Impact of fuel prices on travel

Diesel is around $6,30 in Palm Springs, CA area.

I guess I have to jump in here. Diesel is currently $4.87 which is way, way to much! We are lucky I guess because one of our absolute favorite National Forest CG's is only 125 miles from home. We have stayed there many times over the years so I think we can squeak in a few trips to there this year. I really hate to advertise but I am sure I will be asked so here is the name "Bootleg". It right off US 395 in the Walker River Canyon, great place.
Bill

Lantley wrote:

Likes to tow wrote:
High gas prices are only part of the issue. Supply and availability are also major concerns. Last year certain areas in the East were without gas due to cyber attacks on the supply chain. It was short in duration but a trial run for the real deal? The world is a powder keg right now and with current events and response to those events something major could happen. I don't think I want to be more than one tank full away from home!

Snap out of it. All the gloom in doom is n your mind.
The only reality is none of us are guranteed our hearts will be beating in the morning.
What cost more buying a $100,000 worth of RV and tow vehicle and not using it. Or spending an extra grand on gas for the entire season.
There have been no prolonged recent gas shortages.
The likely hood of gas being available is as good as the likely hood of us being alive an able to travel.
While no one can predict the future there is ample gas supply for my lifeime! Which by the way maybe shorter than I think.
With that in mind do your "RV thing" today regardless of fuel prices.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Sure we may have to adjust our budgets and make some changes, but don't stop living. The time is now. The clock is ticking. Our lifespan is more limited than the fuel supply

"The future is uncertain and the end is always near"
Jim Morrison.

Likes to tow wrote:
High gas prices are only part of the issue. Supply and availability are also major concerns. Last year certain areas in the East were without gas due to cyber attacks on the supply chain. It was short in duration but a trial run for the real deal? The world is a powder keg right now and with current events and response to those events something major could happen. I don't think I want to be more than one tank full away from home!

Snap out of it. All the gloom in doom is n your mind.
The only reality is none of us are guranteed our hearts will be beating in the morning.
What cost more buying a $100,000 worth of RV and tow vehicle and not using it. Or spending an extra grand on gas for the entire season.
There have been no prolonged recent gas shortages.
The likely hood of gas being available is as good as the likely hood of us being alive an able to travel.
While no one can predict the future there is ample gas supply for my lifeime! Which by the way maybe shorter than I think.
With that in mind do your "RV thing" today regardless of fuel prices.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Sure we may have to adjust our budgets and make some changes, but don't stop living. The time is now. The clock is ticking. Our lifespan is more limited than the fuel supply

Some will do less long distance trips. Instead of road trips many will drive their rig to a place they like and seasonal camp. Our friends in Maine who roamed the country for several years in their 5th wheel decided to leave it at a seasonal campground in Florida, they found a campground which is economical and includes storage, yet not far from amenities/sights. They have become snow birds, they drive their mid size car from Maine to Florida each Thanksgiving and return in April. Now they have a winter home in Florida they look forward to each year. Instead of selling their 5'er or parking it up on their driveway they changed their camping style. Won't suit everyone but worth thinking about. Pick your best spot and seasonal a few years to ride things out.

Hammerboy wrote:

Thermoguy wrote:
Paid $162 to fill my tank in Western WA the other day... That hurts.

Ha! I got you beat, I filled up for $162.50 @ $4.89 a gallon the other day. Had to swipe the card twice because many stations have the $100 limit for whatever reason. I did see a couple of stations drop their price $.07 over the weekend though.

Anyway we haven't cancelled any trips this year and we have all our reservations made. With that being said our longest trip is only 600 miles round trip and the rest are between 50-250 miles round trip. Considering the actual cost of vacation time, campsites, daytrips etc. the extra $1.50 a gallon this year is a small cost in regards to the entire trip.

Dan

Lucky you - I was at $5.39 a gallon...

While I could complain about the price of fuel, I may as well yell at the wind. I don't plan on cancelling any of my plans. In the grand scheme of things, I look at fuel as one of the least expensive parts of Rv'ing. I still pay more for a 6 pack of beer than a gallon of diesel. Heck in most restaurants I pay more for a single beer. On the up side - hoping there is a chance that these rising fuel prices will cause some others to cancel their reservations so we can actually get a site somewhere other than what we already have planned. The COVID rush of campers were cramping my camping. Folks being forced back into offices, being in a recession, looming RV market fall, understanding RV's take work and money to own, and a host of other factors should contribute to a lot of newbies hanging it up.

Thermoguy wrote:
Paid $162 to fill my tank in Western WA the other day... That hurts.

Ha! I got you beat, I filled up for $162.50 @ $4.89 a gallon the other day. Had to swipe the card twice because many stations have the $100 limit for whatever reason. I did see a couple of stations drop their price $.07 over the weekend though.

Anyway we haven't cancelled any trips this year and we have all our reservations made. With that being said our longest trip is only 600 miles round trip and the rest are between 50-250 miles round trip. Considering the actual cost of vacation time, campsites, daytrips etc. the extra $1.50 a gallon this year is a small cost in regards to the entire trip.

Dan

Paid $162 to fill my tank in Western WA the other day... That hurts.

It's not the price of gas that will keep us from camping, its the inability to get a reservation at a site... We only have 1 booked this year. We will plan to Boondock the rest of the trips. Will stay closer to home just because we know where we can go and where we will have time away from crowds.

At least 5 years ago I started putting money into an extra bank account I have.
I've turned that money into my "camping and recreation fund" savings account.
The money from that account goes towards fuel for my vacations and camping trips.

Because that money sits there and isn't used for anything else, it's not a huge hit to my main bank account to go camping.

The drawback this year with higher diesel prices is that my "special bank account" will deplete faster than usual.