Larryzv7 wrote: Just heard today on CNN that gas in France is $10/gal.
A large part of that goes to national health care which many people seem to ignore. I pay over 8K per year for a $5,000 deductible health policy (just my wife and I). The $6 difference in gas price would take me close to 14,000 miles in my RV if the US had $10 gas and national health care. I did 5000 miles last year. So who is really better off?
Use a scanguage. Fun watching the scanguage as you get closer behind a big truck or another rv. Makes for quite a change in mileage, to the good. Now when up close pull into the left lane, on a turnpike of course, and hold the same speed and watch your mileage go into the basement.
I tow with a very unusual vehicle, a flat-front 1965 Chevy Van (I often wonder if I'm the only one to do so). In 1988 I installed a 292 inline 6 cyl, TH350, headers, HEI, etc. It gets 10 mpg towing no matter what, uphill, downhill, no hill. It's kinda ironic that lots of us are slowing down to 55, cause that was the speed limit when I built the engine, and that's almost my top speed anyway. I'm right back where I started.
As for gas prices, I do not look for the cheapest because it's important to me to only buy top tier gas (76, Chevron, Texaco, Shell) because they have the additive package that protects your engine, AND I look for gas with no ethanol, it reduces mileage and can hurt your engine.
I learned a long time ago (back when it cost me $75 to fill up the 40 gallon tank on my '88 Suburban 454), you are not going to enjoy RV'ing if you worry about gas mileage. I don't even look at the gas pump when filling up.
LVJJJ wrote: I tow with a very unusual vehicle, a flat-front 1965 Chevy Van (I often wonder if I'm the only one to do so). In 1988 I installed a 292 inline 6 cyl, TH350, headers, HEI, etc. It gets 10 mpg towing no matter what, uphill, downhill, no hill. It's kinda ironic that lots of us are slowing down to 55, cause that was the speed limit when I built the engine, and that's almost my top speed anyway. I'm right back where I started.
As for gas prices, I do not look for the cheapest because it's important to me to only buy top tier gas (76, Chevron, Texaco, Shell) because they have the additive package that protects your engine, AND I look for gas with no ethanol, it reduces mileage and can hurt your engine.
I learned a long time ago (back when it cost me $75 to fill up the 40 gallon tank on my '88 Suburban 454), you are not going to enjoy RV'ing if you worry about gas mileage. I don't even look at the gas pump when filling up.
Well, like the old VW vans and COE's, besides being first on the scene of any accident, I sure admire the rig you've put together from the standpoint of mechanical modifications!!!
And agree with every other point made. The idea that one has to have new or bigger or whatever has grave faults if the cost of fuel is a prohibitive factor.
In other words, the price of the TV and TT are themselves (depreciation) the important factor in determining travel. Get it right at the beginning and the rest isn't difficult by comparison. Fixed costs versus variable costs. Same for spec'ng TV and TT for lowest operational costs.
And I can't be the only one who'd love to see some pictures of your rig in the "Vintage" section of the Travel Trailer forum.
thanks for the compliment '68. With the flat front, it's true you are first to arrive at a head-on, but I have much better visibility with the picture window up front. I think it might give me a little more time to react. I've driven it since 1970 without a mishap. On the VCVC website (Vintage Chevy Van Club) some of the members have had head-ons with their vans, and are still around to tell about it. (those that didn't aren't on the site)
I'll try to post some pictures but I always seem to have trouble doing that. maybe the moderator could help me.
here's a photo from last year (4th of July). Not so shiney anymore, but it had been stored outside for 18 years. The first one was from 1992. Towed that Nomad over the Cascades and Rockies to Yellowstone and Badlands, never a problem. I think the '92 pic was on the beach in Oregon.
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