Community Forums

Bill0828 · 11-07-2007, 01:44 PM

I'm sure this has been discussed before so please forgive me if I'm "beating a dead horse"...are the pump prices(gas or diesel) starting to alter your RV travel plans? I'veseen reports that say "RVers won't stop till price hits $5,$6 or highter. Do you agree with these "reports"?
There are those in this country who believe that if you own an RV,any RV you are well heeled i.e. "rich" or so well off you're insulated from the rising fuel costs.
Where do the rest of you out there see this industry in a year or two? I'm not ready to throw in the towel by a long shot but, if fuel gets to $5+ a gallon I'm gonna think real hard about setting off on a trip to anywhere.
Just my two cents worth. Had to vent!

Bill0828 · 11-07-2007, 01:44 PM

I'm sure this has been discussed before so please forgive me if I'm "beating a dead horse"...are the pump prices(gas or diesel) starting to alter your RV travel plans? I'veseen reports that say "RVers won't stop till price hits $5,$6 or highter. Do you agree with these "reports"?
There are those in this country who believe that if you own an RV,any RV you are well heeled i.e. "rich" or so well off you're insulated from the rising fuel costs.
Where do the rest of you out there see this industry in a year or two? I'm not ready to throw in the towel by a long shot but, if fuel gets to $5+ a gallon I'm gonna think real hard about setting off on a trip to anywhere.
Just my two cents worth. Had to vent!

bill carle · 11-07-2007, 02:03 PM

Bill, I suspect this happy camper will continue to enjoy our motor home for quite awhile. Some of the trips may be shorter but consider the following. Hurricane Noel decided to make sure we did circle eights in the ocean. One short stop to Key West resulted in almost being drowned from a 400 gallon salt water fish tank which exploded in a restaurant about 15 feet from where we were sitting

. One question I might pose is: Where are all the expert engineers and scientist trying to get a little better gas mileage?? In the 50's we ran cars that weighed more and the mileage wasn't that much different. Not much "progress" in 50+ years.....

Teach · 11-07-2007, 02:03 PM

We have already cancelled one trip. Thinking seriously about selling MH.

Two Bit · 11-07-2007, 02:17 PM

It has absolutely altered our RVing plans.

With diesel (and gas) going up twice each week and diesel being $3.19 today we are cancelling the normal Thanksgiving RV trip of 250 miles roundtrip. The gas cost for the 400 miles a week we have to drive for work has eaten away at the budget leaving nothing to spare for RVing. We are definitely NOT well heeled. Our daily driver Jeep Cherokee has 175,000 miles on it and the 2002 diesel pickup in the sig. was bought used. The RV may not see many miles for a long time.

diandtom · 11-07-2007, 02:33 PM

We were going to take the rig down to Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving, but not we are going to drive the car and stay in motel or drive back that night. I am not selling the fiver, but may hang on to it for years and years. I was thinking about getting a new one in a couple years but not now. I wish everybody else out there would ride scooters or use public transportation so fuel would come down and we could afford to take the rig out more..

KD4AO Bob · 11-07-2007, 03:30 PM

Canceling trips, Motel makes more sense. Time away is being shortened. Finding ways to enjoy home more. OH WELL!!!!!!

diandtom · 11-07-2007, 04:07 PM

We are still going to Florida in Jan. and going to stay longer. As much as it cost to go down, we might as well stay awhile.

trvlrs2 · 11-07-2007, 04:11 PM

We were planning a summer trip to Alaska for next year with the Motorhome. We canceled that and now planning to fly up, rent a car, then fly back. Shorten our travel time and save alot of money.... Besides that the Gov. is over-charging for passports. $300.00 for two just to get through Canada!!
Look at the bright side. Less air polution from all the big rigs....Helping to curb the Global Warming....
Bill

Bill0828 · 11-07-2007, 05:03 PM

thanks to those who have replied so far...I have to believe that this fuel situation is going to impact the RV lifestyle in a big way. My wife is already saying that we should re-think going to the '08 international rally in Duquion. I was looking forward to it myself but, now, I'm not so sure. I'd have to think real hard before putting up the for sale sign on our RV but, if things (fuel)continue the present trend...I don't want to contemplate the the possibility!
Maybe,just maybe, the spectulators will be forced to see a bit of reality and the prices will back off...and pigs will fly!

UFO Pilot · 11-07-2007, 05:17 PM

I think future traders are mostly to blame for rising costs. Speculators see a chance to make profits on something we all want. I see another ENRON im the making!

BOB E · 11-07-2007, 05:59 PM

We have choices, either sit back & pay - or - start bugging you congressmen & senators.
I sent the following letter to both. (certified mail)
You're welcome to copy, paste, & edit if you want to do so also.
***********************************************

Dear ___________

We would like to thank you, the petroleum industry, and the oil trader-speculators for contributing to the highway robbery we, the working class and voters of this country, are subject to, every time we need to fill our tanks.

We hope you are aware that we are aware of the obscene profits the oil companies & speculators are reaping while we struggle to pay the grocery bill, the house payments, and keep our families warm in the winter.

They have a monopoly, you know it, and we know it!!!

The latest increase in fuel pricing is absolutely ludicrous and will force a number of us to suffer a dismal holiday season, to say nothing of the hardships it imposes on those that live on a fixed income.

The retailers hope of a successful holiday selling season is a "pipe dream" as the looming prospect of $100 fill-ups will outweigh Christmas shopping.

Several of us must already decide whether to drive to the grocery store or walk, in order to have enough money to buy necessities when we get there! (Christmas shopping is out of the question)

Furthermore, we are sick and tired of being fed BS every time there is a price hike.
This time, . . .the media says it's "because of tensions". We again say BS.!!!

We are informed well enough to know there isn't any shortage or any legitimate reason for prices to increase as dramatically or as rapidly and they have (this time) and also, over the preceding 2 years!

We are an organized recreational vehicle group and we know how to vote.

We have initiated an "awareness of the issues" discussion, and we will continue to keep our members current on your involvement.

We are calling on you to take action now! Lip service is not acceptable nor are "programs" to increase oil production "in the future". We've heard all of this already.

The entire petroleum production structure needs to be investigated as well as the Wallstreet speculators that are essentially controlling oil prices.

Oil can and should be removed from the trading floor. The financial "boys" are obviously profit driven and play a significant role in hiking prices to ridiculous levels.
They are unnecessary middlemen and do nothing but extract profit.

This should not be allowed on a monopolized resource.

You broke up AT&T because it had grown into a monster. We see very little difference between that and the assinine price fixing that is currently being allowed (or should we say ignored) in the petroleum industry.

You have been elected to represent the interests of the majority of your constituents for the common good. Your constituents are suffering and need relief now!

Do your job and initiate a meaningful investigation, then enact legislation to get the speculators out of the oil business!

Respectfully,

_____________

Rick A · 11-08-2007, 05:34 AM

Our camper is parked until it is sold. Then I will be trading in the truck I just purchased and taking a huge loss on it because with the increases in gas, I will not be able to afford the daily commute to work, much less weekend excursions with the family. I can't wait to hear all the retailers complaing about dismal holiday retail sales because we are paying over $3/Gal in November and December. $4-$5/Gal and the economy is done. How to fix all this, too late!

SeeTheUSA · 11-08-2007, 06:01 AM

IMHO the handwriting has been on the wall regarding what is likely to happen to oil prices for . . . oh . . . about 35 years. OIL PRICES ARE GOING TO INCREASE because of:

- competing economies (China, India, etc)
- political issues (look who controls most of world's supply - they hate us)
- unwillingness of US society and government to make conservation a way of life

Soooo - we bought a small RV, not because we like small, but because we like to travel in our RV. Could have bought larger for less money, but wanted efficiency.

Our travel plans haven't changed yet.