Tizi wrote: If you live in your motor home, it is still cheaper. Where can you buy a $90-150K house?
I can buy them all day long where I live! And we aren't talking tiny houses, we are talking houses anywhere from 950 square feet (though you don't see many houses that tiny here like you do on the Left Coast)all the way up to 2,000 square feet. I cannot see paying as much or more for a "house on wheels" than I did for my 1,800 square foot house with a 2-car garage, in-ground swimming pool, and 1/2 acre of land.
I can't imagine that "Rving" in something that expense is cost effective. Maybe if you stay in hotels that cost $200 plus a night and travel extensively, but not for someone who goes a few weekends and a couple of weeks in a season. No way is it cheaper in a big RV. In a reasonably priced pop-up, small hybrid, or tiny TT maybe. But not when you figure in the cost of ownership unless you can pay cash like we did. We paid no more for our used pop-up than a week at the beach would cost for vacation. So, yes, I am saving money when I go, I wouldn't be yet if I had paid for a new one. It would take at least 6 to 18 week-long beach vacations before I came out ahead depending on the price of the popup. In fact, it probably costs me more money now. When we tent camped, we didn't go camping nearly as often.
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edited 08/14/08 08:08am by campingrandma *
Traveling with 8 people & a tent is cheaper. But 5 years with an older "C" cost me about 3 times as much per day of vacation as driving my car & motels.
And, yes, my $159K home doesn't go anywhere. With ten acres and a twenty mile view, it doesn't need to.
Where I live you can't get anything for $150K, unless you want to live in a bad area...or a dump.
When I retire, I plan to buy a very nice rig and travel. If I am going to be living in it, I want it to be nice. I live in a 3,700 sq ft house now, so a large motorhome or fifth wheel would downsizing. So spending $90-150K would not be a big deal, especially if I make a few hundred thousand plus on the sale of my residence. I guess it all depends on what you are going to be doing and what your source(s) of funding are?
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david_42 wrote: Traveling with 8 people & a tent is cheaper. But 5 years with an older "C" cost me about 3 times as much per day of vacation as driving my car & motels.
And, yes, my $159K home doesn't go anywhere. With ten acres and a twenty mile view, it doesn't need to.
Wow, even with 8 people an a "C" it was more than hotels etc? How much are the hotels?
His first comparison was between a trip to France and a trip to Quebec. Then he used the pricing of motels in Montreal vs. campgrounds in Quebec. All apples to oranges. In some cases RVing is cheaper. If I were going to Maine it would be cheaper to RV. Going to South Carolina (and I've already done the math) with gas prices so high and getting such poor mileage, I can take the car, rent a condo (meal costs remain the same) and come out even or ahead of the game. That's not even figuring in the costs of the motorhome (payments, maintenance, etc). Face it-we all are going to have a car no matter what so those costs are a moot point. RV costs are extra and non-essential (although some might argue about the non-essential parts!). It's not a black and white situation. One cannot compare Canada with France and call it the same.
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edited 08/14/08 11:57am by an administrator/moderator *
So, I am taking my 2 kids camping this weekend to Port Angeles, WA. It will take me roughly 19 gallons of gas at $3.95 per gallon = $75.05. The campground is $38 per night (we are staying 2 nights)= $76 (does not include tax). I checked out hotels. Red Lion is $190 per night. Quality Inn is $179.99 per night. That is $359.98 to $380 for the 2 night stay (this does not include tax). Food if camping is not really a factor because we would eat at home anyway. If I stayed in a hotel, I would probably be eating out. Figure, very conservatively, $50 per day. Here are the results: camping = $151.05, hotel = $459.98. The way I figure it, it seems cheaper to camp, even if you start adding in the cost of the truck and camper. The truck cost me $13.15 per day, the camper $5.85.
Our last trip to Sheridan WY and the badlands and all points inbetween STILL COST less than flying, hotelling and eating every meal out. Total cost was only around $1800.00 give or take $50.00 including fuel, campgrounds a few meals out and touristy stuff.
Every one talks about depreciation. We all know what it is and its afact of life ALMOST everything we own depriciates... If it has wheels it depreciates. Some vehicles quicker than others.
I will still continue to RV to save $ on vacations. We have been doing this for years now. My SIL and BIL flew thier family of 4 from Montana, rented a car and stayed at a hotel in downtown Branson. Their hotel bill alone was $918.00 WE drove the MOHO With my MIL and FIL. They stayed at the hotel tooin a separate room. We stayed in the state park for 8 nights. Our lodging... $168.00. Coupled with the fuel toget there and home... $400.00 Oh... if you include the oil change that *I* DID MY SELF... after the WY trip, $105.00 (I bought a k&n air filter)
So Depreciate all you want. I know what *I* APPRECIATE..
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Have a great rest of the summer...
Smooth Roads!!!
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Aridon wrote: I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I don't RV because its cheaper, the costs are pretty similar depending on how long you stay in the RV.
We RV because we love the lifestyle. Not because its cheaper. Few things that are truly better seldom are the cheapest alternative.
I agree. Since we started RVing I would much rather take the TT than put up in a hotel. I like to have *my* potty and *my* dishes and *my* lumpy mattress. We usually travel with my autistic 13yo--believe me, the consistency pays off! Since all of our stuff is normal to him, there are no melt-downs, no getting used to new places, all the smells and textures are right. Plus, we can eat our regular food, don't have to eat in a restaurant.
I wouldn't care if RVing cost TWICE as much as staying in a hotel, I'd STILL do it.
"Those who dwell...among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life."--Rachel Carson, environmentalist, 1956
Relax and take these articles with a large grain/box of salt. The writer has no knowledge of RV'ing and it is a story. Besides MSN tends to push headlines to get you to read the article only to find out the substance is a different story.
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