Fuel Prices - RV-Dreams Community Forum

mikeway · RV-Dreams Family Member

RE: Fuel Prices

Speedhitch · RV-Dreams Family Member

Amen Tim and Robyn! There is more to all this than meets the eye. Big Business runs this country don't ever think otherwize. People better get out and enjoy this country while they can. It wont be too many years and we will not be able to afford travel of any kind.

Joe and Sherri

coxie · RV-Dreams Community Member

I'm with you speedhitch. Oil is a finite resource. Those with influence are lining up their ducks right now. There won't be this life style in the future, except for the privileged. IMHO.

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm with you Mikeway, I've never heard any real legitimate reason for the fuel spikes like that.Although I'm a big believer in the market economy I'm a little tired of hearing the old supply and demand excuse.When so few control the supply they can demand whatever they wish.I would hope someone could PROVE me wrong.

rwarner22 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Here is another link:

Gas Prices by Zip Code

Click the link below and enter your zip code to find out which gas stations have the lowest prices (and the highest) on gas in your zip code area. It's updated every evening. You will see a map of your area; scroll down and you will get a listing of gas prices in your area with addresses and brands starting with the lowest and going up.

http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx

Randy

blijil · RV-Dreams Family Member

Unfortunately for the US, the oil market is no longer driven by American consumerism and is now driven by the growth of the economies of some very big users. We now live in a world market and we are rapidly becoming a smaller and smaller percentage of the oil market and we are more and more dependent on world oil supply. The good news is that the price in the US is still in the bottom 30% of the countries, the bad news is that inflation and availability are running that price up. We are a resilient nation and we will adjust but like any market driven economy the ups and downs are unsettling. Are there abuses? You bet! So what is new about that?

Don't worry about it. Happy RVing.
Larry and Jacki

pierreandcolleen · RV-Dreams Family Member

I feel silly. When I first starting reading this post I did not look at the dates. I was thinking "Wow! Gas is cheap in the South!!".

Diesel is currently $4.55 in Vermont.

foxriverguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

P&C,

I, too, read the very first listing, but quickly realized the topic has been "up" for a long time.

Regular Unleaded is $3.98 a gallon here in northern Illinois. I frankly don't ever expect to see it lower than that in my lifetime. GM just announced that they will switch their manufacturing focus from trucks to fuel efficient cars. Better late than never.

We still plan to go full-timing in September of 2009. We won't drive as far (never liked long drives anyway) and will stay in each place longer. Unless, of course, they don't have the "IT Factor".

We'll catch up with you in 17 months. Be sure to leave the light on for us.

FD5 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Diesel today, $4.28 gallon.

debken · RV-Dreams Family Member

Diesel today here in Salt Lake City: $4.43 a gallon.

Darrell and Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Whatta bargain. Here in upper state New York it's $4.67.

Darrell and Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Oops!!! It had been a couple of days since I saw the prices - they are now $4.799. That's $4.80 no matter how you slice it.

phyllen · RV-Dreams Family Member

Here is southern NJ, I pay $3.55 for regular, hubby pays $4.29 for diesel.

Speedhitch · RV-Dreams Family Member

Looks like we will be getting off the Gold Standard and going to the Oil Standard....or is that Standard Oil??? Oh well either way we will be real careful on how far we drive and how we drive from now on.

Joe and Sherri

Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

As of yesterday here in Ca. it was $4.79 for diesel. Everyone says look for $5.00 a gal. for diesel soon!!!
southwestjudy

Darrell and Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yep, $5.00 a gallon is on the horizon - just hit $4.859 here yesterday. The truck came running home with its tail pipe between its tires.

pierreandcolleen · RV-Dreams Family Member

$5/gallon for diesel as of yesterday (yikes). I guess we might be staying longer in the places we travel to....that actually sounds like a good thing.

Has anyone found any problems with using biodiesel? I guess it voids the warranty on the truck, but I was wondering if it actually does any damage. Around here is is almost a dollar cheaper than regular diesel.

-C

thebearII · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just saw an Arco station in Redondo Beach, CA. by the 405 FWY with diesel at $5.09.

I stopped to put gas in my car at another station. They have those TVs on the top of the pumps that play the local news and advertisements. There was a segment playing showing that the gas dealers only make about 13 cents for every gallon they sell. and the profit drops to 3 cents per gallon when a credit card is used.

And yet the oil companies continue to reap record profits. The dealers obviously aren't sharing in those profits.

Time for Jack & Danielle Meyer to build a solar panel equipped electric powered RV.

Jim01 · RV-Dreams Family Member

$4.43 in Western part of Virginia, and $4.53 just North of Knoxville, TN.

wmalefyt · RV-Dreams Family Member

Today in Naples, FL diesel is $4.66 and when I last posted on this thread in Nov. 2006 it was $2.56!

Darrell and Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are now over five dollars a gallon here in the Adirondacks of New York. Screw it, let's roll!!!

Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Tonites news.... disel here in Ca. 4.99 a gal.
southwestjudy

wmalefyt · RV-Dreams Family Member

Tim & Robyn wrote:

I really think it's more of a supply/demand issue. If a refinery goes offline somewhere for whatever reason, the total available supply is going to be less.

When a desirable commodity is in short supply, it costs more to get your hands on it. You also tend to buy only what you really need, so it's less likely that the commodity will completely run out. Remember the long lines at the pumps back in the '70s, and the gas stations running out of gas? Remember also that there were price controls in effect at that time? Price controls are almost guaranteed to produce shortages...

Everybody should read 'Basic Economics' by Thomas Sowell (yea, I know... ). It opened my eyes to a lot of stuff never taught in the schools. If everybody knew how things really worked, the politicians wouldn't be able to get away with
the lies they tell now to manipulate voters.

I better get off my soap box... It's too early in the morning for that...

If there is a shortage it sure hasn't been noticed where we live! Where are the long lines at the pumps like in the '70's? There aren't any lines because the gas stations always have fuel available. I just read that the US consumed considerably less fuel this year compared to last year!

I think it's the speculators on Wall Street and OPEC who have a lot to do with the high prices. Also thanks to doing nothing, the US Administration and Congress are to blame as well. All they do is bring in the oil company execs and blame them! I can't wait for election day so we can vote the bums out!

luvn2rv · RV-Dreams Community Member

We have been looking into alternative diesel, such as using used oil from resturants. Has anyone used or talked to someone who has used this? Sounds reasonable.

Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Friends of ours use both cooking oil and diesel. They were telling us how they would call ahead while on the road and get the used leftover oil from the fast food eateries. It all has to be filtered before using.
southwestjudy

Tim & Robyn · RV-Dreams Family Member

This was in our local Sunday paper this morning, picked up from the AP:

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/story/330668.html#recent_comm

Howard · Host

I got the following email from one of our readers up in Nova Scotia on May 31.

This to notify everyone that gas up here is selling at:

$1.35 plus a litre.United States gallon=3.75 litres

Canadian Gallon=4.57 litres

Diesel is selling at $1.55 per litre

The way things have been going each week there has been
a raise of any where from 3-7 cents every week but
hopefully it will stablize soon.

Hope this helps anyone travelling

-- Edited by Howard at 11:10, 2008-06-02

Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yesterday while here in Ca. prices of gas are at $5.29 for diesel. We found a station at $4.97 and pulled in and filled up for $300.00. It was predicted on some of the news stations here that it may reach $7.00 a gallon!!! However, we shall continue up the coast just staying longer at some of the TT Pks.
Southwestjudy

Guiler85 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Diesel is "down" to $4.699 at the Flying J in Carlisle, PA. Sad that I was excited about that!

gypsy97 · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm really concerned about this because I'm still in the research stage and I hate to get priced out before I ever get a chance to try full timing. So how are you all coping with the high fuel prices? Are you staying longer in one place, driving fewer miles to the next place, not visiting local attractions, etc? I read somewhere that a campground on the west coast charged a $60 fee for a credit check on someone who wanted to rent for a month. Has anyone found this to be true for them? What is the longest you spend in one CG?
gypsy

RVDude · RV-Dreams Family Member

Before we get our fuel lines all bent out of shape and tied up, look at your budget. What percent of the total is fuel? What real monthly difference does it make if fuel were $4 or $6? Yes, the sticker shock at the pump is unbearable. But, when you sit down and really look at the outlay difference in real expenditures on a monthly/yearly basis, well, maybe it really isn't all that bad as the sticker shock makes you feel.

Another take might be the following example. At 8mpg and $4/gal fuel that is $0.50/mile. At a whopping $6/gal that's $0.75/mile or $0.25/mile more than the "cheaper old days." Over a 1,000 mile trip that whopping pump price "only" adds $250 - a sizeable but perhaps not debilitating increase. And remember, this example went from $4 to $6 fuel.

So, looking at the big scheme, maybe, just maybe, it isn't totally gloom and doom albeit painful to watch the fuel pump dollar meter fly while filling.

Just offering another way to look at the painful reality of today in a positve, get out there light!

Guiler85 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gypsy, please, please, please don't let the fuel prices keep you from experiencing what we think is the best lifestyle in the world! Yes, these prices hurt the wallet a little, but the gains in seeing this country as well as living life on YOUR terms is well worth the trade-off.

We have been sitting for a couple of months in Central PA and will continue to do so until mid-September. This was the plan all along. We figure we'll look at our budget towards the end of the summer and do some re-figuring as Jeff, AKA RV Dude, suggests above. We may sit for longer periods of time, but we're still gonna travel.

Don't let your dream go. Just rearrange it! :)