fuel prices.

[Ray,IN]

On 6/10/2022 at 2:59 PM, 2gypsies said:

Some things to do to try and even out the rise in fuel: 

drive slower - the faster you go the quicker you will burn fuel; use cruise control

get off the interstates and travel the secondary highways so you're driving slower - and seeing more

no excess idling, jackrabbit starts or driving aggressively

check tire pressure

replace air filter before the trip

touring a big city? - take public transportation and walk more - leave the car behind

stay at bare bones parks or boondock on public lands

curb eating out

don't do things that require admission fees

I've always gotten better fuel mileage driving state and US highways. It seems driving 45-50MPH, my MH gets almost 2 MPG better than driving 65-70 MPH on interstates; so all those folks who are irritated by others driving less than the speed limit are just going to have to adjust or pass me.

[Pat & Pete]

8 minutes ago, Ray,IN said:

I've always gotten better fuel mileage driving state and US highways. It seems driving 45-50MPH, my MH gets almost 2 MPG better than driving 65-70 MPH on interstates; so all those folks who are irritated by others driving less than the speed limit are just going to have to adjust or pass me.

Same here . I generally drive up to 55 on state and US roads . 

If we have to take a freeway , I kick it up to about 60 . 

Everyone passes us on the freeway .

[Vladimir]

1 hour ago, Ray,IN said:

I've always gotten better fuel mileage driving state and US highways. It seems driving 45-50MPH, my MH gets almost 2 MPG better than driving 65-70 MPH on interstates; so all those folks who are irritated by others driving less than the speed limit are just going to have to adjust or pass me.

Just get a large bumper sticker for the back window in your motorhome.

Save the Planet.....Drive 55 MPH.

Now when they pass you they will feel guilty.

[TXiceman]

12 hours ago, Vladimir said:

Just get a large bumper sticker for the back window in your motorhome.

Save the Planet.....Drive 55 MPH.

Now when they pass you they will feel guilty.

Yep, they will think about it and flip you the bird as they pass you.

Ken

[VC 23RSS]

On 6/9/2022 at 8:13 PM, Kirk W said:

The subject was dealing with the prices not our opinions about why they have gone up. 

We will be leaving on Monday for our trip to Escapade in Lebanon, TN, followed by a visit to Radcliff, KY for a week or so and then probably back to TX. That 3 week trip is going to be about 1700 miles and with diesel prices now over $5/gallon pretty much everywhere and still rising, For purposes of estimating fuel costs I'm using $6/gallon but we will pay what we must. For us that looks like somewhere between $800 and $1000 depending on where the prices go between now and July. Since we have doctor appointments we must be back for those but we may head back out later in the month. We have shortened our planned distances as we had considered a trip to northern MN, but that has been dropped.  

What are others doing at this point in time?

My 21 Tundra purchased for the purpose of pulling our camper sits in the garage.  The other car, a 2017 Fiat 124 Abarth gets used as often as possible.   It seldom sees rain and never snow so we plan our trips to do our running around on nice days.  The Abarth uses half the fuel that the Tundra uses.  We cut grass less and don't ride the 4wheelers as often.  I do have to make a 150 mile round trip to visit my 87 yr old mother and spend a day cutting grass and other chores my late father did.

It's not just gas prices.  So many items have increased in price that I'm seeing my decent RR pension changing into a not so good retirement.   Where we go for the winter has a dollar general 1 mile away.   This winter I'm taking a bicycle to make that run instead of the Tundra.

[packnrat]

well i filled up the tank on my truck, 30 gallons cost me $180.USD. and local prices are down a bit. just over $6usd a gallon. down from $6.49 a gallon.

seen a number of places charging well over $7.USD a gallon. couple over $8.USD. the news showing some over $9.USD a gallon.

the forth is coming up it will be well over $10.USD in the major use areas along the freeways.

i am about to camp-out at work to save money. as soon the choice will be food or gasoline.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

On 6/11/2022 at 8:16 PM, Vladimir said:

Just get a large bumper sticker for the back window in your motorhome.

Save the Planet.....Drive 55 MPH.

Now when they pass you they will feel guilty.

Driving 55mph on an interstate with a speed limit of 75 or 80 mph is irresponsible and can lead to a disaster when someone trying to avoid you crashes. I don't have a problem with someone running 5 or even 10mph under the speed limit on a limited access interstate highway but if you want to run 20 or 25 mph under the limit, do everyone a favor and stay on secondary roads that are more appropriate to the speeds you prefer to drive.

[Pat & Pete]

5 minutes ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

Driving 55mph on an interstate with a speed limit of 75 or 80 mph is irresponsible and can lead to a disaster when someone trying to avoid you crashes. I don't have a problem with someone running 5 or even 10mph under the speed limit on a limited access interstate highway but if you want to run 20 or 25 mph under the limit, do everyone a favor and stay on secondary roads that are more appropriate to the speeds you prefer to drive.

Why not do everyone a favor and be aware of what the minimum speed limit is ?

Anyone driving on any road should be ready for anything .

[GlennWest]

58 minutes ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

Driving 55mph on an interstate with a speed limit of 75 or 80 mph is irresponsible and can lead to a disaster when someone trying to avoid you crashes. I don't have a problem with someone running 5 or even 10mph under the speed limit on a limited access interstate highway but if you want to run 20 or 25 mph under the limit, do everyone a favor and stay on secondary roads that are more appropriate to the speeds you prefer to drive.

You are being irresponsible driving 75/80 towing a camper. I run 65. Did when gas cheap. I actually may get less mpg at 55. 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Glenn, belive it or not, there are actually CARS driving on the interstate that run the speed limit or even a little faster. If you would back up and read what I said, you will notice that I stated I didn't have a problem with people (including myself) that are running 5 to 10mph under the limit.

It's drivers running 20 to 25mph slower than the prevailing traffic that cause a lot of accidents. They might not be involved in the accident but can cause one due to another driver overtaking them and taking evasive action to avoid hitting them.

I typically run 65 to 72 towing depending on speed of the traffic and conditions as well as the speed limit. If someone feels they can't control a rig at speeds high enough to not cause a traffic hazzard on the interstate, they should stay on secondary roads.

[k4rs]

I am one of those who stays in the right lane and travels 55-60 on the Interstate highway.  I do not believe I am being a hazard to anyone.  All interstates have additional lanes for those who want to pass.  If someone cannot make a simple lane change without crashing, they are being careless and should not be on the road.  Now someone driving 55 in the left lane is another story.

Safe Travels...

 

[rickeieio]

1 hour ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

It's drivers running 20 to 25mph slower than the prevailing traffic that cause a lot of accidents. They might not be involved in the accident but can cause one due to another driver overtaking them and taking evasive action to avoid hitting them.

Agreed.  I'd feel pretty bad if I caused an accident because I tried to save a dollar on fuel.  RV's are bigger than cars, more like the larger trucks.  Blend in with the trucks and run with them, whatever their prevailing speed might be.  It might not net you the highest mileage, but it helps make sure everyone makes it home safely.

Another safety issue is people who camp in the left lane.  Make a clean pass and get back over.

[lappir]

1 hour ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

Glenn, belive it or not, there are actually CARS driving on the interstate that run the speed limit or even a little faster. If you would back up and read what I said, you will notice that I stated I didn't have a problem with people (including myself) that are running 5 to 10mph under the limit.

It's drivers running 20 to 25mph slower than the prevailing traffic that cause a lot of accidents. They might not be involved in the accident but can cause one due to another driver overtaking them and taking evasive action to avoid hitting them.

I typically run 65 to 72 towing depending on speed of the traffic and conditions as well as the speed limit. If someone feels they can't control a rig at speeds high enough to not cause a traffic hazzard on the interstate, they should stay on secondary roads.

I haven't read Glenn's response, but I agree completely with whats said above. I would go one further though, there are many people who just plain don't know how to drive and have no business on any roads, yet they find themselves on an interstate highway system and assume they can drive in what ever lane at what ever speed they feel safe at. They are also the ones who will slam on their brakes on an entrance ramp instead of pushing a little harder on the accelerator to match the speed of the traffic already there.  I probably have video of some of them that failed to pull over today when I had an issue on the interstate and was trying to exit my truck. 

 

Rod

[lappir]

25 minutes ago, rickeieio said:

Agreed.  I'd feel pretty bad if I caused an accident because I tried to save a dollar on fuel.  RV's are bigger than cars, more like the larger trucks.  Blend in with the trucks and run with them, whatever their prevailing speed might be.  It might not net you the highest mileage, but it helps make sure everyone makes it home safely.

Another safety issue is people who camp in the left lane.  Make a clean pass and get back over.

My lesson to my youngest daughter at age 15. If you feel you need to pass, pass with a purpose or stay behind the person in front of you. Way too many people refuse to reset their cruise control and want to hang in the left lane at 1/10 a mph faster than the car (or Truck) they are passing. It can take miles for that pass to ever happen and then they still stay in the left lane. 

 

Rod

[pjstough]

24 minutes ago, lappir said:

My lesson to my youngest daughter at age 15. If you feel you need to pass, pass with a purpose or stay behind the person in front of you. Way too many people refuse to reset their cruise control and want to hang in the left lane at 1/10 a mph faster than the car (or Truck) they are passing. It can take miles for that pass to ever happen and then they still stay in the left lane. 

 

Rod

This is one of my pet peeves when travelling.

[Kirk W]

2 hours ago, lappir said:

there are many people who just plain don't know how to drive and have no business on any roads, yet they find themselves on an interstate highway system and assume they can drive in what ever lane at what ever speed they feel safe at.

The minimum speed on federally funded highways is 45 mph. On many of the higher speed toll roads the minimum is 55 mph and I know of 1 that has a 60 mph minimum speed.

When we were living in our F53, class A the best mileage was between 58 & 62 and that was what I drove about 90% of the time, assuming the speed limit was 55 or above. We currently travel with a Dodge 2500 towing a 20' travel trailer and while I occasionally tow at 65 or even just a bit more, I drive 60-62 mph most of the time for fuel consumption reasons. If you are not willing to slow down to lower the amount of fuel you use, you probably should not complain about the cost of fuel since supply versus demand is a major factor in fuel prices.

In all states that I'm aware of, if a driver hits another in the rear for any reason, he is at fault and will usually be ticketed. If a driver isn't comfortable dealing with slower traffic what will he do in a real emergency?

Edited June 13, 2022 by Kirk W

[lappir]

34 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

In all states that I'm aware of, if a driver hits another in the rear for any reason, he is at fault and will usually be ticketed. If a driver isn't comfortable dealing with slower traffic what will he do in a real emergency?

Edited 24 minutes ago by Kirk W

I don't believe anyone said anything about an accident and I don't mind those who drive slow as long as they do it in the correct lane. How many times on a multi lane highway (4 or more lanes each way) do you see the IDIOT in the middle most lane just cruising along with people passing on either side. Often times they are looking down at their phone, because they are on "CRUISE CONTROL". Maybe they have the lane control and the adaptive cruise and the lane control works best in the center lane. That's a MAJOR accident waiting to happen. I drive my vehicle and don't just ride in it sitting behind the steering wheel or handle bars. More people need to drive and not ride. 

 

Rod

 

[Chalkie]

42 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

The minimum speed on federally funded highways is 45 mph. On many of the higher speed toll roads the minimum is 55 mph and I know of 1 that has a 60 mph minimum speed.

Could you provide a link to this info? I have searched and searched and all I come up with is maximums when I ask for minimums. I even got all excited and entered "minimum speed on federally funded highways" (your wording) into Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo and it still brings up maximums. I must not have found the right wording for my search.

[Pat & Pete]

31 minutes ago, Chalkie said:

Could you provide a link to this info? I have searched and searched and all I come up with is maximums when I ask for minimums. I even got all excited and entered "minimum speed on federally funded highways" (your wording) into Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo and it still brings up maximums. I must not have found the right wording for my search.

Try Googling : minimum freeway speeds in ( the state of your choice ) 

[Kirk W]

Digging farther, the first part was that I should have said on interstate highways and the second part is that the law which I based that on was rescinded in a federal highway bill that leaves it to the states. It used to say "The minimum allowable sustained speed on any U.S. interstate highway is 45 mph, unless modified by state law. I guess I should have rechecked my source. My original source was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration I can find nothing current from them on the subject of minimum speeds.  🥴

[Chalkie]

1 hour ago, Kirk W said:

My original source was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration I can find nothing current from them on the subject of minimum speeds.  🥴

Thanks, I was looking high and low and could not find anything current.

1 hour ago, Pat & Pete said:

Try Googling : minimum freeway speeds in ( the state of your choice ) 

I found that, thanks. I know that in some states it even boils down to where and what type of road it is.

[Ray,IN]

12 hours ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

Driving 55mph on an interstate with a speed limit of 75 or 80 mph is irresponsible and can lead to a disaster when someone trying to avoid you crashes. I don't have a problem with someone running 5 or even 10mph under the speed limit on a limited access interstate highway but if you want to run 20 or 25 mph under the limit, do everyone a favor and stay on secondary roads that are more appropriate to the speeds you prefer to drive.

A speed limit is exactly that, the limit of how fast you can legally drive. If you feel a lower speed is dangerous on that same road you should be talking to your state senators and representatives, not other drivers. You are not required to drive the speed limit on any public road.

No matter how fast YOU drive, someone will be driving faster and pass you, does that make you irresponsible too? BTW, how do you handle the speed limit in W. Texas, it's 85 MPH; most MH tires have a 75MPH speed raitng.

Edited June 14, 2022 by Ray,IN

[Ray,IN]

On 6/11/2022 at 10:16 PM, Vladimir said:

Just get a large bumper sticker for the back window in your motorhome.

Save the Planet.....Drive 55 MPH.

Now when they pass you they will feel guilty.

That might come to pass if the white house decides to return to the fuel saving measures of 45 years ago.

[packnrat]

some years back. the powers that be in the corp i work for, said all trucks must be governed at 55 mph.

then a number of drivers got pulled over and received tickets, for going to slow "un-safe speed". speed limits for trucks in those states was 65 + mph.

a ford pu i had years back, had the 7.3 motor. best mpg was at 62 mph.   driving slow to "save fuel" is just as deadly as speeding.    as the problem is not who is going faster/slower, but the differential of said speeds.

if you can not do the posted speed. then get off the freeway, use the back roads, and enjoy the drive at your leisure.

we as a older group, do not have much time left in us. but can better enjoy the things we see.

[pjstough]

25 minutes ago, packnrat said:

some years back. the powers that be in the corp i work for, said all trucks must be governed at 55 mph.

then a number of drivers got pulled over and received tickets, for going to slow "un-safe speed". speed limits for trucks in those states was 65 + mph.

a ford pu i had years back, had the 7.3 motor. best mpg was at 62 mph.   driving slow to "save fuel" is just as deadly as speeding.    as the problem is not who is going faster/slower, but the differential of said speeds.

if you can not do the posted speed. then get off the freeway, use the back roads, and enjoy the drive at your leisure.

we as a older group, do not have much time left in us. but can better enjoy the things we see.

These trucks got ticketed for going 55 mph? What law were they breaking? Where is 55 mph below the minimum speed?