Rving is not just the cost comparison to different types of travel. Some of our friends only like to go to exotic places and stay first class where ever they go. They like to eat out at expensive resturants. Does that make that wrong, NO To us Rving is our preferred method of travel and enjoyment. I'd sooner sit outside and grill a nice steak or burgers etc. than go eat in a fancy resturant. It's all about our preffered method of travel and enjoying some holidays.
My personal opinion is if you sell your rv and truck cause of the cost of fuel your probably not enjoying this mode of travel as much as most of us here.
Rving is not everyone preffered method of travel. Although it is ours.
Sorry you had to go to extreme measures. I just got back from a 2 week trip, and I had the time of my life(like always).
My "Room" was right there, I was able to eat whenever I wanted, I was able to choose where I vacationed, not predicated on solely where there was an avail. room, at the "Chain" I like, or wanted.
Sure my costs for fuel are high(like everyone else), BUT I work hard for a living, and value my free time very much.
I get to hang out with like minded people(rv lifestyle), try that in a Hotel, Motel.
If you look at the "Big Picture" ( unless you sit around and do nothing, when you are not working)......anything is going to cost you money. I choose to enjoy life!!
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It is really a shame that some of us have to make the decision to sell out. No one can really know or understand anothers' circumstances. We wish the OP and his family all the best and better times in the future.
This makes no sense. Ok so fuel is $1.00 a gallon more this year than last. Lets say you get 10 mpg and take a 2000 mile trip, so it costs $200 more this year than last.
You will take a huge loss on depreciation on the RV and truck, probably $10,000 or more to save $200??????
Is my logic wrong??????
* This post was
edited 05/05/08 03:55pm by an administrator/moderator *
Interesting article. While I do agree with the economics overall, it only works if you are doing an awful lot of travelling. Or if people are not investing too heavily.
To put $50,000 or more into an RV, you really have to do a lot of RV travelling Vs air travel, hotels, rental cars and restaurants, to get an ROI. Especially with Fuel, CG fees in the upper ranges these days.
People driving to hotel destinations for a couple of weeks, and a few weekends a year can get that done a lot cheaper than buying an expensive RV. Especially if they need to also buy a tow vehicle.
But since News 6 asked an RV dealer for his opinion, this would be the justification they would most likely be expected to give. They do have a vested interest.
We expect to do a lot of travel in our retirement. And the dealers justification does work for us. But others that have a full time job and kids, may not have as much time to travel. Nor the spendable income for the initial outlay, and the cost of enjoyment.
JMHO.
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wayne,
Your logic is not wrong but there is probably more to this story. As Bruce stated earlier, its just the last straw. According to previous posts, the OP had wheel bearing problems, slide-out problems, and lost a utility trailer off the back of the camper. That kind of stuff could suck the fun out of anything.
That's a $200 loss for every trip. The total cost of fuel can add up very quick if you're taking a few trips a year, even short ones. If you're only taking one trip a year, you're not getting much use out of that expensive rig are you?
Also the insurance and registration and upkeep costs are not cheap either, and harder to justify if the rig is just sitting there cause fuel is too expensive to use it. If there's a payment being made on it, that's alot of money every month going to support something that's not giving any benefit if it's not being used. Tough economic times, incomes are typically not increasing, some going down, mortgage payments increasing on adjustable rate loans, cost of food and everything else going up, there comes a time when extra luxuries have to go to enable necessities to continue uninterrupted, especially if the cost of the luxury items cannot be justified.
I sold my camper cause I just couldn't afford to take trips anymore with the high cost of gas. I still own and use the truck for work purposes and I owned and used it before I bought the camper too. Took a bit of a loss on the camper, but I don't have to pay to keep storing and maintaining something I can't afford to use. Fortunately, mine was an older truck camper and was paid for, so I had no insurance or registration or loan payment and interest costs to deal with. If those costs had been involved, I would have sold it a year sooner.
Fortunately, pickup trucks can be used for alot of other things besides hauling campers or pulling rv trailers. I feel bad for those with motorhomes. My friend couldn't sell his for any descent price to not lose his shirt on it, even though it hasn't had that many trips on it. He can't afford to use it much anymore, but still has to make the payment, pay the insurance and tags, keep it up, and because it's a motorhome, he can't use it for much else so he gets no real benefit from holding onto it either. It's just taking up space in the yard, depreciating in value, costing money every month and serving no real purpose anymore.
We are on the road About 7 months of the year and do about 12K miles. That's 12K miles of Diesel at @ 10MPG at the going price of Diesel and over 210 days of campground fees. It cost us 650 per month pad cost plus electric at a C.G near Disney 4 1/2 months at 650.00..that's 2925.00. 960.00 in fuel down and back. 3835.00. Plus cost of fuel using the truck as the daily driver, Plus cost of propane refills at 21.00 per tank(5 tanks) etc. We figure our cost was @ 850.00 + per month. Not figuring in the the initial cost of the truck and camper. Now this is not a complaint just a example of how differently we use our rv's. The high cost of fuel is but one factor in the "big Picture" If the all over cost exceed our budget for our "Great adventure" we need to cut back (we are) or quit we do not want to stay near home...take short weekend trips....Been there done that.. We do have a 400 square foot 5th wheel because we live in it 7 months out of the year and a big expensive truck because we pull a big heavy camper. This was our dream. Our last camper when we did short trips and once a year vacations was a 30 foot TT and a 1/2 ton truck.
There are many variables and each of us has to do what is best for them..No matter what the reason.
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