Road trips are one of the best ways to see the country. But they can get expensive fast — especially when fuel prices are high and you do not know where the cheapest gas station is. What if a computer could figure all of that out for you before you even leave home?
Thanks to AI, it can.
A Real Trip, Planned by AI
A real road trip was recently planned from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho all the way to Baxter, Minnesota — that is about 1,500 miles. Instead of spending hours searching online, one simple request to an AI called Claude built the whole plan in minutes.
Here is what the plan included:
- Every fuel stop along the way — listed from cheapest to most expensive, so you always know where to save money
- Truck stops like Pilot Flying J and Love’s for easy pull-in access with a big vehicle
- Membership club stations like Costco and Sam’s Club, where diesel can cost 30 to 40 cents less per gallon than regular stations
- Every rest area on the highway, listed by mile marker so you always know your next stop
- Planet Fitness locations at cities along the route — a gym membership means a real shower on the road for just $25 a year
- Warnings for RV drivers about low overheads, tight turns, and tricky entrances
The total fuel cost for the whole 1,500-mile trip came out to about $413. That is real money saved by simply knowing where to stop.
The Secret Is the Prompt
An AI is only as helpful as the instructions you give it. The good news is that someone has already written the perfect set of instructions — called a prompt — that tells the AI exactly what to find for your trip.
You just fill in a few simple details:
- Your vehicle — what kind of fuel it uses, how big the tank is, and how many miles it gets per gallon
- Your route — where you are starting and where you are going
- How you want to travel — how many days, which highways, how far each day
That is it. The AI does the rest.
And here is the best part — this works for any vehicle. Car, truck, minivan, motorcycle, or RV — just change the numbers and the plan adjusts automatically. You do not need to own an RV to use this. A family in a minivan can get the same detailed, money-saving plan as someone driving a 40-foot diesel motorhome.
Why This Is Great for People Watching Their Budget
Fuel is usually the biggest cost on a road trip. Finding diesel or gas that is even 25 cents cheaper per gallon saves real money over hundreds of miles. Add in free rest area stops, a gym membership for showers, and free overnight parking at places like Walmart or Cracker Barrel, and a long road trip becomes surprisingly affordable.
This kind of planning used to take hours of research. Now it takes minutes.
Give It a Try
Copy the prompt, fill in your details, and paste it into Claude at claude.ai. You will get a full day-by-day plan with fuel stops, rest areas, cost estimates, and an interactive map — all built around your specific vehicle and route.
The road is calling. Now you can answer it without blowing your budget.
HERE’S THE PROMPT FOR THE
“COSTCO METHOD”
Plan an RV road trip with the following details:
Provide information in “X” spaces
VEHICLE SPECS
- Fuel type: [diesel / gasoline]
- Tank capacity: [X] gallons
- Fuel economy: [X] miles per gallon
ROUTE
- Origin: [City, State]
- Destination: [City, State]
- Preferred highways: [e.g., interstates only / US highways OK / scenic routes]
- Travel direction: [e.g., eastbound]
TRIP PREFERENCES
- Number of driving days: [X] or travel pace: [leisurely / moderate / efficient]
- Maximum miles per day: X
- Departure date or season: [e.g., mid-May, summer]
STOPS TO INCLUDE — show all in geographical order on the route:
- Costco fuel stations with confirmed diesel (or gasoline), with address and interstate exit number
- Interstate rest areas, listed by highway name and mile marker
- Planet Fitness locations, with address and nearest exit number
- [Add or remove any stop categories you want, e.g., Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Flying J, state welcome centers]
Do NOT include RV parks or campgrounds in the stop plan.
FUEL COST ESTIMATE
- Using today’s Costco diesel (or gasoline) prices at each confirmed stop location
- Show gallons purchased at each stop, tank level after each stop, and cost per fill
- Show total trip fuel cost and estimated tank level on arrival
OUTPUT FORMAT
- Display an interactive trip dashboard showing all stops day by day in geographical order
- Include a fuel cost summary with per-stop breakdown and trip total
- Show a map with the full route and all stops marked
- Note any RV-specific warnings (tight approaches, frontage roads, low clearance, etc.)
- Why this order works:
- The prompt leads with vehicle specs first because every fuel calculation — range, fill amounts, cost — depends on them. Route comes second so Claude knows the geography before researching anything. Travel preferences third let Claude structure the days before looking up stops. The stop categories are listed explicitly so nothing gets assumed or omitted. Fuel cost comes last in the spec list because it’s derived from everything above it. The output format section at the end keeps the display instructions separate from the data instructions, which prevents them from interfering with each other during research.
- A few optional additions you could drop in depending on your trip:
- Avoid toll roads: yes / no- Pet friendly stops preferred: yes- Note any construction or seasonal closures along the route- Include Flying J / Pilot truck stops with diesel as backup fuel options- Flag any mountain passes or grades above 6% that may affect fuel economylarge rig.
HERE’S THE PROMPT FOR THE
“GENERIC METHOD”
RV Road Trip Planner Prompt — All Diesel Stations
Plan an RV road trip with the following details:
VEHICLE SPECS
- Fuel type: [diesel / gasoline]
- Tank capacity: [X] gallons
- Fuel economy: [X] miles per gallon
ROUTE
- Origin: [City, State]
- Destination: [City, State]
- Preferred highways: [e.g., interstates only / US highways OK / scenic routes]
- Travel direction: [e.g., eastbound]
TRIP PREFERENCES
- Number of driving days: [X] or travel pace: [leisurely / moderate / efficient]
- Maximum miles per day: [X] (optional)
- Departure date or season: [e.g., mid-May, summer]
DIESEL FUEL STOPS — show all in geographical order, prioritized as follows:
TIER 1 — Best price (membership clubs, confirm diesel availability):
- Costco (Kirkland Signature diesel, membership required)
- Sam's Club (membership required)
- Walmart fuel stations (no membership required)
TIER 2 — Truck stops (RV-friendly, high-flow diesel, 24-hour):
- Pilot Flying J (list address, exit number, and whether it has a DEF dispenser)
- Love's Travel Stops (list address, exit number, and whether it has a DEF dispenser)
- TA / Petro (list address and exit number)
- Kwik Trip / Kwik Star (Midwest-specific, often cheapest non-club diesel)
- Casey's General Store (Midwest-specific)
TIER 3 — Regional and independent stations (use as backup or gap fillers):
- Any confirmed diesel station in a service gap exceeding [X] miles between Tier 1 or Tier 2 stops
For every fuel stop include:
- Chain name and specific location address
- Interstate exit number or highway milepost
- Whether the site is confirmed RV-accessible (pull-through, high canopy clearance)
- Whether DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) is available (important for newer diesel RVs)
- Today's estimated diesel price per gallon at that location
- Gallons needed to fill the tank at that stop
- Estimated fill cost at that stop
OTHER PLANNED STOPS — show all in geographical order:
1. Interstate rest areas by highway name and mile marker
2. Planet Fitness locations by address and nearest exit number
3. [Add or remove any categories: Cracker Barrel, Walmart overnight parking,
state welcome centers, national park visitor centers, etc.]
Do NOT include RV parks or campgrounds in the stop plan.
FUEL COST ESTIMATE
- Research today's diesel prices at each stop location using current fuel price
sources (GasBuddy, station websites, or Costco/Sam's Club apps)
- Show tank level before and after each fill
- Flag any service gaps where the tank could fall below 25% capacity
- Flag any stop where diesel availability is unconfirmed — mark as ⚠ VERIFY
- Show total gallons purchased, total fuel cost, and estimated tank level on arrival
- Compare estimated Costco/Sam's Club price vs. Tier 2 truck stop price to show
potential savings from membership club stops
OUTPUT FORMAT
- Display an interactive trip dashboard showing all stops day by day
in geographical (west-to-east or north-to-south) order
- Include a fuel cost summary with per-stop breakdown and trip total
- Show a map with the full route and all stops marked
- Note RV-specific warnings at any stop:
· Tight entrance or frontage road approach
· Low canopy clearance
· No pull-through lanes
· Confirm high-flow diesel pump availability for large tanksWhat changed from the Costco-only version and why:
The fuel stops section is now tiered rather than flat. Tier 1 stays as membership clubs since they consistently offer the lowest per-gallon price, but adds Sam’s Club and Walmart. Tier 2 covers the major truck stop chains — these are the most RV-friendly stops on any interstate route, with pull-through lanes, high canopies, and 24-hour access. Tier 3 exists as an explicit safety net for long gaps between better options.
DEF availability is called out separately because newer diesel RVs with SCR emissions systems need it regularly, and not every station that sells diesel also dispenses DEF. It’s easy to forget to ask for it and hard to find it in rural stretches.
The 25% tank threshold flag is new — it gives Claude a specific trigger point to warn you rather than leaving it to judgment. You can change that number to match your comfort level (some RVers prefer never going below 30–40% in remote areas).
The RV-specific warnings at the bottom were expanded because truck stop canopy height and pull-through availability vary significantly by location and matter a lot when you’re driving a 40-foot rig. A quick note in the plan saves a potentially frustrating entry and reversal.