At what fuel $$$ leval will RV and Diesel Rigs go south?

[hammersley]

OK some cost comparissons:



Today Diesel where I buy is $2. 75/gallon.....



If I drive 2000 miles/month at 17mpg average (in town etc) my monthly fuel bill is:

$2. 70 2000 17 $317. 65



If I had a rig that would average 30 MPG and use $2. 05 fuel this is what I get

$2. 05 2000 30 $136. 67



Or a difference of plus $180. 98/month for driving the diesel!



Now if I had a gas rig that averaged 14 at $2. 05/gallon

$2. 05 2000 14 $292. 86



Or a difference of plus $24. 79/month! for the Diesel over the gas



Now factor in a big RV - towing maybe getting 11 and wow. Now I know that a lot of us have invested a lot and we will just eat these costs - BUT I think it will kill the used market..... and probably make a loy of folks reconsider when replacement or upgrading time rolls around... .

 

[fox]

I was told last weekend that the trucking companies get a special price.

The guy said it was about 1. 80 a gallon and anything they pay over that they get a credit that is adjusted at tax time.

I need to start a trucking company.

 

[KHollister]

This is really apples & oranges. You are comparing a full size truck (either diesel or gas) to a small economy auto. A difference of $25/month in operating costs for a $30-40K vehicle is pretty trivial in my opinion. The dramatic cost difference you quote for a small car versus a full size 3/4 or 1 ton truck is mixing vehicle types and capabilities, not to mention initial cost of the vehicle. This may sound harsh, but if $25-50/mo in fuel costs is creating a financial burden, I question whether purchasing a $30K+ vehicle was prudent to start with. If you purchase a several year old used vehicle, then this may be a little more of a reasonable complaint.



However, until a hybrid truck is available, proven and affordable that can tow my 7000 lb trailer in the mountains, any discussion of how much cheaper it is to operate a Toyota Corolla is moot.



I hate getting gouged on diesel as much as the next guy, but I believe the gas/fuel situation would have to get really bad (availability as well as price) to impact RV sales. Most RV owners out relatively few travel miles on their vehicles. The full timer that roams the country (rather than parking for months at a time) appears to be the exception from what I'v seen.



Considering the mileage difference in a diesel vs gas MH or TV, it is still pretty cost neutral. Factor in the towing performance of the diesel (and possibly engine life for high mileage travelers), and I still think diesel is very attractive.

 

[Turbo Thom]

The only time I've noticed the RV's comming South is when they want to see good folks and eat our southern cookin. Of course the snow adds to the need to get South also. Then there there's the weather in the spring, and the leaves in the mountians. There's all kinds of reasons the RV comes South. The largest problem, too many RV's have turned into houses and the newcomers never go back where they started from. I just wished the secret had never gotten out about us. Now our way of life has gotten worse, all because of the RV, and our beautiful South Is looking like your part of the country.



That is what you were talking about, wasn't it?



Down here when something goes bad we say " it's gone to Washington".



. . Preston. .

 

[RustyJC]

Like boating and airplanes, if economics had been a driving factor in our decision to get into RVing, we would be driving a Honda Insight and staying at Motel 6 today. If the fuel prices go up, we'll just pay them and go on with our plans.



Rusty

 

[RNixon]

I'm with Rusty. The cost of fuel is a fairly small part of the RVing cost picture. It hurts to see that $50+ bill for filling up the tank in the pickup, but I doubt it will stop too many people from RV traveling. If you're going to travel at all, fuel is a lot cheaper than airplane tickets (going up with fuel costs), hotel rooms, restaurants, etc.



If you want to get sophisticated, buy some Exxon stock to hedge your fuel cost (something airlines do). The more you, and millions of others, pay for fuel, the higher your stock price. Sell a few shares to pay your higher fuel bill.

 

[TRLRTRSH]

Fuel costs

If you're going to travel at all, fuel is a lot cheaper than airplane tickets (going up with fuel costs)QUOTE]





Well, I woud submit this, my wife just flew home to visit the grandkid, round trip in the truck is right at 3000 miles, figure 19 mpg thats 157. 89 gallons at $2. 60 along I-5 that's $410. 51, her plane ticket was $290, saved me 4 days driving, 3000 miles on truck, and I get to stay here where it should be 80 today

P. S. Buy your tickets on line in advance!



Bill

 

[RustyJC]

But the airline ticket itself is just a piece of the total picture. We're going back to Ohio in June for our granddaughter's graduation. In addition to the airline tickets for my wife and me ($303 each, round trip), we have car rental, motel room, restaurant, airport parking (for the car we leave in Houston), kennel bills for the 2 Shelties and other expenses that we wouldn't have if we took the RV. If time weren't a factor, I certainly would consider pulling the RV up there.



As I said, though, if one tries to justify RVing strictly on economics, buy the Toyota Prius and stay at Motel 6. Better yet, sleep in the Prius and eat Vienna sausage from 7-11.



Rusty

 

[hammersley]

We are making my point I'm afraid.......

that the $$$ of fuel WE WILL TOLERATE - NO MATER THE AMOUNT! It does appear that the WE are all part and parcel to the old political slogan "Getting on a slippery slope " And thanks to Big OIL - this one is a never ending one.

 

[RustyJC]

If you have an RV, you're free to park it. That's YOUR decision. As Rob said, fuel costs are but a minor part of the overall cost of RVing. If I can afford the RV and the truck, I can afford the fuel, so I'll use it. That's MY decision.



Rusty

 

[JStraw]

With the increase in fuel I have noticed more used full size trucks/suv's on the market and in dealer lots. I'm betting a lot of people bought the bigger vehicles for an ego thing rather than having a working need for one. To conserve my shrinking wallet from the fuel pumps I ride my motorcycle. I'd love to have a Honda Insight for just running back and forth to work and get'n vittles.

Sure, I hate seeing the trucks sit most of the time, but, I'm save'n some big bucks by doing so. And when I am towing, I now set the cruise at a lower speed, kick back, drink a soda, listen to some tunes, and get there when I get there.

 

[WBusa]

However, until a hybrid truck is available, proven and affordable that can tow my 7000 lb trailer in the mountains

I don't know about 'proven' or 'affordable', but its worth noting that Dodge is currently making a CTD hybrid Ram:

http://wwwsg.daimlerchrysler.com/SD...-1-62035-1-1-text-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

I soooo want one.

 

[E7mack96]

I was told last weekend that the trucking companies get a special price.

The guy said it was about 1. 80 a gallon and anything they pay over that they get a credit that is adjusted at tax time.

I need to start a trucking company.

Someones' smoking crack again. There is no tax credit for trucking co's and there is no special price. We are getting hammered!.



Now, there there are a few Big companies that have invested in the price of their fuel by buying contracts (futures) back when it was cheap. soon, that'll be gone too.



At least 1 company a day is going under right now. (mostly small operations <5 trucks)

 

[RJOL]

The current price of diesel, in the Northwest, is an abberation. It's due to supply and demand. This was caused by some refineries reducing their output for maintenance, and a refinery fire in Canada.



It cost less to produce diesel then it does for gas. However, most States tax diesel at a higher rate then gas.



So here is what is going to happen. Either the price of diesel will come down, or the price of gas will go up and meet current diesel prices. Either way they will be close to the same price (diesel or regular gas).



If you're tempted to sell your rig whenever the price of fuel goes up... you've got the wrong vehicle. This ain't no VW...

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

My wife and I have worked hard all our lives to reach where and what we are today - now at nearly 70 years of age and retired, we have perhaps 5-10 reasonably mobile years left of our lives before we're restricted to a rocking chair. And from what we see in the various RV parks across the country, we're pretty typical of the RVing crowd.



Question is, do we choose to simply SIT on the dollars carefully saved and put aside for our "Golden years travel", and resign ourselves years early to that rocking chair, do we accept our own governments failure to develop a decent energy policy and the muggers of the middle East, and stay home?



No way! We DO already have the RVing equipment, and don't have the luxury of decades of lifespan ahead of us for things to get sorted out - and the muggers in, and out of our government win as we pay more to best use our remaining years as we had planned.



But yeah, these ever increasing prices will most likely take their toll on the price and size of new and used RV's - not everyone wants or can afford these increased fuel and CG expenses, and must modify lifestyles and plans.

 

[RJOL]

My wife and I have worked hard all our lives to reach where and what we are today - now at nearly 70 years of age and retired...

Geez Gary, and I thought I was getting old at 57... One thing is for sure... If you just stay at home and don't enjoy life, you will miss a lot, and you don't get a second chance... Put aside a little extra for fuel expenses and enjoy the fact that you're still "sucking air. "

 

[E7mack96]

touching on the tax aspect,



We get to pay IFTA tax every quarter. As I am in Ohio, that bill is an extra 1,000 to 2,000 per quarter (due to O,K,I all charging a surcharge on top of the tax at the pump)



We get to pay KY a 2. 85 cents per mile tax for every friggin mile driven in KY. that is 3-500 per quarter.



We get to pay KY a property tax based on # of miles the truck drove in the state. (ain't that rich, drive through and get a bill on the value of the rig. )

 

[SMorneau]

I was hoping to buy another CTD in a few years but with fuel prices going up it just isn't practical :{ . It will probably make more sense to keep replacing parts on my 96 and keep driving my VW TDi to work everyday. Maybe when I retire I will be able to justify a new truck but right now it would make no sense to watch one rust away with only occasional use and big insurance bills for sitting at home.



Do I like driving my truck? Hell yes, at almost 300k miles I still like it more than any other vehicle I have ever owned. Do I feel pretty good about my decision to buy a TDi? Hell yes, every time I fill the tank for the week for about $25. If I put 300k miles on the TDi it will have almost paid for itself

 

[TKingsbury]

In the original post it was mentioned that when you hook your trailer up the mileage goes to 11. If you had a gasser, you could cut that in half. If you tow alot the payoff is right there. Not to mention towing performance. The reason I bought my truck was the fact that it gets better mileage and I can drive it every day, plus have a real truck when I need it. I don't have any more room for extra vehicles (too many projects/toys) so I drive my truck. If my truck was a gasser, I doubt it would get 10mpg going to work. I've done the math too, and it worked out better for the diesel on my particular truck. I'll just keep on pluggin away in my lifted 4x4 diesel gettin my 16 mpg.

Travis. .

 

[BigMike]

I heard today that gas prices will likely hit $2. 50/gal by May. Hope Diesel stays at least the same. Paid $72 to fill up today. That's my record. I'm sure it will be broken in the forseable future. I always thought higher prices would lead to conservation. I'm not sure there is any price that will stop people from buying. My wife and I are going on a 2000 mile trip with our 5er this summer. I compared all the costs associated with taking the 5er and compared it to driving our car and moteling it. It's about a wash, but having your home on wheels gives one a certain sense of freedom you can't get staying in a hotel. Besides, people who RV are the nicest folks I've ever met.