Patting Myself on the Back

[creativepart]

After our last very short RV trip I put the coach away with a little less than 1/2 tank of gas. Gas had been $2.59/gal when we left on the trip but jumped to $2.89 while we were gone. So, I decided to wait for better prices.

It stayed at $2.89 for quite a while and then this weekend with the actions in the Middle East I thought I'd better fill up now. So, yesterday I got 51 gallons at $2.99/gal... $153 worth.

We drove by the same station today - which tends to be one of the lower cost around here - and the price is now $3.39/gal. So, acting quick yesterday saved me $20. Pretty nice.

I'm taking the RV up to NIRVC in Dallas on this coming weekend for a few necessities so, that gas saving will be all gone by the time the RV returns in a week or so.

[4x4van]

Jealous. The cheapest I can find around here is currently $5.19/gal...for Regular! That same 51 gallons would run me $265 !!!!

[Ted Fyden]

it is nice to catch a break like that once in awhile. your gut is still working. (gut instinct that is)

[Ray,IN]

The lowest fuel price is not a concern for me, I buy whenever the gauge gets down to ½, it's the cost of RVing IMO
Drove to AK in 2012, fuel was the equivalent of $6,79/G US.
Ya gotta pay to play..

[wahoonc]

With a 100 gallon tank and 8.5mpg on a gallon of diesel it is what it is. I just shake my head in wonderment at people spending hours in lines to save a few bucks on something, or driving halfway across town and back to save a nickel a gallon.

Aaron

[AlanO]

I fil up after every trip. Diesel is still $3.99/gal as of today and we’re averaging 17-18 mpg. Thankfully my daily driver is a Tesla so I’m never concerned with gas prices 😊 though I can still remember gasoline shortages and lines around the block.

[poodleman]

Washington State is high right now $4.49 a gallon at COSTCO

[Eagle5]

Last week, we did a three-day boon-docking trip to the Yakama River in the Eagle5. My traveling partner with his trailer kept our speed near 60 mph or less, and even with running the generator for a couple of hours, I still recorded 10 mpg. My local Safeway was $5.16 per gallon for premium, but I had 60¢ off per gallon with our store bonus credit.
Rather than fuel, I was more worried about water. I made the 40 gallons of fresh last for the three days, and only ran-out after I was home. Not too shabby!
I am still using the original lead-acid 2019 batteries, and they performed very well.
Eagle5

[Sir Robin]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Drove to AK in 2012, fuel was the equivalent of $6,79/G US.

The *equivalent* of $6.79/gal?

Were Alaskan gas stations in 2012 not dispensing gallons and pricing in US dollars?

[bigb]

Originally Posted by Sir Robin

The *equivalent* of $6.79/gal?

Were Alaskan gas stations in 2012 not dispensing gallons and pricing in US dollars?

Pretty sure you have to go through Canada when you drive to Alaska.

[akeagle]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

The lowest fuel price is not a concern for me, I buy whenever the gauge gets down to ½, it's the cost of RVing IMO
Drove to AK in 2012, fuel was the equivalent of $6,79/G US.
Ya gotta pay to play..

For sure the fuel prices in Canada are high, but my observation is that the taxes generated are put to good use in road maintenance and new construction.

We've driven the Alaska Highway many times since the mid 1970s as well as most of the approaches to Edmonton and Dawson Creek and we can honestly say we never drove on a bad piece of road there, except for the frost heaves which seem to be an inevitable part of roads in the Far North.

While the Alaska Highway in Canada isn't maintained to Lower-48 standards, it appears to be inspected daily and any bad spots are marked and then repaired quickly. I attribute that to timely and adequate funding from the fuel taxes.

[Ray,IN]

You're right akeagle. They are constantly working on the Alaska Highway during warm weather. Driving over anywhere from 50' to 1 mile of fresh gravel makes a driver pay attention. Oncoming trucks are the danger of stone damage. While we slow way down, the trucks don't and throw rocks everywhere.


Sir Robin, yes that was driving through Canada to AK in 2012. Many gas/diesel stations and restaurants were closed due to the recession in 2011 greatly reducing visitors en-route to AK. Without the American vistiors business's went under. That is why everyone says to always drive off the top half of your fuel tank during the trip.

[creativepart]

On a regular RV trip I, like others, routinely get gas at 1/2 a tank and while I use Gas Buddy to find a good price and Google Earth to scope out pump access I pay whatever the local area rate is at the time.

But we've been so limited with such short trips this year due to aging family health issues (both in-laws in Hospice) that we were using only 1/4 of a tank each way round trip. So on return of this trip I decided to wait. Had I filled up on return I would have saved $5 over what I actually ended up paying.

But I didn't buy a motorhome to save money. So, it is what it is.

[wahoonc]

We pretty much follow the half-tank rule too. I have followed that one along with the if a hurricane is coming fill up first, don't wait for the rush. During storm season EVERYTHING we own stays filled up just in case. My local Stop and Rob currently has diesel for ~$3.69. I was interested to note that the local firehouse has been fueling up there too at that price. We had quite the line going the last time because we all needed the two outside line pumps.

Aaron

[Lowdie24]

Here in British Columbia Canada our regular gas costs (after doing the coversions) $5.66 USD per US Gal ($2.05 CDN per Litre)

[bigb]

Originally Posted by Lowdie24

Here in British Columbia Canada our regular gas costs (after doing the coversions) $5.66 USD per US Gal ($2.05 CDN per Litre)

That's similar to what I paid in Mexico last week, one place it converted over to $5.80/gal but that was premium.

[Marine359]

Stop whining about high cost of gas and diesel. When both were at their lows back in January, I paid $4.79/gal for fuel oil for my home furnace 250 gal tank. $1,179 for a fill up. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why fuel oil, which is virtually the same as diesel costs so much more than diesel. If anybody can enlighten me, I’ll praise you to no end. Makes us all the more grateful we bought a new EV.

[bigb]

Originally Posted by Marine359

Stop whining about high cost of gas and diesel. When both were at their lows back in January, I paid $4.79/gal for fuel oil for my home furnace 250 gal tank. $1,179 for a fill up. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why fuel oil, which is virtually the same as diesel costs so much more than diesel. If anybody can enlighten me, I’ll praise you to no end. Makes us all the more grateful we bought a new EV.

Jim,

I suspect it's one of two things:

1. Because they can

or

2.There is added cost in home delivery.

[Marine359]

Originally Posted by bigb

Jim,

I suspect it's one of two things:

1. Because they can.

or

2.There is added cost in home delivery. .

cost difference between fuel oil and diesel was $1.60/gal. So the added cost of home delivery is costing me $400 for a fill-up

[Morich]

No idea of how your specific state does it as taxes are a local thing.
But some of the difference in cost is how each state looks at things. If it is a state where farms have a large say, there may be a difference in tax on farm use versus highway.
My experience in the differences is way old but there used to be a different color put in the gas for non-farm versus farm and the farm price was lots lower. That was back in the 70's and my wife's family had a big tank of farm gas which they always wanted us to fill up before we headed back home.
It was always something of a head shaker how they promoted the idea that they were deep down religious folks who would never consider breaking any laws but at the same time went to what we considered extreme measures to avoid paying taxes.
Farm and ranch folks still carry very large amounts of cash.
Sometimes they use the excuse that it is for buying cattle but the real reason I see is that many want to avoid the tax laws!
Pray on Monday and Weds. but cheat all week long!

I might guess there would be a large group of farm folks who mostly use "farm fuel" in their cars in North Carolina!
But that is a guess with no idea of how the laws work there!