RV Fuel Issues & Prices - Post 'Em Here!

LindsayRichards wrote:
Wow that CNG fueling station in a box is exciting. It will deliver a 40% savings over $3.50/gal and we have centuries of supply. I don't see why this couldn't be used on RV's. The 7+ gallons per minute delivery of fuel is acceptable. That would have saved me hundreds of dollars in the last few weeks. I understand that regular gasoline engines can be converted to GNG, but I would think it would generally be on new coaches and trucks.

I agree, this could help significantly diversify our transportation energy supply. I like seeing continuing innovation in all areas of energy types and efficiency. This has driven developments like the Ford Eco-boost V6 in the F150 pickup.

I was disappointed today to see that A123 Systems is going bankrupt. They had promising innovative Lithium Ion battery technology that would make said batteries more efficient. Why is this important? If said batteries became cheaper, widely available, and standardized then they would be affordable and standardized in more vehicles. Just think about all the billions of gallons of fuel that is wasted each year by vehicles creeping along in rush hour traffic. That is just in the US, multiply that by all the gridlocked cities of the world.

Weekenders: Seems the dollars we spend at the pump are of the same value as the dollars we pay for crude. So if if a devalued $ boosts the number of them required to buy a barrel, pump prices would necessarily increase by the same number of $$, all things being equal. (I know, I know.) So we must all accept the devalued $ hurts us at the pump.

But wait! If today it takes 20 fewer of those devalued $$ to buy that barrel of crude, I'm being told we still need just as many of those cheap $$ to purchase the pump juice?

I certainly hope Mr. Garner is correct, because if a drop in per barrel price does not show at the pump, it would then follow that any increase in cheap $$ required to purchase oil will not be accompanied by an increase in pump prices.

Thirty some years ago, a politician said he only knew of one person in the country who understood the dollar, and that was a mid level bureaucrat working at Treasury. Listening to the "experts" and watching them work tends to solidify the accuracy of that observation.

Up until the crash in 2008 diesel was discounted in the non winter months. It was a by-product of producing sufficient gasoline to meet demand and in warmer months with less #2 oil demand too much was made. Since 2008 the US crude oil demand has dropped by 3 million bbls/day. That created a situation where just enough diesel is made to meet demand. The price now reflects this.

Many believe that gasoline being more "highly refined" should cost more and diesel less. The answer to that is refining is the cheapest component in fuel cost with crude oil and taxes being far greater. Diesel fuel is approximately 20% denser than gasoline and hence has more crude oil in it. It's therefore more valuable than gasoline and costs more accordingly. Diesel also packs about 15% more (energy) BTUs due to that increased mass.

I hope this clears up some misconceptions.

cekkk wrote:
Diesel up 20 cents in a week in this area. It seems to me the oil companies are taking it in the shorts for downline folks. A fire in a CA refinery reduces diesel output there and maybe that's an signal to immediately raise diesel prices everywhere. The immediacy is a red flag IMO. Crude could drop $20 today. Does anybody believe pump prices would drop commensurately tomorrow?

Gene Graner of Heartland Investor Servcies in Bismarckhas stated many times with all the QE's, the value of the dollar has weakened hence any significant drop in crude oil will not affect pump price much.

SRT wrote:

The Weekenders wrote:

SRT wrote:
Wow, high diesel costs have arrived up here. Prices are up to $4.39 to $4.59. Gasoline prices are running $3.74 to $3.79.

Yep, it seems it has moved from NoDak to your area now. We are in Bismarck this weekend and Sams Club was at $4.03 for the cheapest diesel around.

Are these prices a side effect from the fracking in the Williston Basin?

Sounds like the spring/fall shortage in the midwest. Springs work and and harvesting uses up a lot and as well the diesel used in fracking, the mega amount of trucks in the Bakken along major road construction in ND. Highest price for diesel I have seen in NoDak is in the Williston area at around $4.59 or so. If it was going to go up, glad it happened now and not during the peak RVing season. :)

Diesel up 20 cents in a week in this area. It seems to me the oil companies are taking it in the shorts for downline folks. A fire in a CA refinery reduces diesel output there and maybe that's an signal to immediately raise diesel prices everywhere. The immediacy is a red flag IMO. Crude could drop $20 today. Does anybody believe pump prices would drop commensurately tomorrow?

Are these prices a side effect from the fracking in the Williston Basin?

They are getting crude oil, not diesel and it is shipped by train to the refineries to be made into gas, diesel and other products. The price near the wells isn't affected by closeness to the raw source.

The Weekenders wrote:

SRT wrote:
Wow, high diesel costs have arrived up here. Prices are up to $4.39 to $4.59. Gasoline prices are running $3.74 to $3.79.

Yep, it seems it has moved from NoDak to your area now. We are in Bismarck this weekend and Sams Club was at $4.03 for the cheapest diesel around.

Are these prices a side effect from the fracking in the Williston Basin?

SRT wrote:
Wow, high diesel costs have arrived up here. Prices are up to $4.39 to $4.59. Gasoline prices are running $3.74 to $3.79.

Yep, it seems it has moved from NoDak to your area now. We are in Bismarck this weekend and Sams Club was at $4.03 for the cheapest diesel around.

I am thinking diesel may hit $5.00 this winter. I expect to pay over $900.00 more this year over last. Maybe if I can get my SS to be based on the raise of fuel costs as opposed to the COL I will be ok.
My Volt will offset the gas price but I need an eco-boost Diesel for my truck LOL. 10 MPG has room to move up while towing. GM said they had some surprises out there for us, this is one I'd like!