mpg does it matter

4x4ord wrote:

826lynx wrote:

sele wrote:
Thanks for all the replies it is really interesting to read all the different thoughts. But in all the common thread is not matter how we approach this issue or any issue we are stilling going camping. I remember the first time I bought an rv the salesman had one honest truth. Don't let it sit in the backyard and rot, get out and enjoy life. 35 years later it is still the best answer.

I have a personal philosophy on hobbies....

"If you can't afford it, don't do it." :D

Therefore I do not care that much about mileage.

What does it mean to say I can afford this or that? Some say it means the bank will give me the money. Few actually have a plan that they follow which allows them to live the way they currently live without sacrificing dreams they hold for their future. I know many people who lived without giving much thought to little things like mpg who are now in their 60's and still have a mortgage and little hope of the retirement they dreamed of. They only thought they could afford that tank of gas thirty years ago. After doing a little calculating I tell my 20 year old kids that they will need about $6,000,000 put away by the time they want to retire.

I think we said the same thing.

tinner12002 wrote:

6.7 tow rig wrote:
Nope. We will travel regardless. The threads where people talk about fuel mileage kill me. Its a truck/suv pulling a huge parachute, of course you arent going to get good mileage. I will always have a big truck because I like them. Sure I wish my truck got 25mpg pulling 10k lbs, but Im happy with 10 and wont stop camping or change plans due to price of fuel or mpg

X2

You are happy with 10 mpg pulling 10K but I like to get 11 pulling 18K and have some left over for the boat. If you are not worried about fuel mileage while towing then how do you know what you get pulling 10K?

I can fish all weekend long on 5 gallons of gas. So if I can save 3-5 gallons of fuel towing then that's a weekend of fishin'. ;)

826lynx wrote:

sele wrote:
Thanks for all the replies it is really interesting to read all the different thoughts. But in all the common thread is not matter how we approach this issue or any issue we are stilling going camping. I remember the first time I bought an rv the salesman had one honest truth. Don't let it sit in the backyard and rot, get out and enjoy life. 35 years later it is still the best answer.

I have a personal philosophy on hobbies....

"If you can't afford it, don't do it." :D

Therefore I do not care that much about mileage.

What does it mean to say I can afford this or that? Some say it means the bank will give me the money. Few actually have a plan that they follow which allows them to live the way they currently live without sacrificing dreams they hold for their future. I know many people who lived without giving much thought to little things like mpg who are now in their 60's and still have a mortgage and little hope of the retirement they dreamed of. They only thought they could afford that tank of gas thirty years ago. After doing a little calculating I tell my 20 year old kids that they will need about $6,000,000 put away by the time they want to retire.

bmanning & EcoBullet,

Very well said but some will never get it!!!

826lynx wrote:


I have a personal philosophy on hobbies....

"If you can't afford it, don't do it." :D

Therefore I do not care that much about mileage.

Mine is more like this: If you are frugal about what you spend, you might be able to afford to do something you couldn't otherwise do.

On & off topic simultaneously, I think a good reason to track & calculate MPG is to ensure the engine tune is proper; on a higher mileage vehicle especially, a 2-3mpg drop from the known just-tuned MPG might signal that its time for plugs & filters.

Tracking MPG may also help "weed out" brands &/or fuel stations that your particular motor isn't a fan of.

Even if you don't care what you're spending, tracking fuel economy can provide good data for vehicle maintenance.

sele wrote:
Thanks for all the replies it is really interesting to read all the different thoughts. But in all the common thread is not matter how we approach this issue or any issue we are stilling going camping. I remember the first time I bought an rv the salesman had one honest truth. Don't let it sit in the backyard and rot, get out and enjoy life. 35 years later it is still the best answer.

I have a personal philosophy on hobbies....

"If you can't afford it, don't do it." :D

Therefore I do not care that much about mileage.

Thanks for all the replies it is really interesting to read all the different thoughts. But in all the common thread is not matter how we approach this issue or any issue we are stilling going camping. I remember the first time I bought an rv the salesman had one honest truth. Don't let it sit in the backyard and rot, get out and enjoy life. 35 years later it is still the best answer.

6.7 tow rig wrote:
Nope. We will travel regardless. The threads where people talk about fuel mileage kill me. Its a truck/suv pulling a huge parachute, of course you arent going to get good mileage. I will always have a big truck because I like them. Sure I wish my truck got 25mpg pulling 10k lbs, but Im happy with 10 and wont stop camping or change plans due to price of fuel or mpg

X2

I think good mileage is important.

I also think the price of the rig is important.

So is the cost of everything else we use in life.

Why differentiate? It's all part of the equation.

I can't understand those who always recoil when someone asks the question about mileage, implying the question is silly. I don't see the same reaction when someone asks about the price of the rig itself.

Another reason that good mileage is important is the depletion of a finite resource, oil. I'd like to leave a little for my grandchildren in the small ways I am able to do so.

I won't mention the environment.