http://www.katu.com/news/19180244.html
By KATU Web Staff
He’s headed to the coast in Washington for the long Memorial Day weekend and he’s not getting there in a gas-sipping hybrid. He’s going in a 10-mile-per-gallon motor home with a 100-gallon gas tank. And he’s towing a car behind it.
“You don’t eat,” Allen says with a laugh as he pumped gas into the small SUV that he will tow behind his RV. “You can’t afford food anyway.”
Allen expects it will cost about $250 for fuel for the round trip
Many gas stations are selling regular for $4 or more, and diesel is edging ever closer to $5 a gallon. Oil prices again rose Thursday to edge above $135 a barrel.
Many economists are now saying that oil above $200 a barrel is a possibility sooner than later, possibly driving gas to over $6 a gallon this year or some time next year.
A quick calculation for a trip from Portland to Crater Lake reveals the costs of driving certain types of vehicles.
A Honda Accord will go through $65 in gas for the 492-mile round trip, while a Cadillac Escalade will suck down just over $104 in juice. A motor home getting 6 miles per gallon will burn through about $314 in gas, or even more if the RV uses diesel.
Marie Dodds of AAA Oregon and Idaho said the majority of people are not canceling their weekend plans altogether, but are instead modifying their plans or taking steps to save money on other expenses so they can afford fuel.
Dodds said many people are looking to stay close to home rather than embark on long road trips.
The high price of fuel is causing other problems for some gas station owners.
Jim VanNetta, who owns and operates a small independent market and gas station in Hockinson, Wash., said he is done selling gas after spending thousands of dollars to retrofit his old mechanical pumps to meter out gas at $3 per gallon just two years ago.
Now, the pumps cannot read past $4 per gallon, and he is hanging up the hoses for good.
AAA and transportation officials want to remind drivers that simple tips can improve gas mileage.
They advise drivers keep cars in tune, keep tires at specified pressure and keep loads to a minimum if possible.
Also, driving the posted speed limit saves fuel, as does a smooth driving technique that avoids fast starts and heavy braking.
Tags: fuel cost, gas crunch, gas prices, inflation, middle class, oil, oil consumption, peak oil, travel, vacation
