The End?

[Geist]

Apparently, fuel is reliably predicted to top £1.50 per litre by the end of this year.

I think we can all accept that this is highly likely, so, what's the price point that will make you abandon caravanning? Remember, that's almost £7.50 per gallon - or about 25 miles of towing.

I'm getting twitchy about it now - ever rising fuel costs, site fees,caravan insurance costing far more than for the car that tows the van, rip-off servicing costs of around £200

Soon, I feel, enough will be more than enough, and I will give up this pastime after 25 years of touring.

Anyone else contemplating the same?

 

[Lutz]

I sense signs of despondency in your posting.

 

[Lutz]

Putting things in perspective, when I started driving petrol cost, if my recollection serves me right, about 2s/6d a gallon and, although I didn't have a big car, I was lucky to get 30mpg. Based on an average of 200 miles a week that worked out at

 

[Lutz]

Putting things in perspective, when I started driving petrol cost, if my recollection serves me right, about 2s/6d a gallon and, although I didn't have a big car, I was lucky to get 30mpg. Based on an average of 200 miles a week that worked out at

 

[JTQ]

Looking on the bright side, as is my way, it will mean we have more chance of getting a weekend pitch at a CC site of our choosing!

When fuel gets more expensive so does life; you will not escape by giving up caravanning.

 

[Gareth111278]

I think you'd all better do what i've done & convert to LPG!

Our 3.3 V6 voyager is giving me 19MPG but at half price [filled up yesterday at 51ppl] its like doing 38MPG.

Not super but you could convert a car that does 35MPG and it would be like getting 70MPG !

Modern squencail systems are so efficent that there is hardly any difference in MPG so the cost savings are real.

Only down side is the conversion cost ,

 

[rayc]

I would guess that the majority of recreational caravanners do not take up the hobby until their 40+ , when if they are lucky they have more disposable income. The net effect of the rises not only in fuel but all other stealth taxes, such as council tax and not raising the 40% tax level in line with wages may be that there are less young caravanners in the future. When you consider the cost of going to see my local league 1 football team or going to a show at the Bournemouth Pavilion then a weekends camping for a family compares well if you are selective.

As Lutz has indicated the whole cost of motoring has gone down over the years for me. When I first got a car my third party fire and theft insurance was a weeks wages and car tax the same. It is relatively cheaper for me now. It is quite possible to pick up a good 5 year old tow car for less than

 

[Lutz]

To continue along the theme, in the late fifties, when my dad bought his first car, only about half the households in our street had one. Today, it's not unusual for two, three or even more cars to be parked on the drive. That has only become possible because the relative cost of motoring has gone down over the years. We are just unlucky that there has been some readjustment back to old conditions lately. Cost increase is always more noticeable than cost reduction.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

People starting caravanning over 40 ? We didn't and see a lot of younger people with caravans.

As for pricing, of course motoring should be cheaper than it was thirty years ago. A lot more are doing it, roads have been paid for so it should cost a whole lot less now.

You can't compare fuel costs to going to see the gooners play as fuel costs fuel inflation and the cost of everything you buy.

We spent six momths caravanning last year and saw more of family than we do at home. OK it was via a laptop and face to face most of the time. We are now considering New Zealand for future touring as we get driven under by Brown and the kids he has running the country.

If Gordon and friends can't get a grip on roads and costs we are likely to leave one of you to turn the lights off here.

 

[RogerL]

Market research has already determined that UK motorists will pay up to

 

[Dustydog]

Well said Roger.

I gave up the fags and the money saved pays for all our caravanning.Whilst I am away I am saving water , gas electricity at home. Our food bill is only slightly greater whilst away because we may eat out more often. Yes we have to pay for site fees and fuel but even so the overall cost for the pleasure we receive is great.

I've done all the world tours and hate all the queuing at airports. Never mind the cost.

Inspite of Gordon's attempts to ruin our holidays caravanning still takes some beating.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Stephen_374341239]

Hi

I am 55 and just started caravaning. Not happy with no leg room on aircraft and treated like cattle. Also having to site on a aircraft with someone who is Drunk. Not something I could recommend for 4 to 5 hrs.

Hotels etc just a rip-off in this country

Now we eat when we like get up when we like and just enjoy life. Much Much Better.

 

[Robtel]

Going back to Geist's original post title "the end?" I can ceratinly see a decline in the numbers of caravanners in the near future if certain trends continue. As already stated fuel costs are ever increasing but the ongoing outcry about global warming and "gas guzzling" cars will soon have anyone driving anything larger than a 1000cc considered a social outcast.

However, in the meantime, I'm going to continue to haul my "mobile traffic jam" around the country and hope that global warming means I'm going to have good weather on my travels

Robert

 

[emmerson2]

Ditto Gareth

 

[Robert_374242026]

We have been caravanning since 1965 and done countless miles abroad and UK, but when i retired in 1998 having more time available we travelled further and longer until 2001 when whilst lazeing away and the talk got around to the future and how long we could carry on doing the thing we love (moneywise) .So had talk with our two children who are both married and decieded as they say spend a bit of their inhertance of which neither my Wife or i had from our parents.Providing we don't end up in a nursing home they will get a decent sum.So we carrid on doing what we love doing.Last September i had to go in hospital for a shoulder replacement (Copeland resurfice )they call it and to top it my knee went and had to have complete replacement 5 weeks ago.As i said we love getting around so i got the surgery done close together hoping by April we will be able to go off somewhere. our car is an automatic so driving should not be a big problem if i hsve more breaks in the journey .Back to the thinking of how long can one can carry on with all these increases depends how much you like the hobby.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

I get quite P'd at comments about driving fuel prices up to enforce change.

We have neighbours with holiday homes in Cornwall and Wales one couple scoot of for the weekend in one of their classic cars.

Liberal council candidate neighbours invite us around for wine and nibbles. Australian wine and a rack full of Californian and Mexican wines.

Others regularly go of on flights, when our caravans are drivem off the road. Will we all be donning hankies tied at the corner on our heads and head for Margated or will more take to the skies.

Rich, famous, not so famous and captains of industry and politics swish around in Limo's and Private jets and Blair played soldiers with Billions of non eco friendly munitions and military hardware we're supposed to trade in a car for a bike and walk to Blackpool for our hol's to save the planet!

Can somebody please wake up the Green Tossers before I murder one, and leave us and our way of life alone. We've paid our dues and the politicians and businessmen have had our money and we will not be made to feel guilty about how we live our life.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I don't know, maybe I'm getting the wrong vibes but does anyone else get the feeling that Jason is annoyed? :O)

 

[Sedo]

Hi Jason I agree with everything you've said, but don't you think the entire climate change issue has been hijacked and used as a climate change gravy train. It won't be long before you pay less for a green coloured car. I'm afraid the idiots are running the institution now.

all the best

Tomo

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Could be that Jason is not an admirer of Red Ken. Jason I must agree with you 100% - the sooner they sod off to a remote island somewhere and leave us to lead a normal life again the better. When in mid Atlantic we could use their boat as target practice for our submarines.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Could be that Jason is not an admirer of Red Ken. Jason I must agree with you 100% - the sooner they sod off to a remote island somewhere and leave us to lead a normal life again the better. When in mid Atlantic we could use their boat as target practice for our submarines.

WHO IS an admirer of Red Ken?

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Could be that Jason is not an admirer of Red Ken. Jason I must agree with you 100% - the sooner they sod off to a remote island somewhere and leave us to lead a normal life again the better. When in mid Atlantic we could use their boat as target practice for our submarines.

Someone must be or he would not be Mayor of London

 

[JTQ]

Before they drive us out of our hobby on "green issues" has anyone done the sums on the big growth recreation, Cruising?

To start its smelling enough ore for up to 100,000 tonnes of steel as well as making enough energy to electrically melt much of it again to weld it up. Then its fuel it up to sail thousands of miles then fly them all home again.

You need not have the slightest prick of conscience about your van and even the unmentionable ?X?, your not in the same league as those who go cruising. But who gets taxed and pilloried in the media?

 

[JTQ]

Before they drive us out of our hobby on "green issues" has anyone done the sums on the big growth recreation, Cruising?

To start its smelling enough ore for up to 100,000 tonnes of steel as well as making enough energy to electrically melt much of it again to weld it up. Then its fuel it up to sail thousands of miles then fly them all home again.

You need not have the slightest prick of conscience about your van and even the unmentionable ?X?, your not in the same league as those who go cruising. But who gets taxed and pilloried in the media?

Smelting definitely not Smelling Whoops

 

[mistermac]

Hi

I too, am very concerned about the fact that prices keep rising.

However - let's get real about this. Prices have ALWAYS been rising. Remember back when you said 'Ale will be a pound a pint before Christmas' - and that you vowed that when it did, you'd give up. Did we? Did we heck. How much is a pint now? Anywhere up to about three notes - depending on what you're drinking - and we still buy it!!!!

I would LOVE prices to drop - but they're not going to. One inexorable fact of life for the next twenty, fifty....hundred years is that energy prices are going to RISE. Full stop.

Ok - we're not helped by the fact that our Government hikes everything up by taxing the living daylights out of fuel - but hey - that's always been the case.

One option is to caravan more on the continent! Or changeover to LPG.

We're going to carry on, regardless. We don't like the price increase, but it's a fact of life.

(climbing down from soapbox)

Mac

 

[RogerL]

Fuel price is a very emotive issue - but get it into perspective, fuel increases simply add to inflation which will be used to justify higher wage/salary settlements next time round.

Those working aren't affected, nor are those on state or indexed pensions. The only ones actually affected are those on fixed incomes.

If you're not on a fixed income, stop whingeing !!