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I agree with previous poster, brakes are first, as the RV MUST stop. Engine is a close second, as the RV MUST go when you need it to.
Some systems are more simple than people want to believe. Let's start with your brakes.
An empty master cylinder is not normal. That brake fluid is not an open system, it is a closed system. That means that even with some brake problems (bad brake shoes or pads) the fluid should still be tight.
If the master cylinder was empty as you suggested, and air came out of the brake lines as you said, then bleeding the brakes are absolutely necessary. But even before you do that, you must determine where the brake fluid went.
Also, there are frequently two separate circuits in a brake system, most often a front right and rear left, and a front left and rear right. This way a broken brake line will still allow you to stop one more time.
If the entire cylinder was empty, then you have a leak in both circuits. A leak in that fluid system will potentially kill you, or someone else.
You should learn all you can, or get a professional to thoroughly examine every component from brake master cylinder to all brake lines to the flex lines at the axles to the wheel cylinders or calipers at each wheel. On an old system with rust and leaks in both circuits, it may be easier to simply replace each piece, then you know all the bit and pieces are intact. Your call.
Still, you need to find all the leaks before you bleed the brakes, or you will wind up bleeding them again after anyway.
As for the engine getting gas, you may have a fuel pump or fuel line fault. Again, that tank should not have been bone dry. Even with a missing gasket, the fuel is not likely to evaporate completely dry. There is no air flow, so minimal evaporation is likely, especially for just a gasket. From what you wrote, there was a cap, and most likely a fuel door.
I believe again, you most likely have a leak. Look for it. Perhaps you are just vapor locked in that an air bubble is at the fuel pump, causing it to not pump fuel, but you may also have a leak in the fuel lines, that allows the gas to run out, and the fuel pump to pull in air instead of gas.
Again, here the leak detection is first.
All that I have said here does not disagree with what the previous poster wrote. You may have a big repair ahead of you.
Primarily, I would say that a very thorough inspection has got to be first. Every rusty or potential leaky component needs to be checked out very carefully, to see if it is serviceable, or needs replacing. While replacing all the components may seem expensive, if you have enough compromised components, and piece it together and have a failure, and piece it together, and have another failure, and piece it together, after a year or two of this you may it might have been easier and even cheaper to do it from the start in total.
OF course, you may also only have one bad component in each section, and will save money that way. Only a great inspection and testing will tell you.
Good luck.
__________________
Karl I. Sagal KarlSagal@Gmail.com
Well done is better than well said. (Ben Franklin)
1988 Fleetwood Southwind, 34'
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