PSA: fill your gas tanks tonight/tomorrow morning

If you don't have a source for ethanol free gas this is an option. Fortunately in a lake area there are a few sources right from the pump. Maybe a $1 more per gal.

-R
 
rdinatal said:
If you don't have a source for ethanol free gas this is an option. Fortunately in a lake area there are a few sources right from the pump. Maybe a $1 more per gal.
Click to expand...
I paid $2.73 / gallon for 87 non ethanol last night while the regular 87 grade was $2.49. It's typically between 25 and 40 cents more per gallon, but my car gets about 10% to 15% better mileage with it. What is interesting is that, according to the computer at least, that I get the biggest mileage boost after use part of a fill up of ethanol free and then fill again with regular 87. It's as if the best "bang for the buck" (no pun intended) is achieved with a blend of the two.

Of course I use ethanol free in anything with a carburetor such as the small engines and my generator. I've seen the ethanol gum up the works a few times now, but I know others who have said it's never caused them issues.
 
Gas is still up. I paid 2.44 last night for a couple gallons for the mower. I rode by this morning and it was 2.57 at the same place.
 
I run the standard ethanol mix in anything with wheels. So far, I haven't had any issues with it.

In small engines that sit for long periods of time, and then get run hard for a few hours, I have had issues. The motor that runs the pump on the brush truck has had rust in its gas tank, carb bowl, and trash build up that's most likely to sitting with ethanol in it.
 
Filled up 3 cars yesterday since everyone was getting low anyhow. Of course, my truck was on E and had to take the kid to school since the bus was MIA this morning.
So it was 2.75 at one station in Harrisburg when I came through. The rest were 2.55-2.59,so I stopped and got 10 gallons of E-10 garbage gas. When I went out to lunch, my usual gas station
on Prosperity Ch rd was still 2.59 same as yesterday, and Ethanol free 89 was still 2.69 (which is and was a deal...) so I got 8 gallons of that. Of course I left my 5 and 2 gal cans at home, so reserves will have to wait.
I "rotated" all my reserve gas into my lawn mower, tiller, and tractor over the summer and never bothered to fill up before Hurricun season. I got 30 gallons of gas in the suburban if I need a bit of reserve :D

My dad is giving me a small Honda generator so I guess I need to start on the fuel reserve and rotation. I've seen some 100 gallon fuel oil tanks selling for around $75 on craigslist, wonder how much rust is in them.
 
Last edited:
Here, Walmart is 2.49, the local gouger is 2.69, sheets and speedway are 2.55. I always go to speedway because they run those " spend $3 in store/get .10 off" deals that make sense if you buy drinks and snacks in store during the day. It's not worth it to spend the money just for the discount. I had .70 off today, got 2.55 gas for 1.85. I spent $21 in store and saved $17 or so on gas. All that means is my drinks and cookies we're basically free.
 
Catfish said:
Lines are gone this morning I guess the panic passed quickly
Click to expand...
The few stations I drove past looked like business as usual midday today, even slow. I guess everybody filled up yesterday

I asked about gas supplies to the African guys who run the Exxon up the street from me. They acted like they didn't know what I was talking about. And I only specify their nationality because as long as you're talking about gas, car washes, beer, cigarettes or lottery tickets their English is perfect. Anything else is unintelligible.
 
Last edited:
fieldgrade said:
The few stations I drove past looked like business as usual midday today, even slow. I guess everybody filled up yesterday

I asked about gas supplies to the African guys who run the Exxon up the street from me. They acted like they didn't know what I was talking about. And I only specify their nationality because as long as you're talking about gas, car washes, beer, cigarettes or lottery tickets their English is perfect. Anything else is unintelligible.
Click to expand...
The only shortage right now is that of decent people not wanting to take advantage of people during hard times.
 
rdinatal said:
Kind of an off-topic question but still related. How long to store diesel before I have to worry about it degrading?

-R
Click to expand...
We've discussed this and as I recall, the conclusion was that as long as you can manage the algae in the tank, it'll last a longgggg time.
 
helpertoo said:
friggen gas went up 30 cents over night, then when I went home tonight, the same stations had raised another dime - friggen price gouging!
Click to expand...
If you owned a gas station and didn't know when you could get the tanks filled again, would you keep prices at pre-Harvey levels and risk running out of gas (and you certainly will run out of gas very quickly if you are $0.50/gal cheaper than nearby gas stations) before the next refill?
 
Last edited:
While I believe the pipeline might be a little slow coipming back up to speed I think the media sensationalizing the event churned up the market more than need be. Semi-fake news created more of the rush than the supply being a little slowed down because of Harvey.
 
helpertoo said:
friggen gas went up 30 cents over night, then when I went home tonight, the same stations had raised another dime - friggen price gouging!
Click to expand...
Well. You call it price gouging. It's not. The rack price has gone up. That means when the driver loads the gas at the rack for the station the price there is higher. I'm sure you wouldn't buy something and sell it at a loss to make the masses happy.
 
If everyone stayed home for one day or maybe two, it would go way down....very fast.
 
LeeMajors said:
Well. You call it price gouging. It's not. The rack price has gone up. That means when the driver loads the gas at the rack for the station the price there is higher. I'm sure you wouldn't buy something and sell it at a loss to make the masses happy.
Click to expand...
It is.if.they haven't received any of the higher priced gas. Over the last few days, I've watched it happen, no gas received but price goes up.
 
Diverdad said:
It is.if.they haven't received any of the higher priced gas. Over the last few days, I've watched it happen, no gas received but price goes up.
Click to expand...
What stations haven't received a load of gas. Almost every one gets at least a partial load every day. About the only ones that don't is the outlying mom and pop stores.
 
drypowder said:
If you owned a gas station and didn't know when you could get the tanks filled again, would you keep prices at pre-Harvey levels and risk running out of gas (and you certainly will run out of gas very quickly if you are $0.50/gal cheaper than nearby gas stations) before the next refill?
Click to expand...

Its not just the stations upping the price. Its the gas companies saying/ demanding or contract obligations to raise the prices. There is no shortage in gaston county, yet prices have gone to 2.69 a gal one week from 2.12

There may be a "shortage" due to shut down refineries, the price increase is more than likely just the gas companies making sure that the profits remain in place for the execs and shareholders. Damn the consumers.
 
Mike Overlay said:
Its not just the stations upping the price. Its the gas companies saying/ demanding or contract obligations to raise the prices.
Click to expand...
The refining companies are in a similar position with respect to replenishment. There is uncertainty when the shipping lanes/ports will be cleared for all those oil tankers that are sitting in the Gulf. And refineries don't just flip a switch to turn on the process. The equipment has to be inspected and tested for flood damage.

Mike Overlay said:
There is no shortage in gaston county, yet prices have gone to 2.69 a gal one week from 2.12
Click to expand...
As discussed earlier, if they wait until they run low on gas to raise prices, they have made a mistake.

Mike Overlay said:
There may be a "shortage" due to shut down refineries, the price increase is more than likely just the gas companies making sure that the profits remain in place for the execs and shareholders. Damn the consumers.
Click to expand...
This may or may not be true. I don't have evidence one way or the other. Do you?
 
I wonder why FoodLion hadnt jacked up the price of steaks or hamburger. Pretty sure Texas is big player in the meat markets.
 
I seem to recall hearing a story about a gas station that kept their prices low after some disaster or other. Their distributor told them that if they did not raise the price to what was dictated to them, they would not get any resupply.
 
The EOC statement/briefing I read this morning said the media has botched the reporting of the pipeline...

The pipeline is not shut down; it's operating a reduced capacity. That's a huge difference.
 
9outof10mms said:
The EOC statement/briefing I read this morning said the media has botched the reporting of the pipeline...

The pipeline is not shut down; it's operating a reduced capacity. That's a huge difference.
Click to expand...

Media induced scare, say it aint so
 
Last edited:
9outof10mms said:
The EOC statement/briefing I read this morning said the media has botched the reporting of the pipeline...

The pipeline is not shut down; it's operating a reduced capacity. That's a huge difference.
Click to expand...

Where the heck is some accountability for those...fine folks??!! (Hey, I can dream...)
 
Miracle of miracles...the holiday weekend is over and Colonial announces the pipeline load will return to normal today!!!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: HMP
Mike Overlay said:
I wonder why FoodLion hadnt jacked up the price of steaks or hamburger. Pretty sure Texas is big player in the meat markets.
Click to expand...
Gasoline is about the only product where the consumer price rises instantly with any sort of potential event, but goes down slowly over weeks after the event fails to come.
 
I'd love to see the numbers. Elevated prices, semi-panic buying, holiday buying. I bet it was a hefty profit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom