Anyone Cancelling Truck Camper Trips Due to Fuel Prices?

[BradW]

Please, no political comments.

We have a 5,000 mile trip planned with reservations made, but we are reconsidering due to fuel prices. 60 cents per mile for diesel is pretty bad.

[notsobigjoe]

Bedlam wrote:
I just fueled for $208 at $6/gal for diesel...

$127.00 at $4.89

[Reality_Check]

Anyone Cancelling Truck Camper Trips Due to Fuel Prices?

nope... just finished a bit over 8 weeks. Cut short to return for a funeral service.

It is what it is. I've read through this thread, and there is great wisdom scattered about. Life is short, every day's a gift, and waiting for the perfect time is a losing proposition.. Camp on.

[jimh406]

Wife, daughter and grandkids went to a swim meet this weekend. It is about 4 hours each way. They are staying in town there an extra day. Fwiw, the cost to camp for 3 days was less than one of the days driving. I'm here making sure the chicks, ducklings, and dogs are taken care of.

I expect DW, and I will take a trip or two, and there is at least one more swim meet trip. Good to have a TC. It's still a lot cheaper than hotel rooms. Fwiw, DW said the truck averaged about 12 mpg.

[zb39]

Last month I did 2500 miles to FL and then to Myrtle Beach and back to PA. With the TSB discount I averaged $4.50 a gallon. Avg MPG was 10.7. I drive 65 mph with cruise. I just got back yestaerday from Myrtle Beach again. No FL.
1500 miles total. With TSB discount , some of the same truck stops even I averaged $5.50 a gallon. 4 weeks difference. I will be going back to MB again in about 3 or 4 weeks. Wonder what it will be then. I also need to go to Branson, MO sometime in July. Getting my use out of the truck and camper.

[Bedlam]

I just fueled for $208 at $6/gal for diesel...

[BradW]

https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/prices.php#:~:text=Diesel%20wholesale%20margins%20in%20the,...

Looks like the prediction for 2023 fuel price is not much better. So putting our trip off until next may not make much of a difference on fuel costs.

[BradW]

I've still not made a final decision on our 5k mile trip this summer. Our decision isn't between going or sitting home. Our decision is between going or doing something else where I'm not burning $3,000 or $4,000 worth of diesel. Just that diesel money would come close to paying for two back to back 7-day Caribbean cruises (2 ppl) or one Alaska cruise (2 ppl). The two unknowns effecting my decision are: how much higher diesel will go this summer and will it come back down by next summer. Who knows?

[monkey44]

Fuel costs equaling SS pay raise does not even include increases in insurance or maintenance. So, the SS pay raise doesn't even equal the cost of traveling with an RV, let alone everything or anything else in life.

[Durb]

valhalla360 wrote:

jimh406 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

jimh406 wrote:
The polls are saying most people don't think they are doing well now. I can't think of any reason why some would think that most people are doing well now. Maybe they aren't paying attention.

Perception vs reality are often different.

It feels bad when you drop $100 filling the tank vs the $50 you paid a year ago. So people perceive things as bad.

That doesn’t seem very different. If you are making a lot more money than a year before, that’s great.

However, most people including retired people aren’t getting 100% pay raises. In those cases, perception and reality are the same.

Of course, you can argue that it is all part of a good plan, but many people don’t agree that it’s a good plan.

Note: it’s not about me. I’m doing ok. However, the people who are living paycheck to paycheck are not.

Retirees make up a small percentage of the population...and even those got something like a 6-7% jump in SS. (overall inflation is no where close to 100%).

But those working even at the lower levels generally are getting sizable pay increases or moving to higher paying jobs in droves.

Of course, if the inflation keeps up, eventually reality will catch up with perception but right now, there are jobs and money for those who want it. It just feels bad when those gains are canceled out by inflation.

Hard to make the case Social Security retirees are doing OK. Net SS increase over last year for wife and myself after huge Medicare withhold increase is 4.8% and 5.3% respectively. I figure we will use 955 gallons of diesel this year. Using a conservative $2.00 per gallon increase (it has gone up $3.60 per gallon in the last 18 months), and my increase in fuel costs are $1,910. Total net increase in SS payments are $1,920. Justy the increase in diesel used up the entire raise. We get to suck up the increases in everything else from savings or other assets.

[monkey44]

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:

monkey44 wrote:
Fuel prices ain't the half of it. We just got an insurance renewal quote for two mid-sized SUVs and a 2500HD. Almost $5000 for one year, up from $3600 last year. and up from $1900 the year before. So, even staying home cost 30% more even if you don't drive anywhere.

That one blew my sox off ... gotta shop around again. Now we gotta pay for new sox AND high fuel and insurance.

If the increase in your car insurance blew your socks off, brace yourself for the homeowner's increases that are lurking just around the corner.

With home prices (notice I didn't say 'values') skyrocketing like they are, count on your insurance premium increasing somewhere north of 50%, and probably a lot more.

If your home was valued at $300,000 a year ago (for example), it's probably $500,000 now -- maybe more. Don't think the insurance companies are still going to let you insure for the lower values.

But, you won't be the only one to suffer from sticker shock upon receipt of your HO insurance bill (if that's any consolation).

Yup, I didn't mention HOI in my post, but it went up roughly 25 percent from last year. Talk about a killer, both HOI and Autos are all due for us July 1st.

[JoeChiOhki]

Grit dog wrote:

JoeChiOhki wrote:
Haven't started any yet, but burning through about 90 gallons or so of fuel a week since the old Dodge had to resume Daily Driver Status.

The camper kind of was built with a double purpose in mind, one of which was potentially as a "stay in town" solution if I needed to cut my commute costs for a while by staying in the camper and floating around near by my work place during the week days and then heading home for the weekend.

Since its been ten years since I last camped anywhere, I'm not currently planning to cut back on anything, since nothing is in stone yet, more concerned with shortages vs fuel prices and the resulting hyper price spikes it may cause for regular consumables.

I may also speak with my manager about seeing if I can get approved for a "workcation" model for periods of time since we have our Star Link RV unit now, which means as long as I can get it some sky I can get online with decent enough latency to do my job remotely for a change.

But you’re not actually trying to camp, nor save $ on fuel. Neither in the least.
And apparently not this year either. So I can understand your lack of concern for fuel prices.
If you were, you wouldn’t be commuting in an old gasser dually forever.

The truck wasn't supposed to become a daily driver, however, both of my previous daily drivers have simply reached the point of they can't go any further till I do some major overhaul work on them, one becoming a parts donor for repairing the other.

Atm, I'm shopping around for a small late 80s early 90s mini-pickup to become the tow-behind and the new daily driver so I can stop racking up miles on the camper hauler. The only plus side has been that the resumation of use as a Daily Driver has helped push some marginal parts to the point where they're making it known clearly enough that we can find them all and replace them before the big round-the-country sabbatical run in 2024.

Atm, fuel costs are annoying, but not too far beyond what I was dealing with in 2008. We made several lifestyle choices to keep our costs down (We neither rent apartments nor have a mortgage for a home) and both my spouse and I are still working, myself in tech and her at our local hospitals, so its helped.

The only reason we're not already camping is the camper simply isn't finished with its seven year restoration, and the truck still needs a couple more repairs to make sure all the running gear is in top condition to make sure we're operating safely.

After that, it will likely be picking random bits of back country to go to every weekend away from where the larger groups tend to go unless fuel gets to a concern point / shortages, at which point, I'll either be trying to Work from home part time or taking the camper to work and living it during the week, migrating my parking spots to stay within the limits of the city laws without driving too far from my worksite.

Our biggest trip might be down to Utah later this year if time allows.

So, yes, I am moderately concerned with the impact on overall costs of fuel, but as you pointed out, I'm not camping/traveling, yet.

[RetiredRealtorR]

monkey44 wrote:
Fuel prices ain't the half of it. We just got an insurance renewal quote for two mid-sized SUVs and a 2500HD. Almost $5000 for one year, up from $3600 last year. and up from $1900 the year before. So, even staying home cost 30% more even if you don't drive anywhere.

That one blew my sox off ... gotta shop around again. Now we gotta pay for new sox AND high fuel and insurance.

If the increase in your car insurance blew your socks off, brace yourself for the homeowner's increases that are lurking just around the corner.

With home prices (notice I didn't say 'values') skyrocketing like they are, count on your insurance premium increasing somewhere north of 50%, and probably a lot more.

If your home was valued at $300,000 a year ago (for example), it's probably $500,000 now -- maybe more. Don't think the insurance companies are still going to let you insure for the lower values.

But, you won't be the only one to suffer from sticker shock upon receipt of your HO insurance bill (if that's any consolation).

[valhalla360]

jimh406 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

jimh406 wrote:
The polls are saying most people don't think they are doing well now. I can't think of any reason why some would think that most people are doing well now. Maybe they aren't paying attention.

Perception vs reality are often different.

It feels bad when you drop $100 filling the tank vs the $50 you paid a year ago. So people perceive things as bad.

That doesn’t seem very different. If you are making a lot more money than a year before, that’s great.

However, most people including retired people aren’t getting 100% pay raises. In those cases, perception and reality are the same.

Of course, you can argue that it is all part of a good plan, but many people don’t agree that it’s a good plan.

Note: it’s not about me. I’m doing ok. However, the people who are living paycheck to paycheck are not.

Retirees make up a small percentage of the population...and even those got something like a 6-7% jump in SS. (overall inflation is no where close to 100%).

But those working even at the lower levels generally are getting sizable pay increases or moving to higher paying jobs in droves.

Of course, if the inflation keeps up, eventually reality will catch up with perception but right now, there are jobs and money for those who want it. It just feels bad when those gains are canceled out by inflation.

[otrfun]

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:

ReneeG wrote:

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
One way to save is to use your gas CC. Sinclair gives you .10 off per gallon using the card and Chevron gives you .05 off per gallon and .02 credit on your overall bill. You can see that we always use Sinclair right now.

Get the Upside app. Locally I have never gotten less than 14 cents per gallon back. Has been as high as 32 cents. Check it out. Our adult son got us hooked up with it just a few months ago, and the cash adds up quickly.

Thank you!

You're quite welcome. Anyone not taking advantage of this app is missing out big time!! Yesterday the Shell station on the beach where I usually buy gas was 24 cents per gallon cash back with the Upside app. :C

Never heard of Upside till you mentioned it, thanks!

Noticed the bonus amounts change several times a day. There's only 5 or 6 convenience stores that currently participate in Upside in our area (all the same chain). Right now, one store is offering a .31 bonus for every gal of diesel. They're currently charging $5.00 for diesel, so net is $4.69---not bad. FWIW, a nearby Pilot Travel Center along the freeway is currently charging $5.55 for diesel.

[monkey44]

Fuel prices ain't the half of it. We just got an insurance renewal quote for two mid-sized SUVs and a 2500HD. Almost $5000 for one year, up from $3600 last year. and up from $1900 the year before. So, even staying home cost 30% more even if you don't drive anywhere.

That one blew my sox off ... gotta shop around again. Now we gotta pay for new sox AND high fuel and insurance.