Will the rise in gas prices affect your summer plans?

[nds]

I noticed a poll, asking the members, how many trips they plan to take this summer. With the rising price of gas, now $2.00 a gallon in some areas and even $3.00 in California, is this going to reduce the amount of trips you planned, prior to these prices going up?

[Over59]

We aren't able to spend alot of days on the road so the effects is minimal. Will likely continue to drive slower. I am however rethinking the new Yukon XL purchase. It would be the tow and daily car. May keep the 96 truck for towing and get a used good milage car for getting to work.

[Porky Pig]

Gee .. we certainly picked a great time to start fulltiming.

No .. the rise in fuel prices will not change our plans one bit ... just our menus. Instead of grilled salmon ... last night we had beans and water for dinner.

[markdoane]

I don't have a tow vehicle yet, I've been watching for deals. I think the prices on gas hogs will drop if gas prices stay high. I don't have a long drive to work, but I might hold on to my old Audi for daily driving, and buy a late model used truck for our infrequent trips.

[overlander64]

The current as well as projected fuel prices for the travel season will have less of an impact on my travel plans than my move from the Quad Cities to Southern Illinois. When I made my plans, I used $2.25/gallon when developing my budget and I am hoping that my overall average for fuel will be close to that. Fortunately, the Minuet 6.0 Metre doesn't even reduce my fuel mileage with the Suburban (except in the Rocky Mountains - - and then only by about 1 MPG over the Suburban's normal solo MPG for the same conditions). I guess that will be my one major compromise when traveling this summer - - the Minuet will be my main travel vehicle - - the Airstream will likely rest most of the Summer in its new Southern Illinois home.

Kevin

[Pahaska]

I would rather have the extra cash for other things, but I will travel as usual. Having a diesel sure helps ... I filled up at 157.9 the other day.

I figure an extra $100 for fuel on my long trip coming up and maybe $50 for my other Airstream travel this year..

[Pick]

I doubt that it will effect us much. We tend to stick around a 100-150 mile radius from home. So that is 10 gallons either way. Might make $10 difference in the cost of a weekend camping trip. Not really a deal breaker.

[swebster]

It won't effect us much at all except that I'll grumble more than usual when filling up that 80 gallon tank - OUCH!

We're headed to FL in two weeks for our yearly family vacation. Last year we took our Jeep and stayed in hotels on the way down. We also ate a restaraunts along the way. I think when it was all said and done we spent about $440 in gas, lodging and meals down and back for five of us. This year we'll be taking the 345 and I think it will costs us about $550 - $600. For that "extra" $100 - $150 we'll stop less often and shorten the trip time, and we'll eat our food when we want and we won't be driving around at 1:00 am looking for a hotel!

We have the use of our families house in FL so there is not a big gain in hotel costs once there. But If you look at all of the costs we could not fly two of there for what it will cost us to take the Airstream.

Still - this is insane. I did notice that prices dropped about 9 cents today...part of this "ratcheting" up and down I wonder?

[Edie]

I don't think it will curtail our travels, but it will probably change our destinations.

We went to a Corp of Engineers park in the Everglades over Memorial Day weekend. The park was clean but without much to do. Between the heat and the mosquitoes we mostly stayed inside the MH. No lie, I saw three or four of the flying bloodsuckers that were as big as a nickel. In fact, two of those mosquitoes on steroids bit me!

The campground had 50 amp electric and water, and a dump station at the exit. It was only $10 per night, which initially sounds like a good deal.

The kicker is that we spent $160 on fuel getting there and home. I think we will be willing to pay much higher campground fees to stay closer to home and maybe at parks with more activities.

With fuel prices soaring, I think we will look at more camping options nearby. If we are going to spend $180 for a weekend we should be able to find something really exciting to do. I'd rather spend the money on touring than filling the fuel tank.

We'll still get out and go, but we'll be more selective about the destinations.

[71_safari]

At $2.34/gal (today) we need all the conservation strategies we can think of. We have been over $2 for at least a year here in the bay area. I drive my car and motorcycle for daily use, save the truck for pulling, and don't go as far when I do go. Fortunately we have some nice camping within an hour's drive so that helps, as does that fine Airstream engineering!

I think the only possible benefit out of all the pain we feel at the pump is that as a country we are once again thinking about fuel as what it is - a limited resource which is (mostly) imported from a very unstable region of the world. And which we use at a price that goes far beyond the pump. The C-word (conservation) is a good thing which seemed to have been forgotten from the last time we had to learn this lesson the hard way in the 70's and early 80's.

john

[Stefrobrts]

I don't mind conserving gas, but we find it difficult to do, especially when one of our hobbies is to travel. We use our full-size van as our work truck for our business, and really it has been one of those things that we are thankful we bought every day, despite the 14mpg. It is just so handy to have to haul stuff in, and there have been times we stuffed it full - did that again today in fact. And it does a great job pulling the trailer, so we're very happy with it. I wouldn't downsize for anything.

However the Bronco, which only got 9mpg, has broken down, and now sits abandoned next to the garage. A year ago I couldn't sell it, everytime the buyer learned what kind of milage it got, they ran away screaming. Now with gas as expensive as it is, I don't think I'd have a chance of selling it even if I got it running again!

We replaced it with a Miata, which gets about 30mpg, and use that for all of our running around town where we don't need to haul things. This saves us quite a bit in gas for the short trips, and so we don't feel so bad about taking the trailer out this summer.

We figure this is our hobby, and it's what we enjoy. We might as well get out and do it. After all, next year might be even worse!

[Janet H]

I don't know if fuel costs will affect our summer travel plans but I do know that wherever we go - we'll get there slower.
Keeping highway speeds under 60 has significantly improved fuel milage on our diesel truck. I'm learning that it's OK to ride in the right lane....... patience is hard won.

[norbert]

the rise in fuel prices, was the "frosting on the cake" that put the kibash on my trip to alaska this year. i instead will make many shorter trips in the land of lincoln. my 1 ton van gets better mileage then my previous 1/2 ton van so i am already doing my part.....i fail to see how putting an extra "horse in the stable" will save money in light of the extra costs involved....
norby

[Scaler113]

We just completed a 9 day trip to Yellowstone. We saw unleaded from 1.989 in Montana to 2.269 here at home. With our 2002 F150 and 21 foot Sovereign we averaged 11.27 mpg. This figures to around 18 cents a mile for gas. We held speed under 60 mph. Gas is a major expense but we just got our AS and want to use it. Perhaps shorter trips?
Phil

[boondockdad]

Wow. $1.98/gal and there was discussion of it putting a damper on vacation plans..

Digging up an oldie, because it's something I think we're going to be struggling with very soon... (and it was interesting to see what Scaler113 paid in 2004 for his YNP trip)

Here's the data dump (iPhone app) from our 2011 Yellowstone NP trip



That's $2,045 at around $4/gal.
If we do Bryce, Zion, Arches, Grand Canyon this summer, and the predictions of $5/gal are right- we'll be somewhere north of $3,000

not. cool.

[sempi2]

The way we are looking at it - is, we winterized and didn't spend any money for traveling during the winter. So we will take as many trips we can get in during the milder weather months. Also since we retired our gas bill has gone down quite a bit.

[AIR-Quarius]

If we go anywhere - I plan to attach a 'slow moving vehicle' sign (like on tractors), and they can just pass me all day long if they want...I am prepared for all those fingers.

[Mexray]

$3.839 and 'counting' for 87rated gasoline in Northern Calif today - our Excursion's thirsty...!

You bet, $5/gallon fuel will influence our travel plans! I can see shorter trips in our future - like to the bank for a 'fuel loan'...

Bad part is, just as the RV biz seems to be gaining some strength again, high fuel prices will surly put another damper on sales...

Also, and you heard it here first (?), there will be another 'change' in Washington if we see gasoline rise to about $5/gal this fall...

[Davern1]

We are paying over $4 a gallon for super here in Southern California. I just hate paying over $100 to fill a 26 gallon tank and I'll think hard about getting something more fuel efficient for the next tow vehicle. However, $5 gas won't discourage us from traveling this summer. I think it will tick me off enough that I'll have to get away in the trailer. There are just too many areas we blow money that can be better spent traveling, no matter what the price of gas is.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, if you are going to go, them just go. Don't wait for gas to be cheaper. I used to say that the gas prices in California are higher than anywhere else, so where ever I go, it will cost less. Well on our trip, from July 1, 2011 to August 20, 2011, we went to Alaska. The prices in Canada and Alaska were way higher. I have a 30 gallon tank and it usually takes about 20 to 22 gallons to fill it up; I paid as high as $150.00 for a tank of Regular. My Lincoln is supposed to run Premium only, but many of the gas stations on the way, only had two types of pumps, Diesel & Regular. It was either go now and pay the prices, or possibly never go.