It's Travel time !

It's no secret that gas and diesel have broke the $4.00 per gallon barrier.  This always raises the question whether we should stop travel.
So, here's some food for thought.  I'm using our camper as an example which gets 7 - 7.5 mpg.  The difference between $3 (last year) and $4 causes the cost per mile to go from 42 cents to 57 cents.

• To travel 200 miles round trip to a rally will cost $30 more than last year.  6 Rallies will cost $180 more than last year.  Does that break the bank?
• If your motor home is worth $30,000 it will depreciate $3000 (10%) - $250 per month. So, one month depreciation is more than the incremental cost for gas for the whole rally season.  Depreciation occurs whether the motor home is used or not.
• We just bought new tires last year - $2400.  They will last 6-8 years - whether we use the motor home or not.  So, my tires are being used at roughly one tire per year ($400) - more than 2 times the incremental cost of gas.
• As you know, if your motor home sits, something probably won't work when you go to use it.  So, there is some repair cost to try and get ready to go.  That's why the first trip of the year was called a "shake down".

Everyone has to analyze their own situation.  But if we had the money to buy these toys in the first place, it seems like a waste of the investment to let it sit unused.

Our first rally is Memorial Day weekend in Lakeville.  It will cost $60 for 3 nights ($75 for 4).  We try to make it a bargain.  We will  see some great people, have some good food, and have a little fun.  Fuel will probably cost more for some than the rally fee.  Think of it as a "shake down".  

Click on the "Next Event" to see what's planned.

We look forward to seeing everyone!

Nitrogen vs compressed air for our tires

Once again a major publication is promoting we consider replacing compressed air in our tires.  The latest is the FMCA.  In -

www.FMCA.COM//polks-top-7/3380

Ron Polk suggests a number of reasons to consider nitrogen.  Here are a few counter points left over from high school science.

• Air is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and the rest are trace elements. So, the most we can add is 22%. more nitrogen.
• The atomic weight of Nitrogen is 14, Oxygen 16 making Nitrogen about 10% lighter than Oxygen.

So, to replace 22% of air with a product that weights less than  10% less means that the new composition weights 2% less. Remember, all the assumptions are based on changing just 22% of the material in the tire with a product that has ONE PROTON.

On an RV tire that weighs approximately 75-150 pounds, ask yourself if 2% less air makes sense.

COMMON FOLKS !  Please help me.