An Airline ticket cost has risen as much as truck fuel.
All cost are higher -- Cut out the non fun stuff and enjoy the RV Life.
2007 Ram Laramie 3500 Quad drw 4x4, 3.73, 6.7, 6 speed auto.
2005 Open Road 349 RLDS-5, B & W Companion, Blue Ox Bedsaver
Fifth Airborne Air Pinbox, Timbrens
+The Super Wife and co-driver
Open Road Owners Club -- Texas Chapter
My only REAL issue with today's fuel price situation is that there appears to be no END-GAME. I realize everything goes up, but the past 3 years have been anything but ordinary average inflation. So, being that there appears to be no endgame, I view the situation as the beginning of the end for the RV industry. If it keeps on like it is doing, it will end for everyone, just not everyone at the same time. Some have more extra income than others, but I do think everyone has a limit. Just a matter of time before everyone meets their particular limit. Some of our limits change given happenings in our lives. Those that say NEVER, claiming they have no limit, all I can say is let one major medical situation hit you, and you too will be saying "Whoa, that gas price is too high".
boaterman wrote: An Airline ticket cost has risen as much as truck fuel.
All cost are higher -- Cut out the non fun stuff and enjoy the RV Life.
What are the non-fun stuff items? In my budget, it is either a necessity or it is fun, but I have no expenses that I can think of that can be cut out is considered "non-fun". If it's not necessary, and we don't like it, I wouldn't have it to begin with?
There's more hysteria than anything else about the cost of fuel.
If I didn't have excess money, I would have never bought the rig in the first place. Nobody has posted that they sold their rigs.....just that they aren't going to use them. How long is that good for? Fact is, everybody's going to keep them until they go back to a station wagon and a tent/cookstove/cooler set-up.
Healthcare costs are a much worthier subject to get hysterical about, IMO.
I'm keeping both my diesels. Diesel-coach and 4-wheeler. I'm dancing with what brung me this far.
I have a sweet tender nature, however I enjoy sharing my thoughts and opinions.
RVing is a lifestyle that many will NOT give up. The OP is correct if we get histerical about fuel costs we should not have purchased the unit in the first place.
kmb1966, you state that "it will end for everyone" That statement is more of a defeatist altitude than many of us believe. Try to enjoy your RV the best way you can and worry about the important stuff.
Just my opinion.
Rick
Keep Smilin' It Makes Everyone Wonder What You Are Up Too!
I traded in our 07 TT for an 08 which is lighter. Cost me a little. But the MPGs are almost doubled, form 6 to 8 MPG to 10 to 12+. Told the DW we wouold slow down on eating out. And buy meats in bulk. And if it gets to bad, we will sell the kids. No just kidding, they are the reason I went into hock for a TT to start with. I bet everyone could make cuts somewhere. And sometimes you can spend a little more to save also. Buying full slabs of meat and having them cut. That is a big savings. Beef tendreloin was on sale. Even having it cut thick made 5 meals, and that came out to 5 bucks a meal for beef tenderloin. We also do it with pork. And buy full racks of ribs, which I cook whole. Grow your own veggies. Even if in a planter. Many ways to save. Hope to have a garden this year. Missed the last 2. Don't give up your fun, or hobby.
F.L.U.F. wrote: RVing is a lifestyle that many will NOT give up. The OP is correct if we get histerical about fuel costs we should not have purchased the unit in the first place.
kmb1966, you state that "it will end for everyone" That statement is more of a defeatist altitude than many of us believe. Try to enjoy your RV the best way you can and worry about the important stuff.
Just my opinion.
Rick
I am enjoying it while it lasts. My rig was paid for when I bought it, so all I pay for is repairs, insurance and fuel. So I can continue use it for a while. But I have a limit somewhere. With no endgame for fuel prices, everyone has a limit whether they admit it or not. I'm just being realistic. $4 gas is killing off airlines, and some RV business. $5 will be worse, then there will be $6. No end game for it my friend. A friend of mine in Germany just reported $9.50/gallon premium. There is no real RV industry over there! I work in the oil industry, and I believe the RV business will be all but dead here in the USA before the market comes around and corrects itself.
We are retired so take advantage of weekly and monthly rates instead of travelling from place to place more often. Just spent time on Jekyll Island , Ga. and the truck never moved as we rode our bikes on their many bike trails. There are a lot of places where you can spend time and still not be bored and don't have to drive far or at all to have fun.
Just took a 4-night trip to Disney - stayed at Fort Wilderness. It is about 400 miles each way. Total gas bill was less than the site. IF gas was $1.00 less per gallon, I would have saved about $50 each way. I spent that at Cracker Barrel both down and back. DD(14) loves CB and it is worth $50 to see her giddy!!!! (Can you say Angry Adolescent?)
I spent almost an hour online before the trip researching gas prices. Found a county where gas was $0.10/gal cheaper. It was going to be out of my normal "fuel window". Saving $2.00 for that one fill up (20 dimes are still $2.00) would mean stopping again. DW loves getting junk food in the store while I fill up. Saving $2.00 in gas would have cost me $5.00 in drinks, gum and candy...
If I can make a 750 mile trip into 2 days instead of 3, I would probably save the extra gas money...
I HATE the higher fuel costs, but I'm still going. In the total cost, even $1.00 per gallon extra is not as bad as it sounds...
Enjoy,
David
Camping Mode = Sisters stop acting like sister and become best friends when we camp..."They are in Camping Mode"
2007 Cougar 281BHS
2007 Chevy 2500HD
Me, DW and (2)DD
ALL the animals stay home!
Agreed. Who does like the rising Fuel costs. But there is nothing that we can really do about it, but live with it as always. And learn to do some adjusting in your lifestyles, with out giving up RV'ing. We are firm believers, that there is so many ways to save a few cents, to a few dollars all the time. its all about choices, and how much your willing to sacrifie to stay in the RV'ing Life Style that we all love so much. Or we wouldn't have gotten ito it in the first place.
We did however learn a long time ago, what we really wanted, and what we could live with. Rather than just buying a really big 5er, just because we can That is one huge differance. We all know, that the Bigger, and the heavier that your RV is, the more Fuel it is going to take to move it around. Driving habits play a very important part of getting better fuel miliage. We drive correctly by the law, 55 mph. Once in a while on a down-hill run, it will creap up to 60 mph. We have always been savers, as far as money goes, even in times, in our younger years, when we didn't make a whole lot, we were still able to save money. Every RV we have ever owned, we saved,,and we paid cash for them. The same thing for our PSD. Yes we feel the added cost of Diesel also. But as the old saing goes, "if there is a will, then there is a way"
We have no plans on stopping something that we have Loved, and enjoyed so much for the last 40+ years now. As in our post, you can see, that we have an older 5er, and a older PSD, both of which are in Total Mint Condition, and will last us the rest of our lives. Can we afford to go buy a New 5er, Yes. Can we afford to go buy a New Truck, Yes. But why should we. We have our 5er just the way we want it. I have made many many Mods to make our 5er even more comfortable, and better than it was when new. We have been asked why we drive such an older truck. For one reason, it will last us the rest of our lifes. The second reason, is that I get better MPG with our PSD than most of you can only dream of. If all of you look, watch and see just how many PSD between 97-99, you see on this form, or actually on the roads. Between those years, thoses 7.3 PSD got the best MPG of any Diesel Truck ever made. Thats why we won't get rid of our truck. And also due to the size of our 5er, we get some pretty impressive MPG. So we don't have the much higher cost that a lot of you larger 5er owners have. That adds up to a lot of money saved. In these times, with such high prices, for just about everything now, what is the real size 5er that you really need, or just want because you can. I'm not counting Full-Timmers, as thier lives are much different than the average RV'er anyways, and it is their homes.
At our ages, we will not stop RV'ing, as we planned very well for our furtue. We are not rich, but we are well to do. Because we worked our butts off all of our lifes, and saved and invested. And it really paid off for us. Everyone has their own story. But if you want something bad enought, then you will figure out a way to continue it, even if you have to go back to taking a car, and a tent and the rest of camping items with you. But at least, you will still be in the game. Good Luck to All. Happy Camping, Dan & Jill
1997 Ford F-250, H.D. Extended-Cab, Short Bed, 7.3 PSD, K&N Air Filter, 5000 lbs air bags w/on board compressor w/guage, SuperChips Tuner/Programer. 1996 Nash 24fter 5er, 15K "Lil" Rocker Hitch w/BedSaver, Twin EU2000i Gen's W/Kit. Nam-Vet, 33 Months.
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