We're getting closer to getting our first Class C, but DW just asked me to justify spending $3.00+ every 10 miles we go. How it would be almost $10.00 before we even got out of town! I'm trying to come up with some good arguments, such as how these high gas prices have actually made the RV prices drop, so it's a good time to buy, but she's still skeptical. Any suggestions or comments that I can pass along to her would be greatly appreciated. I realize that the RV lifestyle falls into that "Priceless" category, but she's agreeing with that, saying we can't afford priceless. How are the rest of you doing it? Is it really costing $500 just to get away for a weekend in the mountains (our mountains are 400 miles away (800+ R/T...or about $250+ in gas)
Thanks in advance...
Bill, Claudia, and the Paps
To the Moderator. Sorry about having this double post. I had lost signal on the computer, and didn't think it had gone....then pushed send again, when the screen came back..sorry...I'll be more careful in the future.
Bill
* This post was
edited 01/22/08 07:05pm by PapPappy *
DH Bill / DW Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris The Paps! Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie and Annie
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April Fools Day, 2008 The Pets
Try this. Lay out about how many trips you plan to make this year and the total cost. Break out the cost of the trips into all of the regular categories (food, fuel, entertainment, etc.) Often, there is a way to afford the fuel by making concessions in other areas. We did an 18 day trip to Yellowstone from Dallas, paid over $900 in fuel and ate out only meal the entire trip.
Clearly you cannot spend more money than you have but there are often ways to take from one category to meet the needs of another. We are planning a 4,200 mile trip in August and I'm expecting fuel to be $4.00 a gallon then on average. That gives me a total fuel cost of around $1,680. With some creative planning for overnight parking (notice I didn't say CGs), and meals, the trip is workable.
Would appear you have two threads going on the same item.
The rough math DW and I have done indicates that the RV is the way to go. We made a trip from Las Vegas to the UP of MI last summer The overall average on fuel ranged from 8.5 to 9 mpg. Air fare plus motel for the same number of days plus the food for two at three meals per day at modest cafes and a rental car one way or the other would have run our expenses up about 15 percent higher than what we actually spent and we did a rental car when we got there. With the exception of the ice for the coolers, we took food from our home supplies for the trip and had most of our meals had our meals in the camper. Had it been other than travel in the summer and needing the A/C at night, we could have cut down expences by using other than RV parks for overnight stays to and from and that wasn't so bad except for getting stupid the first night out and pushing until I had to stop at a KOA in St George, Ut and having to pay $65 for a short night's stay.
Stan and Shirley
2002 Coachman Santara 316KS
Retired USAF & USPS
If ya' can't stand behind our troops, please feel free to stand in front.
You cannot sell anyone on saving any money by rving in a motor home. With us, for the past 15 years, all travel was done with the dogs so we normally had a $75-$125 pet deposit at hotels which was not refundable. I just hated paying that for an overnight stay. At least they don't have kid deposits.
You must sell the features/benefits. When traveling we do not stop and eat out as much as before. I sometimes feel a bit guilty when we stop at a rest area to cook a meal and see the others standing at the snack machines trying to decide what to get. I will guess that the best thing that we enjoy is the freedom. Come and go as we please without worry. The kids love it too.
My Mom used to say "if you wait until you can afford it, you may never get it."
Now, don't go over extend yourself.(search Dave Ramsey) I waited until I had my stick house paid for. Now we will never travel any other way, unless there is not a road that goes there!
Good luck.
’07 Coachmen Mirada 310DS
Counting my blessings with my high school sweetheart.
3 kids, 39 foster kids(not all at once) 2 boys currently
Do you have room for a child? Consider fostering/adopting a child. Thousands of children are in need of a loving family.
We are planning about a 5,000 mile trip in late spring. Sorry, will cut down
on some other areas to be able to enjoy the RV and travel the way we want to.
Besides, I worked for the past 48 years to enjoy this lifestyle. Not going to worry about leaving it to the kids to just spend foolishly. I cannot understand how traveling in a car, eating 3 meals out and paying for a motel room for one night comes out cheaper than traveling in a RV. Most of us have hobbies that are costly, and my hobby just happens to be my motorhome.
Well, it all depends on how fond you are of her, you could tell her that you are going, and she can stay home & watch grass grow.
Seriously, you will never sell anyone who doesn't have the desire to go.
I recently read an article that said, by the year 2040, there will be no more glaciers in Glacier National Park, we are going to the Black Hills, Devils Tower, Yellowstone, Glacier, & other places this summer, we don't care if we drain the bank, and may never pay off the plastic cards, and may never take another trip more than 200 miles, but we're doing it. You can worry about money when you're dead, but you can never take that trip after you're gone. Do it, NOW & enjoy
2007 Forester 2941DS
2005 KIA Spectra
Zamboni, Long Haired Mini Dachshund
Tell her $3 is cheap and you need to get some traveling in before it is $5 or $10 per gallon. If she is a hard sell you may want to rent one time to see if she will even go on more than one trip.
2001 F150 SuperCrew 5.4 Lariat Offroad 4x4 Tow Package 4.10 Truetrac
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
12K SuperGlide, KGE3000Ti 2.3kw rated 2.6kw max
Frank's voltage booster, Prosine 1800 powered by 4 GC2 batteries
I don't think I'll ever be able to believe someone can justify the cost of traveling by motor home. We know you can stay for free in a lot of Wal-Marts (depending on community restrictions) but that's not for us. We prefer a campground and plan on spending $18-$30 a night. We don't like primitive, and the inexpensive community and state parks we've seen have all been primitive. We enjoy traveling in our motor home and the expense is the cost for our entertainment and enjoyment. Some people buy big homes, expensive electronics, lots of restaurant meals, lots of movies, alcohol, whatever.: our enjoyment is the motor home.
2000 Four Winds Five Thousand 28A (Chevy 3500), Master Tow Dolly, 2000 Chevy Venture minivan TOAD
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