Motorhome Fuel Stop and Range Planner

Who this is for

A range check for every leg of the route. You enter your own tank size, the reserve you like to keep and the distance your van actually does per litre. For each leg the sheet works out the fuel needed and what will be left, so the stops where you must fill up stand out before you leave.

Motorhome and campervan drivers, and anyone towing a caravan, planning long legs, remote routes or crossings where fuel stations are sparse or closed at night.

What this helps you track

• The fuel each leg will use at your van's own consumption
• What should be left in the tank at the end of each leg
• The legs where the margin over your reserve is tight
• Where you plan to fill up and at what price
• The fuel cost of each leg and of the whole route

How to use it

1. Write the vehicle, the tank capacity, the reserve you never want to go below and your own distance per litre from past fill-ups.
2. List the route leg by leg with the distance of each, in the same unit you used for distance per litre.
3. Enter the fuel in the tank at the start of each leg; after a fill-up, that is the capacity or whatever you added.
4. The litres needed, fuel left, leg cost and summary are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, divide distance by your figure and subtract.
5. Tick where you will fill up, and replan any leg where the fuel left falls close to or below your reserve.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Where does the distance per litre come from?

From your own fill-ups: divide the distance driven by the litres it took to brim the tank again. Towing, hills, headwinds and a loaded van all change it, so use a figure from similar driving, and a cautious one on unfamiliar routes.

Can I work in miles?

Yes. Enter distance per litre as miles per litre and the leg distances in miles. The sheet only divides one by the other, so any unit works as long as both match.

What does the tightest margin mean?

The smallest amount of fuel left at the end of any leg, minus your reserve. A minus figure means at least one leg ends below the reserve you set, so move a fill-up earlier.

How is this different from a fuel log?

A fuel log records what you bought after the event. This sheet plans ahead from your own figures, so you know before setting off where you will need to stop.