Price of Fuel and its effect on you

[sailer]

Where did the fuzz come from ,, they were cops when we were kids ,, now they are dif please explane this

[bncinwv]

John,
I think it has something to do with us'n fuzzy brained hillbillies in the Mountain State!! LOL!!
Bingo

[tom41]

LOL, John, theres all kinds of "fuzzies"!! you just gotta know what to look for..hehe...hey Bingo, since I was born and raised in the Ky hills, and ran those back roads from ky over to Logan & Boone counties of west Virginia, back in the 60's (with a load of "corn"):=) maybe it was for ethanol, lol, then I bet I could be a hillbilly? lol

[bncinwv]

I know what you mean Tom, I work in Boone County!! Ha Ha!
Bingo

[skypilot]

Our environment is such a fragile thing; and our own safety is often compromised without our even realizing it -- for example -- when I was growing up (shortly after the dinosaurs passed but not quite ) our parents threw us out of the house and told us to go play -- the sun and air was good for us. Today we bathe our kids (grandkids) in SPF 50 or higher sun screen; keep them indoors during the mid-day, etc., so that they don't get so much sun. We found out that too much was not good for us (skin cancers, leathered skin, etc.). Then we have hand sanitizers, anti-bacterial bath and dish soaps, etc.... Today at noon one of the Doctors was, once again, advising against using such so much. Seems that not only are we 'growing a new lineage of drug resistant microbes' but we are also decreasing our bodies 'natural immunity' to those 'bugs' which we were naturally resistant to before. People are catching colds, and intestinal tract infections, that would previously been a minor inconvenience, if that -- but now we are getting so ill that hospitalization is required in severe cases.

And lastly -- back when I was in Jr. High and High School (mid-60s), we were trained on the use of geiger counters and the individual radiation potentiometers (SP) -- I'm an Air Force brat and schooling was at schools located on or very near Air Force bases at that particular time. In any case, there was enough back ground radiation from the outside dirt and certain materials that we could get readings for our training without having to leave the school grounds. We didn't think anything about it then but thinking back to it now -- how the 'fear mongers' could have exploited that for the cold-war effort going on at that time.

For those who work with OSHA and office supplies -- think about the fact that if you have several laser printer (or laser copier) cartridges in a cabinet you are supposed to have a HAZMAT label on the cabinet. If anyone remembers the old liquid white out bottles, 10 or more bottles were (are) supposed to be labeled as well. As Rich said, enough water is dangerous!! We, as responsible adults, have to realize the point where safety is exceeded -- and not rely on the fear mongers to rule our lives!! I'm getting off this soap box -- it is someone else's turn!!

[skypilot]

Oh - on topic -- went to KC this weekend to visit the daughter, SIL, and grandbabies..Left the 5er at home and spent the money we'd have spent on fuel on the kids. Didn't get to spend as much time as we might have had we taken the trailer but feel the money was better spent on the kids than on the gas companies fatcats!!

[vabluebird]

What a shock after returning from FL the first of April. The diesel prices started going up every few days. We had brought the Monty home
so we could take it to Vermont to visit the family like we have for the past 3 years. By June 1st I had decided to leave the Monty and Samuel here and fly to VT. I could stay with my sister, but no room for Samuel (that's why we take the Monty).

It is now in storage and will remain there until Sept 1st when we plan to attend the Mid-Atlantic Rally in Staunton, VA. The 1st of Oct
we will return to Fl for 6 months and leave it in storage there.

I must say we are blessed to live in a park on Smith Moutain Lake, in VA. We have lived here since 2000. Many of our neighbors have to travel 3 hours to get here for weekends. Because we live in a vacation setting we don't feel to bad about not traveling. The bad part is that we are 20 miles from town but have adjusted. Do everything in one trip. I'm so glad we did Alaska in 1999, Nova Scotia in 2000, and the Gulf of Mexeco and Texas in 2002.

It was the diesel prices that caused us to fly to SD last fall and leave the Monty here. We did flight, hotel, rental car and meals for $1500, same price as diesel round trip.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Not sure if this is exactly the right thread to post this, so, moderators, let me know if it needs its own thread, or it needs to be moved, eh??

Got this card in the snail mail today from Good Sam and GMAC Insruance which states they are the provider of the Good Same Vehicle Insurance Plan, and I think this is very sad and how it is affecting so many RVers, some of what it says, I am not typing every single word:

Front, HUGE letters: Alert! 2008 Economic Relief Available---RV owners

Back of post card thingy: As a registered Owner of an RV, you may now be eligible for immediate economic relief. Many RV owners are now opting for shorter trips and storing their vehicles for extended periods of time. If you fall into this ---------

You may be able to suspend collision and liablity coverages that you do not need when you are not traveling.

and so on and so on.

This tells me that there are a lot of RV's parked for a while, eh???

I find this very very sad. And, I can see where some RV'ers will find this very attractive. So far, Al and I don't need this, but it makes me wonder, is something like this in our future??

OHHHH, and we were at the park over the weekend with the twins, this is a park that is quite near Detroit, Toledo, Jackson, Ann Arbor. I believe school is out everywhere, usually a park like this is kinda full with vacationers and kids. There were at least 60 sites NOT reserved for the weekend as of Wednesday evening (last week). I am not complaining, when I can sit in a very nice site at a State Campground and not have neighbors to share my coffee with out the windows that is kinda nice. We had no one in the 4 sites out the entrance door side. They were nice grassy, flat sites. Not a taker. Amazing.

[richfaa]

The effects of the increase in energy keep taking its toll.. Big thing on TV news about the first day of summer at Cedar Point (a huge amusement park on the shores of Lake Erie.) The first day of summer is one of if not the biggest day of the year. I have been on charter there many times. In fact our school would have had 3 busses there but had none this year as they ran out of fuel money. The pictures were of huge areas of empty parking lots, small lines at the major rides, Pictures of Vacancy signs up and down the strip. I could not beleive that the "bus section" looked to be 2/3 empty. Oh..I do not have a summer job driving charter for the school as they...ran out of fuel money.. Such is life...

[Charlie]

I posted this note originally under diesel prices but was advised that it should be posted here.

For anyone that might be in the RGV this coming winter.....Be aware if buying gasoline or diesel in Mexico. Many have additional tanks in their truck to carry extra fuel. If the tank is an extra tank it has to be hooked to the fuel system of the vehicle or you will have to pay federal excise tax on the fuel. If undeclared and caught a fine will be imposed. According to the article below it should be declared at customs as an import commodity.


Texas man fined for bringing Mexican diesel to U.S.
By LYNN BREZOSKY
Copyright 2008 San Antonio Express-News
HIDALGO — In a sign of the times for a federal agency that routinely announces million-dollar cocaine and marijuana busts, Customs and Border Protection has announced that a man was fined $400 because of an extra tank of fuel.

The fine was levied Sunday against a 22-year-old Edinburg man who crossed the border with an extra tank of diesel in the bed of his pickup.

Because of Mexican government subsidies, diesel fuel currently sells at about half the U.S. price across the border. Customs agents have noticed a sharp rise in the number of people trying to bring full containers back to this country.

While it's not illegal to import fuel, anything that's not hooked up to the vehicle's fuel line must be declared and brought in through commercial lanes. In Hidalgo County, that would mean the Pharr International Bridge.

CBP spokesman Felix Garza said the man's extra tank was not connected to the pickup truck's fuel lines and, therefore, was determined to be "commercial," which made the driver subject to the fine.

Garza said this was one of the first instances of someone being fined for fuel. But he said people were always asked what they were bringing in, and it was assumed they would know they are required to declare an extra, unattached tank of gasoline or diesel.

"Diesel fuel is a foreign commodity," he said. "Anything you buy or acquire or obtain as a gift is a foreign commodity and must be declared."

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Again,not sure if this is the right thread, so, moderators, let me know.

Tana is ailing, she needs new shoes (tires), a new slide topper, her wooden floor in the kitchen has suddenly buckled, and well, her landing gear is busted and she won't move up or down.

Then, of course, as some of you know, ole Carol has decided to give up some storage and get a Spendide (the new one, larger capacity, etc.)

Al does not want to install the w/d and even tho H. John Kohl has a great slide show on the fix for the landing gear, Al just does not want to go there. Part of this reluctance, probably has something to do with the fact that we live only 120 miles from Goshen, one of our favorite places to visit and home of the RV capital.

So, Al spent a good part of the afternoon contacting repair facilities and getting quotes and lining up appointments for the end of July.

He was told by one repair facility that their business had been WAY down, to the point that they were VERY concerned. But, that business has picked up a bit lately.

If we could judge the total economy by this one facility, we could say, maybe??? that the worst is over???

But, that price of fuel still is taking a major hunk of everyone's income. No matter why or what or who, it hurts.

[richfaa]

We will be going to the FCRV(family campers and Rv'ers) national rally leaving home the 2nd of July.It will be about a 600 mile round trip costing about 300.00 in diesel. The rally is already paid for. At last count within the last few days was 366 units.that is way..way down..607 units attended last years rally. The high cost of energy is affecting a lot of campers.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

We are in Cookeville TN for 2 nights, and 2 more nights away from home for the drive.

We did not bring Tana, first she is sick and cannot stretch her legs (landing leg gears stripped)

Second was $$, it would have cost us for fuel yesterday with Big Butt and Tana $175.00 and it only cost us $34.00 for the Escort

We have the kids with us, so we are staying in hotel rooms that smell of dog urine and this one, I fear also has fleas. We are not comfortable, we are not enjoying all of this stuff. We chose NOT to board the three spoiled fur kids for a number of reasons that are valid to us.

The reason to do this is that is for the three of the bestest gal friends this ole gal has ever had. You do what you must for friends.

The dogs are stressed NOT being in Tana, Al and I are stressed NOT being in Tana, but, friendships are priceless.

The price of fuel of 1 or 2 years ago would have allowed us to still bring Tana along for this trip.

So, I will be fighting fleas, grrrrrrrrrrr and doing what I must, the price of fuel got us,

[c214dick]

As my wife approaches retirement (2 weeks) she is getting anxious to go somewhere. Originally she wanted to stay home and unwind, work in her flower gardens and chill. Yesterday she said she wanted to go somewhere after her retirement starts at whhich time I reminded her that we needed to budget .50/mile if we are going to take the Monty.

As of today I think we're going somewhere but I don't know where. I'm as ready as she is for a road trip even if it means not hauling the trailer. Either way we're taking the truck just for comfort. We live in northern Illinois and are open to suggestions.

[richfaa]

It is not all doom and gloom for us... Our two primary goals of our retirement Great adventure was to stay out of cold Northeren Ohio weather and to see this great Country.Of those two...stay out of snow and ice takes priority. We have cut back drastically on..to see this great country so that we will be able to stay out of the snow and ice. Working at Disney will help offset that cost. At first working at Disney was for fun and adventure..now it will be a necessity..although still fun. We are having a great summer adventure here in our home area..so many things to do and see..adventure is were you find it.

[c214dick]

We will probably enjoy the surrounding areas, within a 200 mile radius, just like we used to when we were young, tenting, raising three kids, and broke. Now we're old, 5th wheeling, no kids just a dog and not broke. I guess it's true, "what goes around, comes around".

[tbhd2]

We're in Little Nashville (Nashville In.) right now and the park we're in is usually full or near full and it's just about empty right now. This is a great place to go if you're from the great lakes area. One day trip. They have an Little Opry house that has entertainment, we just saw Neal McCoy, at fairly reasonable prices.

[c214dick]

We have been there "back in the days" a number of times and it is definitely on our list of places to re-visit. Thanks

[dsprik]

quote:Originally posted by c214dick

... Yesterday she said she wanted to go somewhere after her retirement starts at whhich time I reminded her that we needed to budget .50/mile if we are going to take the Monty.

Dick I think 50¢ a mile might be a little low. I figured 250 miles/day @ 11 mpg @ $5.00 = ~$114. Breakfast and dinner run us ~$40 ($15-bkft, $25-dinner, lunch is sandwiches/snacks in the Montana). Camping ~$25/night.

$114 + $40 + $25 = $179 or ~ 72¢/mile. And that is without shopping/event tickets/extra driving around attractions.

If you do 300 miles a day ($137/40/25), you can knock that down to ~67¢/mile. The more you drive in a day (we have done a couple back to back 400+ mile days), the more that stretches that. Unfortunately, you cannot see any sights and you are dead tired at the end of the 8-9 hr driving day. But, hey... You do save money per mile...

[Charlie]

Yes, $.50/mile is a tad low. Over the lifetime of my truck (7 years) and this includes the purchase price of the truck, not to mention diesel was $1.35/gal in 2001, the operating cost of the truck alone is $.553/mile. Dave is probably close on his figure, maybe more.