Gas Prices Impact on Your Travel Plans

[TST Systems]

Hi All,

I am Dan Covington, President of Truck System Technologies, Inc and as many of you are aware, we sponser this forum.

I appreciate the depth of knowledge and experience within our forums, and I was just wondering if the rising fuel prices would affect your travel plans this season...

Please share with me your thoughts, and the potential impact (if any) these added costs will bear on your travel plans this season.

Thank you for taking the time to read and reply, and I look forward to chatting with you!

Thank You!

Dan Covington
President
Truck System Technologies, Inc

["007"]

Welcome to the Newmar forum and irv2,& thanks for the sponsorship T.S.T.Systems.
I own a gas coach and back in 2004 had the ECM programed by Brazels another irv2 sponsor to improve my gas mileage.
I would say its paid for itself with prices as they are now.
As for travel plans health reasons will control our travels but we plan on weekend trips to local states even as gas pricing raise.
I think as RVers answer your question you will find many will still travel but maybe closer to home or full timers with longer stays at their destinations.
Thanks for posting Dan, will be interesting to see the results.

T.S.T. Systems-------RV Systems

[jjr4]

The price of fuel will not influence any of our travel plans.

[RetiredBob]

I may not be as quick to just jump in the coach and go off for a few days, but generally the prices won't have a significant impact on our plans. Gasoline is still a relatively small part of our overall budget.

[Hipshot]

The price of gas will not affect our travel plans. I did trade in the silverado for a HHR, but I needed a toad. I miss the silverado but 23 mpg vs 14 mpg in town makes up for it.

[GaryKD]

Hi TST Systems,
Nope. Easy answer. Fuel prices will not impact my travel plans. For the next 3 years I have a commitment to the Gkids to finish. I keep my commitments.

[D in Davie]

I have been dream of this trip for years and will not change one mile of it. I will change how I camp. I will be towing an Equinox and will camp in state and national parks as opposed to resorts. I am trying to join PPA. I will cook in more and eat out less. I will stay longer in one place and use the car for excursions. I will travel to northern locations where I won't have to use the AC and will be able to boondock more or just use the features of my Class A to their fullest.

[Paintblend]

I am more the weekender or long weekender,, and the gas prices will cause me to take closer trips for the weekends and i will be more speed conscience, tooling down the 4 lane,,, so yes the gas prices will have an affect on my decisions because not only gas but food and everything else will and has gone up,, because of the fuel prices,, i did not get a 33% raise to cover the cost of gas so my budget has to be adjusted ,, i feel most weekenders will take closer trips or less trips but stay longer at their destination if possible,, and be more fuel aware,, because those of us who are not financially able to increase our recreation budget will have to cut cost somewhere,, even if that means camping in the driveway,, campfire on the sidewalk, plugged into the neighbors garage

[Glassalley52]

It has already changed our plans. We just spent a weeks vacation time at our permanent campsite instead of going elsewhere. Instead of taking both vehicles to the camper, we leave the Vette at home on weekends because it won't hold the two of us and the animals, but we will still go. Like a previous poster stated, we'll eat in more often. I've also started buying store brands where before I never looked at the cost of food items.

[TNT RV]

Rising prices haven't changed our travel plans for the year. Getting prepared to leave Colorado this coming Sunday for Ohio, the Blue Ridge Mountains, thru North Carolina to visit friends, and then to Pawley's Island in South Carolina to visit family, then back to Colorado for the summer. We have booked sites in State Parks as we find the price to be more reasonable than RV parks / resorts. Also we tend to eat in than go out to save on expenses. Safe travels!

[Scottsdale]

I was going to take the motorhome on a 600 mile round trip to a Jeep Jamboree. DW was not going, so instead of spending all the money on fuel, I found a cheap motel for the 4 nights instead. If DW had been going with me, then I would have taken the rig. Going on another trip to a Jeep Jamboree in about 2 weeks that is only about 180 miles round trip, so will take the motorhome this time.

We are taking a year off from full-timing to spend more time with the grand kids and that has turned out to be a good decision with the price of fuel.

[tommildren]

I will not change my travel plans and will depart Texas next month for 3 to 4 months traveling thru Virginia up to Maine and back. I wish there was some way to let the idiots in Washington DC who have created this problem just how I would like to solve it but I know numerous law enforcement agencies are listening.
Travel the same just have less money to spend on the fun and food!!!!!

[TST Systems]

Like most of you, gas prices are not likely to change our RVing plans either.

We spend a lot of time at weekend sites, and we will find ourselves eating in more, and staying at more state parks versus resorts.

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, the memories we make as a family in the RV adventuring (as we see it...) together are truly priceless.

My daughters caught their very first fish while camping in North Georgia and we have had many a close, important conversation while on the trail or over a campfire.

My children experience nature, and they have learned many lessons regarding the importance of leaving a place better than you find it...etc..

They have also had a good chuckle at my expense, like the first weekend we went camping in the RV, my exhaust pipe hung up on a rock. I had no sooner looked at my then 8 year old daughter and said "whew, we made it" when the pipe bent and I drove over it causing a terrible noise as it was dragging.

She saw also how camping brings people together. My neighber came over with a hack saw, and I cut the bad portion of the pipe off, and rigged the remaining pipe up with a coat hanger until I could get it home and to the shop.

We have had the pleasure making many new friends on our excursions, and I look forward to meeting the friends we haven't met yet.

Our RV is the epitimy of family time for us, and I am grateful for every moment spent therein.

Please keep your comments coming, and also, please let me know what makes RVing special for you!

Thank You All!
Dan Covington
President
Truck System Technologies, Inc

[soricobob]

I've been camping too long to change. In the 50's I led groups on the Allagash, and bicycled across the country and Canadian Rockies. In the 60's we took our VW bus around the country twice (including 66 in L.A. and 67 in Detroit), and our son was conceived at Ft Desoto. In the 70's we did the National Parks we missed previously, and in the 80s and 90s we did it with the kids. Now we do it with the Grandkids. When it's your life you don't give it up, and trying to instill it in the following generations you might temper the travel, but we can't stop it.