What will you do this summer?

[bobsallyh]

11 hours ago, Jim & Alice said:

After sitting out the last two Summers due to medical reasons (covid avoidance as well as 'other'), we will be leaving Wellton, AZ for our favorite workamping site, Hart Ranch, in Rapid city, SD.   After the Summer... Michigan for a few months to stay with kids & grandkids, then Texas for family there, then back to Wellton!   Life is good!

Glad to see that you will be escaping Wellton after having to be in the "no travel" mode. Have safe and enjoyable travels. We have a bad case of "hitch itch".

[Jim & Alice]

11 hours ago, bobsallyh said:

Glad to see that you will be escaping Wellton after having to be in the "no travel" mode. Have safe and enjoyable travels. We have a bad case of "hitch itch".

Thanks, Bob & Sally.   It feels good to be going again.   And I remember you well from some "how to summerize a motorhome" advice you provided.   Good to share experience!

[Star Dreamer]

We are only a couple of weeks into a 4 month trip that was planned when fuel was cheaper. Still doing the same trip, just going to have to request more money from my kids inheritance. We also have a fall 3 month tripped planned and a winter 2-3 month trip planned. 

We didn't retire to just sit at home. Our plan was to see the country and visit family and friends and we don't plan to change it.  When the money runs out, we may just have to move in with the kids sooner. I already made sure one of them has a spot for our truck and 5th wheel!

[GlennWest]

We will be in one place in Freeport area. Got job that lasts till November. 

[Pat & Pete]

We've just landed on our Summer site . Likely be here 'til about the end of September . 

Then southeast , maybe , or south , somewhere .

[Steven@146]

We are on our trip now and have not changed our plans. From Southern Texas to Richmond IN for grandson's graduation, then to IL, IA, SD, WY, MT, ID, UT, CO, KS, MO, IN till end of November. Then Southbound back to Texas and winter on Galveston Island Dec, Jan, Feb. Probably around 6500 miles total.

Yes its going to cost more just for fuel, but if we don't do it now, something else will probably happen next year. We are not getting any younger and neither is our rig.

[Kirk W]

9 minutes ago, Steven@146 said:

Yes its going to cost more just for fuel, but if we don't do it now, something else will probably happen next year. We are not getting any younger and neither is our rig.

This may be the most important statement from this entire thread. 

[markandkim]

We're about to see the biggest recession we have ever seen in our lifetime. You need to enjoy this summer as much as you can. I believe the RV industry is only fooling themselves. It is going to crash hard soon. They make it sound like it's going to improve later this year. No way. I would not buy anything now if you don't want to regret it later. The RV sales lot that were near empty are now overflowing. Save your money if you don't need one now. 

We are ready to pay cash for our fulltime truck and rig right now, but no freaking way. We will stay in our current set-up for now.

Protect everything you have.

Just try to find a truck right now and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Try getting warranty work, accident work or other major work done on what you have.

Even rental cars are through the roof, if your lucky to get one in some places.

Can anyone else see the writing on the wall?

Diesel near $7.00 in New England and still rising!!!

Edited May 10, 2022 by markandkim

[jblo]

After winter in cen TX, we have made it to Ridgway SP, Colorado, to camphost for 4 1/2 months.  Little need for diesel during this time, and no campground fees.  Going to be another great summer, not sure what fall/winter will bring. Looking for another camphost gig in warm clime.

[Dollytrolley]

Camping with Dolly horse is a bit more complex this year.....diesel is expensive but many feed stores have ZERO HAY and many hay ranches have taken the year off due to not being able to afford the costs of growing hay.......

This might not end well.......

We used to do a bit better than this......

 

Drive on..........maybe........maybe slower and shorter trips??????

[agesilaus]

3 hours ago, Dollytrolley said:

We used to do a bit better than this......

Amazing and dismaying what two years time can bring.

[Ro and Joe]

We booked the majority of our stays last August/September for our trip to the Maritimes including Newfoundland.  It's going to be an expensive trip diesel wise but screw it.  Originally there was going to be 2 other RVs going with us but one recently dropped out.....  We're going.  Currently visiting our eldest in Nyack, NY

[Ray,IN]

11 hours ago, Dollytrolley said:

Camping with Dolly horse is a bit more complex this year.....diesel is expensive but many feed stores have ZERO HAY and many hay ranches have taken the year off due to not being able to afford the costs of growing hay.......

This might not end well.......

We used to do a bit better than this......

 

Drive on..........maybe........maybe slower and shorter trips??????

Meanwhile I have 20 acres of  grass hay anyone near me can have if they harvest it, no takers.  Indiana is overwhelmed with grass hay free for the harvesting. A friend just put up 30 acres of alfalfa, he said it's selling for $8 a square bale. Made me wonder who can afford to feed that hay? Meanwhile beef prices are near $140 per hundred pounds on the hoof. Wonder who can afford to buy beef in supermarkets?

It appears damaging the front cap or our MH this spring may work out OK. RV parks full, diesel fuel highest ever. So we stay home and enjoy it while our MH sits awaiting repairs.

[jjwicklund]

We cancelled our planned volunteer position due to fuel prices.  We could handle $4.00 and a bit more.  We did find a volunteer position closer actually half the distance so the $5.00 plus works out to be the same.  That's not the only cost increase we've run into.  We go to Costco once a month and purchase 90% repeat items.  What a year ago  would have been $250. -275 crept up to $300 and now the last two months were low $400.'s.  Only bonus on the horizon is the truck will be paid off in Sept.  Of course that means it will probably nee some kind of repair.

[TXiceman]

jjwicklund,  I am feeling the pain as well.  The great shrink dollar.

Ken

[rickeieio]

Just got back from two trips to Tennessee for a rally and camper repairs.  Leaving again in three days for a week long motorcycle adventure with other Olde Phartes in eastern KY, then in June we're going to Wisconsin for another week of motorcycling.

July we head to Fort Collins CO for two birthday parties and a couple weeks of riding, then in August there's a motorcycle rally in eastern Ohio for a week.  Finally, in mid September we head west again for more rv repairs in Tennessee, then a wedding in Arkansas, then on to volunteer at the Albuquerque balloon fest, with a stop at the National HDT rally in Kansas on the way home.

Damn the fuel prices, full speed ahead!!!! 😁  It helps when you nearly 2,000 miles of fuel on board.  We can scout ahead for relatively cheaper fuel.

Edit: I forgot the 10 days in northern MISS. in November.  Hopefully, all this will help make up for the year we lost while I built our truck bed.  Yeah, that's it.  We spent nearly nothing last year on travel, so now the sting of high fuel prices doesn't hurt so badly.  Repeat as necessary.......

Edited May 18, 2022 by rickeieio

[Kirk W]

2 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Just got back from two trips to Tennessee for a rally and camper repairs.

Escapade is in Lebanon, TN June 19-24...

[trailertraveler]

On 5/6/2022 at 8:34 AM, Kirk W said:

With all of the ugly news around, have you been reevaluating your summer plans? Will you modify your summer travels due to the increasing cost of fuel?

Fuel price may not be the only issue confronting travelers this summer/fall. Some news reports are predicting fuel shortages, 1970's era rationing (i.e. ever other day based on license plate) and wide spread electrical brown outs in the western half of the U.S. Having experienced increased problems getting places to stay the past two years, I have reservations for most of our mid-August through November trip. Not being able to get fuel every travel day could result in reservation cancellations and no guaranty of having a place to stay. In the event of rationing, during the times we are moving everyday, I will have to fuel in the morning and near our destination at the end of the day on my designated day to purchase fuel.

Our mid-August journey from the East Coast west to the mountain states often is marked by several days in the 90's to near 100 degrees. Lack of power at RV parks would be more than a minor inconvenience. Even at some of our mountain destinations, AC can be desireable on some days. I do have a generator capable of running the AC in the trailer. We have an all electric refrigerator so that is another concern during power outages in extremely hot weather.  Space on the roof for solar panels and weight capacity for a large battery bank are issues with adding much solar. I am considering switching to lithium batteries which would also require a new charging system.

For now still planning on travelling.

[agesilaus]

I'm quite surprised to see that diesel has dropped from $5.69 to $5.54 locally and $5.39 in the next town. I did not expect to see that. We'll see how long that lasts or if the trend continues down.

 

[Kirk W]

10 hours ago, agesilaus said:

I did not expect to see that.

Here in Mesquite TX (southeast Dallas) the diesel prices are $4.85 to $4.99.  Unleaded gasoline is $4.15 to $4.30. Those prices are as of Sunday morning, May 29. That is down by about around 30ȼ per gallon in the past week or so. 

Edited May 29, 2022 by Kirk W

[GlennWest]

Well my Smartcar uses premium so I filled up yesterday $4.75. Put over $50.00 in that car

[agesilaus]

Saw a photo of a station price board in Cali: over $7 for premium

[rpsinc]

Local news had a report of over $8/gal here in So Cal.  Not common but does exist.

[Kirk W]

Gasoline at Valero across the street and at the Mesquite TX Murphy Oil is currently $4.45 while diesel is down a little at $4.89 for Valero and $4.94 at Murphy.

[sandsys]

Oh, for those teenage years when we would all dig out the change in our pockets to get enough money to buy gas to go cruising.

Linda