Who thinks a TT/5er/MH provides more affordable vacations?

[clubhouse]

Frequently I hear that RVs provide a more cost effective vaction option vs that staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. IMO oppinion this can't be further from the truth. Here is our particular analysis...

Our TT cost ~$19k out the door.
Storage $35/month
Average Campsite ~$40/night.

If we kept this trailer 10 years and could average 25 nights a years thats 250 nights. Then assume we could sell the TT and get 1/2 of what we paid orignally, that means we would pay $90.80 night to use our TT. $90/night doesn't get you high-end accomodations, but that $90 isn't factoring in maintenance, accessories, decreased fuel economy and possibly a dedicated TV -- which we have. Also, that $90 is considering pretty modest campground rates, a pretty modest TT and an aggressive sales price in 10 years...reality is I'll probably pay much more than $90/night.

For us the fact is we simply love camping and using our TT. As often as I hear that RVing is a more affordable vacation option, it makes me think that someone isn't thinking it though.

I'd be interested in what some of you determin your cost per night to use your TT/5er/MH. I can only imagine when you get into the $100K + MH, you could spend an awful lot of nights in the Ritz Carlton and still come out ahead.

[krackeer]

Geez, don't even want to figure mine out since all my numbers are much higher. I do think that we spend more than 25 days a year though. We also take our older children, their husbands and grandkids. That alone would mean another motel room maybe 2. Then of course we cook our own food camping as well, that saves on the cost of eating out 3 meals a day. Like many though, we enjoy the experience of camping, and that is what matters the most.

[CruizinKim]

Definitely not a money saving option, but it is clearly the lifestyle that draws us to camping and we're willing to spend the extra money to enjoy ourselves. My hubby would probably say that he likes knowing who is sleeping on the mattress! He's pretty easy to please! Must be because buying the TT and dragging him all over the midwest was all my idea!

[Nighthawk 96]

Can spend alot of nights in a nice hotel for the cost of your rv, chances are tho, that it doen't have the same view as backing up your camper on a lakefront and enjoying the sunset.

[tnchuck100]

It ain't the cost. From the DW's point of view it is a simple matter of she "KNOWS WHO SLEPT ON THE SHEETS LAST"

[Crabman]

I have not done the math on my situation, probably better off not knowing. But we just like to camp, that`s all that matters.

[boatbuilder]

I too have often thought of the expense of camping versus staying in motels and eating in restaurants. Being a camper for years, I tried to talk my father into buying a pick up truck and a fifth wheeler after he retired. He was not a camper. He said that what he would spend for a pick up and fifth wheel trailer he could stay in some pretty nice motels. " Father always knows best" as they say, because now I agree with him. Personally, what I have done all these years of traveling and camping is buy small trailers that I can afford and pulling it with whatever tow vehicle I happen to have. Of course I have always had large autos or vans with v-8 engines, so I think I am ahead of the game. Now I'm retired and old, but when I think back when I would take vacations with a wife and four children with a small trailer, I know I'm ahead of the game. Especially when I figure what it would have cost to stay in motels with four children, plus feed them.

But regardless of cost, I say if we enjoy ourselves camping, do it!

[Shootnut]

I like to look at the cost per trip. Taking the cost of the Rv out of the equation. It's a lot cheaper to camp. We go fishing for a week in June. Used to stay in hotels with 4 people per room and wasting out we average $150 per person. now we drag our trailers up there and average $50 per person.

[Shootnut]

Wasting = eating. Oops

[David472]

If you think you can get a hotel style vacation for $100 per night, then dream on. For the few times we did a hotel vacation, the cost was $500 per night for the two of us. Besides, I hate hotels. Much more comfortable in a CG.

[clubhouse]

Originally Posted by David472

If you think you can get a hotel style vacation for $100 per night, then dream on. For the few times we did a hotel vacation, the cost was $500 per night for the two of us. Besides, I hate hotels. Much more comfortable in a CG.

Unfortunately I know exactly what hotel costs are...I travel for work on average 50 nights a year. Probably why I prefer my TT, that and I don't have to fly with my TT.

DW on the other hand still wants the "resort vacation" so when buying the TT I made a deal that we will still take a week vacation once a year to a destination of her choice. Christmas 2012 we spent a week at Disney World. Stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Villas, 2 bedroom villa was $140/night. Summer 2011 week in Maui...Westin Kanapalli Villas, 1 bedroom villa was $1000 for 6 nights. These are some extremely nice resorts and are available for far less than $500/ night, and each had a full kitchen so we were able to avoid 3 meals out per day.

My point is why does camping gets billed as a budget vacation option? Maybe in tents, but once you enter the world of RVs those economics go out the window.

[Swingrrr]

We have a six year old daughter so we'll do 2 weeks per year in a hotel. For example, one week at disneyworld, one week Disney cruise ship. But my favorite vacations are the dozens of overnight weekend trips at the various RV parks within a 200 mile radius here in Puget Sound. Hiking, biking, kayaking, heated swimming pools, kids playgrounds on site with other kids our daughter can play with, campfires, bike riding on pavement within the campground. Kids love that stuff so it works out well. 40 bucks a night, 65 channels on cable tv, etc... Very kid friendly.

[Soulman]

I've not run the numbers and I probably won't. Camping may or not be cheaper, but what matters is, I like camping and, as my wife says, "We're sleeping in our own dirt"! Plus you meet some of the nicest people while camping!

[Boubou]

For us, it's not about saving money, we had to buy a truck, then an RV (which wasn't a good layout for us), then a small 5th wheel. All is good now, the doggies get to travel with us, we all get to relax more... I was the kind of person watching the clock and God forbid we'd still be in the hitel room at 10 am! Now, I don't care, we sit outside, drink our coffee, check jayco forum and relax.
Also, the hotel rooms were at least 150-190 per night, food in restaurants about 80 per day, 50 dollars a day for doggy sitter.

[Denise]

Wow! Really comes down to what you are looking for when buying a new/used rv!!! Hope this helps....

This is our experience: (fyi... we have always saved and buy with cash... so this doesn't include interest rate comparisons)


LOL Now I’m having to stop and think… Haven’t had to do the math in a few years… We started ‘investing’ years ago, so we are now benefiting in the long term.

Starting and only quoting 1991 mind you…. Camping for three years to travel the US… (5 weeks each summer)

$800 -(Used - not new) Campground Membership (still own)
-$120 (frozen lifetime per year) with free camping one week at a time and one week out
--$30 reciprocal c/g member ship annual fee…
---…$2 a night to camp across the states (reciprocal agreement)



Camping -Based on the above for those *THREE five week SUMMERS:
$800 Initial
$360 annual fee’s
$90 reciprocal national cg fee’s
$210 nightly fee’s----------
*$1460 total accomodations over three summers


Hotel – based on those same three summers
Now, if we were to stay at hotels for the same amount of days (still we are talking just accommodations, not gas, food, etc)
Average price to stay at hotel for just the cheap basic hotel back then was about $35 per night.
--------
$3675 if used cheapest hotels for three summers


This membership paid itself off the first year we had it as we made it a goal to Travel the entire “Lower 48” with our kids… which we did during their three middle school summers (that was a win-win! And well worth saving our vacation days for).



LOL… probably more math I could do, but at the moment don’t have the time....
Otherwise, we are using memberships for local camping as well as (now)$10 a night when we travel (like now)…. And yes we do NP, CoE’s, etc and pay regular fee’s

But! this is just another way that we can see America and mix with the locals, stay in our own bed, and not spend huge amounts of time and $$ looking for places to eat. 

Boils down to (bunches of things actually) how much time do you want to camp/stay? Where do you want to go? How much time do you want to spend on the road? What experiences do you want to have along the way? Will you be doing this just once or twice, several times a year? will this be a traveling life style for you? and ???? LOL Sooooooooooo many considerations!

[Flyrotor]

Originally Posted by clubhouse

Our TT cost ~$19k out the door.
Storage $35/month
Average Campsite ~$40/night.

Taking my family to experience the great outdoors, without having to rely on Ipods, cellphones, computers and television? PRICELESS

[norty1]

We spend 100+ nights a year in our rig. If we did not rv we would not travel 1/3 of that or less. It's also about the lifestyle we have chosen. No storage costs involved.

For all the reasons listed: We like to take our pet, I like to know who slept in my bed the night before me. It costs us no more to eat on the road than in the rv. We save money on our at home costs when we travel. Water, power, etc.

[exjay1]

Buy a older TT that's been well taken care of at a great price. Might start seeing some savings after a few years but depends all on how much you use it. I don't think I would ever finace one nor buy new.

[LongIslandCamper]

Our situation is probably a little different. We do the vast majority of our camping at a beach about 15 miles away. We will still commute while camping and are planning on about 70 nights this year. We've got water, electric, sewer and ocean views for about $25/night.

The total cost for those 70 nights and 12 months of TT payments comes to be about $4,400. That works out to be about $62/night. How can you go wrong? I know if we didn't have the TT then we really wouldn't be taking a vacation.

[David472]

Originally Posted by clubhouse

Unfortunately I know exactly what hotel costs are...I travel for work on average 50 nights a year. Probably why I prefer my TT, that and I don't have to fly with my TT.

DW on the other hand still wants the "resort vacation" so when buying the TT I made a deal that we will still take a week vacation once a year to a destination of her choice. Christmas 2012 we spent a week at Disney World. Stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Villas, 2 bedroom villa was $140/night. Summer 2011 week in Maui...Westin Kanapalli Villas, 1 bedroom villa was $1000 for 6 nights. These are some extremely nice resorts and are available for far less than $500/ night, and each had a full kitchen so we were able to avoid 3 meals out per day.

My point is why does camping gets billed as a budget vacation option? Maybe in tents, but once you enter the world of RVs those economics go out the window.

You may know prices you have experienced in USA, but you don't know prices in Canada.
The cheapest one week resort vacation for 2 in the Caribbean costs $3,500.
A week in Disney World Mid-level resort costs $5,500.