Gas

[campersam9]

Will gas price hold back camping? Is the RV market on a slowdown trend? We are trying to book next February it is booked. KOA in Kissimmee had openings so we booked a month. I hope we can get reservation for Fort Wilderness for a month.

[DocBrown]

In 2008 when gas topped $4.00 a gal in WI, only the people who bought during the bubble "'cause it was cool to buy an RV", bailed out of camping. The rest of us kept going. But it also took sustained prices to have an influence. We don't know where this is all going, but if we hadn't decided to sell this year (for reasons other than fuel prices), $5 a gal would just have been factored into our trip costs. Granted, we stopped taking long trips, so the cost would have been minimal. This will certainly affect full timers and those who take long trips.

[Jacjayco]

The gas prices started to come down yesterday. Crude oil traded at $100. Prices in my area dropped 10 cents per gallon. Hopefully the beginning of a trend?

[kirkelli]

Came down .05 where i pump.. Now 5.95 for Diesel - Whoopie

[TWP723]

We're waiting for the tax break which should take effect today. And they're considering doing it for 90 days instead of the original 30.

[Marcm157]

I will probably get smacked for this post but I feel we are being setup to accept $3.95+ per gallon gas. They will drive prices up as high as possible and then miraculously drop them at some point to the high three's and folks will be relieved and accept it.

As the the OP's question - We do one long trip each summer and multiple shorter long weekend type trips the rest of the season. The long trip is my work disconnect time so that trip will go no matter what the cost of fuel. I need those 3 weeks to decompress and relax. The higher fuel costs will hurt but not enough to shut us down.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by TWP723

We're waiting for the tax break which should take effect today. And they're considering doing it for 90 days instead of the original 30.

What? 18 cents? On an increase that has been $1.50 to $2.00 a gallon? My wife used the Fry's (Kroger's) gas savings yesterday. 35 cents a gallon. Took it down from $5.10 to $4.75 which is $1.50 above what it was before this started. Makes sense to me considering that all of those billions in gas tax will not being going to road repairs, that BTW is so badly needed in most all states.


Most Rvers will still be making the short trips this summer that they would have made anyway. The long trips? Don't know.

[campersam9]

That is an old government trick. Gas increased a little a week then people get upset so the price is reduced a few cents.. Thank God gas came down!! Rv's will still go camping . just shorter trips. Disney's Fort Wilderness is packed with Florida campers. It is a wonderful campground.

[bucko]

Originally Posted by kirkelli

Came down .05 where i pump.. Now 5.95 for Diesel - Whoopie

Now you have a down payment on a candy bar.

[TWP723]

Originally Posted by CAG

What? 18 cents? On an increase that has been $1.50 to $2.00 a gallon? My wife used the Fry's (Kroger's) gas savings yesterday. 35 cents a gallon. Took it down from $5.10 to $4.75 which is $1.50 above what it was before this started. Makes sense to me considering that all of those billions in gas tax will not being going to road repairs, that BTW is so badly needed in most all states.


Most Rvers will still be making the short trips this summer that they would have made anyway. The long trips? Don't know.

Better than .18 cents more. And you can hang up that $1.50 difference. You'll never see those prices again.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by TWP723

Better than .18 cents more. And you can hang up that $1.50 difference. You'll never see those prices again.

Never is a long time.


The point of all of this is that CA can't pay their bills but can use your tax money to pay you back $400 that you paid in to begin with or take your highway funds and give it away. See anything wrong with all of this?

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by CAG

Most Rvers will still be making the short trips this summer that they would have made anyway. The long trips? Don't know.

We aren't "most" RVers. We saved and saved so we would have a wonderful retirement. As of now Our health is still good. In a few years, who knows?

We are continuing to do as planned. Gas prices....pfffft. We are still full speed ahead. Any overages will come from our kid's inheritance. Sucks to be them.

OTOH, we prepared them well, and they are now doing better than we could have imagined. So, they don't need our money anyway.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by gypsmjim

We aren't "most" RVers. We saved and saved so we would have a wonderful retirement. As of now Our health is still good. In a few years, who knows?

We are continuing to do as planned. Gas prices....pfffft. We are still full speed ahead. Any overages will come from our kid's inheritance. Sucks to be them.

OTOH, we prepared them well, and they are now doing better than we could have imagined. So, they don't need our money anyway.

That was a general statement. We are all "most Rvers" It just depends on what we do as to our direction. At 77 we are still in the gym every morning, in our usual RV spots in the summer and will continue as long as we can. We saved to do that and will continue. Our kids will do fine when we are gone. Even in this sketchy time the IRAs are doing fine.

[campersam9]

We see the ultra lite trailers making a big move. We downsized from a 38' fifth wheel to a pop up due to my health. After having hard set up and take downs we still liked the pop up better. We purchased a hybird. We like it but not as much room as the pop up. We will purchase a larger hybrid under 5000 lbs. We saved over half on fuel and traveled more. People will camp closer to home stay longer. The big RV will be missed it was a house on wheels but sleeping at night with the Windows open is the best thing . RV lifestyle is in our blood. Higher gas closer you will camp. Make friends and sit around a campfire talking is the best.

[RedHorse1]

We returned to the Houston area from Aransas Pass TX (just East of Corpus Christi) yesterday and in about 2 mile stretch I saw diesel prices that varied by $0.50. Bought diesel in A Pass at $4.989/gal and the pump shut off at $100.00. First time for me. Some time over the last year (maybe 2) I fueled at a truck stop and the previous customer spent $500, I worry what commercial haulers are spending (the effects should show up soon) and feel for the independent operator. We will weather this.

[CAG]

When I was pulling the toyhauler I had a 62 gallon tank on the Duramax. Fuel went to something over $2 a gallon around 2008. I had to use two different cards to fill the tank on trips. I was pissed. Now the 52 gallon gas tank on the Greyhawk takes two card to fill when at the pump. Welcome to our new world. I will avoid any political comments here but they are needed.


Considering the oil in this country this is just asinine.

[Randel J]

Just came back from a short 3-day camping trip pulling our trailer 215 miles each way. We paid almost $250 at the gas pump round trip! $250 !!!!!!!

Gas prices here in California are all over the place. Some locations are still paying in the high $4/gal range, while others are paying over $7/gal. On our trip we paid $5.69/gal. This time last year it was about $3.50/gal and in the first few months of the COVID shut down, I was getting gas for about $2.30/gal.

I agree with some of you guys that shorter RV trips will continue, but the longer trips will shut many people down, including us. On the plus side, these gas prices may force less committed COVID campers to back way off, leaving more room in the campgrounds with less breaking of campground etiquette.

[SmokerBill]

I think I've noticed that a lot more big rigs are keeping their speed down to around 60mpg on I-5 here in Washington. Guess they're trying to squeeze more miles out of their tanks.

And I do the same. I get behind one of the slo-pokes and follow. My pickup seems to get about 4mpg less at 70mph compared to 60mph. I got 23 miles per gallon yesterday driving a round trip from Winlock to Fife (at 60mph).

[TCNashville]

As I stated in another thread, it costs me 50 cents a mile @ $4.25 gallon towing my 9K Eagle getting 9mpg in my 17' F-250 gasser.

[VKC]

Stay away from the truck stop. Most chain brand’s offer a few cents savings with clubs but are outrageous on their prices.