Jeff Miller
EF5
Honestly now. If gas prices hit 5 to 6 dollars PER GALLON in the next 1 to 2 years, how many of you would continue to chase long distance? What price would it have to hit for you to fold your hand?
Will Gas Prices Kill Long Distance Chasing?
- Thread starter Jeff Miller
- Start date
T. Mosley
EF0
At $4 a gallon, one could spend $500 on a weekend chase, including meals and lodging, without even going very far if in a typical 20 mpg SUV or truck.
I think this is the threshold where all amateurs will give up the game, leaving the field to those who do it as a livelihood. But even now, surely everyone else is already cutting back.
I think this is the threshold where all amateurs will give up the game, leaving the field to those who do it as a livelihood. But even now, surely everyone else is already cutting back.
Terrence Cook
EF2
I suppose that gas prices above $5 would put the focus on local chases and make you enjoy what you see even more. A plus to all of this is a cutdown on chaser convergence, which seems to be near plague status in some cases.
With an upcoming 1,500 mi. chase, it is certainly on my mind.
BUT, so is SDS!
With an upcoming 1,500 mi. chase, it is certainly on my mind.
BUT, so is SDS!
Shane Adams
No. I don't care how high it gets, I'll never stop chasing. I'll give up beer before I give up chasing.
Caleb Kimbrough
Carpool chasing.
We always chase with a minimum of at least three people, usually four. Split the gas between everybody in the vehicle and it isn't that bad. Still pretty crappy though.
I'd say once gas is $156 a gallon, then I might consider finding a new hobby....like storm chasing on a bicycle.
We always chase with a minimum of at least three people, usually four. Split the gas between everybody in the vehicle and it isn't that bad. Still pretty crappy though.
I'd say once gas is $156 a gallon, then I might consider finding a new hobby....like storm chasing on a bicycle.
Adam Atkins
EF2
Since when does being an "amateur" have anything to do with storm chase affordability? This begs the question as to whethere there's a "professional" or "amateur" chaser in the first place? Personally, I'm a meteorologist, I know how to identify storm features, I've seen all facets of severe weather, but I certainly won't drive to a target 1,000+ miles away if gas prices approach $5! That's a bit irresponsible (in terms of energy consumption), even in a prosperous and free nation like the US.
afischer
EF4
If it hits 30 dollars per gallon, I might consider limiting myself to local chases only.
Michael O'Keeffe
I think all chasers should consider the hybrid cars. 5 or 6 dollars a gallon could be equivalet to 3 dollars with a hybrid. We are getting a new chase vehicle in September and it is a hyrbid.
Dan Robinson
Problem with the hybrid cars is that they don't do anything to help mileage when traveling at highway speeds on level ground, which is what 99% of chasing is. Hybrids usually only use the electric motor during city driving.
We will always do what it takes to do what we love. Gas prices rising aren't going to force anyone to get a new hobby. There are plenty of workarounds, such as carpooling. Even with $10 a gallon, four people in a car can get it back down to $2.50.
We will always do what it takes to do what we love. Gas prices rising aren't going to force anyone to get a new hobby. There are plenty of workarounds, such as carpooling. Even with $10 a gallon, four people in a car can get it back down to $2.50.
Mike Hollingshead
Prius isn't a hybrid is it, and it gets 55mpg city/highway it says. Maybe that's what Michael was refering to. If my car croaks anytime soon, I'll be getting one of those.
Looking at the site more, maybe it is indeed a hybrid, but claims 55mpg highway.
http://hybridcars.about.com/od/toyotaprius/fr/2005toyotaprius.htm
I think most of us would love 51 mpg and it would make $3 gas more like $1.50 gas.
Looking at the site more, maybe it is indeed a hybrid, but claims 55mpg highway.
http://hybridcars.about.com/od/toyotaprius/fr/2005toyotaprius.htm
I think most of us would love 51 mpg and it would make $3 gas more like $1.50 gas.
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David Drummond
Member
I think in this context he was referring to "professional" chasers being those that are getting some sort of pay for it. (i.e. tour groups, media chasers, freelance videographers and photographers, etc) as opposed to "amatuer" being those that are not getting any sort of pay for it. Traditionally, in most vocations it is the pay/not payed that is the distinction. Althought certainly you can get non-payed that are very "professional" in their actions and "paid" that are not. But I am pretty sure the pay/no-pay was the context he was referring to.
With that in mind, I wonder if it's going to cause the tour groups to raise their prices yet?
Aaron Kennedy
EF5
Hybrids will still help on the highway. The Prius and Civic for example are some of the most aerodynamic cars out there. You should expect at least 40 mpg (and many see much more than this) even going on the highway thanks to their excellent engineering. Of course, city driving is where they shine.
Jeff Snyder
EF5
I believe it is a hybrid, but it was built from the ground-up to be a gas sipper. Many hybrids on the road are based on a previous model (or sister model), using the same (or extremely similar) body and many of the same parts. The Prius, however, was designed to be very efficient, with low wind resistance, low rolling resistance tires, and so forth.
As Dan noted, many hybrids recover their cost in 'city driving', when the electric motor works most often (and gas is recovered by the car turning off the engine while stopped). At highway speeds, however, many hybrids become more similar, in terms of fuel economy, to their non-hybrid counterparts, though most still have relatively very good fuel economy (>30mpg).
I can't really put a price on my passion that is chasing, but there is a point at which I won't risk as much. If gas gets to $4/ga, I'll probably pass on the marginal setups that are a 4hr drive away. It's too bad some of my better chase days have been on these marginal setups...
Justin Turcotte
EF5
I'm already cutting back, not that I chased terribly far in the first place. I'm not so much limiting miles as I am limiting chases to higher confidence only. Already missed a tornadic storm in ND today because the confidence factor wasn't there. There is one good thing about $4, $5, or $6+ gas: The higher the price, the faster we wean ourselfs off the stuff. Fuel consumption was up some 2.2% last month so the price must not be going up fast enough. Bad for chasers, bad for the working man, and in the near term bad for the economy...but long term is great for the country.
jladue
EF1
I chase with a Prius and at its worst I get 36 mpg (against a stiff headwind going 75. In tandom with a gas only Civic at similar speeds, I was averaging 8-10 mpg better. However, I also got the vehicle because it's got a large cavity to store stuff.
It's gas mileage envelope is comparable to a VW Golf diesel at 70 mph range, and better than anything else considering similar interior space for any velocity.
As a chase vehicle, it does just fine provided you replace the factory tires with all-season performance. My only concern is an aluminum hood. However I've gone through some decent hail without too much ill effect.
Personally, I hope for a hybrid Subaru or something like that.
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