Re-thinking the RV life

[LarsMac]

Well, it seals up pretty nicely if you take the time, but, it does not really stand up to the wind, and there is no way to heat the living space, which has suddenly become rather important. It seems that I brought the winter weather with me to Georgia.

 

[Firstime RVer]

We spent years camping in conversion vans. They were extremely economical and relatively comfortable for us. They both had a 12 gallon water supply (modified half beer keg), a small sink and a Cassette toilet, compliments of yours truly.
Cooking was done on a coleman stove and food was stored in a coleman ice box. We traveled the entire east coast over the years and finally let each van go when it died, with a total of almost 300,000 miles, between the two.
After we retired we picked up a TT that my Pickup easily tows and its like the Ritz compared to the vans. The gas mileage compromise was minimal and the comfort factor improvement amazing!
Think carefully about what is important to you when traveling, the duration of your trips, and the distance you will travel, and then make your decision. It might just be worth the few extra dollars to really enjoy your traveling experience.

Safe travels and all the best.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Well, I guess you have to consider each RVer's age and where they are in life before you start counting every dollar spent, where, and on what.

I used to track my mileage, how many mpg, cost-per-mile, cost per trip, etc., but I stopped that. Spreadsheets and graphs on where I bought the gas for the cars, or diesel for the RV, are for an accountant. After 18 years and still counting, traveling in my motorhome, I have a pretty good idea before I leave my house what I'm going to spend not only on fuel but also for the entire trip.

To me, I still think RV'ing is the way to go, fuel prices are down, and even the crappiest hotels/motels will run you $150 per night and up. Have you checked out the price at a Holiday Inn or a Hampton lately? Outrageous

Being retired, my monthly income is my disposable income. That's what I base my travel on. 401s and retirement accounts are the savings. I guess that most RVers today have come into RV'ing from camping in tents and pop-ups. I can't understand why anyone would want to go back to tents, pop-ups, or SUV tent attachments after having the conveniences of a modern RV. Multiply this by age, getting older, the bones creak, joints sore, harder to set up and take down, my motorhome is still the apple of me and my wife's eye.

If money is the issue, not having it to spend, but having a hard time separating from it, you know the old saying, "You can't take it with you".

 

[BizCrate]

Researching the perfect camper is a fun and sometimes confusing trip down the rabbit hole - but you see a lot of interesting stuff!
I looked into rooftop tents, mini trailers and screen room attachments also before settling on my fiberglass trailer. Having the agility/flexibility to deal with setting up and maneuvering around in a tight space got me thinking of the practical aspects of the plan. I want to get out and about but I knew that if it is too much hassle then I'll just end up with a big pile of new camping equipment (stoves, sleeping bags, heaters, water jugs, etc) that never gets used.
Small fiberglass trailers (Casita, Scamp, Escape, Oliver, Happier) quickly came into consideration. While I had never trailered before I'm not so over the hill that I couldn't learn. Everything is self contained and in a compact size so I can get into just about any campsite - even driveway camp at my kids house and at my brother's place. It's my own little mobile granny pod!
I jumped into full-time travel in a class C named Madness when I both lost my husband and retired at about the same time. I had not owned a camper before. To say I bit off more than I could chew would be an understatement - I also sold the house and everything in it to start that part of the adventure. I came to my senses (you could say I overcame my grief) about 3 years later, sold the C, bought a house and now enjoy long escapes in my Escape 19 (named Escape Madness - haha, too much, right?).
The trailer has everything I want without needing to go through too many gymnastics to get up, make a cup of coffee and have someplace to sit if it's too cold outside. Of course if it stays cold then I know I need to hitch up and go further south.
Please accept my condolences on the loss of your dear Margo. Having a partner through your adventures in life is grand - the loss is deep. Being out in nature can be healing. I wish that healing for you.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I'm no RV veteran but have experienced most of what the lifestyle offers. My conclusion today is that traveling in them - covering ground, point A to point B is arduous. Even modest travel days become a grind when it's day after day, tear down, fuel, drive, seek/find parking, set up, meals. It wouldn't be different in a car except you can cover ground faster and for nominally less fuel, eating at restaurants and staying in hotels. So for me the appeal of the RV isn't the journey so much as it is the destination. A few days in a secluded alpine meadow surrounded by ponderosa pines, a cooler full of ales, hikes with the dogs and a crackling fire at night makes the price of admission worth it to me. I've experienced some utility using the RV as a base point exploring a given area but frankly a hotel could serve just as well I think. There's no question there's value in having all your "stuff", a potty, fridge of vittles and your own bed every night. But as my 14-state trip last fall illustrated, even with "light" travel days and stops at various places along the way, the constant push wore on me. Made me think about what that would be like "full time" and frankly I'm not sure I care for it enough to take it that far. So I get how some might not find the lifestyle eminently appealing, the logistics of vehicle operating and resource management takes effort and there would have to be a lot of "down time" between trip legs to balance that out (for me). I can see how the simplicity of a truck and a tent could be appealing, I did it solo with a motorcycle and a tent for a number of years. But the RV does offer creature comforts that can make stays in remote places very comfortable, and that's where RV's shine for me.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[LarsMac]

So, the Carsule thing is actually a decent auxiliary for my Toad. It will be good for day trips and the like when I'm out and about.
Obviously it is not helpful for winter travel. And, windy weather can be a problem.
I did get to use it on the trek back East, camping near Junction City, KS. And on the drive back home, I found a nice camping spot out of the wind up by Dumas. But most of this last trip I spent nights staying with family. I was glad that I did not try to take The Dancer. Weather and road conditions in The South were seldom favorable.

 

[DutchmenSport]

I've owned towables all my life (pop-up, travel trailer, fifth wheel) and my tow vehicles have changed over the years too to support each different trailer type.

The bottom (dollar) line is simple; it makes no sense to own and operate an RV (of any type). They cost money, plain and simple. Fuel costs money. Campground's cost money to stay. There are constant repairs on RV's (of all types). There are insurances, license plate fees, and some states, safety inspections. Put it all together and the cost of RV ownership makes no sense, none at all .... nada ... pure stupidity to toss good money at any of it .....

Except ...

It's just as stupid to toss money at golf .... new clubs, cost of club memberships, cost of purchasing or renting a golf cart, fees, clothing, and what not .... also!

It's just as stupid to toss money at sports. So you purchase an annual pass to your favorite sports team. Game one passes, game 2 passes, game 3 passes. The season is over. What do you have left? Another charge on your charge card for next years season pass. Another season passes, another game to be played. What do you have left ... nothing. Money gone.

Some may think its stupid to put money into gardening. Some may think its stupid to put money into model railroading. Some may think its stupid to put money in ... well.... you name it.

But ... why do you do it ... because those activities give you great enjoyment, satisfaction, a sense of self worth, a peace of mind, a break from your daily routine. They are called "hobbies" and "hobbies" are usually financed by disposable money (money that remains after all the bills and life's necessities are met). But, even then, sometimes "hobbies" can become obsessions or addictions themselves. Still in order to participate in these activities, it STILL cost money. And to the person doing the activity the money spent is well worth it.

Once the money spent is NOT worth it any more, the "hobby" now morphs into something else. In the end, money is spent where each one of us deems most important in our lives.

RVing is not for everyone and if RVing becomes too expensive, too inconvenient, too awkward, not fulfilling, or simply loose interest, there's nothing wrong with abandoning the life style.

Every one of us will do what we each deem most important in our lives. Our actions are a testimony to where are true affections and what we feel is most important in our lives. That's not being judgmental, that's just observation. Your actions reflect what you are thinking and the type of person you are.

Rather than looking for an excuse to exit the building, simply do it. No explanation is needed.

 

[LarsMac]

I've owned towables all my life (pop-up, travel trailer, fifth wheel) and my tow vehicles have changed over the years too to support each different trailer type.

The bottom (dollar) line is simple; it makes no sense to own and operate an RV (of any type). They cost money, plain and simple. Fuel costs money. Campground's cost money to stay. There are constant repairs on RV's (of all types). There are insurances, license plate fees, and some states, safety inspections. Put it all together and the cost of RV ownership makes no sense, none at all .... nada ... pure stupidity to toss good money at any of it .....

...

Every one of us will do what we each deem most important in our lives. Our actions are a testimony to where are true affections and what we feel is most important in our lives. That's not being judgmental, that's just observation. Your actions reflect what you are thinking and the type of person you are.

Rather than looking for an excuse to exit the building, simply do it. No explanation is needed.

Well, it's not a matter of Being in or out, for me.
I am a Nomad.
I've been on the road, in one way or another pretty much all my life, and I don't see that changing as long as I can make it out the door on my own before someone straps me down.
There are times when the Dancer - or any other RV - is not really the best option for a trip, and, I am exploring alternative methods.

 

[CamperAL]

Greetings,

I have another take of all this. It depends what type of an RV you are in and costs. It also depends on time spent in your RV and how much you actually travel. If you stay put for a month at a time, then lower costs campground stays are possible. Depends if you eat out a lot or just stay home in your RV and fix meals. We tend to eat out a couple times a week or grab sandwiches and bring them home and cook at home the other 5 days of the week.

I just took a car trip for 16 days staying at motels and driving my KIA Soul. I keep track of costs as I deduct them as it is business related. I spent $100 per day in car/motel/eating. BTW the KIA Soul was a lot more comfortable to drive long distance than I thought!

When we RV we usually travel for 4 to 6 months at a time. We have averaged 4650 miles each year. We tend to stay at campgrounds for 1 month to 2 months at a time. We also boondock when we can. Our total costs are close to $4500 on these trips. Maybe a bit more for the 6 month trips. or $35.71 per day. Since I added eating on my car trip I'd have to add that in for the RV travel. Which has been $7.50 each for the two of us.

So $100 per day in car/motel/eating.
and $43.21 per day in RV/camping/eating
At roughly $57 per day savings a 126 day trip saves about $7,200 over car/motel/eating for us. RV'n can be cost effective.

 

[LarsMac]

Flexibility is a thing, for me. My latest project is re-doing the Bed Cap on my Pickup so I can run some back country location that the Dancer can't get to. The Truck is a Dodge 2500 4x4. It can pull a trailer (or my Toad) , and run those backroads I've not even dreamed about in the Dancer. So, I'll now have my pick of several vehicles and camping modes to choose from, depending on where I'm planning to go and what I will be doing when I get there.

 

[Edd505]

Greetings,

I have another take of all this. It depends what type of an RV you are in and costs. It also depends on time spent in your RV and how much you actually travel. If you stay put for a month at a time, then lower costs campground stays are possible. Depends if you eat out a lot or just stay home in your RV and fix meals. We tend to eat out a couple times a week or grab sandwiches and bring them home and cook at home the other 5 days of the week.

I just took a car trip for 16 days staying at motels and driving my KIA Soul. I keep track of costs as I deduct them as it is business related. I spent $100 per day in car/motel/eating. BTW the KIA Soul was a lot more comfortable to drive long distance than I thought!

When we RV we usually travel for 4 to 6 months at a time. We have averaged 4650 miles each year. We tend to stay at campgrounds for 1 month to 2 months at a time. We also boondock when we can. Our total costs are close to $4500 on these trips. Maybe a bit more for the 6 month trips. or $35.71 per day. Since I added eating on my car trip I'd have to add that in for the RV travel. Which has been $7.50 each for the two of us.

So $100 per day in car/motel/eating.
and $43.21 per day in RV/camping/eating
At roughly $57 per day savings a 126 day trip saves about $7,200 over car/motel/eating for us. RV'n can be cost effective.

That's us, more than a single day out the RV goes, we joke it's our portable apartment. The plus I know who was in the bed last night and that the bathrooms clean. Been it too many disgusting motels that charged $100-$150 a night to find stuff under the bed, hair in the sinks or showers etc. Pass!