
*remove / relocate (or make an aero housing for) your antenna
*make a more aero housing for a/c and vents or other protrusions
* DO NOT REMOVE MIRRORS!!!!! they are extremely valuable, just make aero housings for those also
*drive around 55 mph, speed is the enemy!! if you have cruise control use it
anyhow, from my experience weight doesn't make as much of an impact as other factors (even at slower speeds there wasn't a noticeable difference in FE between towing the car and not) im not saying that weight is a good thing, by all means reduce it wereever possible (empty all holding tanks before trips unless you need/want water in your tanks for the trip but stopping at truck stops keeps you from hauling 80 + gallons of water)
so just out of curiosity, have you made a cross country trip in an rv before? with my travels i have found it to be both enjoyable (stopped at many great places along the way) and stressful (maybe not the best word for it but people are intolerant towards rvs and they can be quite vicious)
anyhow, i wish you a safe journey (and keep us updated!!)
John
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