Gas Prices Effecting Your Comp Decisions?

Jeff_in_KC

Jeff_in_KC

somebody shut me the fark up.
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Is anyone else re-thinking long distance contests in favor of closer ones due to gas prices? We've paid for Dillon, Colorado back in February but danged if I can afford $400 or so for gasoline to get there and back. We have until July 1 to request a refund and drop out. I think we're going to watch prices closely til then and make a decision later on in the month. Just curious if anyone else is wrestling with such a decision and which way you're leaning.
 
Yep its all about gas price + distance + payouts, for me these days. For a better payout I could go a little further I guess.

There has been talk about having to many contest but under the circumstances, I think more could be better, even with smaller payouts.
Dave
 
YES!! We aren't doing Art of BBQ in Tulsa this year. The primary reason is because of a schedule conflict with Warrensburg, MO. However, I doubt we would have done it with gas as it is.

We are going to Des Moines this week, but that's as far as we are going this year. Its a 3 1/2 hour drive for me. However, we have multiple sponsors for this contest. Our whole hog and entry fee is fully paid for. I feel for Randy who has to haul that big pig of a concession trailer up there. We'll have to pitch in on that deal.

May do a Columbia, MO (2 hours drive) contest or two. Everything else is within an hour's drive.

Would be great to travel and compete against different faces, but just not going to happen this year. Time off is another factor. I'm trying to get 18 contests in this year. 10-12 is our norm. I'm going to work from Des Moines this Thursday and Friday so I don't have to take off work for the contest.
 
I find myself using Gasbuddy.com to plan the route of my trips and even what trips I might take these days. If I were competing, I would take it into consideration to plan which ones and where.

The map shows county by county prices color coded. Sure makes you think to see it illustrated like that.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx
 
Yea, gas is a killer. Platte City is as far as I'll go this year.
 
No change here. We will likely only be doing three and they would have been the closest ones already.
 
big time!!! also thinking about going back to wsms for some so I don't have to haul the trailer
nancee

Jeff_in_KC said:
Is anyone else re-thinking long distance contests in favor of closer ones due to gas prices? We've paid for Dillon, Colorado back in February but danged if I can afford $400 or so for gasoline to get there and back. We have until July 1 to request a refund and drop out. I think we're going to watch prices closely til then and make a decision later on in the month. Just curious if anyone else is wrestling with such a decision and which way you're leaning.
Click to expand...
 
Gas Prices Effecting Your Comp Decisions?

Not really.
We drive such huge miles anyway, and comp expenses are so high, that another hit on gas is a small percentage overall.

(Posted from deep in the interior of the "Dark Side" :oops: )

TIM
 
The brisket prices my make gas look like nothing from what I've heard.
 
The gas prices will not make us cancel any contest..We spend so much going to one contest that a little more will not make much of a dent..You have to plan ahead and always think that in the summer the gas is always going to be higher...Do what Mark does when we stop to fill up just turn the other way and make your wife go pay and don't ask:p
 
Not this year as entries already mailed..

Next year, if gas costs are a major factor, I'd probably only cut back on least favorite contest to offset the increased costs of the fuel beyond the current cost for all of the others that I still want to attend.
 
bio fuel

my truck is running on vege oil smell like crap and runes like an champ

.18 an gal

york:cool:
 
I have a 5.3 liter crew cab chevy silderado , it gets over 22 mpg on the freeway. With my 27' travel trailer empty I have gotten 16 mpg. Since it has been loaded....to the gills...last weekend I got 10 mpg on a 350 mile trip running 70 mph, coming back I ran about 60 and got 12 mpg. There were some small mountains involved in last weeks trip. I was more concerned about the transmission than the gas milage.

I don't worry too much about the gas milage but the wife and I do get a laugh about it.

I can tell you one thing. I wouldn't be doing chili cook-offs being that they do not pay the winners. Did you ever wonder what they do with all of that money???
 
Plowboy said:
YES!! We aren't doing Art of BBQ in Tulsa this year. The primary reason is because of a schedule conflict with Warrensburg, MO. However, I doubt we would have done it with gas as it is.

We are going to Des Moines this week, but that's as far as we are going this year. Its a 3 1/2 hour drive for me. However, we have multiple sponsors for this contest. Our whole hog and entry fee is fully paid for. I feel for Randy who has to haul that big pig of a concession trailer up there. We'll have to pitch in on that deal.

May do a Columbia, MO (2 hours drive) contest or two. Everything else is within an hour's drive.

Would be great to travel and compete against different faces, but just not going to happen this year. Time off is another factor. I'm trying to get 18 contests in this year. 10-12 is our norm. I'm going to work from Des Moines this Thursday and Friday so I don't have to take off work for the contest.
Click to expand...

Must be nice with the farthest being 3 1/2 hours away. For us mid-atlantic states the closest comp we're doing this year is 4 hours away. Gas prices aside - we do what the pot can afford. Once we place we're going to start soliciting sponsors.

We're shooting for 3 contests this year. Depending on how we do this year next year we'll look at 5 or 6.
 
Diesel fuel for me is cheaper once I get out of FL and my home town, so I'm actually SAVING money by going to contests :wink: . I can usually find it $.20 - $.30/gallon cheaper in GA, AL, etc.

I am always looking for ways to save money in regards to fuel, and the 2 easiest by far have given me about and honest 2.5 - 3.5mpg more. The first is airing my truck tires up to 75lbs in front and 70lbs in rear, and my trailer tires up to 40lbs. My truck tires are rated for 80lbs, so check yours and go almost to the max. Less rolling resistance = higher mpg's. The second thing is SLOW DOWN. My buddies laugh at me for driving in the right lane at 65 - 68mph as they fly by at 75+mph, but it only takes me a marginal amount of time more, and my fuel mpg's go up.

Bottom line, every penny counts for me in this hobby/obsession. I do what it takes to feed the need :mrgreen: .
 
Rub said:
Diesel fuel for me is cheaper once I get out of FL and my home town, so I'm actually SAVING money by going to contests :wink: . I can usually find it $.20 - $.30/gallon cheaper in GA, AL, etc.

I am always looking for ways to save money in regards to fuel, and the 2 easiest by far have given me about and honest 2.5 - 3.5mpg more. The first is airing my truck tires up to 75lbs in front and 70lbs in rear, and my trailer tires up to 40lbs. My truck tires are rated for 80lbs, so check yours and go almost to the max. Less rolling resistance = higher mpg's. The second thing is SLOW DOWN. My buddies laugh at me for driving in the right lane at 65 - 68mph as they fly by at 75+mph, but it only takes me a marginal amount of time more, and my fuel mpg's go up.

Bottom line, every penny counts for me in this hobby/obsession. I do what it takes to feed the need :mrgreen: .
Click to expand...

I have found that cruise control does wonders for your mileage as well. I made the exact same trip every week for years down to St. Louis. I usually used cruise control. Once in a while I would not and I used a good 1/8 of a tank less when on cruise.
 
parrothead said:
I have found that cruise control does wonders for your mileage as well. I made the exact same trip every week for years down to St. Louis. I usually used cruise control. Once in a while I would not and I used a good 1/8 of a tank less when on cruise.
Click to expand...


Check your owners manual about pulling a trailer and using cruise control. Most will tell you not to do it, I still do, however it can mess up the transmission according to each owners manual that I've read.
 
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