We posted a note on our Bulletin Board inviting reader comments on the higher prices we're all paying these days for gas and diesel. Specifically we were wondering whether RVers are reacting to this unwelcome situation by scaling back travel plans, or making other compensating adjustments. Thanks to many of you who replied. As promised, we'd like to provide you with a sampling of responses we had. We hardly consider this a scientific survey -- but we do think it's a fair cross section of RVer sentiment on this topic:
Hi all: We just returned from a trip to a nice campsite just north of Chicago
(Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, IL). The round trip from NC was right at
2,000 miles through the mountains of VA and WV. We averaged 9.3 MPG towing a
4 door Ford Focus on a dolly behind a 2001 Fleetwood Storm with a 454 Vortec
engine and Workhorse Chassis. I have not done anything to the engine as yet
(looking at adding a Banks system), but did make a conscious effort before
buying this rig to reduce the weight as much as possible. Therefore we have
no slide-outs and only one air conditioner, but enough room for my wife, dog
and myself. Thus far, very comfortable living accommodations. We paid as low
as $1.499 and as high as $1.899 per gallon. We passed a lot of fuel over $2
per gallon. Our best pricing came when we selected the Flying J Fuel Stops. I
understand we can even save a little more with their RVer's card which we
applied for. We made an effort to fill up north of Indianapolis so that we
could get to Zion, IL and back to Indianapolis on one tank of gas. With our
75 gallon capacity this was easily accomplished. Even with the high gas
prices you can still search out the lower prices and even ask for input on
the CB radio. We have begun to look at gas for our rig as the price we would
pay for economy airfare, but with the freedom to travel when and where we
want. We do, however, hope that our present administration in Washington, DC
will stick to their guns and go for more energy sources along with
conservation to bring the price of gas back down.
Regards,
Chuck
PS: This is a GREAT site and very useful and informative!!
Once again we are being led down the road of high gas prices like so many sheep, and what can we do, but pay the price. Is there anyone in Washington that is not in the back pocket of the oil producers... I don't think so. It is sometimes amazing to me that the population of this country can't put some type of pressure on Washington to at least investigate the oil prices. I have noticed (as many people have) that every Thursday the price go's up for the weekend, and prior to any holiday, they raise the price. They have a million reason why the price go's up, but you seldom hear about the oil companies profits setting records at a constant pace. It is ironic that they can raise the price 20-30 cents a gallon, than reduce the price a dime and we are all happy. If we, as a mass don't start writing, calling, or E-mailing our congressmen I am confidant nothing will change in the future.
Bill
Hi
We just planned our summer trip of some 4500 miles. I ran the numbers on fuel prices from $1.60 thru $2.00. The difference turned out about $250 @ 7MPG. That is not enough to curtail our planned travels. I imagine a lot of people will think the same way if they stop and take the time to figure out the bucks. We will figure out how to cut out the extra bucks some where else, like eating fewer meals outside.
Happy travels
We altered our plans for travel this summer drastically after the
price of fuel began taking significant rises ($1.649 here in
north Arkansas for regular at the moment. Diesel higher). Add to
that the precipitous rise in cost of propane and, then, news from
our favorite Colorado campground that their rates are up about 25
percent this year to cover their increased costs for energy and
water. We elected to stay home.
Home, by the way, is a peaceful little wooded five acres down a
dirt road into a valley not far from the Buffalo National River
and Wilderness. Sitting on the deck, listing to
Chuck-Will's-Widows and tree frogs in the night, and an
occasional what-ever rustling through the leaves really ain't all
that bad.
Vern M.
We are sorry that fuel costs have escalated and seem bent on contuing to do so. However, my husband and I are 69 yrs. and feel that if we want to travel in our motorhome (a Holiday Rambler Endeavor diesel) we must do so now while our health is still good. Who knows what tomorrow may bring. We weren't able to start out with this wonderful lifestyle until we were 65 and we want to see as much of this country as we can. We'll just have to budget a little more carefully. We are in our motorhome about 6 to 7 months of the year.
Pat & Arlen Buroker
Milton Freewater, OR
Just a couple of comments.....
Recent increases can't be blamed on OPEC, at least if one can believe the
graphs on the triple A site.
The import cost per barrel has been pretty much flat lined for the entire
year.
However wholesale and retail prices have been pretty much in lock step over
the same period, and all regions seem to be reflecting the same basic
percentage increases. Which means that the distributors are simply charging
what they think the traffic will bear, and they are going to keep on
increasing until the see a significant drop in demand, then they will back
down a dime or so and level off at that point until demand increases Then
the cycle will repeat......
At least that's the way I see it. My only suggestion is to use the sites
like the triple A site, seek out and buy at the low end of the scale, scale
back your travel plans, for the full-timers, stay-longer, travel less in
between., and be prepared to adjust your fuel budget annually. At least
that's the way I see it.
Jim Pearson
Do you go and bleed at the pump? Do you stay home and blow the gas money you saved, by not going, on higher prices due to the increased price of fuel being passed on to the consumer. It is almost a no brainer, you really can't just leave a huge investment like a 5er or a motorhome just sit around and depreciate. The oil companies and our inept government know this, so you might as well belly up to pump and RV. It isn't going to get much better any time soon.
pdkuhn@wcoil.com
We haven't made any changes on our travel plans because of the fuel
prices. We just budgeted more for fuel costs. Don't know if fuels costs
is the reason, but it was easier to make reservations at Hart Ranch in
Rapid City, SD!!
I recently started learning to use the computer to get information, and in the last couple of weeks, on and off with the help of my grandson who is getting to be quite a computer buff, I started surfing the internet trying to find information regarding travel routing, rest stops, fuel stops, gasoline prices unleaded in my case. Here in CA as the whole nation knows by now fuel prices are the highest, and that includes, diesel, LPG and propane. I buy my gas from the cheapest source I can find. I buy unleaded regular 87 octane only, no matter who sells it, anybody who uses a higher octane, unless the engine has a high compression ratio, is only paying a higher price for nothing. I am a serious RV traveler and now I can contribute what knowledge I can gather in my travels to this website.
You asked for responses regarding how the high fuel prices have affected our travels. My husband and I retired from school teaching/school nursing last year. We had said for several years that we wanted to take our travel trailer to Alaska when we retired. We have spent this first "not quite a year yet" making one long trip last fall to see the leaves change in Maine (and lots of other things there and back) and lots of little trips every few weeks. Our Alaskan vacation was planned for this summer and we are still going! In fact, we are about a month from our departure date as I write this. The price of fuel is high, but our desire to make this and other trips is higher. I remember that one of our earliest rving experiences took place in the 70's the year that fuel prices went up and supplies went down drastically. We worried from Texas to Colorado that we wouldn't be able to find gas when we needed it. We had a great trip that year. We hope to have a great trip this summer as well.
I look forward to reading what others have to say about this. I suspect most rvers will feel much the same as we do.
Gerry and Darrell Carey
Hi, Tom,
I would save money traveling outside of California in the RV this summer and
fall! At this time, the cheapest gas I can find around here is $1.95 for
Arco 87 octane -- Unocal, Chevron, Shell, etc. are at $2.06 - $2.17 and
higher -- and other states' fuel prices look pretty good to me! These
prices may very well be going up again as the "driving season" gets fully
underway; July and August fuel prices could easily hit $2.50 (or higher) a
gallon.
Does the high cost of filling the tank stop people from getting on the roads
in their cars, SUVs, and RVs in California? It doesn't seem to; according to
a report from AAA published in the paper this morning, the Memorial Day
weekend's traffic in California was up 2.4% over last year's. For better or
worse, Californians are so accustomed to being "gouged" and are so "vehicle
enamored" that it would be unthinkable for the vast majority to give up their
travel plans. I believe -- and what I've seen on the roads supports this --
that most would pay whatever it costs to "gas up and go". As I said, I'm
looking forward to another cross-country RV trip in the fall; I think I can
make it to Reno on one tank of high-priced California gas, then I'll be
thrilled to pay those "outrageous" prices that other states are complaining
about!
Greetings Tom
From time to time I will review the various sections of RVersOnline to reread material. I just completed (again) Bob Gummersall and Dick Lucas' article on RV Fuel Economy. What a timely article! Even with fuel prices increasing 20 or 30% this summer they have shown us how to keep within our budgets!
I'm not adding anything new here but just wanted to point readers to an article on this site that becomes more relevant as time passes.
Regards,
Gene Rusco
(currently in Foxboro, MA)
+++Gene, we agree tha this article provides some really helpful insights into ways to control the fuel bills. Our thanks again to Bob and Dick for their outstanding contribution.