Gas Prices and Travel - Wild Texas Forums: Parks, Travel & Recreation

srds · 04-09-2008, 12:27 AM

Is the rising price of gas going to effect how far you will travel this year,We have cut back 2 trips out of state because of cost

.We will still get to see relatives ,just at a later date.Our regular get to gather looks to have a few less people then normal.I just can't even imagine what we will be paying by July.:no:

srds :cool:
Have Fun

Shannon · 04-09-2008, 12:36 AM

We don't travel that much, but we've made the extra effort to pack our smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle (Ford Escape Hybrid) to the gills for trips instead of using the gas-guzzling, polluting Ford F-150 Supercrew 4x4 Justin drives. It means we have to take extra care when packing, but it lets us use significantly less gas during our travels.

If I could handle driving a vehicle as large as an F-150, I would probably be driving that and let Justin drive our hybrid for his workday commute--being stuck in stop and go traffic is perfect for the hybrid, since its gasoline engine turns off automatically when the vehicle is stopped, idling or traveling at speeds under 30mph (depending on road grade). At some point, we'd like to sell the F-150 and get a Prius, letting Justin adopt my Escape Hybrid. We're nowhere near ready to want to pick up another car payment, however, especially not with everything breaking in our house lately (water softener blew up and flooded the garage; A/C died and had to be replaced, compressor & all.)

I fuel up about once a month and drive 4 or 5 days out of the week, in town. I group my trips together, such as donation and recycling drop-offs, checking our P.O. box, visiting family, doctor's appointments, etc.

Motorman355 · 04-09-2008, 08:03 AM

I've been running around in a Prius rental now for two weeks. I had pump shock yesterday when I filled up the 10 gallon tank and it still cost $31.
Could be worse. I could be back in Texas having to fill my Explorer.

My biggest complaint on the Prius is the poor dash arrangement. Many a times I've hit the wiper switch reaching for the on/off button to start the car. Sometimes at a light, there's a shake when the gas engine turns over to the battery. The rear view has such a blind spot, there is a back up camera and monitor screen on the dash. Don't get me going on the reverse beeper. It sounds like a garbage truck backing up. Still, the little car has the power to accelerate when needed.

campermom · 04-09-2008, 08:38 AM

We are still taking our 2 road trips. I already calculated an estimated gas price of $3.50 per gallon. 1300 miles, 15 MPGx3.50=303$. (15mpg is based on a fully packed Xterra)

We are park hopping but staying put more than usual.

Trip 1 is (from San Antonio)
Abilene
Caprock Canyon 3 days
Palo Duro Canyon 5 days
Lake Colorado City
San Angelo (travel stop)
South Llano 2 days
$555 (Gas, fees using the coupons, Texas, trail ride, bat tour,Native dance show, museums, Lake Meredith) plus the cost of food/ice. 13 day trip

Trip 2 is
South Llano
Davis 4 days
South Llano 3 days

Sure there will be some side trips, but that's included in the budget.

TexasCamper_01 · 04-09-2008, 09:12 AM

We are planning one big trip this summer to Branson. We will be leaving Rockwall, Tx. and going to Eufaula Lake in Oklahoma for two nights, then onto Branson for four nights (two at the Bass Pro Shop lodge and two at Table Rock Lake State Park). From there I am not sure if we are going back to Oklahoma or if we are going to come back through Arkansas. Other than that we will be staying in parks within an hour and half to two hours from the house and probably not taking quite as many as we usually do in the summer. Last year we went somewhere almost every other weekend, this year maybe every three.

happybooker1 · 04-09-2008, 10:34 AM

ON Mapquest there is a 'trip gas cost calculator', which out of curiosity I used. I tow a Pop up & get around 17 MPG (down from 24 w/out towing!).

DS & I have the same trips planned this summer that we did last summer, we enjoyed them so much. A week in the FL panhandle, a week at Garner SP, and a week near Hot Springs AR.

If gas has gone up (by then) to $1.25/gal OVER what it was last year (estimating), on the FL trip (the furtherest) I will spend about $100 more than I did last summer on the round trip. Which in the scheme of things, is pretty negligible. Esp. with what we save on 'lodging' by taking the Pup.

Of course if I DIDN'T have the Pup, we wouldn't be taking so many trips anyway..... I couldn't afford to fly & do the hotel thing for 3 weeks!!

Troop198 · 04-09-2008, 07:34 PM

Just remember compared to other countries and other things you use daily, gas is not that expensive. If only the news told the truth (all of it) some local examples
Just need your calculator to convert the small sizes to gallons.

Gallon Milk $3.50
Gallon Pepsi $ 5.30
Gallon of Lighter fluid $11.86
Gallon Starbucks Frapuccino $ 20.48 (and there are lines for this stuff)
Gallon Elmers glue $20.54
Gallon of Ragu Pizza Sauce $30.17
Gallon Evian water $ $21.19 ($1.49 bottle)
Vicks Nyquil 6 oz for $8.35 = $178.13 per gallon

I know we use gas daily just take it in context.

VISIT a state park and enjoy the outdoors :cool:

srds · 04-09-2008, 08:58 PM

I have my mighty 50cc scooters for short run to stores,$5.00 dollars to fill up,even went to last Doctors appointment on one.Not the fastest mode of tranportation, but pretty fun.When we cut out trips to west coast we will be spending about $200.00 more on gas than last year.Glad we have pup also HB1 it saves us a bunch,Dw prefers TT until we have to fill her truck up.

srds :cool:
Have Fun

Shannon · 04-10-2008, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troop198

Just remember compared to other countries and other things you use daily, gas is not that expensive. If only the news told the truth (all of it) some local examples
Just need your calculator to convert the small sizes to gallons.

Gallon Milk $3.50
Gallon Pepsi $ 5.30
Gallon of Lighter fluid $11.86
Gallon Starbucks Frapuccino $ 20.48 (and there are lines for this stuff)
Gallon Elmers glue $20.54
Gallon of Ragu Pizza Sauce $30.17
Gallon Evian water $ $21.19 ($1.49 bottle)
Vicks Nyquil 6 oz for $8.35 = $178.13 per gallon

I know we use gas daily just take it in context.

VISIT a state park and enjoy the outdoors :cool:

Now if only we could make gasoline like we make all of the things you listed above. Oops, there are no more dinosaurs!

kmerian · 04-10-2008, 09:17 AM

Just as a reality check, according to Free UK fuel prices. 9,729 petrol stations covered - PetrolPrices.com the average rate for a litre of gas today in Britian is 1.075GBP.

At todays exchange rate, that is $8.09 a gallon!

Maybe we don't have it so bad?

Shannon · 04-10-2008, 10:09 AM

There's a reason vehicles in the U.K. and elsewhere, except for luxury sports cars, are highly fuel efficient.

Troop198 · 04-10-2008, 06:20 PM

As Shannon is aware, the dinosaurs did not account for todays fuel, unless you count all animals,plants and sediment as dinosaurs. The UK is also a small country and people do not put as much value in their car as most Americans do. But her point is right on, if we as consumers demand efficient cars we should get them.

My point was the same person complaining that gas went up 10 cents a gallon, will go out and buy a bottle of water and have no thoughts of how much they are paying, in some cases for city water.

Coca Cola and Pepsi. will spell out that its bottled water is made with tap water, a concession to the growing environmental and political opposition to the bottled water industry. According to Corporate Accountability International, a U.S. watchdog group, they will soon include the words "Public Water Source" on labels.

Those same people then do not recycle that plastic bottle (made from crude oil also). (In general terms, I am sure the Wild Texans recycle

Shannon · 04-10-2008, 09:56 PM

Yeah, I was being a little facetious on the dinosaurs comment.

Fuel prices affect the price of all the other items mentioned in this thread, because they increase the cost of transporting raw materials or harvesting farm goods (grains, veggies, etc.) and transporting finished goods/products to market. They affect the price of doing business for many companies in other ways, such as increasing the cost of aviation fuel for corporate jets and flight schools and helicopter tours and so forth. Unlike the other things discussed in this thread, there's a huge ripple affect related to the cost of refined gasoline and diesel fuel (diesel runs most commercial production lines and farm processing plants).

I'm not saying the point about gasoline and diesel being comparatively CHEAP here in the USA compared to elsewhere is any less valid, it's something the average American (or at least the average American media person) seems oblivious to. However, gasoline/diesel just doesn't compare to bottled water or Nyquil or whatnot....until we can pour those into our tanks and drive to work, school, medical care and the market, anyway.

As for recycling, we do our best (Justin & I) but we aren't off the grid and 0% or even only 50% waste in our household. No one is doing EVERYTHING they could do. If that were so, we'd all be taking public transit or cycling when we don't have to haul a lot, we'd all recycle and only buy products that were recyclable and used a minimum of packaging (itself recyclable), etc. etc. etc. I don't know why people get stuck on the notion that to help the environment it's an all or nothing proposition. I drive a hybrid. I recycle items to charity or eBay or to alternative uses in the home, but I don't have recycling service curbside and don't load my hybrid with used water bottles, cans, etc. to haul them to a recycling plant. There's a lot more I could do, just as there's a lot every single person could do.

It's SO much more than just the price of gas, and as long as we as a nation can't see that, we'll be creating more problems than we're solving, IMHO.

deafdave3 · 04-10-2008, 11:56 PM

Wife has a 2000 VW Beetle Diesel Turbo. Gets about 40 miles to the gallon. I've been using that car a lot lately for highway driving. Wonderful little car. Very comfortable and drives well. I'm hoping to get myself one very soon, or at least another VW diesel such as a Jetta.

PUNCHY · 04-11-2008, 09:29 AM

We are still heading to Lake Ouchita State Park in Arkansas the first week of June with all the kids. The trip will be 487 miles one way (house to park) for us in a suburban pulling a trailer so of course Im taking donations. The wife and I will also be staying home this October (our anniversary) and just do some camping and fishing up and down the coast.

Duane

pictures:
Flickr: Photos & Video from dcart01

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