Fuel Rants & Raves

[Kusani]

Due to a proliferation and duplication of fuel/gas threads, we ask your cooperation in posting all gas/fuel rving topics here, within this thread:
Fuel Rants & Raves - Post 'Em Here! Thanks. 🙂

[TomB_]

A new Sheetz store opened in our town ( Powhatan, VA ) and the gas is listed at $1.699 per gallon. I'm loving it!!!! :B

[magnusfide]

It's Official: $1.99 Gas Shows Up in Oklahoma City
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2014/12/03/its-official-1-gas-shows-up-in-oklahoma-city/

[packnrat]

and lets not forget as fuel prices go up so does the cost of everything. even that roll of tp you like so much.


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[senior-cit]

We are, lets face it, held hostage by these oil companies. Tranportation, oil by-products, etc. depend on it and we depend on these services to be there when we need them. Alternative methods need to be taken to break this hold "big oil" has us held to. Oil companies have filled back pockets of the right people to insure that no ransom money to bail us out will be paid

[stamppeddler]

Western Canada has enormous oil and gas reserves, you would think fuel prices would be cheaper here than they are. Yet Canadians flock to the US for cheap fuel. Before we headed south for the winter, Diesel cost 1.45 per liter in Surrey BC and 1.00 or less per liter in WA. Here in Arizona we filled up yesterday for 3.67 a gallon or approximately .95 per liter. The US has some of the cheapest fuel prices in the world unless you want to compare with countries like Venezuela where gas is almost free. That comparison is useless though without comparing living standards and opportunities.

In my opinion the problem is globalization. Money knows no borders. Corporations are run by people who have only one goal, that is to be profitable and to earn performance bonuses. Investors, whether individuals or pension funds, have only dividends or capital gains as a goal.

Canada's oil and Gas reserves are owned by many corporations including government owned ones from Malaysia and China. Those countries are sitting on trillions of US dollars in reserve and are shopping for North American corporations that would serve their national interests. Our governments are all living beyond their means and are salivating at the thought of royalties on exports to Asia. At the moment Canada has only 1 customer for its resources and that is the USA. The problem for Canada with that relationship is that the agreement sells our resources for 30% below world price effectively costing our governments royalties and our corporations revenues. China is moving away from coal and is willing to build refineries in China and will buy our raw Bitumen for world price plus a hefty premium as well as all the LPG we will sell them.

At the end of the day Canadians are pretty much opposed to a pipeline sending raw bitumen across British Columbia. Americans are opposed to a pipeline to the Gulf of Mexico. This leaves our governments with a pipeline across the country to the Atlantic, or north to the Arctic Ocean. Canada has the gift of centuries worth of oil to fuel the world, but is cursed with geography and how to get it to market.

Bottom line is follow the money. Our governments are in bed with the big corporations. They smell tons of money and are advertising the benefits to come relentlessly every day in an attempt to convince people. Money will find the path of least resistance, palms will be greased, a pipeline will be built, fortunes will be made and we North Americans will all be poorer for it.

Just my 2 cents worth, thanks for listening, felt good to get that off my chest

[Jean_S]

Our rig only gets about 8 mpg. We just picked up a Ford Fiesta to use as a dinghy. We also have a Helix scooter on a Blue Ox rack, but that's not always the best way to go. We plan on getting to a central area and parking the MH, then using the Helix (60 mpg) or the Fiesta (30 mpg) for getting around. Hopefully, extended stays and using the dinghies can keep the cost of gas from eating our entire budget. That month last year burned up over $2000 in gas.

[navyblue]

Well said. I congratulate you fine understanding of how are system works. I have been told if I don't like it here I should leave. Oh haw I wish I could afford too.

[wintersun]

I will believe that fuel prices are high when I see that people stop wasting it and drivers slow down to the legal speed limit. When people start looking at getting a smaller RV instead of a bigger one so they have room for a 40" TV (or two).

Our "RV" averages 15 MPG and there are the Class B motorhomes like the Roadtrek that are built on the Mercedes platform and with the 5 cylinder diesel engine that average over 25 MPG. That assumes that people can forgo some of their creature comforts and the bigger is always better mentality.

Gas and diesel are more expensive in Europe but then they have protected pensions, free university schooling, free medical, great mass transportation systems (London to Venice entirely by high speed rail at 200 MPH), and work a month less per year than in the USA, and they live longer and they don't have to worry about their sons and daughters going off to fight and die or be permanently damaged in foreign wars for oil, so I guess it evens out.

[down_home]

Passin Thru wrote:
Ya, and I remember when I got paid $4/hr. Diesel was .19 and CB radios did'nt exist. Neither did I 40 from OKC to Barstow, and truckstops had real food, like the Midway still does. Movies were 25 cents too. My wife is Italian, a flat in Rome cost $500,000 with 2 beds and a bath so small you have to back in to get on the pot. Gas was $5.96 yesterday and most of her cousins can't afford a car due to the high cost of living in Abruzzi. I agree with the wages. Just look at Wallyworld and you'll see America. Makes me mad enough to dig up nightcrawleers and tie them in knots and rebury the.

That's mad! 🙂
I think I know what the problems are/is as does anyone with a fifth grad edukatshun.
High fuel prices/food prices are part of social engineering and not doing anything about the pirating of our resources as part of the Globalization process. Tahe it from there.

[Passin_Thru]

Ya, and I remember when I got paid $4/hr. Diesel was .19 and CB radios did'nt exist. Neither did I 40 from OKC to Barstow, and truckstops had real food, like the Midway still does. Movies were 25 cents too. My wife is Italian, a flat in Rome cost $500,000 with 2 beds and a bath so small you have to back in to get on the pot. Gas was $5.96 yesterday and most of her cousins can't afford a car due to the high cost of living in Abruzzi. I agree with the wages. Just look at Wallyworld and you'll see America. Makes me mad enough to dig up nightcrawleers and tie them in knots and rebury the.

[wintersun]

I can remember when gas was 22 cents a gallon from the independents and 50% more from the major refineries (Chevron, Texaco, etc.). Now there are no independent refineries and guess what gas prices are higher. Minimum wage then was less than $1. Now the minimum wage is 7x that amount but gas is 20x more expensive. Problem is that all the profits of American corporations have gone to 1% of the population. If the people that actually do the work were paid fairly there would be no issues with the price of gas.

In Europe gas prices are much higher but in most areas people are not captive of the auto and gas industry. They have good mass transit and do not have to own and maintain and operate 2-3 cars per household in order to get to work, go to school, go shopping, or pursue recreational activities. Difference is that here transportation systems are designed to maximize corporate profits while in Europe they are designed to maximize the benefit and minimize the cost to the people - what a concept.

[hedgehopper]

rehoppe wrote:
Soooo, Has everyone figured out that we will not see cheaper gas unless we leave the country?

So who has cheaper fuel than the US? Last time I was in Canada the fuel was higher. And the last time I was in Europe it was way higher.

[Roy_Lynne]

Might not want to visit Washington State this summer. Lucky us, our gas is the third highest in the Nation. I paid $4.24 a gallon and topped it off as they are talking about it going up another 35cents next week.

[rehoppe]

captainjohn2008 wrote:
Don't bother coming to The Great White North for cheaper diesel prices. I fueled up yesterday, tank wasn't quite empty but it sucked up $150.00 of diesel before shutting off. At least it was full! Diesel here is $4.86/U.S. gallon! :E Apparently we have the second largest oil reserves in the world, you would think that would equate to cheaper fuel prices but apparently not!

How much of that is 'tax' to build and maintain the roads?

Tax seems to be a large portion of our fuel prices here in Colorado..., Not *****ing about the tax, because I like smooth roads, you understand.

That way, whoever uses the roads gets to pay for them...... well that's the concept anyway.:B

[grant135b]

If you "leave the country" you're far more likely to see HIGHER fuel prices, not lower.