Cost of RV vs hotels and B&Bs

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo ...much to the delight of DW.

How many times you had to be towed out?

[Moemg]

I would not mind an RV for say a trip across the country . I think it would be fun and enjoyable . We rented a house boat once in the Everglades and it was a nice relaxing vacation until we almost drifted to Mexico . I'm just not sure We would use the RV enough to offset the purchase price but I do like staying in Condos were you can prepare some meals and have more room . I'm not a great cook but I'm certaintly better than a lot of restaurants and the thought of constantly looking for nice hotels and restaurants I would find tiring on a long trip .

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound How many times you had to be towed out?

Not yet...

[NW-Bound]

Well, it won't happen with your class A, now that you have to stay on asphalt.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Well, it won't happen with your class A, now that you have to stay on asphalt.

Nope. I looked at my records and less than 15% of our stays have been on asphalt or concrete. That said, sand and mud are no-no's.

[NW-Bound]

I am impressed! Aren't you going to post pictures or blogs for others to learn from your experience?

[REWahoo]

No need for me to spew any additional drivel on the internets. A majority of camping sites are gravel or grass - nothing exceptional about my RV experience.

[NW-Bound]

Oh gee! No heroic boondocking... Sorry I misunderstood. I hereby retract my admiration.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire Different strokes for different folks, but it does seem like RV'ing is a bit more popular with the married men here than it is with the single men, perhaps?

Ain't no way I am letting that sexist remark one go. How about those of us married men that do the cooking and the cleaning? I cook all the meals on the road and clean the camper before the next trip.

For OP, it depends. When we go away for a 3 or 4 day weekend and don't drive too far, I figure it costs us something like $100 for the four of us (plus 2 dogs) to go. Where can you take a family of 4 for $100 for a long weekend these days? OTOH, if you drive a lot in a short time, it will be expensive.

[Orchidflower]

The only advantage I see in RVing is the camaraderie with other RVers, but I swim with a guy who RV'd with his wife for 6 straight years 365 days a year. He said it was pretty break-even costwise between his RV and motel/restaurant tripping, so give me the motel/restaurant where others do the work for me then. I'll make friends elsewhere and skip the camaraderie I guess.
The biggest negative I gathered from this fellow was that the RV's seem to break-down or need major repairs once a year. He gave me the impression it wasn't cheap to keep the RV up, plus all the other costs associated with RVing adds up.

[NW-Bound]

In reading blogs, I have found that some of them use RVs in order to stay in places where there are no restaurants. They are into nature big time. The question I am asking myself is how much "nature" I can enjoy. I do not have an answer yet, still living vicariously through their blogs and finding it very interesting.

[Moemg]

It is just another way to vacation . I camped when my children were small and it was fun . I've also rented condos ,I've rented RV's ,I 've rented houses , I've rented houseboats , cruised ,went on a historical schooner ( that went aground and we were rescued by the coast guard ),stayed at B&B's , stayed at top notch hotels ,stayed at Club Med , stayed at all inclusive hotels , stayed at boutique hotels and occasionally stayed at Days INN . They are all part of the travel experience and except for Days Inn I enjoyed all of them .

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg It is just another way to vacation . I camped when my children were small and it was fun.

Just a way to vacation, M'am? Have you traveled and camped the T-Al way?

Same as with camping, there are different levels of RV'ing, and I am still learning by reading. Cheap armchair adventures for an ER.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Just a way to vacation, M'am? Have you traveled and camped the T-Al way? Same as with camping, there are different levels of RV'ing, and I am still learning by reading. Cheap armchair adventures for an ER.

I have to say NO but I think T AL is lucky to have such a great wife . Maybe when I was twenty that would appeal to me but not now.

[WhoDaresWins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg It is just another way to vacation . I camped when my children were small and it was fun . I've also rented condos ,I 've rented houses , I've rented houseboats , cruised ,went on a historical schooner ( that went aground and we were rescued by the coast guard ),stayed at B&B's , stayed at top notch hotels ,stayed at Club Med , stayed at all inclusive hotels , stayed at boutique hotels and occasionally stayed at Days INN . They are all part of the travel experience and except for Days Inn I enjoyed all of them .

Yes, good to have variety and try different things. I like to rent a condo or stay at a suite hotel as it is nice to have a small kitchen and also a sitting room. I also enjoy small educational trips. I was so happy when I turned 55 as I can avail myself of Elderhostel. The RV sounds appealing except I couldn't manage the upkeep. I am fortunate in that I have family in good vacation destinations: London, New York City, Cape Cod, San Francisco, Hawaii.

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Well, in our few years as RVers, we've spent long weekends on the beach, state parks which were beyond description in terms of scenery, hiking, birding, outside of great cities like St. Augustine, Charleston, and Asheville, explored tidal basins in Florida's nature coast for anywhere between $20 and $40 per night. Even got to visit our friends Sarah in Charleston (brought our dog along that trip), and Moemg in Siesta Key. FWIW (not much) I do about half the cooking when we RV.

I think we'll try the Keys this fall - that should be a little more expensive, at $40-$50 per night in Marathon. Or maybe Destin's breathtaking Topsail park. Might try a night or two in this new park in the Everglades we heard about. Probably a nice long trip late this year to see the kids where, after a few nights staying at their home, we'll move out to our RV in a nice campground so we are not in their way yet can stay on a while.

You get to bring whatever you want both food and stuff (I'll throw in both sets of clubs just in case), and you can even go out to eat (just when you want to, unlike a hotel vacation) . We've met 2 or 3 couples we've hung out with, which is fun.

So, RVing is definitely not for everyone and all in it's usually not a money saver, to say the least. But it has provided use with a great deal of pleasure, often on trips we never would have taken otherwise. We'll take other kinds of vacations once in a while, too.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins I am fortunate in that I have family in good vacation destinations: London, New York City, Cape Cod, San Francisco, Hawaii.

Wow , can we trade ? I have family in Lakewood , NY , Wilkes -Barre , Pa and Weeki Wachee , Fl ..

[WhoDaresWins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg Wow , can we trade ? I have family in Lakewood , NY , Wilkes -Barre , Pa and Weeki Wachee , Fl ..

I'll be glad to give you my sister in L.A.(you notice I left her off the list). I am staying in a B & B when I visit her for 4 days in the fall. I haven't been to see her since the early 90's but she comes out to see me about every 3 for 4 years....except she stays with me for two weeks. I drink a lot then.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggy29 It would be a shame to pay that much money and then decide you don't really like that mode of travel all that much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa ... but overall you can not really make a case for RVing as a frugal strategy. Either you enjoy it for its many advantages and are willing to pay for them, or stick with traditional travel plans if long-term cost is your concern.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflower ... the RV's seem to break-down or need major repairs once a year. He gave me the impression it wasn't cheap to keep the RV up, plus all the other costs associated with RVing adds up.

I guess this accounts for the large, liquid, robust, and fast-moving market in used RVs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound In reading blogs, I have found that some of them use RVs in order to stay in places where there are no restaurants. They are into nature big time. The question I am asking myself is how much "nature" I can enjoy. I do not have an answer yet, still living vicariously through their blogs and finding it very interesting.

If I wanted to get "back to nature" then I think I'd use a backpack and and a good pair of hiking boots. Getting "back to nature" with a 40-foot Class A RV seems like going "sailing" in a submarine...

Best use I ever saw for an RV was at my nephew's West Point graduation. We spent most of the week waiting in line at various locations on the campus and in the bustling greater metropolitan area of Highland Falls. (As Fuego says, this is sarcasm.) One of the worst lines was at the security gates and the 30-minute drive to the hotel (each way) wasn't much fun either.

A few days later, in a quiet corner of the campus down by the Hudson River, we discovered a parking lot full of RVers. I think they were boondocking (of course the Hudson River was only the length of a sewage hose away) but they weren't standing in line for food, drinks, or beds!

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg I have to say NO but I think T AL is lucky to have such a great wife . Maybe when I was twenty that would appeal to me but not now.

Well, T-Al is nowhere in sight to speak for himself, but perhaps this keeps them young. I am a few years younger than T-Al, and look MUCH younger (you will have to trust me on this as I have posted no photos), but I most likely feel way older than he does, both physically and mentally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords If I wanted to get "back to nature" then I think I'd use a backpack and and a good pair of hiking boots. Getting "back to nature" with a 40-foot Class A RV seems like going "sailing" in a submarine...

Eh, talk about ruffling some feathers!

No, I don't even have backpacks and hiking boots. But I was talking about something much smaller (and cheaper!) than a class A, in order to get as close to nature as I can. It may not be much compared to the young kids who hike and camp out in the forest, but a guy's got to know his limits.