$3.50 per gallon!!!

[cpaharley2008]

Maybe she can fly home midway and you continue on yourself. This may give her an out if that is what she really wants.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

To Steve Dunham

I don't think she wants to go.

My wife is one of those individuals who knows what she does NOT want or does NOT like but can NOT tell you what she does want or does like . Being male and very poor at mind reading this leads to difficulties . I just plan and hope for the best . After 42 years of marriage I can't see either of us changing the way we think and so it goes with life, you do your best

[honda03842]

Steve,

When I suggested we stop working and take up RVing it was sort of ignored by Ginny until I looked at our first RV. She literally went momentarily catatonic.

When we hit the road, well before our pensions, social security and real medical insurance, Ginny quickly got into the swing of it, began to relax and integrate into the magic of our new life style.

She quickly realized how good it was for my mental and physical health and her's as well. Then there is just day after day of the special stimulation that is life on the road.

Living in a trailer is different than living at home, actually if you do not try to replicate home, it is much simpler. You cook less, you clean less and you wash fewer clothes and things.

Most importantly there is time to think, read and experience.

Yes it's true that you give up some old friends and seeing the family all the time, but on the whole most of them are happy for you, though they can't understand our new life, they can hear and read the joy we express.

We've been at it for 11 years and there is a magic that hard to explain. One needs to relax, almost like being transported to a new planet, and absorb the difference.

I hope your trip turns out well, the slower you go the more you can relax and enjoy the trip. I know it's not for everyone, in a measure it means dropping some of what you were and becoming a little broader, a little more accepting, actually a little child like.

With great hopes for your trip......

[Darwin Maring]

To Steve Dunham

A big Amen to that. Mine is 45 years in the making and exactly the same.

[honda03842]

Steve and Darwin,

We're in year 48 of our marrige plus 7 years of friendship and dating before.

It is difficult for people to move from what they know to choosing the unknown. People need help in these transitions. I will also say I've changed more than Ginny during our 11 years, more relaxed and more accepting of anything and everyone. In the process of developing our new life style I've tried to be less of what I was and more of what I can be.

Today we went out to a Mexican Restuarant for lunch in Pecos, TX. Forty eight years ago we had not even tasted Mexican food. Actually my wife had barely tasted Italian and never Chinese food. Now we eat everything and continually develop a love of hot and spicy foods.

Pecos has become an interesting place. On our last visit in 2009 Pecos was a dying community of 7,000 now it's the second fastest growing town in it's category nationally.

The RV park we're in is full, save for a few spots they save for Escapee travelers, last time it was nearly empty. Now it gets calls daily from people looking for 12 spots...

This is a farm area, actually know for it's cantalopes despite it's overall look of a dry, browness. Today the landscape is dotted with at least 20 huge oil well rigs, drilling for the stuff that keeps me moving.

What a transformation of us and Pecos......

[Darwin Maring]

Is it The RV park west of the Pecos?

[honda03842]

We're staying in the Escapees Trapark near the country club on the west side. $13.50 a night. Spending a couple of days just to catchup on my writing. This morning we drove from well driller to well driller watching them drill and feed pipe down the well. We are easy to amuse.

We did visit Langtry, TX, a town of 18 people, home of the Judge Roy Bean where his saloon still stands with a wonderful visitor's center and a great catus garden right off US 90. This little town has a free dry camping location near their community center. I mention that because Pecos has a replica of his saloon.

[Darwin Maring]

I see you understood my last post.
Judge Roy Bean, Law West of the Pecos.

[honda03842]

When we reached the Pecos with it's steep high cliffs you had to wonder how the Judge's freight company ever mad it to San Antonio from Langtry. It may be the reason he opened a saloon. From here we're following the Pecos North to Lakewood, NM, also on the Pecos....

[CallDon]

Originally Posted by BCDave

Around here, there was a fire last week at a refinery just S of the border, in Wa State. Seems it was one of bigger refineries on the W coast
Seems that every oil co is going for "efficiency" and so there are virtually no refineries that are running with "excess" capacity - all run at close to 100% capacity
Therefore, the products from the Cherry Point (BP) refinery are now "missing" from the marketplace.
Demand is fairly constant, local supply is a tad pooched and THAT at least is the excuse being given for the humongous increase in prices locally, as we now approach $6.00 per US gallon!

This is the Cherry Point refinery originally built by Arco or Sinclair which became Atlantic Richfield many, many years ago. Many oil companies use Cherry Point as well as the pipeline and tankers, they all cooperate. The oil from Alaska goes through Cherry Point. We actually have an excess of gasoline and especially diesel, which we export world-wide. Most refineries have been operating at 85% efficiency for several years, it's not just a recent thing. Losing Cherry Point will not actually affect the price of oil much at all.

Since deregulation, speculators had driven the prices sky high. We are driving less miles than we have in many years. The current oil prices are basically driven by unregulated speculation and cheap(er) money available, not by our use or lack of use.

[CallDon]

Originally Posted by honda03842

When we reached the Pecos with it's steep high cliffs you had to wonder how the Judge's freight company ever mad it to San Antonio from Langtry. It may be the reason he opened a saloon. From here we're following the Pecos North to Lakewood, NM, also on the Pecos....

Norm and Jenny, how does your little CRV hold up in those steep mountain passes? Does your MPG suffer much??

[honda03842]

We've done a bit of up and down driving through the Texas hill country and along the southern border of Texas.

The only thing that's seems to effect mileage so far is really strong head winds. Over the previous week there have been really strong west to east winds. We had one 18 mpg day. At Seminole gusts reached 60 mph during the night causing me to take down our rock sheild.

For every up hill run there's a down hill run so mileage wise it seems to average out. We don't drive the speed limit on US 90, 75mph. We're typically in the 55 to 60 mph range but are never holding up traffic because there's so little and every up hill has a passing lane.

The Honda has handled all the hills with ease. Never anything less than 4th gear once we're going.

Shortly we should see some more severe hills and mountains and I'll keep my eye on the mileage, actually I watch instantaneous mileage continuously on our display along with tire pressure.

The Honda has been an impressive tow vehicle, probably not unlike the 4 cyl. Suburas. We've cracked 160,000 miles. As well as towing we carry our sat dish and it's tripod, 4 chairs, and 4 plastic bins for fluids, jackets, maps, and misc tools.

Safe travels

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by CallDon

The current oil prices are basically driven by unregulated speculation and cheap(er) money available, not by our use or lack of use.

IMHO world demand does play a very *big* part in the pricing. The price of oil in unregulated or none government gas subsidized countries such as yours and mine is based on global demand/supply and not just on what is or is not happening in the country we live or how much supply your country may or may not have. I live in a country that has more than enough to meet our demands and a big chuck of the USA's demand as well but we still pay at the pump based on what the worlds production ability is. Most scientist agree that the worlds oil production ability is close to peaking if they don't believe that it has in fact already happened, as some do.

I read someplace recently that although the USA is home to less than 5% of the worlds population it is using about 1/4 of the worlds oil production and that 25% of that consumption is burned on the roads. Yes there has been a slight decline in the consumption of oil in the USA in the past 3 years as there has been in Canada but thats not the case in many other countries in the world. India and China's oil demands have increased along with most other developing countries. Some suggest that China may actually pass the USA in demand by 2025.

There is chart here that shows the consumption by country.

Unless we all figure out how to consume a lot less oil or we find ourselves a few more really big oil fields someplace in the world the cost of gas isn't going to go down anytime soon.

As said that's just MHO.

[melissab]

Carol, do they mean the world's oil production capability it close to peaking due to current technology not being able to process higher capacities? In other words, we're using it faster than we can process it?

[Carol H]

My understanding is that it not only are we using it faster than it can be processed but its not a renewable resource so once current sources are gone they are gone. Some people such as David Suzuki suggest that we are already at a point that exploration costs surpass the value so little is being spent on exploring new sources of oil.

You can read Suzuki's spin on the oil problems we face here.

[GeorgeR]

Getting into a deep energy discussion and fuel cost in the US is practically impossible without touching on politics, some based on science some based on beliefs. There are some mighty forces at play which could exceed the norms of this RV forum. History says, fuel will get more expensive for multiple reasons, it did and it will. So, getting ready for this fact will force individuals to make decisions, how fast, how quickly fast, how much room, how homey. I am still hoping that sailing through the North Pole to Europe will not happen in my or my kids’ life time.
George.

[CallDon]

Originally Posted by GeorgeR

So, getting ready for this fact will force individuals to make decisions, how fast, how quickly fast, how much room, how homey. I am still hoping that sailing through the North Pole to Europe will not happen in my or my kids’ life time.
George.

I already downsized my plans. For years it was to travel with my 32' Argosy. Due to changes in the economy, the fuel situation and income, I'm thinking Casita now. But it's a good change, if one is pressed to change!

[Mark and Tara]

With the prices of fuel, likely the fiberglass trailer companies will come out as winners than the big sticks. The economy already hit the big sticks since 2008. Fleetwood dropped the trailers and kept the motorhomes (like what!? Big mistake). Winnebago did bankrupt but maintain now as LLC, Weekend Warrier Toy haulers bankrupt and shut but the founder is trying to revive it, etc.

Even the eggs types have had hard times in past few years. A very few of them went out in between 2008 and 2010 and one did return. The Bigfoot.

Now, as a paranormal investigator, more than just ghost hunting, I do anaylical stuff on many things. The way the prices are going, there are two choices RV owners and even Boat owners will do: downsize to a fiberglass or hold on to their large ones and stay in their driveway or even third choice, sell it all off but no one will buy the monster vehicles. As for boats, they may end up selling larger ones and downsize. Like my father did. He owned a 39 foot aft cabin Carver in the past. Now he owns a 27 foot cruiser. He downsized. Even his house. Haha. He could not sell his million dollar 4 bedroom house with pool and jacuzzi. Now he has a house worth about 150K with small pool. He rents his million dollar house to some tenants as we speak.

[mcbrew]

There's another unto think about it, though... And I say this because campground prices are through the roof around here, and all of them seem to have no problem being completely booked up. The downturn in the economy could prove to be good for the industry, at least in certain areas. People who might otherwise travel overseas might find it cheaper to use their RV or trailer and stay closer to home.

My mother-in-law works at an RV resort that sells $10,000 memberships. They had a record year for new memberships in 2010. It is difficult even for members to get in, because everything gets booked up so quickly. They now only allow reservations 30 days in advance. They are also actively purchasing other campgrounds in more than one state. It seems to me like the more upscale campgrounds seem to be doing alright.

The bad part is that camping fees at state parks seem to be rising. The park where we used to do a lot of camping was $4/night in 1994, and you could show up any time and get a spot. Now they are $32/night (2 night minimum on weekends) and can be booked up months in advance. Most of the campers are in big, expensive RVs.

[boler75]

you're lucky... here in quebec, $6 per gallon...