Money pit?

[Cincinnati Kid]

We're getting ready for a 2.5 month trip. Florida= Expensive. RV repairs, mods, and upkeep = expensive. Gas= Crazy Expensive. But we still love it. Just can't wait to get on the road again.

[Tunce the traveler]

Cost us about $2200 - $2500 a month on the road and we never look back.
All the states that you’ve filled in over the years sounds like your not spending much time thinking about it either.

[Cincinnati Kid]

Originally Posted by Tunce the traveler

Cost us about $2200 - $2500 a month on the road and we never look back.
All the states that you’ve filled in over the years sounds like your not spending much time thinking about it either.

We don't add it up. Too scary. $2000 is about a week and a half in the Keys, though, if you don't count fuel. But we are starting to think we need to start doing monthly stays or even camp hosting to save money after we knock out all 48. We won't be able to carry on this way forever.

Those states are all since we got our 5th wheel in 2019. We're rookies at camping. Our motto "We don't go too fast, but we go pretty far".

[Thomson]

We know what you mean. DW hates hotel rooms. We have crossed the country four times. I'd rather be on the road than flying. My last flight involved my getting up to go to the bathroom after the seat belt light was extinguished. Just as I was opening the door I was knocked down by another passenger right in front of a low life flight attendant who turned and walked away. I am cripple and she couldn't help me get up. Another passenger helped me to my feet and I waited for a potty. Finally one opened and I went into the potty. Now I had food poisoning so I had,a sense of urgency and felt wonderful that the problem was taken care of. The the seat belt light came on and the flight attendant pounded on the door to return to my seat. I said I was seated and when I was done I would come out. More pounds, more demands and I stayed. After the emergency was over I returned to my seat, where in line I was admonished by five women for not following orders. I asked why they didn't help me when I was knocked over. They said I was terrible and would face charges when we landed. That apparently was an idle threat. However that was my last flight.

[Cincinnati Kid]

Originally Posted by Thomson

We know what you mean. DW hates hotel rooms. We have crossed the country four times. I'd rather be on the road than flying. My last flight involved my getting up to go to the bathroom after the seat belt light was extinguished. Just as I was opening the door I was knocked down by another passenger right in front of a low life flight attendant who turned and walked away. I am cripple and she couldn't help me get up. Another passenger helped me to my feet and I waited for a potty. Finally one opened and I went into the potty. Now I had food poisoning so I had,a sense of urgency and felt wonderful that the problem was taken care of. The the seat belt light came on and the flight attendant pounded on the door to return to my seat. I said I was seated and when I was done I would come out. More pounds, more demands and I stayed. After the emergency was over I returned to my seat, where in line I was admonished by five women for not following orders. I asked why they didn't help me when I was knocked over. They said I was terrible and would face charges when we landed. That apparently was an idle threat. However that was my last flight.

We haven't had anything like that happen, but we used to travel by air. That became too much hassle after 9/11, so we started taking car/hotel trips. Got a new RV and truck after neither of us ever towing or camping in an rv even one day. Big gamble, but we love this type of travel. Just stopping anywhere for lunch and having an entire kitchen and dining room is a real luxury. Especially during lockdowns.

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by Cincinnati Kid

We don't add it up. Too scary. $2000 is about a week and a half in the Keys, though, if you don't count fuel. But we are starting to think we need to start doing monthly stays or even camp hosting to save money after we knock out all 48. We won't be able to carry on this way forever.

Those states are all since we got our 5th wheel in 2019. We're rookies at camping. Our motto "We don't go too fast, but we go pretty far".

I think if I added it up first I wouldn’t go! We have found several RV parks where the rates change the longer you stay & even stay 7 days and get one free. Camp hosting is a fantastic deal and quite enjoyable and it cuts your expenses down considerably, it’s like vacationing for free.

[TaftCoach]

We're moving more and more to boondocking on longer summer trips.

[TxLoser]

I’m in hotels and traveling on airlines every week I go to work. I’m so over airline travel. Some are nice(hotels), but like many here, I just prefer to be traveling on roads.

It’s overall not practical, cost more, takes longer, in many cases more hassle… did I mention cost more? I try not to add it up too. Only thing better would be multiples of homes in a few choice states plus one in Cabo. Fly private to these destinations. My vehicles I keep in said states are brought plane side when I land so I can drive myself to these homes. Never happen in this life…. My RV’ng seems cheap now in comparison.

[gypsmjim]

I was a road warrior for 45 years. My job required it. I often worked 24 / 7 / 365 and needed to be close to a phone when I wasn't on the road.

I simply HATE driving. I always flew, rented a car and went to a hotel. Did I say 45 years?

The comments here seem to me to be outrageous. Never in 45 years did I ever receive such treatment.

Now retired, we fly, take cruises, etc. Same respectable treatment.

I just dunno...

[Thomson]

I said what I hate about flying. Now we bought a Jayco with over 60 things wrong with it. OK, we fought with Jayco and after 2 years of sitting at the dealer DW hates it. The fireplace just blew up. We are in Quartzsite, just joined the yacht club, had a great Thanksgiving dinner at the Mountain Quail, and are going shopping for memorabilia tomorrow. We are looking forward to a day trip to Lake Havasu to have a bloody Mary at the Copper Still distillery. Maybe even doing some fishing. Today we fixed a couple of things. So there are problems, but I've never been beat up RVing, made good friends, learned things from others, and enjoyed the travel. In the past 10 years I have over 150K on the odometer. So ups are more than the downs. Lastly we have no bedbugs, don't have to unpack, and see what we want on our lack of schedule. I still won't change this mode of travel.
BTW, we travel with a standard poodle, a cat, and 2 macaws. Try to do that on a plane or in hotels. If you look at my tire cover the macaws are there.

[Marine71-76]

We returned from SW Missouri. On the trip out, diesel was $3.29. However, on the way back, diesel was $4.05. Unfortunately, the stations that had fuel "cheaper" we couldn't fit in unless we unhooked the 5ver. We did luck out - the camping was free for the 3 weeks we were there.

We are supposed to take a road trip next year when our friend's DW retires. May have to rethink.

DW absolutely hates to fly now to the point she has panic attacks just waiting to board the plane.

[Cincinnati Kid]

I don't know how to describe how much we enjoy traveling this way. Over the years, we've done Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. This is by far the best way to go.
But it's expensive.
First, we spent $100k on a truck and trailer. Then a nonstop list of other stuff we need to rv. Repairs, camping fees, FUEL, more repairs, tires, more repairs, and on and on.
We've looked at Time Shares in the past. We left the presentations thinking "Who would dish out all this money up front before you ever book the first trip?" .......and then we dumped a $100k on this rv. lol

Looking through some pictures today for one we took in 2020 at Bob Dole's boyhood home in Russell Kansas. Just one of the thousands of memories we've had since we began RV'ing 2.5 years ago. Headed out in 2 weeks. Can't wait. Hope I can patch it together in time to leave. Today I try to get the brakes to work right....... again.

[Jacjayco]

I would rather fly anywhere more than a couple hundred miles away.
I hate to drive more than a few hours. Except when we are towing our TT. Funny how a mundane chore becomes our next adventure!

[spoon059]

Yes. Doing things costs money.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by gypsmjim

I was a road warrior for 45 years. My job required it.

I flew every week for almost two years. But that was before TSA, before 9/11. That was when I could leave for the airport 30 mins before the departure time.


Drive to DFW Airport, park my car in the garage -- directly across from my gate. Walk thru the terminal, and right onto the plane with five minutes to spare.




These days, it's a three hour lead time.
There's no way, I'd ever fly weekly again.


I'll work at Starbucks, instead.

[gypsmjim]

Originally Posted by pconroy

I'll work at Starbucks, instead.

Hahahaha. Maybe you'd better re-think that. My local Starbucks just voted to unionize. First one in the nation. I'm sure many more to follow.

[dlewand53]

We are in FL for 4 months. Expensive , yep. But loving it especially after they got 12 inches of snow back home❤️��

[Johnynorthland]

We were thinking of selling and sideline for a year or 2, but reading this makes me think how much we hate to fly. My pet peeve is the gate at the jetway, trying to board, you know when they start calling sections to load, every freaking time, people jump up and block the gate loading area! It’s so annoying! Like they’re not getting on the plane! HELLO PEOPLE, you have an assigned seat!

6 years RVing + 6 months full time + seeing over 30 states =$ Who cares! YOLO!

[joe w]

Now in the planning stages for a 7 week trip out west starting mid-March. Fuel costs are gonna cut into my beer budget! Lol We'll stay at military bases if not too far from our planned destinations. San Antonio has two, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah all have military Fam Camps as well.

[RPR]

We think of the cost as a investment in enjoying our good health, our time together while we can and the places we have been. The rewards out match the cost.