shorter rv trips

[RGrizzle]

has anyone planned shorter trips in the rv this year because of fuel prices ? we had a trip planned to take the fiver to the beach and decided that we didn't want to pay the fuel prices . we went only 60 miles away instead . i have talked to other campers since we have been here and found that other people are camping here from nearby areas instead of going on their planned trips . i was just curious how much fuel prices are affecting rv travel plans .

 

[Grizzly]

That's what we plan on doing this summer. We had planned to make another trip to Alaska this summer, but no more.

 

[rweis]

Same here, looking for land in the GA mountains to permanently park it.



Truck only used for towing now about 1 time per month and then less than 100 miles one way.



Bob Weis

 

[JMetzger]

Ours is parked. Usally go to CT to our sons but are flying this time. Tickets were cheaper then the fuel price difference from last year to this year

 

[Grizzly]

Same here, looking for land in the GA mountains to permanently park it.



Truck only used for towing now about 1 time per month and then less than 100 miles one way.



Bob Weis

Your a wise man Bob.

 

[Jim W]

We are towing from Oswego Il, to the Badlands (SD) this year. The way I figured the cost of the trip is: present air-fare rates, hotel, rental car and gas for rental car along with eating out. I am still ahead pulling the 5er. We will take a little while longer getting there since we will drive at 60 mph instead of 70 mph.

Met a full timer this week driving a class A with a Cat diesel getting only 8 MPH and a Dingy. He and his wife are still traveling all over and going from the south to the north then back down to the south when winter starts. Said this is still the only way to travel and agrees with me about looking at the full picture and not just fuel cost.



P. S. Spending the kids inheritance on fuel.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Guess we landed in the right point of modern history to live our lives.



Born in the mid-'30's, enjoyed the relaxed '40's and '50's (remember, we were just kids and teenagers then!) - and then went into the Army for 2 years '55-'57 - no Korea or Vietnam...



Cars and fuel were cheap, so was travel - saw Gasoline price wars where gas was 13-14 cents a gallon. Bought my own first car, a nice '40 Ford 2-door sedan for $100 when I was 17 - sure wish I had it now!



After my working years, and early retirement at 60 in 1996, traveled across the USA a couple of times in the same 24 foot KIT 5th wheel we'd bought and used from new in '88 - still have it.



Now we are in our 70's, and less inclined to venture out as much or as far as before - plenty of (CHEAP!) nice RV camping and fishing right here at our doorstep in eastern Oregon. Just returned from a 1500 mile round trip down to visit kids in central California where we retired from, and will take another 400 mile round trip over to Boise area starting this Tuesday - be gone for several days, and that will be IT for any planned longer trips this year - and probably fewer next year.



Old age and health issues eventually slow us all down, and modify habits, and our timing was good in relation to where world conditions and our own national economy is taking us...



But I sure feel for the kids and grandkids - their future doesn't look nearly as pleasant as ours was - and it really wasn't our fault, or others of our generation. For the most part, we voted, and played the citizenship game as we should. In return, were steadily overrun by the sly and devious onslaught of Liberals who worked to change this country into what THEY thought it should be, while politicians spouted one set of ideals that sounded good to voters like us - then once elected, sold out their influence to the highest bidder, and then laughed all the way to the bank...



Wish there was a cheerier outlook ahead - but I fear not...

 

[CUMMINZ]

We are in the middle of 6000 mile trip right now @ Moab. It is over a 100 bucks every time we fill up. It is @ 100 degrees at home in NC. Cold at Estes Park, and got snowed on at Penrose, Co. last week.

 

[GAmes]

If you want to blame polititions for the insane rise in fuel prices consider that the increase has been faster since the Democrats took control of the Senate. The truth is we have no one to blame but ourselves. Look around. Do you see a substantial increase in car pooling? Slower traffic on the freeways? Fewer cars on the road? Fewer trucks idling all night long at truck stops? If you sold ice cream for 50 cents a pint, then found out you could sell just as much for 5 dollars a pint wouldn't you increase your price? The only way to get the prices down is to decrease demand. It is just now starting, but it should have started $2 a gallon ago.

 

[Tractorat]

GAmes,

We've already pushed consumption back A LOT !!! And what we got for it were even higher prices going up faster and faster. Slowing down consumption isnt going to do anything. If the US stopped importing oil today, the world price would still increase. The problem, as stated over and over again, and even congress is finally getting it (I think), is the way price for oil can be set by the "investors" on wall street. The way oil is priced has to change.



Im not sure it even matters who is in congress. Unless they really address the real problem (instead of blaming it on the other party and just saying "see what those guys did ?") our goose is cooked. BTW, it doenst matter who is the president. Its congress that really controls the economy. When it comes down to it, all the pres does is either sign off, or not sign off.



And, we can talk about new technologies that will be available in 20 or 30 years, or OKing drilling now, but non of that will come in time. We need to have a solution yesterday. We have to be able to get from here to there. Im not sure that anyone understands that, or is willing to address that.

 

[GAmes]

We've already pushed consumption back A LOT !!! QUOTE]



I'm not seeing it. I drove 13,487 miles last month. I went from TX to FL to WA, back to UT up to MT, to OR, back to UT to AB to ID to WI to MI and returned to TX. I saw no decrease in traffic. Most cars only had the driver in it during the rush hours. People are still driving fast and stupid. Truckers are still leaving their engines running all the time. Gas stations are still busy.



Here's what makes me laugh. It's those people who complain about high fuel prices but drink bottled water.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

We've already pushed consumption back A LOT !!! QUOTE]



I'm not seeing it. I drove 13,487 miles last month. I went from TX to FL to WA, back to UT up to MT, to OR, back to UT to AB to ID to WI to MI and returned to TX. I saw no decrease in traffic. Most cars only had the driver in it during the rush hours. People are still driving fast and stupid. Truckers are still leaving their engines running all the time. Gas stations are still busy.



Here's what makes me laugh. It's those people who complain about high fuel prices but drink bottled water.

Probably makes a big difference what route you drive - sure, and in the larger metropolitan areas, freeways will always be crowded - same number of folks needing to get to the same jobs - while they last - regardless of fuel prices. Carpooling SOUNDS good, and LOOKS good on paper but works well for precious few folks because of commutes to/from different parts of the cities, and differing work schedules.



We just returned from our own trip, over familiar highways, and major cities like Reno and Sacramento, and saw LOTS less traffic out in the open areas - as well as far less inside the larger cities - actually flowed VERY nicely, which is a great plus when towing an RV in a truck with a manual transmission!

 

[K5IP]

Gary,



It sounds like we have similar likes/dislikes an and even ages are similar.

Asone ham to another , hope to hear you on 20 or 40M sometime.

73 K5IP

Rog

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Gary,



It sounds like we have similar likes/dislikes an and even ages are similar.

Asone ham to another , hope to hear you on 20 or 40M sometime.

73 K5IP

Rog

Look for us on 7175 KHZ at 4 PM Pacific time, several days a week - others in group are WX6M, W7WVF and N6UUG - you would be very welcome!



73

 

[Forrest Nearing]

Here's what makes me laugh. It's those people who complain about high fuel prices but drink bottled water.

if you had to drink the tap water where I live, you'd drink bottled water too!

 

[rweis]

Well, for I went from 11 gallons / week in the truck (18. 2 mpg) to 3. 2 gallons / week on my scooter (Burgman 400 K8) (62. 5 mpg), 200 miles / week total commute. Truck cost / week $52. 8, Burgman 400 cost / week $12. 8.



Actually 2 wheeling is getting to be fun and meeting a whole new group of people. 200 scooters just went to Orlando (FL) for Scooters4Hooters cancer ride fund raiser. Raised $100 / scooter. FHP even escorted us all down the I-4 for a short distance. Sort of like a new RV group, but on 2 wheels.



I see far fewer cars on the road. You can not buy a decent new scooter and get delivery within 6 months. Many days commuting there are NO cars within visual distance and I go at 0730 arrive at 0800 (I do travel secondary roads though). I am in Sertoma with some local police officers and they see a definite drop in vehicles, stops, accidents. Crime becoming much more localized.



Towing, I think the new profile is going to be to go and stay for at least 3 - 4 weeks. You beat the lodging and food cost that way to still make the RV the most economical mode. I do not think Rv'ing is totally dead, just modified.



Lots of people are taking in the cost of the drive before they just launch out to go somewhere. About all car dealers have a sign that they are not taking SUV's and trucks in trade. Same SUV's and trucks they were glad to make profits on 1 year ago.



I would bet we wind this fuel cost thing when we are paying the same as the EU (currently about $8 / gallon). Other alternatives will supplant petroleum eventually, just going to be sooner rather than later. Middle east is eating itself from the inside out. As other alternatives come on line, petroleum will permanently become less of an option here. However there is still a lot of the developing world to buy oil, but how much money do they have to do it with?



Could be interesting, going to be fun to watch from 2 wheels. Scootering allows me to pull the RV once a month and maintain the same budget factors. Interesting twist.



Bob Weis

 

[KBalzuweit]

if you had to drink the tap water where I live, you'd drink bottled water too!

Me too!!!!

 

[EricBu12]

I am still planning a 2900 mile trip in July but after this year maybe do smaller trips. . There are still a lot of places that I want to take my Wife as she has never traveled out of the state since she was a kid.

I found this article about fuel prices on why it is at $130/ barrel. . seems to hit it right on the head.

Asia Times Online :: Asian news and current affairs

 

[Forrest Nearing]

read that Asia Times article last week... VERY well written article!!!!

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I would bet we wind this fuel cost thing when we are paying the same as the EU (currently about $8 / gallon). Other alternatives will supplant petroleum eventually, just going to be sooner rather than later. Middle east is eating itself from the inside out. As other alternatives come on line, petroleum will permanently become less of an option here. However there is still a lot of the developing world to buy oil, but how much money do they have to do it with?

Once the crude oil starts to strangle itself due to overpricing, and reasonable alternatives DO start showing up, the developing countries are most likely to NOT continue development of industry and technology that revolves around and requires an obsolete and costly fuel for operation - just as many here and now are ditching traditional homes, cars and energy types as they make what alternative choices that ARE available? Developing countrie are JUST as likely to avoid the same reliance upon an eenergy source that is so unstable and expensive in cost!



In a way, oil producing countries, hand in hand with commodities investors who have vastly inflated the price of energy, have torpedoed the long term continued reliance of crude oil as the basis for world-wide energy. I look for a domino-effect of individuals, businesses and industrial users to begin conversion to alternative energy sources as they develop, leaving crude oil as a choice far further down the list compared to other sources.



Even if oil DOES drop significantly lower, those who ave been severely burned this time around are not likely to again put their hands in the fire, and the oil producers who likely are secretly welcoming these outlandish prices may well find they have cut their own throats by their cooperation and acceptance of actions of investors.



There may well be some, like airlines and railways, that will have to remain on traditional energy sources, but many others have greater flexibility, and will jump ship from fossil fuels as quickly as alternative sources develop - and developing industries won't even START down that path, if other alternatives are seen on the horizon.



How many here would willingly return to reliance upon fossil fuels, if a lower cost and more stable alternative was available - or how many industries, foreign or domestic - would produce items that rely upon them, if they could clearly see that fossil fuel costs were too unstable and expensive as compared to other developing sources?



None of this will happen overnight, and the real question is how we cope on the shorter term - 10-20 years - but I personally feel that regardless of HOW much crude oil remains, the reliance of crude oil as the basic source of energy is doomed, OPEC and similar producers have effectively shot themselves in the foot, and they had better enjoy their current flow of wealth, because it's very likely to come to an end...