Fuel prices are hurting

[Seayfam]

Just stopped and filled the pickup with Diesel today.
Homer Alaska is $4.89
I drive 80 miles round trip to work every day, it is really hurting.

[billy6941]

Fuel prices in Soldotna, Alaska are Diesel $4.88 and gas $4.51. Alaska is beautiful but very dangerous and deadly. If you have ever been stranded at 43 below for several hours. you would know what I mean. Still, after 50 years in state, I still love it.....Bill

[billy6941]

Hey, Seafam, if you decide to sell your bus, at a reasonable price, let me know. That's one beautiful bus....Bill

[Seayfam]

Billy,
Thanks for the complement! I've had a couple of people ask me that, the problem is , I'm kinda attached.
But I do have a new class A RV sitting in the yard and  it is hard justifying two rv's. My wife and I have considered selling one of them. You know the saying "everything is for sale" lol
You will have to come down to Homer some time and take a look at it in person.

[billy6941]

Hi Seafam. I do get to Homer, occasionally. I drive tour bus for a company in Anchorage and we do tour through Homer. Our coaches are either J4500's or E4500's, are white and either Series 60 or Cat C13's. We have one J4500 that has the CAT and a ZF 12 speed, which I have driven for the last 3 years, but I got tired   of it and requested a different one this year. Might see you, sometime.....Bill

[Seayfam]

Bill,
I'm sure I have seen you down here. I am always watching for buses down here.
I have seen all of those buses you have described. There is one bus, I believe it is
J4500 that runs all winter transporting kids to games. That isn't one of your buses
is it? I have always thought driving tour buses would be fun. Maybe we will see
you this summer? Look for the big MC-6, it will be the one with the funny looking guy with a big smile.

[billy6941]

Hi, Gary. Yes, if it was a solid white coach, or with Premier Alaska tours logo's, it was one of ours. We do run all winter, mostly with sports teams and occasionally something like a training run for the Coast Guard. I can understand the "Big Grin". If I owned that rare good looking coach, I'd grin, too. We just sold our PD-4104 and might be in the market for another conversion....Bill

[Seayfam]

Bill, yeah it is one of your coaches.
Just out of curiosity, where do you guys take your coaches to be worked on?
I'm wanting to take my bus to a good mechanic and have the rack and Jakes run.
The 8v92 has 64,000 on it since built, and the valves have never been adjusted.

[billy6941]

We have our own shop, with the best mehanics in Anchorage. It's called Premier Highway Services. It's run by a retired Navy Chief, Bill Pierson. They have 39 coaches to keep up, but they do take in outside work. You might give them a call and talk to Bill, Doug, or Rocky. Phone: office 375-6364, shop 375-6366, Bill's cell 440-9718.....bill

[Seayfam]

Thanks a bunch Bill!
I'll give them a call when I can get the bus out. I didn't know if there was anyone in Alaska that would work on a bus.

[lvmci]

Hi all, I'm siting in orange county calif at the mci facility, waiting for my 5A which is getting the fuel gauge and sending unit reinstalled. I ordered the gauge & sending unit pair as there was never one installed. I thought it might just plug in & work since the 24v and wires had proper continuity, but no. Diesel here in so cal is hovering aroun.d $4.50 and I was over buying fuel just to be safe, to expensive to do that anymore, but mci service starts @ four hours estimate @ $120 an hour that's a lot of fuel. As it turns out it was multiple ground issues combined with the multiple updates in parts that was more then my limited electrical knowledgve could overcome, tom lvmci...

[Seayfam]

Wow! Sounds like you guys in California are catching up to us in prices. Today Diesel hit 4.96 in Homer.
My wife and I are really considering getting rid of the bus and the class A. We really love the bus, but we do a lot of traveling  down to Idaho, we figured this summer it would cost 6,000 to take the bus, it would be 5,000 to take the class a, or if we got a fifth wheel and pulled it with my Diesel Dodge, it would cost 3,000. The fifth wheel is starting to look really good.

[artvonne]

  I dont know what kind of fuel economy you get with your Bus (I know your in the mountains), or how much you drive, but do you really think you'll save that much?

  I bought my MC5 believing we would see $6 gallon. Its just over $4 here.

  I bought a 190D with a stick I would like to make into a towed. Its the 2.2 4 banger so should see 50 plus MPG. That will take some of the strain off no matter what fuel goes up to.

  The current administration has done everything they could to cow-tow to environmentalists, and stopped or blocked drilling of oil or piping it, and done nothing to alleviate the shortage of refining capability, while allowing the epa to continue manipulating fuel chemistry leading to these higher prices.

  With the right leadership and direction, we could see fuel costs plummet seemingly overnight.

  I guess what I am saying is I wouldnt make a rash decision because of fuel costs just yet. I think its going to go back the other way, perhaps way back the other way.

[dave5cs]

Paul what you been smoking?LOL

 It will never go way down unless people in China stop using it and other countries that have really started to replace the US in usage. The politicians can't do anything about it even though they want you to believe they can.

They all are investor's in oil and they control it too with OPEC. They keep talking about getting off Mideast oil yet we only get less than 10 % of our oil from them, Sweet Crude. the Fuel is made here. We get oil from Canada, South America ( a lot more from them) even some from Ireland (shell).

So EPA isn't everywhere even though I don't care for them either.
It may go down a little and then up again and still higher because the market boys are all betting on just how much we will take and they win either way depending on which way they bet.

FWIW

[dave5cs]

So Gary, What do I hear for Gary's Bus 10K eheheh do i hear 10,500,,........ 10550.00
couldn't resist.....................

Dave5Cs