How does RVing affect your budget?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boaski I believe corps of engineer parks if your over 65 are like 20.00.

Even better than $20! I'm staying at two different CoE parks later this month for $13/night. (62 or over with a Golden Age pass provides a 50% discount.)

[RonBoyd]

Our last "high cost" trip was a year ago when we took two 17-year old girls with us to California towing a pop-up trailer. (We had a break-in in Vallejo and had to replace a window and we had two flat tires -- the first ever and blame it on the girls overloading the vehicle <chuckle>) This is the breakdown of expenses:

Travel Expenses Report
07/28/2015 - 08/15/2015

Cultural Events

08/02/2015 Forestiere Underground Garden 40.00
08/02/2015 Fresno Chaffee Zoo 17.00
08/04/2015 San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Tour 139.96
08/05/2015 Six Flags - Vallejo CA 138.34
08/06/2015 Blue & Gold Fleet - San Francisco - Ferry Boat 53.60
08/11/2015 San Diego Zoo (KOA at San Diego Metro) 184.99

Cultural Events - TOTAL $ 573.89

Gasoline

07/28/2015 Stateline Station - Beulah WY 64.29
07/28/2015 Flying J - Gillette WY 19.26
07/29/2015 Flying J - Rock Springs WY 37.25
07/29/2015 Flying J - Casper WY 33.70
07/30/2015 Pilot - Carlin NV 47.83
07/31/2015 Flying J - Lake Point UT 54.02
07/31/2015 Flying J - Fernley NV 53.35
07/31/2015 Sierra Station - Jamestown CA 45.38
07/31/2015 Sierra Station - Jamestown CA 19.37
08/02/2015 Snappy Foods - Fresno CA 76.42
08/05/2015 Flying J - Lodi CA 54.07
08/08/2015 Gomez Gasoline - Watsonville CA 82.57
08/08/2015 Chevron - Paso Robles CA 65.66
08/10/2015 El Segundo Chevron - El Segundo CA 93.79
08/13/2015 Golden Acorn Travel Center - Campo CA 75.00
08/13/2015 Shell - Chino Valley AZ 67.62
08/13/2015 Giant - Yuma AZ 36.92
08/14/2015 Chevron - Kaventa AZ 56.95
08/15/2015 Pilot - Grand Junction CO 59.27

Gasoline - TOTAL $ 1,042.72

Hotel

07/28/2015 Green Tree's Crazy Woman Campground - Gillette WY 41.00
07/29/2015 KOA at Salt Lake City UT 49.65
07/31/2015 KOA at Yosemite/Mariposa CA 62.55
07/31/2015 KOA at Yosemite/Mariposa CA 62.55
08/02/2015 Merced River Resort - Delhi CA 31.50
08/03/2015 Dockweiler RV Park - Playa del Mar CA 75.00
08/05/2015 Tradewinds RV Park - Vallejo CA 70.00
08/07/2015 Betabel RV Park - San Juan Bautista CA 43.74
08/08/2015 Californian RV Resort - Acton CA 21.00
08/10/2015 Dockweiler RV Park - Playa del Mar CA 60.00
08/11/2015 KOA at San Diego Metro - San Diego CA (Actual cost $134.64) 84.64
08/13/2015 Grand Canyon Railway RV Park - Williams AZ 55.13
08/14/2015 Blue Mountain RV Park - Blanding UT 48.72
08/15/2015 KOA at Silt/Colorado River CO (Actual Cost - $46.28) 21.28

Hotel - TOTAL $ 726.76

Meals

07/28/2015 Old Chicago - Gillette WY 127.89
07/28/2015 Walmart - Gillette WY 13.96
07/29/2015 KOA at Salt Lake City UT 2.98
07/30/2015 The Wok - Fallon NV 170.83
07/30/2015 Walmart - Fallon NV 29.46
08/05/2015 Walmart - Suisun City CA 33.15
08/05/2015 Subway - Vallejo CA 29.10
08/06/2015 Hard Rock Cafe - San Francisco CA 124.99
08/06/2015 Waffle Cone Shop - Ice Cream 24.00
08/06/2015 Gas and Shop - Ice 2.60
08/06/2015 Chowders - Coffee 2.18
08/07/2015 Safeway - Santa Cruz CA 33.48
08/10/2015 KFC - Torrance CA 45.22
08/10/2015 Walmart - Torrance CA 28.96
08/12/2015 San Diego Zoo - Safari Kitchen 72.88
08/14/2015 Clark's Market - Williams AZ 11.81
08/15/2015 Walmart - Rifle CO 11.97

Meals - TOTAL $ 765.46

Other
08/07/2015 High Speed Auto Glass - Vallejo CA 250.00
08/13/2015 C & S Tires - Bouse AZ - Roadside Service 71.50
08/15/2015 Chips Grand Tire Co. - Moab UT 62.55

Other - TOTAL $ 384.05

Parking
08/05/2015 Six Flags - Vallejo CA - Parking 25.00
08/06/2015 City of Vallejo - Parking 5.00

Parking - TOTAL $ 30.00

Toll Roads
08/07/2015 San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge 15.00

Toll Roads - TOTAL $ 15.00

Travel - TOTAL $ 3,537.88

[Bamaman]

We're leaving tomorrow for our fifth wheel trailer in the North Georgia Mountains--where it's stored.

Cost: $30 to move our trailer on a campsite and back to storage.
$60 gasoline to drive there.
Food is a fixed expense--same price whether there or at home.

That's it. The yearly dues at the campground are $410, and we can stay for 14 days for free. We feel very fortunate to have our RV and this place to go to even if it's 300 miles each way.

[38Chevy454]

I view the RV as travel and vacation expense, rather than alternative to house expenses. As several have said, you might save a small amount on utilities at home by not being there. Now if you have no "sticks and bricks" permanent home (as the full time RVers call it), then you can have some pretty low costs of living expenses.

For me the RV allows me to go places and do things that I can't do with hotels and restaurants. I typically stay in state parks or similar, sometimes boondocking for free, and overnight in truck stops or Wal-Mart type places when on the road.

Only eat out when traveling on the road for convenience, other wise the grill is fired up and something good cooking when camped. Cold beer always available in the frig. Camping location scenery beats most any hotel. It's more of a lifestyle choice than a money saving choice.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38Chevy454 I view the RV as travel and vacation expense, rather than alternative to house expenses. As several have said, you might save a small amount on utilities at home by not being there. Now if you have no "sticks and bricks" permanent home (as the full time RVers call it), then you can have some pretty low costs of living expenses. For me the RV allows me to go places and do things that I can't do with hotels and restaurants. I typically stay in state parks or similar, sometimes boondocking for free, and overnight in truck stops or Wal-Mart type places when on the road. Only eat out when traveling on the road for convenience, other wise the grill is fired up and something good cooking when camped. Cold beer always available in the frig. Camping location scenery beats most any hotel. It's more of a lifestyle choice than a money saving choice.

^ What he said.

Plus there is the added benefit of knowing who slept in your bed last night.

[Teacher Terry]

When we bought ours used 9 years ago the gas prices were much lower. Shortly after they went up a lot. I just assumed that RV sites were cheap but never checked. Anyways since we have only 17k invested in it and could sell for 8k it is not a huge loss. I also never thought that some places would have a 2 dog limit. We take the $ out of our travel budget but I have decided that when I want to visit somewhere we will not take it-too expensive for the experience. However, if we want to hike, etc with friends we can take it within a hour or 2 drive and stay at public campground which is cheap. It just turned out different then I anticipated.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry I also never thought that some places would have a 2 dog limit.

Some RV parks only take (the equivalent of) 'barking cats'......traveling with a 70lb Border we had a couple places say he was 'too big'.

[Vireo]

We have a 20 foot travel trailer. Prior to this summer we have made 1 week or shorter trips with it. We did a six week trip from Florida to the mid coast of Maine and back in June-July. 2016. We spent about $4000. Staying in private Campgrounds. Highest was $ 70 for a KOA in NY to $18 at a racetrack while traveling up and back. We planted it for 1 month at a campground with a nice river view in Maine at $40 day. We cooked our own meals while traveling. We ate out a lot in Maine, the seafood was too tempting! We would not have been able spend as much time in Maine without the RV with the cheapest hotels at $200 per night. We also wouldn't have been able to bring our 2 little dogs. On the other hand, we had to deal with equipment failures including a flat tire and electrical issues. We also broke a couple things ourselves! It is also much more work than your typical tour or cruise. Lots of packing and making sure you don't overload. Also driving and setting up in the rain is wearisome. Overall we enjoyed it but don't really want to do another long trip in it again. A nice river cruise in Europe is the goal for 2017.



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[Fermion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry We did not stay in any parks in KS-parked on friend's property, and in TX only 1 or 2 nights and then again used friends. So prices were mostly in the other states. One issue we have is that we have 4 dogs ( 1-big and 3 tiny at 5lbs). Many places have a 2 dog rule. We bought the RV because of the dogs. So sometimes if I call they make an exception and other times no. So that limits some of the places we can stay.

How much does it cost to take the 4 dogs on a two week cruise ship? That has to be expensive!

[UtahSkier]

Dw and I purchased a 10 yr old class A rv last year. I budget $2500 per month plus $1000 per month depreciation. This expense includes repairs, upgrades, fuel, camping fees, and activities. We have a home and use the rv for 5 months each year.

The rv. Life style is expensive l but it allows for a greater variety of activities while traveling.

[Teacher Terry]

Thank you utahskier for saying that it can be expensive. Mainly I have just been sharing info that I wish I had known before buying one. It also depends on what kind of trips you want to do. At 62 I am into a little more luxury. The less hassle the better.

[Fermion]

It can be expensive but I see people comparing apples to oranges.

I paid $65 a night to park our RV next to Disney in California but we paid $600 a night to stay in the park at the Disney hotel in Paris. Almost 10x as much to stay in a hotel as an RV!

[emerytura]

We have Ram Promaster Cargo Van converted into Class B RV. My DH purchased new empty Van and did entire conversion himself. Total cost $37,000. It was one of his dream projects, and it is everything I ever dreamed to have. We love our small hotel on wheels. We usually stay at State Parks, and National Parks for very small camping fee. We only go to RV parks if there is no other option in the area. The biggest cost is fuel, entrance fees to museums, parks, concerts or eating at restaurants. However Most of our meals are done at the campsites, and cost is the same as at home. Class B RV is very convenient for us. It is easy to get around the cities, it fits on regular parking space. Whenever we are on one month or longer trip we take brake from our small space, and occasionally check in to nice hotel for one or two nights. Twice while on vacation in Florida we took cruise to Bahamas for few days. This added to the cost, but cruises from Florida are much cheaper than from NJ. This is a perfect way to travel for us, since we love to do siteseeing, biking, hiking, and we like to move around. We stay at multiple locations during our trips, never longer than one week at one park. To summarise, The biggest expense is to buy RV, the rest is all up to the individual. It can be done on minimal budget but you can also spend a lot. All depends on what you enjoy doing when travel.

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carpediem My wife and I are considering purchasing a class C RV in retirement and taking a few driving trips each year. For those of you who currently do something similar, how do the trips affect your monthly budget/spending? I realize we'll be spending more on gas but what about other items such as groceries, eating out, etc.? And what about the cost of utilities at your stick house? Do they go down much while you're on the road?

The difference in the cost of groceries needed to stock the RV vs. home, savings on utilities at home while traveling, etc., are all small potatoes. Look at these things:

Depreciation on the RV. Can be significant, especially if you buy new.

Maintenance and repairs on the RV. Can be significant if you don't have the skills to DIY repairs or need tires, batteries, bearings, brakes, etc.

Plates and insurance for the RV.

Fuel.

Nightly camping fees.

In our case, we own a third vehicle to tow with since we don't care for the pick-up as a daily driver here in the city. So...... add depreciation, plates, insurance for that too.

DW and I are campers more than RVers, so motels/resorts/hotels are not an option for us. It wouldn't be the same thing. Even with a modest rig and tow vehicle, we spend significantly poking around the country each year. It's what we want to do. We like it. It's worth it, but it's not cheap.

[Teacher Terry]

We found the national parks to be as or more expensive then a private rv park. However, we have decided to sell it in spring and do more luxury travel. We have not used it much in 9 years but at least it was not too painful a financial experience since we bought it used for not that much $. Ours is terrible on gas but a smaller one would need less fuel.

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry We found the national parks to be as or more expensive then a private rv park.

Do either you or DH have the Fed issued discount card, I think it's called "Golden Age" to get 50% off? It makes National Parks, COE parks, Forest Service parks and some others really a bargain.

Quote:

However, we have decided to sell it in spring and do more luxury travel.

If by "luxury" travel you mean flying first class, 4 and 5 star hotels and restaurants, top tier suites on cruises, private guides, etc., you'll no doubt be spending a LOT more...... And, as long as you've got it, I say go for it! Everyone needs to do what turns them on (and they can afford). Whether you prefer high tier RV travel (a million dollar diesel Class A towing a Bentley) or camping out of a canoe or back packing, vs traveling in a compact car and staying in economy motels or hostels or the "five star - luxury suite" route, it's all fun as long as you're doing what you want to do!

[Teacher Terry]

No we fly coach, get a ocean view room on cruises, etc. Middle of the road travels so we can do more of it. When we car travel we get deals on motels/hotels, etc. The last trip we did not qualify for the senior discount for national parks, etc but I do now as i have turned 62.

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry No we fly coach, get a ocean view room on cruises, etc. Middle of the road travels so we can do more of it. When we car travel we get deals on motels/hotels, etc. The last trip we did not qualify for the senior discount for national parks, etc but I do now as i have turned 62.

OK. You said "luxury" so I thought you meant giving up the Class C and going first class with other travel styles.

In any case, you've tried a style of RVing and are unhappy with it. So, time to switch to something that suits you better. Go for it!

[Teacher Terry]

Our RV is used from 1993 but the other 2 owners much like us barely used it. The inside looks like new. I am glad we did not spend a ton of $ on it. We paid 14k and put 3k into it. We can probably sell for 7-8k. Cruises, nice motels, etc feel like luxury to me compared to the RV. We are comfortable but not rich. I really thought that we would love the RV lifestyle but I also thought it would be cheaper then other forms of travel. What I found is that is was a lot of work and for the amount of $ we were spending it was a month in a RV or a 2 week cruise or another vacation. I did enjoy seeing the national parks last year and going to see friends/family all over the country. I suggest to people that they rent one first to see if they will enjoy it before buying one.

[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry I really thought that we would love the RV lifestyle but I also thought it would be cheaper then other forms of travel. What I found is that is was a lot of work and for the amount of $ we were spending it was a month in a RV or a 2 week cruise or another vacation. I did enjoy seeing the national parks last year and going to see friends/family all over the country.

We have, over the years, been on about 15 cruises -- the last (2009) being on a Caribbean, Panama, Costa Rica one. The problem I have always had was that you spend your time with 1,000-1,500 of your closest friends. The intimacy and slow pace of RVing is more to my liking. Now having said that, I would seriously consider those cruises that are on the small size, like https://www.uncruise.com/. The issue I have is, of course, the cost. We are actually quite frugal, our annual spending is in the $40,000 range and, although we could easily cover it, the cost of those type cruises make me stop and think first... I hate doing that.