Recently experts have predicted that gas prices could soon reach $7 per gallon. Depending where you go in northern CA, prices have been north of $5 for at least a couple of months. I just filled my Duramax for $150 and it wasn't even full!If prices soar to these levels, how will it effect your RV travels? For me, it's hard to find places to get reservations anyway so my travels are less but high fuel costs will definitely effect my travels. I'll try to cut expenses elsewhere so we can still go out as often as possible. We have a trip to Yellowstone planned later this year but I won't give up that trip even if it costs a few hundred more in fuel.What say you?

I'm going to travel no matter what. In the grand scheme of things fuel cost is one of the smaller expenses in RV travel. I do ponder on the real reason. Is it supply chain issues, tensions with Russia and Ukraine, political, an eco-political push for EV's? All of the above? But the US is supposed to have some redundancy and stores in cases of oil shortages (whatever the cause). But just like anything, the wrong spin from any leader can put investors and suppliers in a panic and wreak havoc on the economy.

We also have our trips planned and campsites booked so we will travel. My truck towing the trailer gets 9 miles to the gallon, I look at it this way my wife and I worked hard for 45 years we are not going to sit at home, life is short.

For over a decade, I have made/improved a trip planner in Excel. I now have a little script in a box that pulls the trip mileage, and looks at $2.50 / 3.00 / 3.50 / up to 6.00 per gallon, in 0.50 cent increments. Point is, you are right...even with our 7.0 mpg AVG class c rig, it's a few hundred, even up to $800 more than whatever baseline I put in.Yes, we would still do our one big trip per year (2 to 3 weeks...we are not retired just yet) and a few weekend trips. But, we would budget for it and squeeze something else.It's sad to me that with all the reserves/potential the USA has with oil, it's not utilized anymore.I will also say this -- we don't use a dinghy/toad. Wife drives behind in her Subaru, which gets good mileage. We may get a dolly for my Camry, but have held off until we are retired (5 or 6 yrs from now). At one time we did tow a 20+ yr old Jeep behind us, but the Jeep sat most the year. Sold the Jeep/towbar/braking system in order to make sure we could pay for our kids college w/o loans. Point here is, just like you, I cut an expense in RV'ing for college, and if gas goes to the stratosphere, we'll cut a few things to even the load.Let's hope things settle down...for EVERYONE's sake...and we get back to normal!

Would $7 per gal effect your RV lifestyle? | Good Sam Community

mowermech
Explorer
Feb 25, 2022
Yes. That is one of the reasons we will be selling the motorhome this Spring. A TT to tow behind the diesel truck may be in the future if the MH sells.
Converting to a fixed income lifestyle requires some changes!
FishOnOne
Nomad
Feb 25, 2022
With potential higher fuel prices on the horizon, reduced camping trips will be the least of your problems.
dave54
Nomad
Feb 25, 2022
Won't stop our trips. We'll just have to budget for it.

Good financial planning is spending your last dollar with your dying breath...
Reisender
Nomad
Feb 24, 2022
Nope. But our tow vehicle is electric sooooo. :)
Reisender
Nomad
Feb 24, 2022
RICK-ards Red wrote:
I am paying $1.58 per litre which converts to $5.97 a US gal here in Northern Ontario and usually in the summer it goes up as people travel but hey, still planning on a trip to the Yukon this summer.

I have not seen a casket with pockets so I might as well spend it now because I can't take it with me.

Might have entered that wrong in the old calculators. 1.58 per litre is about 4.68 USD per US gallon.

Here is a handy link for converting.

https://usgas.ca/us
goducks10
Explorer
Feb 24, 2022
For me it's high fuel prices = shorter trips longer stays.
Opposite for low fuel prices.

I think with Russia now in a full scale attack on Ukraine and China making threats towards Taiwan that things aren't going to be the same this summer.

My thinking is gas prices are going to go through the roof.
Just because we don't get oil from the Ukraine doesn't mean the markets won't reflect that.
Ukraine is sitting huge amounts of natural resources that much of Europe uses.
No doubt this war is going to be felt economically around the world.

Anyone taking the Russia/Ukraine war lightly is going to be in for a rude awakening.
Matt_Colie
Explorer II
Feb 24, 2022
Well,
I guess I am going to be the odd-man-out here.

The last time the fuel prices soared, we curtailed our travel plans.

We are in a problematic position of being on a very fixed income and having had the abrogation confiscate (literally) may savings that were the result of 28 years of scrimping saving, no big toys and no great vacations. That program started when the last kid left. I am over 70 and there is clearly no time or method to recover from such a hit. We will keep the coach because it is paid for, but this will probably be another 3000 mile season. At this point, I am just waiting to see how well the kids come out after my estate sale.

Matt
wapiticountry
Explorer
Feb 24, 2022
I won’t effect my travel plans but it might shorten my vocabulary down to a few four letter words at fill up time.
Lantley
Nomad
Feb 24, 2022
I used to be cavalier and claim the fuel cost would not impact my trips, however that kind of increase will have an effect somewhere down the line.
I still plan to camp as usual, however I will cut back somewhere else and simply limit my driving when possible.
My adjustments may not be camping related. But the cost will impact my travels/budget in some way
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Feb 24, 2022
Keep in mind back in 08/09 when gas was bumping $5 a gallon a lot of people were ditching big gas guzzlers. I kept my V-10 Excursion and only drove it to and from work. Glad I did as prices dropped a year later. This will pass as does everything else.