At the annual Northeast PA RV show, potential RV and trailer buyers now consider the added cost of higher gas prices with their purchase.
MOOSIC, Pa. — Within a day, gas prices in Lackawanna County rose from $4.39 cents to more than $4.45.
“Thank god I don’t drive a motorhome,” said Marques Gower from Shavertown.
Here at the Northeast PA RV show in the parking lot of PNC Field in Moosic, gas prices are a factor for some folks browsing for trailers and RVs.
“They’re getting bad, because my truck’s diesel so it’s really crazy … what it costs to fill that thing up, 35 gallon tank,” said Mike Shelhamer from Berwick.
Shellhammer bought a new trailer here at the RV show, which some manufacturers say is a bit more fuel-efficient.
“They’ve actually made their framework a lot lighter so you can tow them in with a hybrid, like Lexus or any hybrid, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, doesn’t matter, and make it fuel efficient that way,” said Wayne Lehto, a general sales manager at Colton RV.
But still, for folks who hit the road towing big trailers often, high gas prices now take up a bigger chunk of the travel budget.
“I’m budgeting it in; it’ll be more than we expected it to be. It really went up in the last couple of weeks, but we traveled before when it was even higher, so it’s something we’re used to,” said Jeff Mosier from Wilkes Barre.
Some say the cost is worth it for the experience of driving and staying wherever they want.
“It is what it is, I mean, I’m not happy about it, but we’re not going to let it stop us from enjoying ourselves because we’re just recently retired, so we’re going to go out and still have a good time,” said Shelhamer. “Little more pain at the pump, so to speak, but we’re going to enjoy it even more when we get out there.”