Five dollar fuel, still going long trip?

[Tukee44]

Fuel price has not deterred us from camping last 6 years. Luckily, when we actually left the house, the price came down and we have never paid $4.

We have not canceled this year summer trip, but I am getting more worried this time.

I also noticed there are fewer trip planner on this board this time of year.

[wavery]

We reduced the distance of our summer vacation trip this year by 2/3. We didn't really do it because of gas prices (at the time) but I am less concerned now than if we would have planned a longer distance trip.

We have already cut back from 24 camp-outs a year from 2005-2010 to 15 camp-outs in 2011 and we may be looking at 10 camp-outs in 2012. Not a real positive trend for us.

[cdnbayside]

I paid $4.95 a gallon ($1.307 litre) today.  It hurts when it costs $75 to fillup our little Ford Fusion.  Predictions for the summer time are much higher.  We will have to scale back our trips.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

I paid $4.95 a gallon ($1.307 litre) today.  It hurts when it costs $75 to fillup our little Ford Fusion.  Predictions for the summer time are much higher.  We will have to scale back our trips.

Still $1.179 per litre here. Just went up from $1.069. We don't have any major trips planned; the furthest we're going is about 2 hours away. Unfortunately, I work in the freight  transportation business, and fuel costs take a major bite out of my company's bottom line.

[kfriceman]

Never slowed us down 3 years ago when it was $5/gal and certainly won't this Spring/Summer/Fall. 

For one trip when it was $5/gal,the added cost for fuel was an additional $60 for a weekend trip, not enough to detour us from traveling for any other trips.

But believe you me, when prices fell back to normal it was a nice adjustment.

-Kevin

[CampinNewf]

We did a 5000 km trip from Ottawa Ontario to Newfoundland last summer and the average price was around $1.40-1.50/L (over $5/gallon).  Combine that with an average 8 miles/gallon fuel consumption, it made for one big gas bill.

This summer, we'll doing shorter trips closer to home but plan on doing a long trip again next year.  Maybe I'll have to start drafting during my commute to work to save gas 

[allan]

For us. it's NOT the extra trip fuel cost. We can absorb a extra hundred bucks or so for the vacation. However. It's the extra monthly fuel bill. Way harder to absorb an extra  $1600.00 +, per year. Our monthly gas bill has more than doubled since 2009. now it looks to more than triple.  That's hard to cover. I'm thinkin, Now is a bad time to buy new stuff.  I'm thinkin, this recession will be way worse then the last one. We don't have as much cushion

[gec66]

We are going from central Ohio to San Diego this summer regardless of the price.  DS will be 15 in a few weeks and this may be our last big family vacation.  I doesn't hurt that we get no worse than 17.5 mpg towing with the Ody.

[wavery]

We are going from central Ohio to San Diego this summer regardless of the price.  DS will be 15 in a few weeks and this may be our last big family vacation.  I doesn't hurt that we get no worse than 17.5 mpg towing with the Ody.

Where will you be camping in Sandy Eggo?

[Spirit Deer]

I don't see gas ever being really cheap again.  It's only going to go up.  That's why we're trying to figure out what kind of rig we want after retirement in ten years or so, something small enough to be towed by a fuel efficient car of some kind.

[Tenttrailer]

that one of the reasons when we were deciding on a new camper, we decided on a pup that could be pulled by a mini-van. Our TT would only get 8-10 mpg and the TV the rest of the year only got 14-15 mpg on average.

The price will not stop us, we like camping to much.  if the price get way to high, maybe a tent and bike.

We might start driving slower to improve our mpg my 2-3.  Regardless of gas prices, I don't see us doing any of those 4,000 miles three week trips we did when the we wanted to take the kids around north america.  2,000 miles max now.

[wavery]

I don't see gas ever being really cheap again.  It's only going to go up.  That's why we're trying to figure out what kind of rig we want after retirement in ten years or so, something small enough to be towed by a fuel efficient car of some kind.

Because of another thread, we went and checked our coffee supply.......... You think gas has gone up HA!!!!!! Coffee went from $1 # in 2008 to ~$5 # today (for the cheap stuff). If gas did that we'd be paying $20 a gallon (July 2008 gas was $4.31).

If anyone knows where we can get a good deal on coffee in bulk, please let me know.

[stumps]

I do not think that $5 gas would by itself alter our summer plans.  We'd only go for 2 weeks.

$5 gas will dramatically change my commuting habits, though.  Wife and I would likely start riding in together at least 2 days aweek at that point. 

On a two week trip, it might add $300 to my trip budget if gas goes up a $1 per gallon more than I had planned on a long camping trip.

It's the weekly expense over time that is and will kill folks

[wavery]

It's the weekly expense over time that is and will kill folks

I can't even imagine  .

My commute to work is about 30'. We only use our car a couple times a week and our truck is strictly a tow vehicle.

[austinado16]

On Friday the 17th a buddy and I were bitching about the $4.15/gal for 87octane and that was up 10 or 12 cents in about a week.  On Tues. the 21nd I made a 25mi round trip and noted the fuel prices on the main drag heading out of town.  Upon my return about 1hr later, the fuel price signs had either changed, or the station attendants were out changing them.  It'd gone up about 20 cents.  Since then, it's gone to $4.39/gal at the Chevrons, and higher depending on their location, and higher still at the Unocal and BPs. 

I just paid $4.39 for diesel yesterday.  Times like this when it's nice to have a 40mpg pickup truck...


Will fuel prices alter our camping plans?  They might.