| Author | Message | ||
| Brian Elfert
Rating: N/A |
Are any of you guys worried that diesel prices are going to skyrocket again this summer? Diesel is already up to $2.55 here in Minnesota. Diesel prices had been fairly steady at around $2.35 to $2.40, but jumped a lot in the past week or 10 days. I'm starting to wonder if I should really be buying something that gets 6 to 7 MPG. My budget can easily handle $3.00 a gallon, but last year saw prices up to $3.59 one day in October. I'm hoping all the work to do ULSD has lead refineries to increase diesel capacity so diesel doesn't continue to cost more than gasoline. Doing a transit would gain me a few MPG, but would be a heck of a lot more work than a coach. I don't have the choice of shorter trips as I'm going to specific events held at the same location year after year. Brian Elfert | ||
| Mike (Busone)
Rating: N/A |
The prices here around Portland OR have been going down. The price of diesel was around$2.60 now it is nearing $2.45. I still see some of the more expensive stations selling it for the $2.60 range. I hope it will go down in the summer since people are not buying as much heating oil. If we have another bad hurricane season who knows. My own insurance policy will be getting my bus setup for WVO. As soon as we get moved I am going to start talking with local resturants about their oil. Even if in the future if biodiesel really catches on. I will be able to pay the resturants more per gallon than a refiner could offer. Of course I could always buy stock in the oil companies and let them pay me back. Though with my luck then the prices would fall big time. | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
"Are any of you guys worried that diesel prices are going to skyrocket" Yeah, BIG TIME. What's the alternative? My 33' Winnie with the 454 got 9 mpg, our 36' Georgie-Boy with the 454 got around 6 mpg.... at 55 mph The class "C" jobs (454, or 460) get around 5-8 mpg.. at 55 mph Oh yeah.. and my MC9 gets about 9 mpg.... 30 mph or 80 mph... What's the dif? You tell me. | ||
| Brian Elfert
Rating: N/A |
I suppose the alternative is to stay home if not fulltiming. What kinda drivetrain you got that gets 9 MPG in a MC9? Craig from Gumpydog says his MC9 with 6V92 gets less than 6MPG. I wouldn't even be worrying about fuel prices at 9 MPG. I am expecting to get 6 to 7 MPG at the most. Brian Elfert | ||
| Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat)
Rating: N/A |
I seem to not worry about it. My Crown gets 10-11mpg doing 75 most of the time, even with its 1' roof raise. If I had one of those 3-5mpg coaches I think I'd be a bit more concerned... but whatever... if you can't afford the fuel, you probably can't afford to make the bus in the first place... conversely if you can afford to create a great conversion, you can probably afford the fuel...  | ||
| peff Rating: N/A |
Even for a wannabe busnut like me future fuel prices IS a concern. Like Mike (Busone) I plan to be equipped to do WVO if need be. BTW. here in Seoul Korea, Diesel is ~$5/gallon. Unleaded is ~$6/gallon. It costs me $75-80 to fill up my Saab 900 for 2 weeks of commuting to work... be happy you are where you are Peff | ||
| motorcoach1 Rating: N/A |
well fill up an 83 foot boat that's 4 knots aND GO FIGURE 3000 gal. yea its a nice life style I'm not on the road playing any more but Ron is and respect that ...pay the price for being there ... and i want a free lunch. as fred says do it your way mmmmmm. well ok that works | ||
| Pat Bartlett (Muddog16)
Rating: N/A |
Yesterday I paid $2.33 in Northern Kentucky. It doesn't really matter I'm going to be driving something whether its the bus or not. | ||
| Brent Coursey
Rating: N/A |
I think it was the buswarrior folks that said that fuel was not the biggest expense on their round-the-country tour because they would go somewhere and stay for a while, then move on. If you move every day, fuel is a big deal. And if the bus is your home you have to think about expenses like they offset expenses you would have with a home. Brent | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Rating: N/A |
I was laid off with no income when I re-evaluated what was important to me. After all the thinking, I kept coming back to family. We want to travel & see new things, so we decided that a self converted bus is the best route for us. If someone is super concerned about fuel cost, take time to look at the bigger picture. Fuel is only a part of the cost. I went on a hunting trip to Montana (for rare & elusive bus parts), and the fuel cost was $1300 (over 5000 miles). If the fuel cost had gone up 50 cents, it would have added less than $300 to the cost of the trip. Yes $300 is a nice chunk of cash, but is is such a small portion of the cost of the trip. Your choice of events to attend will have a much bigger impact on the cost of the trip. Your choices in the grocery store have a big impact. I think that most people are being distracted by the media hype. It is easier for me to understand the justification behind the cost of fuel than to understand the fact that bottled water cost more than soft drinks which cost more than fuel. Fuel cost will not dictate trips for us, they are just a small piece of the puzzle. Don't miss out on an enjoyable life just because the price of fuel went up a bunch (affecting the trip cost only by a small percent). Your mileage may vary, Kyle4501 | ||
| Jon W. Rating: N/A |
I think if the price is compared with days of yore when fuel was $.89 today's prices are scary. But the reality is that a year ago I was paying $1.90 so at today's prices I am paying up to $.50 more per gallon. When I put that in perspective, last year I used about 2600 gallons, so my costs this year are up $1,300. There is not much I can do about it considering the options are to let my coach sit or sell it and find another way to travel. That ain't going to happen. | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
"It is easier for me to understand the justification behind the cost of fuel than to understand the fact that bottled water cost more than soft drinks which cost more than fuel. " I can stock up with Coca Cola when it's on sale at 89 cents for a 2 liter (gal) bottle. ..... .. When's gas "on sale"? (Bottle water's 60 cents a gal at Walmart, btw) There is no justification for the price of fuel. There's even less justification for the higher price of home fuel oil and diesel fuel.. It's greed. Nothing more, nothing less. Side note: I just reported a local 7/11 to the Weights and Measures part of our gubberment. My 16 gal tank, that had more than 1/4 tank left, managed to fit another 15.365 gallons into it. After talking to a few people back home, the stories revealed much of the same at other stations. One guy said his 5 gal gas can with some left in it, took 5.6 gallons. Nice... He paid the money and says he won't go back... Gotta' call these things in!! Make some waves! | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Rating: N/A |
Jon W. I think you & I are on the same page here. (If you take inflation & average income into account, fuel did cost more in the early 80's.) It would be nice to have cheaper fuel, but all things considered, I feel fuel is priced under value. (Don't get me wrong, I'd love to pay less, I just don't expect to.) (I have cut grass with a manual reel push mower & spent 0 on fuel, I cut the same yard with a gas mower...... I wouldn't go back to the reel mower if gas was $20.00/ gal.) With the higher cost of fuel, I'll just spend more time in the planning stage of the trip. So far that has been a blessing in that we have experienced more by spending more time in one spot taking in the smaller local events, not just hitting the main event & running to the next main event in another town. John mc9, cola & water are put on sale so they can get rid of the old stock & as loss leaders to get you in the store. Fuel ain't on sale because they don't have to beg us to use it. While greed may have a lot to do with it, have you priced the surcharge for transporting hazardous materials? As bad as the 60 cent wal-mart water is (I've tried it) & as bad for your health as cola products may be, They are not currently classified as hazardous materials. There is plenty that justifies the price charged for something, but the biggest is DEMAND. If we stopped using the stuff..... I have allowed myself to become dependant on it. I like the instant gratification of next day shipping. I live too far from work to walk. I don't like waiting for the cab or at the bus stop. I like the freedom of going when I want to. I'm not comfortable in taking the city bus. (Concerning taking the city bus, the current level of rider has dropped in 'quality' to such a level that sometimes, crack heads would rather walk.) BTW our fuel prices are lower than in almost any other country. When the price gets high enough, people will start demanding & using public & mass transportation like in Europe. I enjoyed that experience in Europe & would like to see it here, but I know that isn't likely due to many, many reasons. I have to accept the consequences & price for my choices. kyle4501 PS If someone is cheating, they should be reported! | ||
| David Hartley (Drdave)
Rating: N/A |
The only fuel tanks that are "exact" are the ones used for Nascar Nextel Cup cars. Fuel Tanks and Cans are always usually a higher capacity than stated. This is done for expansion factors. Did you ever see a 55 gallon drum absolutely filled to the top with no air bubble? Just about everything either expands or contracts and changes density depending upon temperature. A rated capacity is based on a nominal filling point while allowing space for expansion. The lines on the gas cans are never all the way to the top. They all will hold more that is stated on the label. Marc, Your'e the engineer.. Tell em.... What gets me is the trick of the single fuel hose for 3 different grades of gas. All at different prices. | ||
| JW Smythe (Jwsmythe)
Rating: N/A |
> I just reported a local 7/11 to the Weights and > Measures part of our gubberment. My 16 gal tank, > that had more than 1/4 tank left, managed to fit > another 15.365 gallons into it. John, gas tanks are funny things. It's the gallon capacity of the entire tank. In many vehicles, the gauge isn't an accurate measure. 1/4 tank isn't 25% of the gallon capacity left, it's 1/4 of the vertical height of the tank full... The gallon capacity is the expected capacity of the tank. It leaves for a little reserve space at the top and on a full fillup you're leaving gas in the fill tube too. F-bodies (Firebirds and Camaros) are bad for this. They have a wedge shaped tank, small at the bottom, big at the top. Kinda like a martini glass. Driving across the country, it was very noticable. On flat land, with the cruise control set to 80mph, the first 1/4 lasted for a long time, the last 1/4 dropped real quick. It's easy in this car though, I know I can get over 400 miles to a tank driving like that. When I hit about 330 miles or 1/4 tank, I'd start looking for gas. The worst part about driving with only stops for fuel was, at 80mph, that left me sitting for 5 hours straight, and sometimes I'd forget that I had a clutch when I finally hit the off ramp. With all that said, ya, they were probably screwing you. Just remember to never believe your gas gauge. It's a hint to the available fuel, and nothing more. | ||
| JW Smythe (Jwsmythe)
Rating: N/A |
> What gets me is the trick of the single fuel hose > for 3 different grades of gas. All at different > prices.:-) David, Ya, that first gallon or so is whatever the person before you pumped. A friend of mine worked at a gas station for years. He told me that most gas stations only have two tanks for gasoline. One is the lowest grade, the other is the highest grade. The pumps mix it together for the middle grade. There was a gas station I'd use very occasionally that sold 5 different grades. Their pumps simply did different blends of the low and high grade to accomplish these intermediary grades. I later confirmed this with a gas wholesaler. You can find out a lot by sitting down and talking with people. He also told me the differences between different fuels. I was there to fill cans with race fuel. We started comparing the way different octanes are measured. If I remember right, 110 octane race fuel is 110 street rating. We did the math (even though he already knew), and 110LL aviation fuel is 116 octane street rating. The problem with 110LL is that it is leaded. Low lead, but still leaded. It'll destroy a catalytic converter, but since mine was heavily modified, it didn't matter. My old car (82 Firebird, 10:1 4 bolt main 350, real dual exhaust) LOVED aviation fuel. Normally you could feel the rumble of the engine running. The warm heartbeat of a muscle car. With a tank of 110LL, I couldn't tell the engine was running from feel. I had to look at the tach when it was idling to be sure it was still running. At the time, I was paying $2.50/gallon, and I was lucky enough that my local airport was friendly and would let me drive out on the tarmac to fill up. Street gas was about $1.35/gallon for 93 octane at the time. It was worth doing for racing, but too expensive for daily driving. I loved spectator racing. Our track was only a 1/4 mile oval though, and this car needed at least a 3/8 oval to be able to perform well. I really wanted to get onto a bigger track, so I could really run it, but never had an opportunity. Damn, it's been years since I've been racing. The last track time I got was at Buttonwillow, on their road course. It's "technically" a driving school, so they don't keep times and there's no prizes. It's fun coming off a hard turn at 30, giving it all it's got, and flying up to the next turn at over 100mph. I'll feel that much safer being able to tow my car along. If I screw it up, all I have to do is winch it up on the trailer and go. | ||
| R.C. Bishop
Rating: N/A |
Gary...back to the thread topic....while I don't "worry" about the price of fuel, I would be a whole less than honest if I did not say it "cuts in" to our use of the coach. Example...just this weekend we took a 300+ mile trip into the Mountains of New Mexico....left yesterday about 11:00 am and returned today at about 4:00 pm....nice leisurely trip, enjoyed every minute of it. Great time away and good for the soul and yes, the marriage. BUT>>>>>>>>> Social Security, a small investment income and high fuel prices ( when we left yesterday, fuel at the local TA was 2.39. When we returned today,...guess what...all the way up to 2.57) make it more challenging and it stands to reason we would enjoy more trips, long and short, if not confronted with such prices. My Crown, like yours, gets up to lower 2 digit MPG, but like anything, including water use, rationing is necessary and prudent. Do I wish I didn't have to, you bet, do I fret, not much, but I can tell you that budgeting for use of the coach is definitely a part of our program... You may be right, maybe we shouldn't even have indulged in this hobby, but we did, it is paid for, and since the first of the year has over 3000 miles, added to it's 42 year old chassis. And, Lord willing, it'll make another 8-10000 miles again this year. Last year we made it all the way to Nova Scotia.....and home. Not real sure that "affording" has a bunch to do with much of anything, at least in my life. Sacrificing, budgeting.....and what is this versus that worth..... to us seems to be the glue. As our mutual friend FF says....Do It Your Way....(Your way, of course, busses or business, hamburgers or sandwiches) And most of all, enjoy the trip! Golf's expensive too; one reason I save my quarters for the coach... Life's too short to "worry" about much of anything, FWIW RCB '64 Crown Supercoach (HWC) | ||
| GmcLawrence@aol.com Rating: N/A |
Filling the 100 gallon tank on My diesel pusher @ $ 2.55 a gallon takes $ 255.00 , ouch. Biodiesel requires labor and chemical cost of approximately 87 cents per gallon. Now I can fill the 100 gallon tank for $ 87.00 Really enjoy the ride much better now. Not to much concerned if getting 7.2 or 8 miles per gallon or overnight RV site cost, since powering 1999 Cummings diesel engine on Homebrew Biodiesel. Sucessfully powering 2 vehicles for almost a year. | ||
| BUSFOOL (Chuck)
Rating: N/A |
cross the border into Canada we are a large producer of gas and diesel our current prices are .95 cents per litre this would equal about $420.00 per gallon .To fill up Tahoe $90.00 so when you feel you are being screwed at the pumps come on over here for some fuel .And they don't even give you a kiss before they screw you. | ||
| David Hartley (Drdave)
Rating: N/A |
Fuel cost is only a small ouch in the pocket. If we were worried about the incidental cost of fuel we wouldn't be converting buses into motorhomes. Personally I would rather pay for fuel than to wait in line at some airport for hours on end. Then get bumped or harrassed because of "banned" items. Plane tickets although sometimes cheap have a cost in time and aggravation, patience and a whole raft of problems. As for the bus, I can take my junk with me at my own pace and wander off the beaten path without the path beating me back. I may plan a trip and decide to stick to the plan. But when loose on the road and enjoying the scenery (or not!) I tend to wander away from Interstates and large cities. Out on the two lane roads and through the old original routes once traveled before Intertstate highways. Those "shortcuts" are more fun anyway, The sights are always interesting. So who cares about fuel cost. More like "De-Stressing" and thats worth more!!! | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
"Out on the two lane roads and through the old original routes once traveled before Intertstate highways. Those "shortcuts" are more fun anyway" Absolutely, Dave! That's the reason I always wonder why so many bus converters do roof raises on coaches that are already too high for some back road routes. It's a shame to limit travels and the great scenery that comes with it, for the sake of interior aesthetics. Oh well. | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Rating: N/A |
While fuel cost has gone up, compare this to staying in a motel every night and buying all your meals in restaurants, plus the increased cost of gasolene for your car. Personally, we prefer to sleep in our own bed and not have to unpack a suitcase every night. As well as eat what we want, when we want without having to wait in lines at the busy restaurants. Just our way, YMMV Jack | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A |
If you ever saw that prime time news magazine story on what they found in 5 star Hotel rooms (bed bugs and worse) by examining the bedding and using ultraviolet light - you will gladly pay the price for hauling your own bed around with you - forget about what people do to rental cars when they travel and think about what goes on in their Hotel rooms - Things that make you go Brrrrgh!! | ||
| Dale Waller (Happycampersrus)
Rating: N/A |
Even though fuel prices are up I can take my bus to Myrtle Beach, stay at an ocean front campsite (walking distance to the beach), and have all my stuff from home plus my pets. The campgrounds have security folks that patrol. Quiet after 10pm. Rarely have a bad neighbor in a campground. If we try to drive a car and stay in a hotel with oceanfront rooms (walk to the beach) It cost an average of $20 to $30 or more a night with no pets allowed, people raising cane all night, and as Niles points out bed bugs, crabs, mold, and whatever else. I like to budget fuel to "take the scenic route" that's part of the adventure. You can't panic just because of fuel prices they are here to stay and they WILL go up. Not to be harsh, but if fuel prices bother you now you probably don't need a bus. | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
think about what goes on in their Hotel rooms Oh come'on, Niles. Wake up and smell the sheets. I thought that was the reason we went to hotels. | ||
| Brian Elfert
Rating: N/A |
My trips are very different from most RVers. Generally, the cost of fuel for my trips exceeds all other costs. Here are costs from a 4,000 trip last year with F-350 and toy hauler and five guys including myself: Fuel $1330 Activity fees $160 Groceries $100 Hotels $210 Food on road $100 Total trip cost was $1900 of which exactly 70% was spent on fuel. (We stayed in hotels on way there and back as toy hauler was full.) Fuel costs affect us more than most folks for vacation dollars. I have two buckets of money: one for converting a bus and a second for paying for fuel. The bus conversion bucket has a lot of money. The fuel bucket has less money, but enough that 6 MPG at $3.00 a gallon wouldn't be a problem. Things start getting tight above $3 a gallon. We split the fuel bill on the road. I have a good job, but my friends all make less than me, some far less. I know fuel prices are going up, but I had hoped that prices wouldn't exceed $3 a gallon this year. We averaged about $2.75 last year in Mid Sept between Katrina and Rita. Brian Elfert | ||
| Mike (Busone)
Rating: N/A |
Nothing like motels. We were on a very tight budget the last time we visited Oregon. To save a few$$ we decided to stay at a low cost motel (flea bag.) The first thing I noticed is that the room looked just as it did when the place was built in the 1940s, same toilet and all. The second thing was that the front door had a 1.5" gap at the bottom. When we woke up the next morning I noticed all the sugar ants in the bed with us. As I stripped all the covers off looking at the ants I discovered the blood stains. However we did spend less than half of what we would have at the BestWestern. After a really hot shower my wife told me how she could not wait until we get a bus. Then we will know what every stain is. The price of fuel will have to get way over $3.00 and the used veggy oil will have to dry up before we do motels again. Espically cheap motels. As far as flying goes forget it. I hate airports and the whole mess. | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
"my wife told me how she could not wait until we get a bus. Then we will know what every stain is. " Even if -every- stain isn't known... It's still worth the price of the bus. | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
MOTEL 6 "If we thought you were staying the night , we would have changed the sheets." FAST FRED | ||
| Mike (Busone)
Rating: N/A |
Since the TV was broken we entertained ourselves by playing "name that stain." | ||
| Eric Lake (Dc_bus_nut)
Rating: N/A |
The hotel & lodging industries worldwide have spent half of a BILLION dollars the last year replacing furniture, matresses, sheets, etc along with pest control for bed bugs. They have come back and are in full infestation swing. Australia along has spent $200,000,000.oo. Just an update from the local Nat'l Pest Mgmt Association of America. I love my Bus (although, my wife still hates it!! ) Eric |