Filled my work vans gas tank yesterday.

[Ralph]

$129.00 Smackers !!!!!

Unfortunately I have the need for this guzzler for work. I hate to raise my prices but it seems I will have too. Lumber prices have been shooting up every month now. Any one else notice the prices for supplies going up?

[f86sabre]

I filled up our MINI Cooper S and it was $52. For a MINI!

[Quinn]

I remember saying, "It ain't worth $50 to drive that POS work truck.

 

The answer: " Yeah, but it's worth $50 not to have to push it."

 

 

[keithb]

I feel your pain. I just put 13 gallons in my 4Runner and the bill was $50.00. Absolutely absurd IMHO. I am in sales and drive for a living so I am almost to the point of using the RT. 50 mpg vs. 20 mpg sounds pretty damn good right now. By using the RT I would reduce my overhead by 50% but I don't really want to use my bike as my work vehicle. I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

[ericfoerster]

I just sold my Dodge truck that got 14 mpg...happy day!

 

I paid 78.00 to fill it up the last time. I'm not sorry to see it go.

[MotorinLA]

You think that's bad... try filling up the 30 gallon tank on a diesel truck these days. L.A. price - $4.87 per gallon. :frown::frown:

[MotorinLA]

By the way, just read that SUV sales are down 25% for the first quarter, guess we saw that one coming.

[HairyCannonball]

By the way, just read that SUV sales are down 25% for the first quarter, guess we saw that one coming.

 

That is great news. I look forward to the day when fat bloated clumsy stationwagon sales are zero!!

 

 

[Francois_Dumas]

One of the things that really made my day in the US was filling up my nieces or nephew's car or the loaner RT.

 

That ws FUN !!! Soooooooo cheap !

 

You see, everything in life is relative

[bakerzdosen]

Well, I'm pretty happy all in all. I generally get about 26-30 mpg in my Saab (though on the freeway I end up getting around 35.) Mileage is one of the reasons I picked it in 2001 as I figured gas prices would keep going up. I must say, I had no idea it'd be THIS bad...

 

But yes, filling up the ST is much nicer...

[rob1100r]

It's time to start drillin'!!!!!!!

[Francois_Dumas]

Yup !

 

For the record.. just filled up the RT..... US$ 9.46 / gallon here.... stop complaining !!

[Quinn]

Yup !

 

For the record.. just filled up the RT..... US$ 9.46 / gallon here.... stop complaining !!

 

Luckily, the miles are a lot shorter over there than they are here. So I guess it all averages out.

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Last week I was watching a soundbite on the news from a commuter who was wailing about the "absolute nightmare" of sky-high gas prices.

 

It left me a bit conflicted, because the previous story was about people on the other side of the planet struggling to find drinking water that didn't have dead bodies floating in it.

 

I suppose it's natural to measure our hardships relative to whatever we've grown accustomed to. We're all tightening our belts a bit here as the economy and petroleum market go through some unsettling gyrations, but as I look around at the big picture, I see that we in the first world are still doing pretty well for ourselves.

[David]

Sorry--that just doesn't have the same headline potential.

[mickey05]

@$3.85 per gal $19.75 to fill my RT on Saturday. I am convinced we will never see below $3.50 again.

[Mike]

Yup !

 

For the record.. just filled up the RT..... US$ 9.46 / gallon here.... stop complaining !!

 

Yikes! That would hurt, but it's pretty consistent with what I've seen over the years in my travels to Europe--you pay about two to three times as much as we do. There are plenty of places where fuel costs less than in the U.S., but overall we do not do too badly.

 

That's not to say, however, that the recent run-up in prices isn't inflicting real pain here. We're a highly energy-dependent country, and the economic assumptions we've lived under for decades have all been predicated on cheap energy. As a result, energy-dependent businesses, like truckers, are hanging on by a thread (if at all). People of modest means are being forced to make difficult choices.

 

Still, when compared against historical prices, the adjusted-for-inflation cost of fuel isn't all that far out of line with what it's always been. That's not to say, though, that it doesn't hurt when you watch the numbers at the pump flying upward at an alarming pace.

[ESokoloff]

I wonder when Kristen's recent purchase will pay for it's self (IL???GH[insert little ??? guy here])

[motoguy128]

Nobody got the hint as it corssed $2. Then are it corssed $3.... so maybe now we'll start ot chang eour habit and choices as it corsses $4.

 

I don;t think we expected it ot rise thsi quickly, but the writting has been on the wall. If you have a vehciles that gets under 20mph HWY and bought it new after 2003... shame on you.

 

I do feel for those who rely on larger vehicles for heavy load, towing etc such as contractors. There' nothing on the market right now ot meet theri needs in the US market. Hopefully consumers will demand better economy and force designers to bring out of vehicles to meet the new demands on consumers.

 

For the poster above... is it possible to use a Minivan instead of a full size van? Do you tow more than 3500lbs or haul more than 1000lbs?

 

I just find that a lot of Americans assume that they need a bigger vehciles when in most cases they do not.

 

I was on I-80 for a short stretch Saturday. I was boxed and and almsot missed my exit by 1 semi doing 74mph passign anothe doing 73mph. I was happy doing 70mph, but was going 80mph keeping up wiht the left lane traffic when I can up on these 2 trucks. Now speeding aside... truckers whine about diesel prices, yet here are 2 flying down the interstate at over 70mph. I've fully expected to start seeing semi's drafting in long lines at 60mph, but it's still every man for themselves out there. I guess the $/mile traveled still beats their fuel cost/per mile traved

 

OTOH, I'm loving my RT. Sicne my last ECU update, and with warmer temperatures, and being fully broken in, not sure which helped most, I'm got 48mpg on my last trip this weekend, even using 89 and 91 octane with 10% ethanol. She ran fine and I was able to use less expensive fuel.

 

Higher gas prices will be painful short term, but will start ot move the wheels in motion to solve our long term energy problems. It's an opportunity for the US ot lead the world, but I fear that thsi gernations "me, me, me and now, now, now" mentality will we will instead have us left behind the world.

[Stir]

LOL. I just bought a Yukon LT yesterday. I got a killer deal! It seems that demand for these behemoths have gone down. It will cost approximately $130 to fill up. Now, you might wonder why I would do that but there are eight of us in the family and sometimes a friend will ride along. We rented a Denali last year and got 17 mpg driving down the 15 from Idaho to California at speeds up to 90 mph with the air conditioner on.. That vehicle shuts down 4 cylinders while cruising. So I expect I will get similar milage as I get with the MDX.

 

On the other side of the coin, last year I bought a 2007 Hundai Elantra...$15,500 out the door. Tax, license, ect. It gets 30 mpg no problem and serves as my run about. The money I saved not driving my MDX (18 mpg without air, 15.9 with air on) makes the car payments on the Hundai.

[Mike]

Nobody got the hint as it corssed $2. Then are it corssed $3.... so maybe now we'll start ot chang eour habit and choices as it corsses $4.

 

I don;t think we expected it ot rise thsi quickly, but the writting has been on the wall. If you have a vehciles that gets under 20mph HWY

 

I thnik yuo hvae a prolbem with yuor kebyoard!

[smiller]

For the record.. just filled up the RT..... US$ 9.46 / gallon here.... stop complaining !!

$60 to fill an RT..??

 

How do you manage prices like that? I realize that distances are shorter and your automobiles get better mileage on average but still... what effect does that have on your economy, lifestyle, etc.? I wish I was just asking out of morbid curiosity but unfortunately we may end up needing the advice...

 

You can tell by my avatar that fuel prices are no joke around here...

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

$129.00 Smackers !!!!!

Unfortunately I have the need for this guzzler for work. I hate to raise my prices but it seems I will have too. Lumber prices have been shooting up every month now. Any one else notice the prices for supplies going up?

Boy howdy do I notice! Not for the bike or the car (Prius) so much but for my clients, where I charge them for freight services - domestic/international trucking and ocean freight. The fuel surcharges are through the roof!

[Marek]

It's hard to compare Europe to US - with the exception of few large cities where public transportation is available, we don't have any other choice but to drive. In Europe with public transportation being developed a lot better than it's here taking a car to store or friends house it's a luxury. Most cars are used for weekend trips out of town, vacation etc. In addition cars that are used in the city are a lot smaller and economical. Large percentage of cars in Europe have diesel engine, and get a lot better gas millage and diesel fuel unlike here is less expensive.

I think prices will continue to go up until we change our driving habits - and I don't think that will change soon.

 

Mark

[SeanC]

I just bought a Yukon LT yesterday. I got a killer deal!

Terrorist!!

[Matts_12GS]

I just bought a Yukon LT yesterday. I got a killer deal!

Terrorist!!

 

If he was driving it in or around much of Iraq it would have been blown up already by our air support as a "technical."

 

I think that driving it in America makes him a "Terrorist Sympathizer!"

 

Ah, hell, I drove my half ton today, 17mpg around town so it cost me $12 to work and back today. It's my birthday, I'll exlploit the environment if I want to....

 

Wanna see my carbon footprint, baby?

[Mike]

For those of you who are concerned about the impact on the Earth of your gas-guzzling ways, I'm starting a new business that will be offering "Guilt Offsets."

 

Guilt Offsets will be available for a variety of moral transgressions, ranging from marital infidelity to not picking up after your dog. An especially useful Guilt Offset for members of this board would be the Speeding Guilt Offset. Guilt offsets for gas guzzlers will be based on your EPA-rated mileage and annual miles driven.

 

What do you get for your payment to Guilt Offsets, Inc.? Well, how's this . . . my personal absolution.

 

I have yet to come up with a schedule of fees.

[Stir]

I just bought a Yukon LT yesterday. I got a killer deal!

Terrorist!!

 

LOL

 

I plan to burn up the Earth's resources by the time I die. And, if by chance I happen to fail that, I'm a role model for my children. I tell them, "Lots of kids, no guilt, lots of toys, no guilt, and by all means, make sure that we burn so much oil that Europeans pay $50 a liter. And....I plan to build a solar panel so large it consumes all the sunlight as well. Yeah, that bout covers it.

 

 

 

[Stir]

For those of you who are concerned about the impact on the Earth of your gas-guzzling ways, I'm starting a new business that will be offering "Guilt Offsets."

 

Guilt Offsets will be available for a variety of moral transgressions, ranging from marital infidelity to not picking up after your dog. An especially useful Guilt Offset for members of this board would be the Speeding Guilt Offset. Guilt offsets for gas guzzlers will be based on your EPA-rated mileage and annual miles driven.

 

What do you get for your payment to Guilt Offsets, Inc.? Well, how's this . . . my personal absolution.

 

I have yet to come up with a schedule of fees.

 

Mike, I'm a value shopper so put me down for two.

[Ralph]

For the poster above... is it possible to use a Minivan instead of a full size van? Do you tow more than 3500lbs or haul more than 1000lbs?

 

Mini vans would not work for me. I load up with up to 10 sheets of 4X8 plywood for job starts along with hard lumber up to 16 feet long. I haul finished product also and can't chance it getting wet or damaged in any way. I'm stuck with the gas hog!

[Motorrad4fun]

2 Years ago I was at my cousins in Germany. He showed me his new ride. A battery operated 3 wheeler that he wrote to work 7 KM away daily.

Then, I thought it was a noble idea, now I am looking for something similar.

I have switched back to riding the KGT to work. I have found I do not mind spending the few extra minutes to get dressed.

 

We had gas for $4 a gallon for premium today. Profit per Gallon "Zero"

 

I wish somebody could explain to me why the price per barrel is going up. Not like it is costing more to make it.

 

 

 

 

[Ralph]

Maybe someday (soon I hope) we will develop hydrogen vehicles or even electric ones that us contractors can use that will not cost an arm & leg because they are efficient. Be easy to fill the tank or whatever that may be.

[Marek]

I wish somebody could explain to me why the price per barrel is going up. Not like it is costing more to make it.

 

The price we pay for anything has nothing to do with what it costs to make anything - it only has to do with what we will pay for it.

 

Mark

[JohnBeaven]

 

Here in Perth we pay $5.98US for regular unleaded and $6.45US for the good stuff.

 

And the miles (kilometers) are as long as yours.

[Francois_Dumas]

For the record.. just filled up the RT..... US$ 9.46 / gallon here.... stop complaining !!

$60 to fill an RT..??

 

How do you manage prices like that? I realize that distances are shorter and your automobiles get better mileage on average but still... what effect does that have on your economy, lifestyle, etc.? I wish I was just asking out of morbid curiosity but unfortunately we may end up needing the advice...

 

You can tell by my avatar that fuel prices are no joke around here...

 

How to cope with it?

Here's a few facts of Europe:

 

On lifestyle (for a long time already): .... people don't buy too many 'excess vehicles/toys'. We were amazed seeing how many bikes many people have in the States. Here you have ONE!

Same with cars.... there are many 2-car families here now too.... but not 3 or more, and no 'extra toys' like campers and the likes.

 

Multiple toys are for the rich.

 

2-car families are changing to a regular car and a very small car... then to one car.....

 

Travel distances: no, not as far to travel as in the US, that's true. But in many countries people burn up a lot of fuel just standing still.... ALL major European cities (and there are a lot on a relatively small area which is Europe) have traffic congestion, and many cities have now started putting additional tax/cost on driving INTO the cities. Amsterdam will start this year..... London started years ago, German cities too this year.

MORE cost !

 

Public transportation: that had me grin.

Yes, it is a lot more dense than in the US, but it sux just as much and most people prefer their cars (still) instead of the cattle wagons that trains are. Governments have been raking in extra gas taxes for years, so-called to 'get people out of their cars' and into the trains.

It didn't really happen. Folks prefer their privacy over the public transport..... result is that most PT has been privatized now and is going down in quality even more!

 

Ina densely populated country as Holland (with the some of the highest petrol prices AND the highest car prices) both public transport AND the roads are now fully clogged up.

 

Salary: no, we don't make more money on average than other countries.... often on the contrary. Average salary in Holland is lower than in surrounding countries, which have lower car cost too (one of the reasons we want to emigrate!).

 

Europeans in general tend to spend a larger share of their income to housing and (single !) cars.

 

Looking at stuffed roads to ski resorts in the winter and the 'Autoroute Soleil' to the mediterranean in Summer, they are STILL driving their tins for pleasure too.

 

Company cars: here's an important difference with the US. Since day and age the 'company car' has been an important asset to many jobs in many countries.

 

80% of the 'good cars' (Audi's, BMW's, VW Passat's and such) are lease cars owned by the company one works for and paid for by the company !!!

 

Travel cost: many companies also pay an allowance for travel, to make public transport or whatever one chooses a little bit less expensive. The allowance often is based on the actual distance one lives from the work place.

 

Survival: we moan a lot about high taxes and high prices. Funny enough, nobody ever seems to be able to rally the troops and get our politicians back into the cage..... funny eh !? (And no, I am not going to try... I just run and hide.. too old for this shit!).

 

Hope this helps.....

[ESokoloff]

I haul finished product also and can't chance it getting wet or damaged in any way. I'm stuck with the gas hog!

 

My buddy is a custom cabinet maker & several times he's had to rent a truck to haul finished goods to a job site during wet spells.

 

His main drive is a 4 cylinder Ford Ranger thats tops out at near 30 mpg.

His main hauler is an 80's Ford 150 with a straight 6 & when needed an open trailer.

 

Perhaps a 2nd economical vehicle could pay for it's self?

[RichEdwards]

I've considered trading in my '02 Ford Explorer SUV but the facts don't support making that move:

1) It's paid for and a new $400 per month car payment would be a whole lot more than I pay for gas.

2) The trade-in value for an SUV is very low. I'm better off keeping it and running it into the ground (in about 5 years.)

3) It's been a good vehicle. Lots cheaper to maintain than my BMW motorcycles (80,000 miles on the original tires and more to go.) Original brake pads, original spark plugs, etc., etc.

4) I still have a cycle trailer and the SUV is a great tow vehicle. A new Prius wouldn't do the job.

So for now, I'm keeping the SUV.

[Francois_Dumas]

So for now, I'm keeping the SUV.

 

Me too... nobody wants to buy it anymore..... and I lose too much trading it in

[Paul_Burkett]

I have been looking around for diesel cars just to see what is available and there isn't much out there to be had. I saw a test between a BMW 520D and a Prius andd the BMW won the MPG test, but you can't buy one here. My Dodge Sprinter got 23 MPG untill I put the ladder rack on the roof, but I still get 20MPG and that is with shelves and loaded with tools. What is it with car dealers or manufacturers making or importing diesel cars that can get 50% better milage that gas vehicles?

As a side note, pumps around here stop at a set point, aften at $75.00 for gas and $100.00 for diesel.

[Mike]

I guess I can count myself among the fortunate few. My home is about a two-minute walk to the commuter train I take to work every day, and my wife's office is about two blocks from our house. While we're pretty distant from downtown Chicago, we can do a lot of our shopping within our suburban downtown, the edge of which is three blocks from us.

 

So, while we can't completely avoid using our cars, the majority of the mileage we put on them is discretionary. We've begun to cut down a bit on those discretionary trips in our cages and I've tried to be more conscious of consolidating trips. Gas money is not a huge part of our budget, but it feels good to claim control over it by being smart.

 

So far, though, the one area where I have not succumbed to being too smart is in choosing highly fuel-efficient vehicles. Both of our cars average around 19-20 mpg in the city and about 26-27 mpg on the highway. Not horrible, but nowhere near the top of the fuel efficiency scale. At least for now I'm willing to drive less miserly cars to obtain a reasonable level of comfort, capacity, and performance. I'm not sure how long I'll hold out, but I can't see trading my cars until gas is consistently well over $5.00/gallon.

[Marek]

I have been looking around for diesel cars just to see what is available and there isn't much out there to be had. I saw a test between a BMW 520D and a Prius andd the BMW won the MPG test, but you can't buy one here. My Dodge Sprinter got 23 MPG untill I put the ladder rack on the roof, but I still get 20MPG and that is with shelves and loaded with tools. What is it with car dealers or manufacturers making or importing diesel cars that can get 50% better milage that gas vehicles?

As a side note, pumps around here stop at a set point, aften at $75.00 for gas and $100.00 for diesel.

 

I was told that the grade of diesel fuel in the US was less than what European or japanese cars required. I think now since we are selling low sulphur diesel that could change. Last year in Europe I rented Toyota Previa or something like that, I drove it for several days and when I pull up to the gas pump I discovered it was a diesel. The perception of loud, slow, smoking diesel is still in the mind of many Americans and it would be hard to sell them a diesel car.

In 2005 I wanted to buy diesel Mercedes, and was told by a dealer that they had so many fuel related problems that there are very few diesel cars imported.

 

I hope that will change soon.

Mark

[motoguy128]

 

I thnik yuo hvae a prolbem with yuor kebyoard!

 

keybrd fine, sniffn too muhc gasoline fumems form this post.

[Stir]

 

I wish somebody could explain to me why the price per barrel is going up. Not like it is costing more to make it.

 

It mainly has to do with the decline of the dollar against other currencies. Supply and demand. Consider the dollar at a 1 to 1 with the Euro. Now say that it takes 2 dollars to buy 1 Euro. Am I going to sell it to America for $1 or Europe for 1 Euro? I'm going to sell it to Europe for the 1 Euro which I can then sell in America for 2 dollars. If Americans want that fuel, they are going to have to pay $2 to get it.

 

M

[Husker Red]

 

I will be interested in seeing some official stats to see if demand is going down. I think people may be driving less. I hate to jinx it, but my daily commute has been significantly lighter than normal the last few weeks. We've actually had a few "speed limit" commutes on I-85 this month! That normally only happens a few times a year.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I will be interested in seeing some official stats to see if demand is going down. I think people may be driving less.

 

I recall seeing on the news a couple of weeks ago that airlines were reducing their cruise speeds just a tad in order to conserve fuel.

 

The Average Joe consumer, though, seems to mostly just bitch about it. It's a bit much to expect folks to do big expensive things (invest in more fuel efficient cars, move closer to work or get a job closer to home) overnight. But I doubt many people are bothering to alter their behavior even in easier ways:

 

• keep your tires aired up
  
• lower your cruise speeds
  
• avoid jackrabbit starts when the light turns green
  
• carpool
  
• combine trips
  
• manual gearbox? choose a taller gear

 

 

[Ralph]

I haul finished product also and can't chance it getting wet or damaged in any way. I'm stuck with the gas hog!

 

My buddy is a custom cabinet maker & several times he's had to rent a truck to haul finished goods to a job site during wet spells.

 

His main drive is a 4 cylinder Ford Ranger thats tops out at near 30 mpg.

His main hauler is an 80's Ford 150 with a straight 6 & when needed an open trailer.

 

Perhaps a 2nd economical vehicle could pay for it's self?

 

You mean like my RT & a trailer?

[Francois_Dumas]

I haul finished product also and can't chance it getting wet or damaged in any way. I'm stuck with the gas hog!

 

My buddy is a custom cabinet maker & several times he's had to rent a truck to haul finished goods to a job site during wet spells.

 

His main drive is a 4 cylinder Ford Ranger thats tops out at near 30 mpg.

His main hauler is an 80's Ford 150 with a straight 6 & when needed an open trailer.

 

Perhaps a 2nd economical vehicle could pay for it's self?

 

You mean like my RT & a trailer?

 

 

Might not be practical, but at least you'd get to ride !

[ESokoloff]

 

 

 

 

Perhaps a 2nd economical vehicle could pay for it's self?

 

You mean like my RT & a trailer?

Not always practical but possible I suppose.

 

I've done HVAC repairs via a 1980 Suzuki GS850G.

The fun factor is definitly there.

 

I'm sure per mile operation expenses on your RT are more than his Ranger but the smiles/miles factor would be higher on your RT then his Ranger

 

Also he commutes to/from his shop most days via bicycle.

[velomoto]

Mitch,

All good ideas but unfortunately there still is a large number of people being (mis)led into believing the simple solution is to drill more holes into the ground. I believe much of the motivation to fight any sort of economizing is that it is what the (gasp) left wing tree hugging environmentalists have been encouraging for decades.

 

Well the world's thirst for oil is growing faster than we (America) could tap more energy so the laws of economics are going to fix what our leaders haven't want to touch. America's consumption of oil recently gone down for the first time in decades.

 

The net effect of rising oil is that we will see inflation across the board. Oil, and oil byproducts is a part of the manufacture, processing and delivery of every product and service. Period. Trucking companies will pass on rising fuel costs. Tires, like everything synthetic use petroleum distillates and byproducts either as a component or in the manufacturing process. Farmers and food producers all use energy in harvesting and transporting food. The list just goes on and on.

 

While I don't believe the world's not going to end or go into mass chaos, but I expect it is going to be a much more expensive place to live and play. It will also be interesting to see how everything settles.

 

[Matts_12GS]

We should drill more holes and join OPEC as we start getting oil out of the ground just for spite...

 

In about 5 years, we'll have our country back in the black with all the debt to foreign nations paid off and then we can stop exporting and go back to feeding our own needs...

 

simple!!

 

Besides, can you imagine the faces when the US application to join OPEC showed up. That'd be funny!