serpa4 wrote: For quick trips to the ski resort, its cheaper to drive the car than to camp in the TC. Hotel is about $80 a night, so for a weekend, hotel is cheaper. TC uses about one tank of gas $150 plus $10 in propane and then the re winterization. In my VW Jetta, gas is about $20 (diesel) at 50 mpg. Anything over a weekend is cheaper to use TC esp with food vs. ski resort food prices.
Damn, yer guys hotel business near the ski areas must be doing really poorly to make it hotel stays that cheap. Anything near a skiable mountain here runs at least $150-200 a night.
CBChannel 17Space Ghost '1991.5Dodge W-250 Power Wagon - Club Cab Long Bed V8 5.9L 4spd H.D Auto 4x4 4.10 Gears '1974KIT Kamper 1106 - 11' Slide-in '1987Pullman Mini Camper '2004Bi-Mart 4x8 Cargo Trailer
Remember folks....this here life is not a "dress rehearsal", so you only get one chance to enjoy it, you will spend it one way or the other or someone will get what is left over....also, less folks may be on the road and not in your favorite fishing and hunting spot or rv site, so get out and enjoy....
Steve and Patti,03 Dodge Ram 4x4,Quad Cab,Duelly,HO Cummins Diesel,Firestone Air Bags; 03 Lance 1121,all ops but solar, Torklift w/48"ext,Bodiak front mount hitch,Lowe Boat 17'w/90hp ETEC Jet, getting retired Army guy fishin and huntin wife still workin!
As complicated as you made your analysis, you are missing two major variables. The first is resale and the second is the percentage of time the truck is used to carry the camper. If a camper costs $30,000 today and you sell it for one third of its value in ten years it only cost you $20,000 or $2000 a year. I am not considering interest or opportunity costs of money as the analysis becomes too complicated. The second issue is even bigger, the time spent carrying the camper. If your truck is $40,000 and you carry the camper one quarter of the time then it is a cost to you for the camper of $10,000, not $40,000 as the truck is used for other stuff. If you sell the truck after ten years (as an example) and it sells for one half of new the truck original cost, then the associated costs for that truck to carry the camper are actually only half of $10,000 over 10 years ($5000) or $500 a year. Obviously these are only capital costs with depreciation folded in but they tend to normalize the difference between what you perceive as the costs of a camper.
'05 Dodge Cummins 4x4 dually 3500 white quadcab auto long bed airbags overload springs bumpers
'00 Elkhorn 10V w/basement
As complicated as you made your analysis, you are missing two major variables. The first is resale and the second is the percentage of time the truck is used to carry the camper. If a camper costs $30,000 today and you sell it for one third of its value in ten years it only cost you $20,000 or $2000 a year. I am not considering interest or opportunity costs of money as the analysis becomes too complicated. The second issue is even bigger, the time spent carrying the camper. If your truck is $40,000 and you carry the camper one quarter of the time then it is a cost to you for the camper of $10,000, not $40,000 as the truck is used for other stuff. If you sell the truck after ten years (as an example) and it sells for one half of new the truck original cost, then the associated costs for that truck to carry the camper are actually only half of $10,000 over 10 years ($5000) or $500 a year. Obviously these are only capital costs with depreciation folded in but they tend to normalize the difference between what you perceive as the costs of a camper.
Dang, there I go, muckin' things up again. I understand the total expense should come down when you sell. I was looking at just the initial expense and how that divides into daily usage over the years.
Every year we fly to Denver, Vegas or Phoenix for vacation, then rent a car and drive to as many sights as possible. From Vegas we always head to St. George, UT and use that as a 'base camp' or should I say base condo. It's great for day trips, but not if we want to stay some place else for a night. By the time we are done it's usually 2500 for a week up to 4000 for 2 weeks. So that's why we are looking into a TC. Yeah it's a long haul out there from OH, but we'll be on our schedule and stay where we want.
Here I go ramblin' again. I'm gonna hit you guys up for more answers to my questions and hopefully down the road I can pass some of the things I have learned on...
Arcy Carr wrote: This topic started out talking about economics & that was what I was replying to---not convenience, spending quality time with my book, dog, sandwich or camping neighbors.
I agree the original poster left out adding the inital purchase price of the camper into the figures. It is a signifigant portion of the expenses.
Obviously the more you use the unit the less this 'fee' becomes(to a point its not even worth figuring in) but it is still part of the economics which, again, is where this started.
'06 X-cab Powerstroke Dually 4x4
'75 Ford Bronco Rockcrawler
Since I totally own the camper and the truck they have no value until sold... except for use. What something might sell for in the future is really meaningless.
The only way to determine value of something is to actually sell it.
For example... when you die and you heirs are trying to put a value on your truck and camper... they all disagree as to what they are worth.... they put them up for sale... and eventually get something for them... maybe more, maybe less... maybe there is a bad recession with very high fuel prices and they won't sell. If it won't sell... it has no value.
Moral of the story... your truck and camper only has value when you are actually useing them and after you have the money in hand from selling them.
So, BigAl is correct to ignore the price he paid for his rig... that money is gone.(and I'll bet his rig is fully paid for). If his heirs sell them so what.
His food bill is about the same as it is at home, his wines are good ones (I'm fortunate enough have been to the table with Al and his wife), and he probably eats out about the same number of times.
He has two additional expences when he is traveling over staying home... extra fuel and campgrounds. These are all that he has to budget for to take a trip.
I'm actually better off than BigAl... I only have to budget for fuel to travel... we never go to campgrounds.
So, if this old guy was to offer advice... quit nickel- dimeing and get to traveling.
When my father passed away last year, my sister and I met with his lawyer who handed over a large binder which was his living trust (BTW, if any of you out there don't have one, do your whole family and theirs a HUGE favor and get one!!!). When we opened the cover, we found the first page was a hand written page and all he had written was..."you ain't getting any older, you can't take it with you, and ya just never know... love, DAD"
Sooooo, that said,
Cost of truck + TC.... who cares
Cost of fuel, campground fees, annoying taxes.... who cares
When it's gone it's gone... I'm not going to sit home and count pennies and I'm not going to leave my kids a free ride.....
Cost of camping with friends, worrying about nothing, seeing this great country from coast to coast and top to bottom... who cares
Heck, I've been with Delphi for 36 years.... and they're bankrupt, so I have no financial future anyway!! LOL
and the cost of parking the TC, unloading the Harley and heading out across the Badlands or the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, or Iowa's plains, or Michigan's UP...... PRICELESS!!!
So quit justifying NOT doing stuff... just DO IT!! As was said earlier... this ain't no dress rehearsal.... this is your one shot, so grab the family, load up your dreams and GO!!!
Wow... I said all that!! Gotta run, the road is calling!!!
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I understand the total expense should come down when you sell. I was looking at just the initial expense and how that divides into daily usage over the years. 
