Many times I have entered the costs for a particular trip into a spreadsheet to get as near a comparison as possible. Some things I've noticed:
* The longer you stay in one place--or several days in a few places--the better the RV comes out.
* traveling long distances and moving each day, the better the automobile comes out.
These two results are determined by the fact that fuel costs more in the RV than in the auto, while lodging in motels costs more than staying in a campground.
* It is surprising how often the costs are not far apart, once the factors above is taken into account.
So, bottom line: The choice has usually been based on factors other than cost--which many have already commented on. These are usually highly subjective and personal. In our case the RV usually wins out!
