We bought our ’96 Discovery DP new in late ’96 for $104,547 (TTL Incl.) and sold it in late 2007 for $34,155 net to us giving a depreciation cost of $70,392. During that time we drove 32,838 miles burning 3,577 gallons of diesel at a cost of $6,254.50 (remember $1.25 per gal. in 1997?). During that time, we paid $11,538.25 in insurance premiums to Foremost County Mutual and we replaced the tires once at a cost of $2,689.17. I did all the fluid and filter changes myself, so the maintenance costs were trivial compared to the other costs. During that time we spent 117 nights traveling in the coach. Here is how the numbers crunch:
Cost per mile per night
Fuel $6,254.50 $0.190 $53.50
Insurance 11,538.25 0.351 98.60
Depreciation 70,392.00 2.144 601.60
Tires 2,689.17 0.082 23.00
Total $90,873.92 $2.767 $776.70
(I didn’t track campground costs, but they would have been on the order of tire costs)
So, if you don’t have a problem with getting to the airport an hour before your flight so that you’ll have time to get dressed after your body cavity search by the federal government, and if you don’t have a problem with sleeping in a bed that a stranger slept(?) in last night, you are better off flying first class, renting a car, and staying in a fine hotel.
Now, pardon me while I don my fire suit in preparation for all the flame throwers who will tell you what a fool I was for (fill in the blank).
Bill
Bill Simonds
'07 Maxlite 28RL by R-Vision
'08 Armada LE 4X4
Hensley Arrow hitch
TruControl brake controller
The system messed up the formatting on my number chart. In the cost lines, the first number is cost, the second is cost per mile, and the third is cost per night.
Bill
Not in the least. I don't flame, but even if I did, I wouldn't have enough fuel on this one to light a cigarette.
I've been doing a motorcycle vacation a couple of times a year for the past 10. I used to do the KOA tent thing, but that got old. This year, for the first one, I enjoyed the MH to the max and am quite sure I will not be staying in a motel or flying anywhere there are roads for a long time to come.
I'll pay.
Brian K7ZRZ
Campgrounding hosting - Oregon State Parks
1987 30' Holiday Rambler Class A
GL1800 Goldwing - Honda Scooter Mounted
2000 Silver Miata LS Toad
But Bill, we don't enjoy motorhoming by the day, we enjoy it by the minute. And it only cost you $0.54 per minute to be out in your motorhome. What a bargin!
Bill
Since insurance and depreciation are your biggest costs (and fixed), the cost per mile and night would come down significantly if you had used it more than 117 nights in 11 years.
I get a real charge out of the RV ads that tout RVing as inexpensive travel. Yeah, right. I see it as VERY expensive travel (don’t keep records of the cost, because I really don’t want to know).
Those ads would also have you believe that you can jump right in your RV Friday after work and travel where ever you want. Yeah, right. It takes me days to get ready for an extended trip and more days to clean-up afterward. A real hassle.
That said, it allows my wife and I to do things we could not otherwise do.
One of those is for the dogs and me to go upland bird hunting for weeks at a time in remote areas of the west. I can take my dogs and hunt right out our “front door”, while at the same time keeping up on my work by telecommuting each night. And, living in complete comfort the whole time. As they say – priceless. I could not do this but for the moho.
Another is to transport my handicapped wife to see our out-of-state daughter and her family. My wife cannot travel by a regular vehicle for anything other than very short trips, can’t fly, etc. In the moho, she is as unhandicapped as she is at home; she arrives refreshed and she lives very comfortably in her own familiar “home” while we are visiting. Once again – priceless. She could not visit that child but for the moho.
So, I really don’t care one whit what it costs.
2008 Winnebago Journey 39z DP
2004 Jeep Liberty toad
The many joys of RVing are not expensive! They are horrendously EXPENSIVE! If you are a "big rig" guy and gal, you need a stout heart and a fat wallet! Lots of fun though.
"we are not stopping 'til they come to take us away!"
1995 Gulfstream 40'Tourmaster Spartan,400hp Cummins turbo,Allison 6spd, towing 2001 chrysler conv. all 4 kids grown, healthy and ...gone
Part of the problem is that in eleven years yoy did like 32,000 miles and in three years we have done over 20,000 . the more you use it the less it costs per year and all the fun we have had. There is not a right or wrong it's what you enjoy.
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