To go or not to go? - Page 3 - Montana Owners Club

richfaa · 09-04-2005, 06:22 AM

wileecoyote985..my feeling exactly and has been for some time..The TV and camper are parked..we went to the Cleveland airshow drove our Honda Civic to the rapid station(5 Miles) took the rapid downtown and had a real nice time. You know we Rv'er 's driving gas hogs, gas or diesel, use a lot of fuel % wise.I do see by recent post that we are thinking about the situation and many of us have cut back some.

ronstan · 09-04-2005, 07:20 AM

Well My camper is parked also but just for the weekend. We are at Bixler Lake Campground in Kendalville In. We is about 40 M from FT.Wayne. I drove on the interstate on the way up at 60 MPH Limit is 70. Decided it would save fuel at slower speed. Am using cell phone to connect. Boy is it slow compared to Cable. I have decided that we are not going to park the camper cause at my age you never know which time out may be your last

CountryGuy · 09-04-2005, 09:06 AM

Risking the chance that I will get blasted here, but what about all the people that earn their living serving us as tourists?? Travel and service at our destination is a huge industry. They are gonna take another huge hit, like they did after 9-11. I'd take bets this is gonna finish some of them off, and they will be standing in the unemployment lines.

There ARE some GREAT local activities, touris-y things to do where we live, and we have done them, and done them, and done them, and done them, ooooo, as nice as they are, after about 10 years of doing them, fresh activities are welcomed by this ole gal.

There is NO easy answer to this, we all know that. The old adage to "moderate" comes to mind. Al and I have practiced not running out to the store for one item for over 35 years. We plan our shopping trips, make running lists, try to do as much as we can in one trip. We drive Montana at about 58 MPH, most of the time. We drive the "highest" mileage car whenever possible (when we are home). If we are both going out the same day, in different directions, we look at who is driving the furthest, they get to drive the high mileage car. Common sense stuff we have been practicing for many years, as have many of you.

If we all work at it a bit, without going overboard, we can save on the fuel useage, and every little bit helps!

Again, our continued prayers to those who suffered through this horrendous natural tragedy.

dsprik · 09-04-2005, 09:32 AM

Good thought, Carol! If we all "protest" high gas prices by everyone staying home ~ whether we are driving OR flying, it surely will be another 9.11 recession. We need to conserve gasoline, NOT stop being a "tourist". My daughter was a travel agent who lost her job after 9.11 (actually, the whole agency folded) in Las Vegas. That would be catastropic to the travel industry. I like the idea of driving slower (some of us, MUCH slower) to help conserve. We need to be very careful and balance things as much as possible. Lets keep everything in perspective.

sreigle · 09-05-2005, 08:42 AM

DarMar, my prior practice was, like you, to drive about 5mph over the posted limit on highways when not towing. That's now changed.

Dsprik, with such a significant and rapid increase in fuel costs for many of us the changing of habits has little to do with protesting and lots to do with economic survival or at least minimizing damage to non-fuel parts of our budget. That may differ for others.

Dennis/HamRad, the fuel costs is major to us but probably not as travel-inhibiting for we fulltimers and longtimers as it is for those starting out from a homebase for every trip. Still, these prices definitely change our driving habits and plans to some degree.

dsprik · 09-05-2005, 08:55 AM

I understand what you are saying, Steve. Everyone's "balance point" will be different... just need to have one. Some really CAN'T go anywhere for economic reasons... some DON'T go anywhere trying to send a message to oil companies and politicians (that rarely works IMHO). Conserve... but don't start costing people their jobs on purpose. Maybe I'm not explaining this right???

Wordsmith · 09-05-2005, 10:34 AM

Just returned from our Labor Day trip to South Carolina. There WERE stations that had no fuel at all or either no gas or diesel. Still, we managed to find diesel without too much trouble on the way into Anderson.

Upon returning home today, I called the SC state parks to add another day to our October trip and there was an interesting message before I talked to a real person. It basically stated that there was another phone number for people who needed to cancel their reservations from 9-1 to 9-4 due to the gas prices. It was refreshing to see that different facets of the RVing passtime were understanding at such an unusual time.

richfaa · 09-05-2005, 11:17 AM

It is noted, (Fox news,) that labor weekend travel was well below expectations.Also noted that fuel prices are expected to decrease due in part to low demand therefore better supply.Steve Forbes of Forbes Magazine( he is usually fairly accurate) projects that oil prices may come down to 30/35.00 a barrel over the next year as the high cost of oil is artificial.Thousand upon thousands of folks like me and perhaps you conserved fuel for whatever reason and it will work..The individual multiplied by thousands of other individuals can make a difference. I happen to be one of those folks that believes in the power of the individual in our great form of Government..If we would only exercise that power...

Sunshine · 09-06-2005, 05:12 AM

Carol, We've also practiced the type of conservation you do for many, many, years. We try to do as many errands as possible when we go to town - our major shopping has to be done 25-30 miles away, so that is especially important; we use the vehicle that gets the best gas mileage when we do go, and slower steady speeds all help. I've heard it costs the oil producing countries about $4 a gallon to produce the oil, so those buying it are really "taking it in the shorts" so to speak. This supply and demand stuff escapes me sometimes too - if I remember correctly, a couple years ago the people in the Portland area were being told to conserve electricity, then the powers to be announced that the electric companies weren't making enough profit so they were going to raise rates-------go figure!

PowellsMonty · 09-06-2005, 07:53 AM

Here is what frosts me, living in Asheville, NC where they ran out of fuel and where I paid $3.69 for diesel. I went over the mountain to Lake Watauga outside Elizabethton, TN 70 miles away, where I leave the Monty and my boat. They had fuel all over the place and I bought diesel at Walmart for $2.69. Saw a pair of Montanas coming over the mountain on the way home. They were headed towards Johnson City, TN. Glad to see them enjoying!

Merv · 09-06-2005, 08:14 AM

I know the hurricane had an impact on the fuel supplies, but I believe the Media had the most impact. When they announce on the evening news that fuel prices may jump 50 cents at the pump, everyone panics and runs out and fills the tanks. This in turn causes a fuel shortage as most stations were not ready for this increase in sales. Now some stations runout of fuel. This is also reported on the evening news. Now there are more people panicing and running out to fill up so they dont get caught short. This causes more strain on the fuel situation. This also gives the industry more reason for increasing the fuel prices.
If the media had not caused the panic in the first place, I wonder if this would have been quite as bad??
JMO

Merv

Glenn and Lorraine · 09-06-2005, 10:00 AM

OK I had lost track of this thread a few days ago and as I don't have the fastest connection right now I am not going to even try to catch up on what has already been posted. Here is what Lorraine and I have been doing to help conserve fuel.....
Starting back in October 2003,
We sold a propane guzzling 3 bedroom with living room, kitchen and diningroom stick house in COLD northern NY in favor of a Montana 5th wheel which has only seen below freezing temps just one morning in nearly 2 years. Every winter we would have weeks at a time where we didn't get above freezing for daytime highs and even stayed below zero for most of the month of February. I'm talking about daytime highs of below zero. Every February we went to at least 30 below and one year it was 40 below. Talk about home heating bills. That stick house sat in the middle of 4 1/2 acres with no protection from the winter winds. We used propane for hot water as well as heating. In winter our propane usage was phoenominal. Our 500 gallon tank was filled 2 and 3 times a winter.
Back in 03 we also sold 3 gas guzzlers, a 14 MPG F150 Pick up, a 12 MPG Chevy G20 Conversion Van and an 18 MPG Ford SUV, and purchased a single fuel saving Chev 2500HD diesel pick up.
I no longer have to use my gas guzzling PU for plowing snow and my super gas guzzling van for errands. Lorraine no longer has to use her SUV as a "get to work" vehicle.
We also no longer have to cut 4 1/2 acres of lawn on a weekly basis with our gasser John Deere yard tractor and weed triming with our gasoline operated weed whacker.
Started driving hiway speeds of 60 to 65MPH rather than 70 to 75MPH.
We do most of our traveling in the summer months and stick close to Lorraine's family in west central Florida for up to 6 to 7 months of the winter. During this time we rarely use the heater and use the AC only when absolutely necessary. Our heating bill is practically non existent. By the way we rarely use our stove in the RV so we are saving on that propane as well.
When possible, while in Florida, we will be riding our bicyles for short errands.
As I hate just sitting around for 6 or 7 months at a time, during these winter months we will be taking jobs. The Lowe's, Home Depot's, Wal*Mart's, etc. are always looking for full and part time help. And there is nothing wrong with asking "Would you like fries with that?" By getting jobs we will be saving fuel by not being on the road near as much. While saving fuel, these jobs will also help suppliment our meager social security income and in so doing making the hi cost of fuel a bit more bearable the following travel season.

Lorraine and I both worked most of our lives for the day when we could enjoy the fruits of our labors. We are not going to just sit back and watch the world pass us by. We are going to live our dreams and enjoy every minute of our retirement while we are physically able. My father died at age 69 exactly 2 years to the day of his retirement at age 67. That will not happen to us. By the time we are 69 (now both 62) we hope to have seen the entire US and Canada and some parts 3 or 4 times. Sure the skyrocketing fuel prices have an effect on us but as there is absolutely NOTHING we can do about it we are getting on with our lives. If need be, we will cut back on other expenses but not our travels. OH sure you can right your congressmen or whoever, you can stop driving one day a week or even for a full week but it won't change a thing. The insignificant amount of fuel you do not use on those days or that week will have no effect on the overall picture. Unless you can get the majority of the world population to conserve your minute contribution will be for naught.

This is going to be takin the wrong way by some but I feel it has to be said.....

Quit your (expletive deleted) whinning. You can't take it with you and your heirs are only going to blow it away when you're gone (probably use it to buy that Hummer, talk about a gas guzzler). So, get on with your life cause you ain't gonna live forever.

dsprik · 09-06-2005, 02:01 PM

At the risk of catching some shrapnel by getting too close, I must say I agree with you on every point, Glenn. Live your life to the fullest. With the amount of jobs out there for workampers, there no reason to worry about not being able to pick up some extra gas money. And I realize some are economically set to where they don't have to worry about this, but, the only thing standing in anyone else's way of a happy camping life is PRIDE... which I read somewhere once it "cometh before the fall".

But if everyone follows this advice and goes on the road, who's going to stick around and give property tax $$$s to the politicians???

Chuck and Carol · 09-06-2005, 03:24 PM

We would love to do what you do. But I have a mother in a nursing home with AZ who needs a family member to fight for her rights. I have to support her needs too because there is nothing left of her SS check. In her day there was no thing called long term health insurance. I have a daughter who is bi-polar and has tried to kill herself many times. Right now we need to stay in the cold NE.

Carol

dsprik · 09-06-2005, 05:11 PM

Carol, we will pray for you and your family. I hope you didn't misunderstand and think we would not do similar to what you and Chuck are doing, if we were in a similar situation. I agree with Glenn that sometimes life gets tough for all of us. I believe what he is saying is that you have a choice ~ you either take the bull by the horns and throw him against the wall or you run into a corner and cower and try to hide, which does nothing to make the bull go away... actually it's worse because you are defenseless and he can, and will, take a free shot at you. I have had to be tenacious about life many times.. with trying to get take care of ailing parents, with facing up to my boss in bad situation, with dealing with three operations that all failed within eleven months, causing permenant disability, with dealing with huge companies who show no flexibility, and I could go on. The point is, I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to get knocked down and STAY down! There is good and bad. When the bad comes against me and my family, IT LOSES! Cheryl and I WILL have a great retirement life! I am speaking it into existence... did you know you could do that? Check with most leading psychologists about what they say about "self talk" and the ongoing discoveries being made about the power human brain to change the course of events. This is not "Voo Doo", I am a biololgist and chemist.

Don't lose sight of you goals. Take care of your obligations and don't let the "enemy" derail you.

May God bless you and your family.
Dave

richfaa · 09-07-2005, 04:10 AM

Remember all...If you want something to happen bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen... We all have our own personal circumstances.Helen and I had ours with our parents. .I think what dsprik and Glenn are saying that we should refuse to be held captive by our problems..Your dreams may be halted or slowed down but never lose sight of them...they will happen. I do completely disagree that there nothing the individual can do to affect issues that effect them (Wordsmith, did I use affect and effect properly, can never get that right) If we as individuals take the position that there is nothing we can do, then we will do nothing and by doing nothing, nothing will happen. One individual X many individuals will make a difference.....I believe that/////

Sunshine · 09-07-2005, 04:44 AM

Amen, Glenn. At my last job I was surrounded by counselors, psychologists, etc., and I will never forget what one said to me - "You can't change the actions of others, but you can change the way you react." Not everyone can do everything that you did, and I know you didn't mean to imply that. We all have to find what works best for us and act on it. Fulltiming in our Montana is not for us, neither is snowbirding at this point, but we are thinking of ways to modify our travel plans for next year and see as much as we can within a certain distance of home, for periods of time that don't put us in a bind. We try to economize any way we can when we are at home, but we will not let present circumstances turn us into hermits hiding in that corner. AND, only my opinion, but I wouldn't watch too much news on TV - I've noticed a trend lately of the news media to bring out the very worst case scenario in every situation and if you listen to them too much you begin to believe it all. This morning on FOX they are now saying that the oil prices are coming down because the industry was not hit as hard as it was first thought. Yes, things will be dicey for awhile, especially in the south and southeast, but as resilient as America is, I truly believe she will come back from this tragedy stronger and better than ever. Okay, I'm jumping off my soapbox now!

DarMar · 09-08-2005, 09:02 AM

Glenn, your last paragraph descibes exactly how Maureen and I feel. Our retirement time is 2007. Right on!

Wordsmith · 09-08-2005, 09:14 AM

Glenn, I believe it was John Mellencamp who said it well in one of his songs back in the 80s--"You don't see hearses with luggage racks." I work hard for what I have and I do intend to use it, just perhaps a little more judiciously of late!

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