Fuel Prices Won't Put a Damper on Vacation Season
Nationwide Insurance survey shows nearly 70 percent of RV, travel
trailer, boat and motorcycle owners willing to "pay to play"



Columbus, Ohio - Don't expect less crowded roads and waterways this
vacation season. According to Nationwide Mutual Insurance's Second
Annual Fueling Powersports Index, powersporters - owners of RVs,
travel trailers, boats and motorcycles - indicate even if gas prices
go up, their love for their lifestyle has them willing to "pay to
play."



Nationwide polled 2,518 motorcycle, power boat, bass boat, RV and
travel trailer owners to gauge their sentiments on how fuel prices
would impact their powersport vehicle use. Nearly 70 percent of
powersport enthusiasts say they will not change their vacation plans
because of high prices.



"Our second annual survey demonstrates that powersport owners are
adapting to a range of fuel prices. In fact, enthusiasts say gas would
have to cost nearly twice as much before they would stop using their
vehicles," said Mitch Roggemann, national sales director for
Nationwide's Property & Casualty Specialty Products. "This is
reflective of the fact that close to 70 percent of all powersporters
use time spent on their vehicles as an escape from everyday life."



"At Nationwide, we know powersporting is truly a lifestyle," said
Roggemann. "Understanding the passions and motivations of these
enthusiasts allows us to remain connected with them, and ensures our
ability to offer the best protection available."



Key findings:

Enthusiasts say they would pay from $2.88 (travel trailer owners) up
to $3.38 (motorcyclists) per gallon before even considering using
their vehicles less frequently.
That's 28 cents more per gallon than motorcyclists said they were
willing to pay in the Nationwide survey last year.
Power boaters and bass boaters say gas prices would have to reach
$3.26 and $3.17 respectively before they would use their boats less
often. That's 50 cents more per gallon than they said last year.
The study found that fuel prices would have to go through the roof
before enthusiasts would stop using their vehicles, with prices
ranging from $4.14 per gallon (travel trailer owners) up to $6.27 per
gallon (motorcyclists).
Most powersporters plan on traveling long distances this summer. RV
owners say they expect to drive 819 miles round trip each time they
use their vehicle this year. Travel trailer owners expect to drive 459
miles round trip each time this year.
While powersporters don't expect to use their vehicles fewer times
this year, high fuel prices do have some effect on how long they run
their vehicles per trip.
Motorcyclists expect to ride about two hours and 54 minutes per trip
this summer. That's about 18 minutes shorter than last summer.
Power boaters will run their boats about 16 minutes less per outing
and bass boaters will run their engines about 32 minutes less per
outing.


For more information on powersports, visit www.nationwide.com

On 10 Apr 2007 16:36:15 -0700, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

ower boaters and bass boaters say gas prices would have to reach
$3.26 and $3.17 respectively before they would use their boats less
often. That's 50 cents more per gallon than they said last year.

Horse feathers.

I'm already hearing bass tournement types saying they are cutting back
on the number of tourneys they will be attending this year and will
only be doing local and state tourneys rather than out of state
tourneys.

And my club is starting a share a ride program for fishing this year
becaue of fuel prices.

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 10 Apr 2007 16:36:15 -0700, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

ower boaters and bass boaters say gas prices would have to reach
$3.26 and $3.17 respectively before they would use their boats less
often. That's 50 cents more per gallon than they said last year.

Horse feathers.

I'm already hearing bass tournement types saying they are cutting back
on the number of tourneys they will be attending this year and will
only be doing local and state tourneys rather than out of state
tourneys.

And my club is starting a share a ride program for fishing this year
becaue of fuel prices.




Sssssshhhh...that's bad for the boat business.

last year, fuel prices weren't really much different than now, and
even higher. We went out several times last year and I calculated
the cost of fuel and food for a days worth of fun, and it was still a
whole lot better value than hauling the family to 6-Flags. Planning on
doing the same this year too.

Tim wrote:



last year, fuel prices weren't really much different than now, and
even higher. We went out several times last year and I calculated
the cost of fuel and food for a days worth of fun, and it was still a
whole lot better value than hauling the family to 6-Flags. Planning on
doing the same this year too.



If you like to fish and have to travel some distance to enjoy your sport
on a regular basis, then the fuel costs mount up rapidly.

On 10 Apr 2007 17:36:40 -0700, "Tim" wrote:

last year, fuel prices weren't really much different than now, and
even higher. We went out several times last year and I calculated
the cost of fuel and food for a days worth of fun, and it was still a
whole lot better value than hauling the family to 6-Flags. Planning on
doing the same this year too.

You can't just consider the boat - you have to consider travel time
and the tow.

I do't know about your area, but around here, we're already at last
year's highs for gas and it's only half way through April. I heard
via the grape vine that the marinas that pump gas are already charging
$3.40 to as much as $3.60 per gallon and that they are having trouble
getting a delivery price break on less than 10,000 gallons. A lot of
them only have 5,000 tanks so they may be getting hammered at the
wholesale level.

On Apr 10, 5:07?pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 10 Apr 2007 16:36:15 -0700, "Chuck Gould"

wrote:
ower boaters and bass boaters say gas prices would have to reach
$3.26 and $3.17 respectively before they would use their boats less
often. That's 50 cents more per gallon than they said last year.

Horse feathers.

I'm already hearing bass tournement types saying they are cutting back
on the number of tourneys they will be attending this year and will
only be doing local and state tourneys rather than out of state
tourneys.

And my club is starting a share a ride program for fishing this year
becaue of fuel prices.


Everybody will have a different individual perspective. I thought
perhaps the survey results would stir up discussion, and they
have. :-)

I don't have an enormous fuel bill, primarily because I only burn
about 2 gph.
As we begin considering options for our "retirement" boat (purchase is
still several years away) I have been wrestling with the prospect of
perhaps burning a lot more fuel at a future price of a lot more per
gallon.

I keep coming back around to this line of reasoning, (and I don't know
whether it makes any sense to people who are burning a lot of fuel-
because I can't say I've been there, done that):

When you've got maybe $100k- $150k invested in a walkaround fishboat
and outboard, or perhaps $200k -$1mm or more invested in a somewhat
larger cruising boat- would the fact that fuel costs increased from
(for example) $2500 for a summer to (for example) $5000 be sufficient
reason to curtail the use of the boat?

The old adage, "Fuel is the least expensive thing you will ever put
into a boat" may not be as true as it once was, but when all of the
other costs associated with boating are factored in it doesn't seem
like it should be a deal breaker in a lot of cases.

On Apr 10, 5:07?pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 10 Apr 2007 16:36:15 -0700, "Chuck Gould"

wrote:
ower boaters and bass boaters say gas prices would have to reach
$3.26 and $3.17 respectively before they would use their boats less
often. That's 50 cents more per gallon than they said last year.

Horse feathers.

I'm already hearing bass tournement types saying they are cutting back
on the number of tourneys they will be attending this year and will
only be doing local and state tourneys rather than out of state
tourneys.

And my club is starting a share a ride program for fishing this year
becaue of fuel prices.


Don't some of the bass competitions include some portion of the event
that is dependent upon speed? Something like everybody begins at a
single staring point and then races to get to the hot spots faster
than the competition? This might not be the case, but it's my
impression.

Perhaps if the contest rules were modified to eliminate that 40 knot
sprint the sport would be more affordable? (Just thinking out loud)

On 10 Apr 2007 19:09:52 -0700, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

perhaps $200k -$1mm or more invested in a somewhat
larger cruising boat- would the fact that fuel costs increased from
(for example) $2500 for a summer to (for example) $5000 be sufficient
reason to curtail the use of the boat?

Absolutely not. Maintenance, insurance, storage,
amortization/depreciation, etc are far more than fuel for a boat in
that size and price range.

Time is the most valuable resource of all as we get older, and fuel
helps us make better use of that.

On 10 Apr 2007 19:13:36 -0700, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

Perhaps if the contest rules were modified to eliminate that 40 knot
sprint the sport would be more affordable?

40 knots?

Those are the slow ones at the back of the pack.