Reality check, i never have figured expenses.........

I guess 99% of the people on this forum have figured this out already  ;D.....

We have used our old bounder just to go to a lake 40 miles [via shortcut] away, we enjoy the trips for three or four days at a time and them come home and restock and recharge for the next trip......so i have not figured for any trips over even a hundred miles.....

For the last 10 years we have been traveling down thru Cortez, co. and on down to Laughlin  for a few days [ car trips]........

Cortez has a lot of places that we want to see,  so we decided to take the bounder down for a week, until i figured gas cost and park stay for a week............about $460..........plus or minus a few........

If i drive the car and do a motel [ute casino $39 to $59 ...........for a week.......$450......+or-..............

It's just not worth the extra problems of taking the MH and towing the car for 6 or 7 days......

We have traveled quite a bit, across the U.S., but have always gotten homesick after about 7 days and headed for home........[not a bit of gypsie blood in either of us ;D]........the reason could be, that we were born and raised here......AND....the middle of Colorado is a pretty darn nice place to be...

Sooooo......i guess our best use of the old bounder is going to be take it to a location in Colorado and leave it for a month or two and travel back and forth and stay for a few days a t a time........then move it from to another area for a while and then back home for the winter...........

Wendy, if ya read this...........I'll try to let you know when we come to cortez, I would like to meet you guys and have a cup..........

Maybe we don't get much use out of our rv, but we enjoy it, ........and use it the way we thought we would ...........

DiGiacomo said:

If i drive the car and do a motel [ute casino $39 to $59 ...........for a week.......$450......+or-..............

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You must be more tolerant of Motels than I am.  I love having my own sheets, shower and snacks.

But I'm glad you figured out what works best for you and shared it,  as your  thing may be just what the next person may want to consider.  The great  thing about being an RVer is there is  no right  way to do it.  To each his own. 

Betty Brewer said:

You must be more tolerant of Motels than I am.  I love having my own sheets, shower and snacks.

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And don't forget lugging bags in and out and having to put clothes on for breakfast.

Yep,,,,,,,,,,,,, and don't forget Bed Bugs, Roaches and the ''party next door'' that goes on till four am and walking down the hallway to the empty ice machine at eleven pm. 
Personally, I did not buy my coach to save money.  If I want to ''save money'' I would stay home and sit on the porch and rock.  We love our coach because we know who slept in the bed last nite and who will be in it tonight.  We love our coach because it is our home on wheels and anywhere we park it is ''Home''.  We love the convince of it in that if we are hungry, there is always food and if we are sleepy there is always a bed and never a ''NO VACENCY'' sign to greet you.  We use to travel across the USA in a station wagon and stay in motels.  NEVER AGAIN.  You spend half your time looking for a room in a decent place and the other half of your time looking for a place to get decent food. 
Mind you,  I totally respect your insight on this and I totally respect your opinion on the costs of motor home operations but, to me, it is worth every penny and if I can not go by coach......... I STAY HOME...........
all respects to you...........  this is just my prospective on this and I respect yours .....cj...

I didn't write this to discuss the pro's and con's of rv against motel, millions of people spend the night away from home every nite........and i certainly am happy that a good number of them choose motels and hotels.........otherwise our hi ways would be crowded with those "damn old retirees" in their million dollar motor homes ....

I never have used an rv to travel across country, so I never have figured the actual $ used. i just assumed the cost would be less.......[for the time that we usually spend away from home], that is..........

if i were wanting or had the inkling to travel around the country and stay gone for months at a time, the rv would have to be my choice....... but for us, the convenience of car and those old bed bug/roach motels will have to do ...........

didn't want to make this thread controversial, hope that doesn't happen......

Shoot an email if you get down this way. But with the fires burning and the heat, you might want to stay home until things settle down. As for expenses (and you did say that you had "never figured expenses.....") don't forget that when you car travel, you have to eat all your meals out while in the MH, you get to eat "at home". Sounds like your idea of parking the old Bounder in different spots in Colorado might be a good option for you.

However you travel, enjoy !
Wendy

DiGiacomo said:

didn't want to make this thread controversial, hope that doesn't happen......

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Don,
I thank you for pointing out that sometimes it is much more economical to "Motel it" for travel.  Unfortunately I  fear some folks rush into the RV life style dream to " save" money.  I know if I  factored in the RV cost,  depreciation, maintenance , tires,  improvements, fuel , I would have been able to stay  in many 5 star resorts.   I guess I really  do not want to know the daily cost!  I  know one can find much more economical ways to travel. 
What you pointed out is that  people  have to decide for themselves.  And doing the math is probably wise.

After all of the convincing, arguing and debate, the way one chooses to spend their time and money is a personal decision. You  put an  economical reality check to one planning the RV  lifestyle.  Have fun and thanks for the  perspective.

No controversy but a comment.  We have had to figure the best way for a couple of trips that did not happen.  Plane vs car vs RV.  The plane is fastest, car next and MH last, gee big surprise.  The surprise was for us, the costs nearily a push for these particular trips and making the required stops which are spread out over half the country, TX, IL, VA, Ohio and MN, a couple of stops in each state if we were going to be there, family considerations, etc.

Add to those the opportunity to visit locations like, DC, Gettysburg, etc. the RV was the choice means of transportation.  Then add the convenience of our own bed and no packing, better control of our diet, etc., the RV was easily the best choice.

So what ahppened?  There was no way I could travel by any of the various choices so we looked again and after a few trial plans, Pat flew out on Thursday for IL/IN and spent a week end with the new great grand baby and flew back.  We expected the trip to be around $1000 to $1500 including car, hotel, buying presents and meals for the family there.  This was about $500 to $1000 less than taking the MH and a few $$$ more than driving, not much.  Bad part, I did not get to go where if I could have traveled, we both could have gone for between about $1800 and $2500 and made several sight seeing stops in that same price.

Just an observation.

Wendy it looks like you guys have a fire going down there too, i think the count in colorado is 8 right now........the one in the Springs is breathing down their throat, i think they might be putting all they can on it now..........it's getting really close to the million + $ houses......

we won't be going anywhere for a couple of months, we have quite a bit of company coming....in my opinion sept. and oct. are the best months for Colorado......

Eating out is probably one reason that we head for home after about seven days on the road, we get really tired of eating other peoples food

Betty......

We pretty much knew years ago that we weren't cut out to be travelers, We have always liked home too much I guess........ ...........we will be heading up that old familiar road on tuesday with the old bounder to our favorite spot on the lake...... ..........I camped there with my grandparents 60 years ago [same favorite spot ].......I wonder what grandpa would say if he could see us sitting in easy chairs and watching 200 channels of tv ???

The RV probably would be a more economical and the very best way to see the USA...but ya just have to have that 'roamer' blood............we just don't have it.........and after 42 years of marriage we both think the same.....

Jim

We have  flown a few times in the years before i retired, but it would have to have quite an emergency for me to fly now, .......for several reasons i won't  mention......

When we travel, we do the two lane roads, as do most on this forum and treat every day like a sunday drive in the country...........we've stayed in a lot of mom and pop motels, and met a lot of nice people........the most interesting for us was when we flew to Buffalo, and drove thru new york and mass. out to cape cod, it was sept. after the season, .........all of the people treated us like royalty when we told them we were from Colorado, we went into a fish market just to look at the lobsters and mentioned that we going to go across the street to eat at sea side restaurant and the guy said "ya can if ya want, but you can pick out your lobsta here and i'll fix it for ya, it ya don't mind the pick-nick tables"........well that meal was one that i'll never forget.......probably the best lobsta i eva et..........

we spent a couple of nights in a little log cabin right on the shore.......we felt like we owned the place.......

don't know why i mentioned that story but this is the shade tree isn't it

 

Last fire count on the evening news was 11 fires going in Colorado. The worst one is that one on the ridge above Manitou Springs which looks really bad, 11000 people evacuated. Ours is pretty nasty but so far hasn't burned any houses and they've kept it away from the highway. If it moves toward Mancos, they can fight it easier in the agriculture fields.

I agree that September and October are great months to travel in Colorado, I love our fall.

Have fun
Wendy

Greetings,

In regards to figuring expenses, I check to see if there was a checklist like the one I found a few days back at another site, in our library but didn't so thought I would post this resource here.

It offers a checklist of the cost of things when figuring in all your expenses to help in budgeting for the RV lifestyle. I found it useful but please point out any list like that here as I don't like to be redundant when posting things. Perhaps this will help DiGiacomo decide the actual costs of RV travel vs other modes. Best!

http://changingears.com/rv-checklist-budget.shtml?sec-learn

With fuel prices still high (even if less than 3 months ago) and campsite prices skyrocketing, it's no surprise that you can drive an economical car and stay in a mid-range motel for equal or less money than RVing. The value of the RV is all subjective - basically taking your home with you so you can enjoy home-like comforts.

We used to take the RV everywhere we wanted to stay overnight, but these days we seldom do so if the trip is only a few days.  We aren't averse to motels or restaurants, at least not short term, and enjoy the change of pace from RV travel as well. We also have an efficient packing routine for motels that minimizes the schlepping of stuff in and out while still providing everything we like to have with us.

I suppose it is sacrilege to say so here, but lately we have begun to consider taking longer term trips via car and staying in the cabin-style accommodations that many parks now offer. Not the 'wooden tent" cabins - the park model types.  The rental rates on those units look scary until I compare them with our total annual expense on the motorhome. Then I realized we could live like kings of the road for what we spend annually to take our rolling home with us. Or maybe it's just time for a change...

We calculate our RV expenses at 50 cents per mile in our Bounder.  That is a fuel only calculation at 4.00 per gallon average.  We have to keep the rv registered, insured and serviced even if we dont use it so we dont calculate figures into the per mile.  Laughlin is always cheaper for us to drive the car because lodging is just so affordable.  We usually stay at the Aquarius.

Jeff

Yep, you convey my thoughts nicely, Gary,and for a while there i thought that i had committed a 'sacrilege' for mentioning a motel 

I think if you are planning a trip of three to four weeks, you would do better in an rv,  if gas prices come down things will change.....back again........

as far as having to lug suit cases,..........that can be countered with say.......the ease and convenience of cruising around in a car......at any rate, this argument is could be debated from now on,,,,,,

We have stayed in a couple of motels along the California coast with kitchenettes....[again these were mom and pop and off the beaten path..........I'm sure these place can be found.......

Gary RV Roamer said:

With fuel prices still high (even if less than 3 months ago) and campsite prices skyrocketing, it's no surprise that you can drive an economical car and stay in a mid-range motel for equal or less money than RVing. The value of the RV is all subjective - basically taking your home with you so you can enjoy home-like comforts.

We used to take the RV everywhere we wanted to stay overnight, but these days we seldom do so if the trip is only a few days.  We aren't averse to motels or restaurants, at least not short term, and enjoy the change of pace from RV travel as well. We also have an efficient packing routine for motels that minimizes the schlepping of stuff in and out while still providing everything we like to have with us.

I suppose it is sacrilege to say so here, but lately we have begun to consider taking longer term trips via car and staying in the cabin-style accommodations that many parks now offer. Not the 'wooden tent" cabins - the park model types.  The rental rates on those units look scary until I compare them with our total annual expense on the motorhome. Then I realized we could live like kings of the road for what we spend annually to take our rolling home with us. Or maybe it's just time for a change...

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i have seen some of these little rentals along the Florida coast also.......we are planning a trip down into Louisiana and Florida some time this year and plan on checking into the cost of them as opposed to a motel/hotel........ unless that old homesick feeling hits us again

I didn't think the thread comments were controversial. On the contrary, I found the discussion thought provoking. When the fuel price was reasonable, the RV made great sense but now a short day's RV travel is at least $100 just for the fuel. Those cabins that Gary mentioned have been around for years but now I see the number expanding to where almost every state and commercial RV park has them. I hate hotels/motels after having spent more nights than I care to remember in the dadgummed things when working. But those campground cabins sound like a pretty good compromise.

We calculate our RV expenses at 50 cents per mile in our Bounder.  That is a fuel only calculation at 4.00 per gallon average.  We have to keep the rv registered, insured and serviced even if we dont use it so we dont calculate figures into the per mile.  Laughlin is always cheaper for us to drive the car because lodging is just so affordable.  We usually stay at the Aquarius.

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Jeff, when you mentioned the .50 a mile for your bounder, i crunched a few numbers and came up with pretty much the same number........of course gas has started down again......but we know that won't last....

We usually stay at Laughlin's place or Colorado Bell,  they give us free nites, we only pay extra for a river view room......i think 10 bucks a nite......most of the time after three nites they offer another nite free, and more discounted room rates........... of course you need to feed the monsters a few bucks in the meantime
I like Laughlin, that's another place that we need to spend a week or two......the bucket list is pretty full!!!

Edit: Moderator added quote tags to the quoted text

$.50 per mile--- I guess I've always figured  mine at $1 a mile...fuel and general costs.. gas has dropped here and diesel is only a few pennies more, but I go further on a gallon, but after the incidentals and meals that seems to be my costs.
I am a single traveler so the last trip I took Amtrak from Cleveland to San Antonio r/t for 2 weeks..w/the senior discount and ordering 2 months ahead it was $302 reserved coach. If it was more than just me than the costs would have been higher and less of an advantage. That's a 3K mile r/t and I get 8MPG on the old Dolphin.. was a no brain-er..40 hrs on the train one way w/nice seats and stayed at my daughters. When I stay longer or take my Mom than I use the coach and hang the cost.
In a few weeks I'll be taking her on a road trip up the UP of Michigan and across rout 2 till we drop down to Lander Wy. There we will be a few weeks visiting family and sights.. might than go up to Wa and see the Pacific. Only states, continental, I haven't been in is Wa & Or. than drop south and come back in a loop sight seeing as we go.
I guess the point of my rambling is there are other reasons to travel and other ways to spend money & each can and is justified by the value we place on it.
There's an awful lot to knowing where I'll be sleeping and who slept there last night..not to mention the bathroom issue...well, I guess I did mention that anyway.

George
 

As a full timer am always looking at ways to stay in my rig whenever possible - for the reasons I became a fulltimer in the first place. Am not supporting a stick house anymore so that is not a comparison I need to make.

However -- side trips for a few days or long weekends I have no problem with doing motels and eating in restaurants. It is far less hassle than driving a 34 foot RV pulling a Jeep. Especially, if the trek is into a major city. My brother lives in San Jose, and my Kaiser doctor/s are in Roseville. I would much prefer parking South of Stockton in the Santa Nella area and driving my Jeep to either location.

The downside is that I also run my business from my RV - and that business requires help desk stuff to my clients. So my check off list for what I need to take with me is longer than most would have. But a check list does solve that problem.

As to sleeping in beds that someone else slept in the night before, motel bathrooms, and the fear of bed bugs and such -- is a paranoia that thankfully I do not have. Before becoming an RVer I worked at many jobs that put me in a travel status. Can imagine telling my boss I would prefer not traveling to Hawaii or San Diego to teach a seminar because of having to spend the night in a motel or hotel room. 

All I can say Is I'm glad you all were talking about something else when I rationalized buying a newer coach in April. Of course what does cost have to do with wanting a new RV? :

Bob Buchanan said:

As to sleeping in beds that someone else slept in the night before, motel bathrooms, and the fear of bed bugs and such -- is a paranoia that thankfully I do not have. Before becoming an RVer I worked at many jobs that put me in a travel status. Can imagine telling my boss I would prefer not traveling to Hawaii or San Diego to teach a seminar because of having to spend the night in a motel or hotel room. 

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i think the  media is giving us a lot of  paranoia , all of us oldtimers survived without all of the disinfectant sprays and household cleaners, that we now Have to Have in order to keep our family safe............i remember telling mom "why wash them they will just get dirty again??" ..........but now i have a few problems of my own......like always having a spray bottle of Clorox handy at the sink...........[preparing a chicken is just barley on the no do line    for me]............and i cook the crap out of the poor things too

my worst problem is doctor offices and hospitals ........motels do not bother me at all compared anything that i may have to touch in a hospital............ :-[.......crazy??? maybe but we all have our little problems

the best thing that we can do is keep our eyes open........and keep our immune system healthy.........