I made it to Reamstown, PA yesterday, where I am holed up for a couple of days to let a strained stomach heal up a bit. I had hoped to be here the day before but the hills here in PA were killers. I ended up pulling or straining a stomach muscle trying to get up one of them. I walked the rest of the steeper hills after that.
Cut the day short just east of Bowmansville, PA. Another 10 miles and I would have been here but didn't want to risk making it any worse so I stayed at the Sun Valley campground. Very nice camping area and I was so relieved to be there, where I could rest. But much to my dismay my tent site was at the very top of another very steep hill. I barely made it.
Next morning I got a visit from an older gentleman who noticed my sign on the back of my trailer. He had worked at a refinery for one of the major oil companies and retired a while back. He confirmed what a lot of us have suspected. The price we are paying for fuel is inflated. The oil companies will sell their own oil pumped from their own wells to themselves at whatever the going price of oil is, regardless of the actual cost to pump it from their own wells. That so called higher priced oil is used as the reason to raise the prices of the refined products. Diesel fuel is a prime example. It takes LESS refining to make it and it was always lower priced than gasoline. Why then is it now higher priced than even premium grade gasoline? Simple greed and the belief by the oil companies that no one will challenge them.
That is what I hope to change, if of course I can survive the grueling hills still to go here in PA. I'm sure I will. I just wish everything here wasn't always uphill. Even this motel is uphill from the road.
Other than the large volume of rather steep hills, all is going well. Weather has been excellent. Scenery is spectacular and have had quite a few folks honking their horns and waving in support. Of course, there have been some honking because I was in their way and they had to slow down until they could get past me. I even had a few others ride along with me from time to time. I expect to make it to Mt. Joy, PA tomorrow at least.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Gas Saving Tips
There are a few things you can do yourself to get better mileage out of your vehicle.
The most common overlooked item is the tire pressure. Make sure, on a weekly basis, that all 4 of your tires are inflated to the correct tire pressure. The correct tire pressure for your vehicle should be listed on a sticker or small metal plate located on the driver side door, inside by the latch.
Even 3 or 4 lbs under pressure will have a reduced effect on your mileage and most likely you will not be able to notice, by sight, a tire that is even 10 lbs under pressure.
Don't trust the pressure gage on the air pump being used to inflate your tires to give the correct pressure. They can be off by as much as 5 lbs over or under. The best method to check tire pressure is with a dial type air gauge, purchased at most auto parts stores. Some dept. stores will have them also in their auto dept. It looks like the dial gauge you would see on a water well pump tank or air compressor with a needle pointing to the numbers on the dial. These are much more accurate.
Change your air filter.
If you haven't had a new one put in within the past year, it is advisable to take it out and check it. If you can not clearly see visible light coming through the filter when held up to the sky, replace it with a new one.
If you have never replaced one yourself, it's quite easy to do. Most are located in one or two places on all vehicles. Some of the older vehicles will have the filter on top of the engine. look for a round, oval, rectangle or square box, usually black with a air hose of least 2 inches in diameter attached to it. The hose will look kind of like the hose on a shop vac vacuum. Most filter holder on these vehicles will be held in place by wing nuts. Twist them off to remove the top and get to the filter
On new vehicles the top is held in place withs bolts or screws, and the only time you may see a wing nut is when the occasional odd neighbor or in law stops in for a visit.
On most newer vehicles the air filter will located on the driver side of the vehicle up near the front. It will most often be rectangle or square and also have a black cover.
Use caution when undoing your filter holder, if your air hose has any electrical wires leading to object attached to the air hose. These objects are part of your computer controlled engine system and can be quite expensive to replace if you damage them.
Change your spark plugs.
A bit more difficult to do on a lot of the newer vehicles and some can not be changed without placing the vehicle on a lift to gain access to the plugs behind the engine, up against the firewall. However, if you can see and access all of the spark plugs, remove and inspect them. If the electrode point in the center of the plug is worn, or the gap is too large, replace with new ones. The electrode in the center should have sharp crisp edges. If they are rounded, the electrode is worn. Most plugs will last for about 30,000 miles, less if you do mostly stop and go city driving.
The most common overlooked item is the tire pressure. Make sure, on a weekly basis, that all 4 of your tires are inflated to the correct tire pressure. The correct tire pressure for your vehicle should be listed on a sticker or small metal plate located on the driver side door, inside by the latch.
Even 3 or 4 lbs under pressure will have a reduced effect on your mileage and most likely you will not be able to notice, by sight, a tire that is even 10 lbs under pressure.
Don't trust the pressure gage on the air pump being used to inflate your tires to give the correct pressure. They can be off by as much as 5 lbs over or under. The best method to check tire pressure is with a dial type air gauge, purchased at most auto parts stores. Some dept. stores will have them also in their auto dept. It looks like the dial gauge you would see on a water well pump tank or air compressor with a needle pointing to the numbers on the dial. These are much more accurate.
Change your air filter.
If you haven't had a new one put in within the past year, it is advisable to take it out and check it. If you can not clearly see visible light coming through the filter when held up to the sky, replace it with a new one.
If you have never replaced one yourself, it's quite easy to do. Most are located in one or two places on all vehicles. Some of the older vehicles will have the filter on top of the engine. look for a round, oval, rectangle or square box, usually black with a air hose of least 2 inches in diameter attached to it. The hose will look kind of like the hose on a shop vac vacuum. Most filter holder on these vehicles will be held in place by wing nuts. Twist them off to remove the top and get to the filter
On new vehicles the top is held in place withs bolts or screws, and the only time you may see a wing nut is when the occasional odd neighbor or in law stops in for a visit.
On most newer vehicles the air filter will located on the driver side of the vehicle up near the front. It will most often be rectangle or square and also have a black cover.
Use caution when undoing your filter holder, if your air hose has any electrical wires leading to object attached to the air hose. These objects are part of your computer controlled engine system and can be quite expensive to replace if you damage them.
Change your spark plugs.
A bit more difficult to do on a lot of the newer vehicles and some can not be changed without placing the vehicle on a lift to gain access to the plugs behind the engine, up against the firewall. However, if you can see and access all of the spark plugs, remove and inspect them. If the electrode point in the center of the plug is worn, or the gap is too large, replace with new ones. The electrode in the center should have sharp crisp edges. If they are rounded, the electrode is worn. Most plugs will last for about 30,000 miles, less if you do mostly stop and go city driving.
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