RV Fuel Prices EXPLODE: The $1,000 Hit + Why Buc-ee’s Just Got an “F”
RV Podcast - Stories From The Road
Mike Wendland
4.5 • 704 Ratings
🗓️ 16 March 2026
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Fuel prices are skyrocketing, a roadside favorite is under fire, and the RV industry just saw a massive sales drop.
In this Monday News Edition, Mike Wendland breaks down the massive jump in diesel and gasoline prices following military strikes in the Middle East. What does a $5.00/gallon reality mean for your summer road trip? We do the math so you don’t have to.
Plus, we look at why Buc-ee’s—the "king of the road stop"—has been handed a failing grade by the Better Business Bureau. Is the brand losing its touch with the RV community?
In this episode:
- 00:00 - Intro & RVCommunity.com
- 01:15 - Fuel Price Hammer: The real cost of an 8,000-mile trip
- 05:40 - Buc-ee’s Flunks: Why the BBB gave them an "F"
- 10:12 - RV Industry Crisis: New and Used sales are cratering
- 13:25 - Major Recalls: Ford, GM, Newmar, and Grand Design (Do-Not-Drive!)
- 17:50 - Google Maps Gemini AI: A new co-pilot for RVers?
RESOURCES MENTIONED: ???? RV Budget Tool: Calculate your trip costs at RVLifestyle.com/budget ???? Join the Community: Connect with fellow RVers at RVCommunity.com ????️ Check your VIN: Stay safe at NHTSA.gov
Subscribe for more RV news and lifestyle tips! #RVNews #RVLifestyle #FuelPrices #Bucees #RVRecalls #RoadTrip2026
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good morning, good morning, and welcome to the March 16th, 2026 RV Lifestyle Podcast, Monday News Edition. |
| 0:09.0 | I'm Mike Wendland, four decades of journalist, 15 years on the road in our RV. |
| 0:13.9 | And this is where we cut through the noise and bring you the RV and camping news that actually matters to your life on the road. |
| 0:20.2 | Hey, before we dive in, if you're not already a part of our RV lifestyle community at |
| 0:25.8 | RV Community.com, I'd love to have you. It's where hundreds of RVers, just like you, |
| 0:32.0 | share trip reports, ask questions, get answers, and connect with people who actually live this lifestyle, just check it out. |
| 0:39.8 | Go to RVcommunity.com. Really, we'd love to have you. RVcommunity.com. |
| 0:45.1 | All right, let's get on. We have a lot of news. Five stories for this week. |
| 0:48.2 | Story one, the fuel price hammer. What it means to your spring and summer travel is not good news. |
| 0:56.0 | Now, I've been getting a lot of listener mail this week about fuel prices, and I want to |
| 1:00.5 | address it head on with some real numbers because you deserve straight talk on this. |
| 1:06.3 | Justin from North Carolina wrote in about a two-month, 8,000 mile trip. He and his family had planned for early this summer. North Carolina wrote in about a two-month, 8,000-mile trip. |
| 1:11.4 | He and his family had planned for early this summer, |
| 1:14.6 | North Carolina to Oregon and back |
| 1:16.9 | and some detours along the way to see things. |
| 1:19.9 | Well, he drives a diesel pusher. |
| 1:21.4 | It gets 10 miles a gallon, and he put it bluntly, |
| 1:24.8 | this fuel hike is a budget killer. |
| 1:29.0 | So, Justin, I ran your numbers, |
| 1:35.4 | and I don't think you are the only one who is looking at the budget numbers of this fuel price and what it means to your RV travels. Here's the reality. The national average for on-highway |
| 1:42.1 | diesel is $4.86 a gallon. |
| 1:45.3 | Now, that's 96 cents higher than just a week ago. |
... |
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