Gas prices killing the hobby?

[+DonB]

No matter how much anyone tries to justify the price of gas it still boils down to the fact we're getting ripped off by the Arabs and the oil companys

I disagree.

 

The US dollar is the currency that oil is traded in. ...

The weakness of the dollar causes oil to be more expensive in the US, but not necessarily for the rest of the world. This is because the other countries are not buying dollars and sticking them in a box to buy oil next year. They are converting to the dollar nearly at the moment of purchase. Therefore, the relative weakness of the dollar actually allows them to purchase more oil, not less, for the same amount of their local currency.

 

While I hate the way DWBur worded his post, he's correct. The oil producing countries could easily pump more oil and cause the prices to drop. They have little incentive to do that, however. Also, the way that the oil companies set their prices guarantees an ever increasing profit as oil prices go up. If they priced to allow a constant profit in dollars, rather than a percentage profit, it would amount to somewhat lower pump prices.

I'm sorry that I offended you in the way I worded my post, but I tend to call a spade a spade, and don't care too much about political correctness.

[+mousekakat]

Edited to remove comment that was rude.

 

Naomi

Edited March 7, 2008 by mousekakat

[+sbell111]

No matter how much anyone tries to justify the price of gas it still boils down to the fact we're getting ripped off by the Arabs and the oil companys

I disagree.

 

The US dollar is the currency that oil is traded in. ...

The weakness of the dollar causes oil to be more expensive in the US, but not necessarily for the rest of the world. This is because the other countries are not buying dollars and sticking them in a box to buy oil next year. They are converting to the dollar nearly at the moment of purchase. Therefore, the relative weakness of the dollar actually allows them to purchase more oil, not less, for the same amount of their local currency.

 

While I hate the way DWBur worded his post, he's correct. The oil producing countries could easily pump more oil and cause the prices to drop. They have little incentive to do that, however. Also, the way that the oil companies set their prices guarantees an ever increasing profit as oil prices go up. If they priced to allow a constant profit in dollars, rather than a percentage profit, it would amount to somewhat lower pump prices.

I'm sorry that I offended you in the way I worded my post,

I wasn't offended. I just didn't care to be painted by the same brush.

but I tend to call a spade a spade, and don't care too much about political correctness.

I think this post makes your point very well.

[+DanOCan]

I saw something interesting a while back about the costs of gas. They compared it to the price of soft drinks, milk, and other things we drink. It was surprizing to see the cost of bottled water compaired to the price of gas. I wish I could find that artical. Gas was I think around 2.50 a gal. then and to get a gallon of bottle water was like 4 something a gal.

 

Yeah, I've seen many comparisons that way. There's a big difference though -- I don't need to buy 60 or 70 liters of those other liquids on a weekly basis.

 

I fully suspect the ever-increasing gas prices will force me to make some changes this year:

 

1) Fewer "caching specific" trips -- more "caching because we were in the area for a specific purpose"

 

2) Serious consideration about getting a more fuel-efficient car for regular commuting and leaving the Jeep for weekend caching runs.

[+Thrak]

No matter how much anyone tries to justify the price of gas it still boils down to the fact we're getting ripped off by the Arabs and the oil companys

I disagree.

 

The US dollar is the currency that oil is traded in. ...

The weakness of the dollar causes oil to be more expensive in the US, but not necessarily for the rest of the world. This is because the other countries are not buying dollars and sticking them in a box to buy oil next year. They are converting to the dollar nearly at the moment of purchase. Therefore, the relative weakness of the dollar actually allows them to purchase more oil, not less, for the same amount of their local currency.

 

While I hate the way DWBur worded his post, he's correct. The oil producing countries could easily pump more oil and cause the prices to drop. They have little incentive to do that, however. Also, the way that the oil companies set their prices guarantees an ever increasing profit as oil prices go up. If they priced to allow a constant profit in dollars, rather than a percentage profit, it would amount to somewhat lower pump prices.

I'm sorry that I offended you in the way I worded my post,

I wasn't offended. I just didn't care to be painted by the same brush.

but I tend to call a spade a spade, and don't care too much about political correctness.

I think this post makes your point very well.

 

Actually, in this context, I believe it is referring to a shovel.........

[+Generalsterlingprice]

We have a new term in our house. We call it cluster-caching. We map out our trip for the day so we can drive to one area and cache with as little driving as possible once in the area.

 

That's exactly what's been working for me. Find some Caches close together and hoof it! My son and I recently found about 7 caches that were all located within walking distance after we parked.

 

Or another thing we do is look for caches that are out in the woods and go for a great hike. There's nothing like hiking a couple miles and finding a hard earned cache!

 

It's just not that fun to drive 10 miles to find a micro that took all of 2 seconds to locate. If I have to drive a lot of miles I at least want my Gas Money's worth.

 

I'm not gonna let the bloated price per barrel ruin my hobby!

 

I'll hop on my bicycle if I have to!

Edited March 8, 2008 by Generalsterlingprice

[+Generalsterlingprice]

No matter how much anyone tries to justify the price of gas it still boils down to the fact we're getting ripped off by the Arabs and the oil companys

 

I disagree.

 

The US dollar is the currency that oil is traded in. Unfortunately, the dollar has lost it's spending power and is extremely weak right now. That weakness is driving the cost of the oil up, because quite simply, 1 dollar doesn't buy what it used to or did even 2 years ago.

 

I think that it's a lot easier to see if you live in another country. Even better if you're American living in a foreign country.

 

As I said earlier, I don't convert Swedish costs to American money because it's very counter-productive for me. My mother came to visit over the summer and she converted costs and was shocked by the American equivalent cost of things over here. Had she come 5 years ago when the dollar was strong and trading at almost 11SEK to 1 dollar, then she would have thought it was cheaper here, but over the summer it was trading at 6.4SEK to a dollar and that made everything seem very expensive.

 

Living here I now understand better how a weak dollar effects the world's economy, and how because of that weakness, more and more countries are switching to the stronger Euro as their currency of choice.

 

Now, I DO think that the oil companies are sticking us ALL a good one, their profit reports are proof of that, but I refuse to blame the people of the Middle East for the weak dollar that the US president in his efforts of "war," and lousy economic foreign policy shoulders the main blame for.

 

This is one scrap that the US has pretty much done to itself, unfortunately, and I AM American.

 

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

 

If the dollar was stronger, the price of oil per barrel would drop rapidly. I'm not sure what it will take for the dollar to strengthen right now. I just wish it would, and that it would do it quickly or that OPEC would switch to Euro. At least then the vast majority of those suffering the high gas prices would be those with the weaker currency... sorry ya'll!

 

Naomi

 

 

Good Grief, it didn't take long for this topic to politically deteriorate. I have to disagree with your disagree.

 

Respectfully......The only reason the rest of the world, (not just the US) tolerates, and even deals with the Middle East is because of Oil. Without it it would be one of the poorest and underdeveloped parts of the planet. As it stands it is full of tyrants and dictators, because of the abundant supply of oil and the dependence the rest of the world has on it. Thinking otherwise it just making excuses for bad behavior.

Edited March 8, 2008 by Generalsterlingprice

[+WRASTRO]

Well I am not an economist but I don't think the global trading value of the US Dollar has much of an effect on the global trading price of oil. I expect the economists here will educate me.

[+Generalsterlingprice]

I saw something interesting a while back about the costs of gas. They compared it to the price of soft drinks, milk, and other things we drink. It was surprising to see the cost of bottled water compared to the price of gas. I wish I could find that article. Gas was I think around 2.50 a gal. then and to get a gallon of bottle water was like 4 something a gal.

 

This is an extremely good point. Things just need to be kept in perspective.

[+TrailGators]

Well I am not an economist but I don't think the global trading value of the US Dollar has much of an effect on the global trading price of oil. I expect the economists here will educate me.

It's all about supply and demand.

[+BurbankKarl]

Werent too many families paying $100/mo for tv and internet in the 1960s either.

 

It is all about priorities.

[+Parabola]

I saw something interesting a while back about the costs of gas. They compared it to the price of soft drinks, milk, and other things we drink. It was surprizing to see the cost of bottled water compaired to the price of gas. I wish I could find that artical. Gas was I think around 2.50 a gal. then and to get a gallon of bottle water was like 4 something a gal.

 

Yeah, I've seen many comparisons that way. There's a big difference though -- I don't need to buy 60 or 70 liters of those other liquids on a weekly basis.

 

I fully suspect the ever-increasing gas prices will force me to make some changes this year:

 

1) Fewer "caching specific" trips -- more "caching because we were in the area for a specific purpose"

 

2) Serious consideration about getting a more fuel-efficient car for regular commuting and leaving the Jeep for weekend caching runs.

 

Yes, I agree you don't need to buy as much. I just though it was an interesting comparisons.

 

A couple of us will meet in one spot and carpool from there. But our car gets 30 miles to the gallon so it only takes around 40 bucks to fill the car up. The car we bought though at the time we where thinking of cost of gas. Plus here in Iowa they knock off a bit if you buy the ethonal gas.

[+Okiebryan]

Well I am not an economist but I don't think the global trading value of the US Dollar has much of an effect on the global trading price of oil. I expect the economists here will educate me.

 

Oh, it absolutely does. All oil on the global market is traded in dollars. When the dollar drops, then more dollars are needed to buy the same barrel of oil.

 

If you are buying oil, and you have euros, your euros are converted to dollars right when you purchase the oil. So for those buying oil in Europe, there isn't much if any increase in cost of oil due to the falling dollar.

 

If you are buying oil in the US, the price goes up and up as the value of the dollar drops.

 

Make sense?

[C-Ker1]

Someone suggested carpooling. There are a total of 5 people in the group I cache with that includes myself, 2 of my friends, and my cousins' 2 teens. Whenever we go, I always drive--that includes picking everyone up and taking them home. There are also times when we stop and eat that one of the teens has convieniently forgotten to bring enough money to eat on and I have to cover him. I once suggested that everybody kick in a few dollars every-so-often to help pay for our caching trips, and it they thought it was a good idea. Unfortunately, I'm the only one contributing to the cache-jar. My last couple of caching trips have been solo excursions.

 

What would be the best way to bring up the subject of forking over some cash for the cache without making everyone mad? And, for the record, at least 3 of them tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves and are easily upset. Finding this "cash" definitely has a difficulty of 5.

[+Sioneva]

Someone suggested carpooling. There are a total of 5 people in the group I cache with that includes myself, 2 of my friends, and my cousins' 2 teens. Whenever we go, I always drive--that includes picking everyone up and taking them home. There are also times when we stop and eat that one of the teens has convieniently forgotten to bring enough money to eat on and I have to cover him. I once suggested that everybody kick in a few dollars every-so-often to help pay for our caching trips, and it they thought it was a good idea. Unfortunately, I'm the only one contributing to the cache-jar. My last couple of caching trips have been solo excursions.

 

What would be the best way to bring up the subject of forking over some cash for the cache without making everyone mad? And, for the record, at least 3 of them tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves and are easily upset. Finding this "cash" definitely has a difficulty of 5.

 

Before you even leave, I'd pass around the cash jar and get contributions... Dress it up in a funny way so they're too busy laughing to feel 'upset' that they actually have to pay a fair share.

 

Or drive up with your tank on empty and explain your car won't go anywhere without some money chipped in.

[+RedSky Aussies]

We recently drove over 300 miles RT to hit a few caches (and move along a TB that wanted to visit every state) in New Mexico. We went with our son, Zolgar, and one of our geo-pups, Shiloh, so we figured a tank of gas was cheap for a whole day of good family fun. And it is cheaper than spending the day shopping

 

Tomorrow we will be making 100 mile or so RT for another family day of caching.

[+TrailGators]

Well I am not an economist but I don't think the global trading value of the US Dollar has much of an effect on the global trading price of oil. I expect the economists here will educate me.

Oh, it absolutely does. All oil on the global market is traded in dollars. When the dollar drops, then more dollars are needed to buy the same barrel of oil.

 

If you are buying oil, and you have euros, your euros are converted to dollars right when you purchase the oil. So for those buying oil in Europe, there isn't much if any increase in cost of oil due to the falling dollar.

 

If you are buying oil in the US, the price goes up and up as the value of the dollar drops.

 

Make sense?

In the last three years the price of oil has doubled and the dollar has lost 15% to the Euro. So the big factor is not the value of the dollar.

[Fluxuated]

Try Hypermiling to squeeze some extra juice. Do it properly and you can EASILY beat your vehicle manufacturers EPA.

[+WRASTRO]

Well I am not an economist but I don't think the global trading value of the US Dollar has much of an effect on the global trading price of oil. I expect the economists here will educate me.

Oh, it absolutely does. All oil on the global market is traded in dollars. When the dollar drops, then more dollars are needed to buy the same barrel of oil.

 

If you are buying oil, and you have euros, your euros are converted to dollars right when you purchase the oil. So for those buying oil in Europe, there isn't much if any increase in cost of oil due to the falling dollar.

 

If you are buying oil in the US, the price goes up and up as the value of the dollar drops.

 

Make sense?

In the last three years the price of oil has doubled and the dollar has lost 15% to the Euro. So the big factor is not the value of the dollar.

 

You sound like economists.

 

I think TG's response is more in line with my thought process, but then I am not an economist. So I guess that Okiebryan's response doesn't make sense to me since my question was about the global markets. Dollar drops = Euro worth more = oil price unchanged.

[+paleolith]

I read years ago that a bicycle gets the equivalent of 1600 MPG. No, I haven't done any caching by bicycle yet, though there's a 40-cache series in Tallahassee that I'd like to do that way. When I get the time, same excuse as everyone else. (I still drive. And fly. )

 

In the US, there are 10% more cars than people.

 

I've rented a Prius from Fox at LAX (they have them in several locations). It really does get 50 MPG as long as you keep the engine warm (steady driving or stops < an hour) and aren't driving in mountains. In good tune, close to 60 MPG on steady highway driving at 55 MPH. And mind you, this is on a rental, not a car kept in good condition by an owner. Driving cold and uphill hurts. Lots of 3-mile city trips cut it to under 40 MPG, and lots of up and down to the low 40s. On the kind of driving cachers do, short stops which don't give the engine time to get cold, it should stay over 50 MPG even in the city.

 

A decade or two ago, Amory Lovins was claiming that we could make a car that gets 300 MPG, using only current technology, without sacrificing safety or comfort. I haven't seen that claim recently, perhaps because it's so far out that people dismiss it as unbelievable. But Lovins has a history of being right. He's an engineer dreamer, not a head-in-the-clouds dreamer.

 

I used to say that gas needed to go to $5/gallon so that people would insist that the auto companies start using the available technology to make more efficient cars. It's now obvious that $5 isn't enough and it needs to go to at least $10. The irony is that once high prices persuade people to insist on efficient cars, we will actually save money. And our great-great-great-grandchildren will thank us for leaving them some oil. (If you don't care about your descendents, then that last statement carries no weight with you.)

 

Confucius' Cat complained about government regulation. Those who make such complaints forget that regulation is what makes capitalism possible. With apologies to Churchill, capitalism is the very worst possible economic structure, except for all the others. Those who have read Karl Marx for his economic analysis realize that all his criticisms of capitalism were spot on -- capitalism in the first half of the 19th century, mostly unregulated, was horribly abusive and not terribly effective. Of course, Marx's proposed solution was preposterously unworkable due to its failure to take human motivation into account, a lapse hard to excuse even in those pre-Freud days. Capitalism succeeded, instead, by regulation, which removed the worst of the abuses. The system we see today combines free enterprise and government regulation in an uneasy and jittery hybrid. Neither part works without the other.

 

So ... would you rather get efficient cars by letting gas go to $20/gallon after using up most of it and possibly making large parts of the currently inhabited world uninhabitable? Or would you rather regulate auto makers, requiring them to use the available technologies for efficiency, and running excellent mass transit on tax money, etc -- and keeping gas at $3/gallon for when we really need it and saving it so that our descendents still have some?

 

Now, I need to go drop this TB. Where are my keys ...

 

Edward

[+havic427]

we just got into this hobby and my 93' jeep grand cheerokee get a wopping 16 mpg but by far this is the least expesive hobby we have, which include keeping and breeding reptiles and rodents. Feild Herping, Camping, Ham radio, and RC helicopters.

[+sbell111]

... In the US, there are 10% more cars than people. ...

That actually an urban myth. According to a 2005 DOT study, there were 247 million registered passenger vehicles in the US in 2005. There were over 288 million people in the US, as reported by the US census. I suspect that the DOT number is pretty accurate and that the census totals are undereported.

 

That being said, there are obviously many more regaistered passenger vehicles than registered drivers. My wife and I contribute to this as we have 4 (soon to be 5 or 6) registered vehicles for the two of us. Personally, I don't see what this statistic has to do with anything, since no matter how many vehicles you own, you can only drive one at a time.

[+TrailGators]

... In the US, there are 10% more cars than people. ...

That actually an urban myth. According to a 2005 DOT study, there were 247 million registered passenger vehicles in the US in 2005. There were over 288 million people in the US, as reported by the US census. I suspect that the DOT number is pretty accurate and that the census totals are undereported.

 

That being said, there are obviously many more regaistered passenger vehicles than registered drivers. My wife and I contribute to this as we have 4 (soon to be 5 or 6) registered vehicles for the two of us. Personally, I don't see what this statistic has to do with anything, since no matter how many vehicles you own, you can only drive one at a time.

Maybe ghosts are driving those extra cars... We have 4 cars for 5 drivers and one of them is gas hog (12mpg). Edited March 10, 2008 by TrailGators

[+Sono/Rad]

I plan my trips around a route that will take me to the most caches going and coming will little backtracking. I also use mapping software on my GPSr and PDA. Also I usually cache with a friend and we share expenses. A typical caching day would be finding 20 to 40 caches depending on type and difficulty.

 

[+C&C+COMPANY]

Sold the exploder yesterday and bought a vibe much better on gas......getting almost triple fuel efficiency

[+-NigHTHAWK-]

Hello ALL.

 

I just thought I would start this post because of the recent gas prices.

 

How much has the recent gas prices effected you and specifically your geocaching travels? Do you find yourself going less now that gas is through the roof?

 

I can definitely tell you I have become more acustom to using GoogleEarth to build routes and pocket query caches on the route when I go to run errands or know I will be in a certain location on a given day.

 

What tips can you provide to other geocachers on managing their trips and geocaching hunts to conserve gas that might be cost effective or helpful?

 

Cheers!!!

[+gof1]

We have tried to offset the cost of fuel with other cost savings. Packing a lunch and carrying lots of water and snacks and such as apposed to eating out and stopping for stuff. Fill ups are only about ten to fifteen dollars more this year than last. With the savings on meals we are about even.

 

Even at that our entertainment budget can handle the extra load, for now. We'll see how far the prices go. The bikes will get more miles on 'em this year. Fifty MPG as apposed to twenty and the wifes 200cc gets close to seventy.

[+SWAK9802]

I still have a ton to find in under a 5 mile radius, so gas hasn't been a factor yet. I also tend to look for caches that require a bit of walking, so we park at the entrance and the rest is footwork.

[+Sioneva]

Hello ALL.

 

I just thought I would start this post because of the recent gas prices.

 

How much has the recent gas prices effected you and specifically your geocaching travels? Do you find yourself going less now that gas is through the roof?

 

I can definitely tell you I have become more acustom to using GoogleEarth to build routes and pocket query caches on the route when I go to run errands or know I will be in a certain location on a given day.

 

What tips can you provide to other geocachers on managing their trips and geocaching hunts to conserve gas that might be cost effective or helpful?

 

Cheers!!!

 

It's certainly affected me... I used to take impromptu weekend trips to try to finish the local DeLorme/County Challenges - those have pretty much stopped now. I tend to stick within a 10 mile radius now, as much as I can. Debating whether I should go to an event 75 miles away tomorrow or not... but I probably will, I'm going stir-crazy!

 

I need to buy a bike.

[+Glenn]

When I started geocaching I was living in Italy. Gas was 2000 lira per liter. 2000 lira was approximately $1US and 1 liter is approximately 4 gallons. So $4US/gallon for gas is nothing new for me.

 

This is what I am dealing with now. http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/04/07/daily58.html.

$3.69/gal for regular, not quite $4/gal yet. Although some remote parts of the Islands it is over $4/gal now.

I'm glad none of my vehicles are diesel because diesel is about $4.26/gal.

[+SidAndBob]

Petrol (or gas) in the UK is about £1.10 / litre. That's $10/gallon, so we would consider your prices to be incredibly cheap.

We have to travel (as we did yesterday) a round trip of 100 miles for a days caching. Fortunately we like to park up and spend the day walking, but otherwise we'd be traveling even further.

To add insult to injury we often have to cross a toll bridge, which costs £5.30 ($10.60) for a car. Our local cachers have just sold their van. This cost £10.60 to cross the bridge.

So (although I've never worked it out before) our regular trip costs $30-$40 dollars in gas and tolls. Who would have thought that walking could be so expensive.

Having said all that, it doesn't put us off and we go on an all-day caching trip every weekend.

[+The Long Man Trackers]

I'm also in the UK and have a diesel Passat.

 

Filled it up with fuel last week and it came to £76, or $150.

 

Something tells me that cachers from the UK aren't going to be sending a lot of sympathy in your direction!!

[+BlueDeuce]

I'm also in the UK and have a diesel Passat.

 

Filled it up with fuel last week and it came to £76, or $150.

 

Something tells me that cachers from the UK aren't going to be sending a lot of sympathy in your direction!!

 

Well, If I only had to drive around an island I wouldn't be complaining either. (That's a joke)

[+Anonymous']

I just map out caches and try to find the most dense clusters so I won't have to do too much driving once I get there. If gas was back to 1.19 a gallon I'm pretty sure I'd be out caching every day.

[+BlueDeuce]

What tips can you provide to other geocachers on managing their trips and geocaching hunts to conserve gas that might be cost effective or helpful?

 

The recent Reader's Digest had an article about Hypermiling. That is driving techniques that increase gas mileage. I'll let you all Google Hypermiling yourselves.

[+Quiggle]

Merged a thread by -NigHTHAWK- regarding gas prices.

[+TotemLake]

I am wondering how much effect gas prices are having on the hobby?

Cold weather has kept me inside for months, but high gas prices may

stop me from resuming the hobby.

I gave up my last 7 caches to other cachers, to relieve me of the

work and mileage to maintain them, now I am wondering if I will ever

get out there very much to find new ones?

There are a bunch close to me, that I will probaly try to find,

but further away, probaly never.

This question came up a couple of years ago when prices started the first of the spike series.

 

I don't see an end to the hobby as we knew it then, and I don't see an end to it as we know it now.

With the exception there's an ungodly amount of LPCs since the last time.

[+GIDEON-X]

and 1 liter is approximately 4 gallons.

 

Hmmm, Be Loven Them Liters.........

[+Super_Nate]

Funny how this topic came up because I was planning to go on a cache run today, but the gas prices resulted in me pecking away at the forums. BLASTED GAS! If only my taco bell supper could contribute to da gas mileage on da car.

[+Team Cotati]

Killing? No. Severly limiting? You'd better believe it.

 

Geocaching will not be any more immune from the realities of family economics than any other fossil fuel related expense.

 

At the current and rising fuel costs, all such expenses are being closely watched and budgeted by many many families. I'd wager that this also applies to families that happen to be involved in geocaching.

[+joranda]

I think the rising gas prices stink. I will not stop caching, but I do make my long drives worth the price of the gas. I just look for the places with the most caches in a area and go for it.

[+Gustav129]

 

I used to say that gas needed to go to $5/gallon so that people would insist that the auto companies start using the available technology to make more efficient cars. It's now obvious that $5 isn't enough and it needs to go to at least $10. The irony is that once high prices persuade people to insist on efficient cars, we will actually save money. And our great-great-great-grandchildren will thank us for leaving them some oil. (If you don't care about your descendents, then that last statement carries no weight with you.)

 

......

 

So ... would you rather get efficient cars by letting gas go to $20/gallon after using up most of it and possibly making large parts of the currently inhabited world uninhabitable? Or would you rather regulate auto makers, requiring them to use the available technologies for efficiency, and running excellent mass transit on tax money, etc -- and keeping gas at $3/gallon for when we really need it and saving it so that our descendents still have some?

 

Now, I need to go drop this TB. Where are my keys ...

 

Edward

 

A major factor of why car options are the way they are is because of what the American market wants. It's all about supply and demand. The rising fuel prices are not going open the auto makers' eyes directly. What you buy will.

 

Honda has a diesel Civic in EDM and JDM (European Domestic Markets and Japanese Domestic Markets). I'd take one, but the current buying trend is saying that we don't want it, so they don't offer it. Also, probably doesn't meet the strict Emission laws, yet gets great fuel mileage.

 

Such cars have been traditionally perceived as heavier, noisier, having performance characteristics which make them slower to accelerate, sootier, smellier, and of being more expensive than equivalent gasoline vehicles. From the late seventies to the mid-eighties, General Motors' Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Chevrolet divisions produced a low-powered and unreliable V8 diesel engine which generally serves as the prime example for this reputation.

 

Honda only offers the V-6 in Accords in USDM, which is not available in EDM or JDM (only 4cyl). What are people buying here? The V6 Accords, who wants the guttless cars, we want the performance.

 

My 1987 Honda Civic got 40mpg on a bad day, averaged around 50mpg mostly and it was carbed. It was a gutless pop-can though.

 

My exwife's grandfather's completely stock 1930 Model A gets 24 mpg, but I couldn't get over 45mph downhill. That all changed when we wanted hot-rods (and we still do).

 

If you feel that you think the auto makers should change their manufacturing practices, then maybe you should have purchased a Geo Metro instead of a minivan (but you would be barely getting the speed limit instead of consistantly 5-10 over).

 

Or if you want them to offer more diesels, then we should stop upping the emissions laws. Or you should have bought one of those Diesel GM back in the 80's.

 

There's currently a rumor of a bill that states that every diesel motor produced before Jan. 1st, 1997, must be replaced with a brand new engine to meet higher emmision standards. So if you are happy go lucky with your 1980 Diesel Rabbit, guess what, now you might have to spend $2000 on a new motor. Would you sepnd the money to save the environment, or would you sell the car and buy something else that probably doesn't get the same fuel mileage.

 

The "It's auto makers responsibility...." niche is a very very very small niche. This society is run on a "Meet the Jones'" additude.

 

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda. Hindsight is always 20/20.

[+Glenn]

When I started geocaching I was living in Italy. Gas was 2000 lira per liter. 2000 lira was approximately $1US and 4 liter is approximately 1 gallons. So $4US/gallon for gas is nothing new for me.

 

This is what I am dealing with now. Hawaii gas prices reach record highs.

$3.69/gal for regular, not quite $4/gal yet. Although some remote parts of the Islands it is over $4/gal now.

I'm glad none of my vehicles are diesel because diesel is about $4.26/gal.

 

Thats odd. It seem that I am unable to edit my own posts. Oh well, the link is fixed in this post.

Edited April 20, 2008 by Glenn

[+Glenn]

and 1 liter is approximately 4 gallons.

 

Hmmm, Be Loven Them Liters.........

 

Thats my dyslexia showing itself again. That would be nice tho. About 25 cents for a gallon of gas.

[+PhxChem]

How much has the recent gas prices effected you and specifically your geocaching travels? Do you find yourself going less now that gas is through the roof?

 

zero.........most of the time we cache in the local area if we are running other errands anyway. I myself like caches that require hiking more than anything, so I'm usually not out driving from cache to cache.

 

The last two weekends we have traveled 70+ miles to go caching....but we would have probably gone to these locations anyway to spend time had we not been geocachers. We combine activities we normally do with geocaching.

 

Don't get me wrong....I ain't rich by any means....but spending time with the wife and kids in an activity we all enjoy (and going out on a walk on a new trail)....that's pretty priceless. Don't worry....I'm cheap...I penny-pinch in other areas, but I've never said, "hey guys let's stay home" because I was worried about the price of gas. I HAVE said, "Hey, let's not go out to eat today....."

Edited April 20, 2008 by PhxChem

[+Glenn]

A major factor of why car options are the way they are is because of what the American market wants. It's all about supply and demand. The rising fuel prices are not going open the auto makers' eyes directly. What you buy will.

 

Honda has a diesel Civic in EDM and JDM (European Domestic Markets and Japanese Domestic Markets). I'd take one, but the current buying trend is saying that we don't want it, so they don't offer it. Also, probably doesn't meet the strict Emission laws, yet gets great fuel mileage.

 

Honda only offers the V-6 in Accords in USDM, which is not available in EDM or JDM (only 4cyl). What are people buying here? The V6 Accords, who wants the guttless cars, we want the performance.

 

Apparently the Europeans and Japaneses want the "guttless" cars but why?

I remember when I lived in Italy the road tax was based on engine size.

[+WeatherednBoston]

Gas prices have slowed me down a little bit. I try to cut corners else where to accommodate. Especially at home....even learned how to cook my own chinese and Thai food that tastes just like in the restaurant's.

 

I always seem to travel far when I go caching....I DON'T go out to eat anymore after a day of caching with the group unless its a very special occasion. Just can't afford those $40- dinners anymore (food, beer and tips). I will do cheap pizza from time to time.

 

When I go alone...I bring a 2 litter bottle of soda and my own food. I try to stay local when i'm alone as well.

 

I try to bring a friend and make a weekend trip of it...splitting hotels, gas and such.

 

Yesterday I used $40- in gas to attend a CITO 100 miles away in Maine. Not that "Earth Friendly" I suppose ...but this will be my last long distant event for awhile. So for me it was worth it.

 

I won't stop caching because of the gas prices...it's my hobby, my sport...and I love it to much.

 

Gas has gone up from $3.09 to $3.47 per gallon in the PAST WEEK ALONE here in my area.

[+outdoorsaddix]

Its not holding me back from caching, but what I hate is when I hear on the news about Americans getting ticked off about gas hitting 4 bucks a gal. In Canada i pay a $1.20 a litre so about 4.50 a gal. And we live on the same continent, there is no excuse for that.

[+WebChimp]

I am wondering how much effect gas prices are having on the hobby?

 

Around here there has been a nose dive in people driving long distances to make cache runs. Gas is now $3.33/gallon, and a lot of caching is now done only if the seeker is going somewhere for another purpose or for a work related trip.

[+team lagonda]

Yes,,i fear we shall soon be reduced to hiding and seeking caches within the area of a city block..but hey,,what do you expect when youve had two oil barons running the country for so long..