Just finished a major road trip in the MCI. Went from Ossipee, New Hampshire to Woodland Park, CO to visit family, then from CO back home to the Atlanta GA area.
Some factoids:
Total mileage, 4571
Gallons used, 681
Avg m.p.g. about 6.7 (lots of tailwind!)
Highest price diesel, New Jersey @ $4.01
Cheapest diesel, Missouri @ $3.70
Time on this trip, 19 days
I was especially pleased at the performance of the new Allison 5-speed, especially climbing from Colo Springs to Woodland Park, elevation 8,200 feet. Did all the Ute Pass in 4th and never approached overheating. I was also pleased with the recently added Jake Brakes in Colo and Monteagle, TN.
Wouldn't do this type of long trip again due to the high price of fuel. Could have flown the two of us there and back for less than half the price of fuel, but then again that's not why we have a bus! We did save some by using seven WalMarts (not one turndown), and getting a 5% kickback on fuel paid by my credit card at the pump (Pentagon Federal Credit Union).
Great fun! Bus ran great and my relatives and friends were impressed with our rig.
Mike in GA
Mike, we used to live in CS for 10 years and I drove that pass quite often rebuilding Cabins on the side of Pike's Peak as well as a few homes in Woodland Park. I give you Kudos for taking a Bus up that pass at that speed. There used to be some nasty wreaks there also in the winter. Nice area. Used to love Old Colorado City & Manitou springs but it just got hit with the flash floods. We lived by CC college.
Dave5Cs
You paid around $140.00 per day for your own bed, the fun of driving your bus with your wife, beautiful seanery and when you needed to go you could pull over and use your own facilities. At first I thought ouch but after second thought what a good value.
My thoughts
John
Us guys are all about the fuel mileage. Now our women folk are all about the comfort !
Our own pillows , sheets , bathroom's , food prep. , meals just to name a few .
And all the crap that goes with flying , renting a car , the stiff sheets , and the bed bugs that go with the hotels . dave
We all look at it different 8 hrs of airport time and flying or 100 plus hrs of windshield time for the same trip what ever one prefers,we have friends with buses they are doing a lot of Amtrak now and love it
Yes-sir-ree, livin in your home away from home is the way for me, after decades on the road, motels/hotels/condos, I've seen the best be pretty bad, and the bad be passable on the hotel front, but nothin like grabbing a glass of wine from your fridge & sleepin in your own bed, after a long day behind the camera, lvmci...
Quote from: luvrbus on October 13, 2013, 08:22:29 AM
We all look at it different 8 hrs of airport time and flying or 100 plus hrs of windshield time for the same trip what ever one prefers,we have friends with buses they are doing a lot of Amtrak now and love it
Clifford you are right. This year I took a job that takes me to the Dominican Republic for several weeks at a time. The flight time is around 10hrs. If I add the airport time it is around 15 to 18 Hrs. If I add hotel time it goes well over 24 hrs. We took our bus to Montana this spring and drove the car home. Now on my days off we can jump in the Cessna and fly to Montana. Sure saves time but the fuel is about $400 round trip. We have a car up there also so we have transportation while there. Not sure I save much money but do save some time. With being gone most of the time
Days Off are important. We all need to prioritize our time off. Sometimes windshield time is also relaxing.
John
You guys know that as bus nuts after we spend all this time tinkering and working on them we have to get out there and drive them . dave
The way I look at it, you saved $85 a night on motels, not even counting meals. That means that you'd have to drive something that got 17.5 mpg to break even. Add in $50 a day for meals, about what my wife and I spend if we are on the road and eating three meals a day out, and you are back up to $135 a day, so your fuel was free. ;D Now that means over-nights boondocking, which we do. We maybe stay one night in four at a campsite if we are truly traveling.
Brian
You guys cannot make the math work saying you are saving money buses are for enjoyment at a cost,the full timers do ok unless they have a major problem then they are in the toilet,factor in all the cost of owning a bus and tell me you save money owning one using it a few weeks out of a year, a bus is not a asset only a liability and big one at that IMO
I thought you said:
Quote from: luvrbus on October 13, 2013, 12:37:26 PM
...,the full timers do ok unless they have a major problem when they are in the toilet,....
;D ;D ;D
You of all people Doyle should know what I am talking about I watched you part with the 100 dollar bills everyday for awhile ::)
Bus owner's math is like girl math - if you save $100 on a half-off dress, you get to spend $100 on new shoes to go with it! ;D
Brian
Quote from: luvrbus on October 13, 2013, 01:05:38 PM
You of all people Doyle should know what I am talking about I watched you part with the 100 dollar bills everyday for awhile ::)
Absolutely correct Clifford! A major problem puts EVERYTHING in the toilet! $100/day for 100 days, as I recall.
Quote from: Mike in GA on October 12, 2013, 01:10:17 PM... Highest price diesel, New Jersey @ $4.01 ...
Hey, Mike, if you're doing that trip again, look at stopping at Exit 1 on I-84 in New Jersey (just across the river from Port Jervis NY). There are about 5 stations there that compete *really* hard, last time I was in N England (September), I saw a number of places for $4.19 but it was $3.73 at Exit 1. Of course, that means you pretty much have to drive I-84 heading west and the hills are pretty nasty (most aren't high but they can be steep) but it's hard to beat their prices anywhere in the North East US.
Quote from: bevans6 on October 13, 2013, 01:10:18 PM
Bus owner's math is like girl math - if you save $100 on a half-off dress, you get to spend $100 on new shoes to go with it! ;D
Brian
That is so true!
Besides, my bus hobby exists to consume all available funds that I can access. ;)
Bruce:
We always use I-84 and always stop at Port Jervis on the PA-NJ-NY border at the Delaware River. Although that NJ fuel was the steepest on this long road trip, it was still way less than the rest of New England this autumn.
We had been in the habit of stopping at a Lukoil at that exit that has easy truck/bus access, and that has been competitive in price, but it changed hands recently and is now some other more expensive brand.
As you point out, there were several other Port Jervis stations that were cheaper, and next time we'll hit one of those.
Mike in GA
Quote from: Mike in GA on October 14, 2013, 07:18:15 AM
Bruce:
We always use I-84 and always stop at Port Jervis on the PA-NJ-NY border at the Delaware River. Although that NJ fuel was the steepest on this long road trip, it was still way less than the rest of New England this autumn.
We had been in the habit of stopping at a Lukoil at that exit that has easy truck/bus access, and that has been competitive in price, but it changed hands recently and is now some other more expensive brand.
As you point out, there were several other Port Jervis stations that were cheaper, and next time we'll hit one of those.
Mike in GA
Yeah, I made four trips (4-wheeler - diesel) NC north (NY, Quebec, New England ..) July through early September and I saw those fluctuations at Port Jervis, too. Despite all the talk about the upheaval in Egypt and revolution in Syria pushing up speculation on crude oil in the Middle East, supply and demand has pushed gasoline prices way down in the past 6 months or so. Diesel prices haven't followed - partly because it's a cash cow for petroleum companies (and retailers), they can export it a high prices, and the price can be passed on "invisibly" to consumers. It's like it's set up to be good for everybody -- except real, individual people.
Oh, well, it isn't like the money I didn't spend on diesel fuel will do me any good after I'm dead.
And I will add that continue over the hill and drive south on US209 and the fuel price in Stroudsburg is about the same as Sussex NJ.
NJ is the cheapest for fuel in the entire Northeast. Some places in New Hampshire come close by a penny or two.
Coming south for a fall trip price was 3.85 NH, 3.61 Carmel Church VA, 3.76 Brunswick GA. When we drove by Sussex NJ price was 3.83.
Bill