How many people are camping and how far are they traveling?

we're still taking three major trips a year, about 4000 miles for two and 2000 for the third one. this year, we're taking a cruise in place of one trip...and spending more on it ):

Iluv2camp13 wrote:How many people are camping and how far are they traveling?This week we are traveling 240 Miles to camp for 3 days. For us it is less expensive than staying in a motel, or condo. Gas for the trip around $175.00. Campsite, with tax, $165. Total, $340. 3 nights in a condo. $600+ 3 nights in a motel room, actually 2 rooms. $600+. SO. It's pretty plain to see. The camper is a better value.

Will go on 4-6 four day weekends, less than 120 miles round trip, and one trip to beach around 500 miles round trip. Our beach stay is six nights on the beach for $209 plus fuel approximately $200 for diesel. We eat our own food and sleep is our own bed. Can't get this at a hotel or condo. Loving every minute of it. Travel on.

No one ever said RVing was cheap...either suck it up and get out there and enjoy yourselves OR park the RV

Now that we are a 1 house owner couple again, our finances are not so tight. We'll be camping a lot more this year. Farthest trip will be from (near) Indianapolis to North Western Iowa (approximately 500 (plus) miles). That's the farthest we'll be going this year. But several week-end trips planned more local (all within Indiana - longest distance one way, about 150 miles). It's not the distance you travel to go camping, it's what the purpose is for going in the first place. If all you want is a get-away, camp in your driveway and close the windows so you can't see out and pretend you're somewhere. However, if you are going to an event, visit relatives, or even for business, then there's a purpose. Of course recreation is a purpose also? Boating, canoeing, hicking, ATV's =, sporting events, all excellent reasons to go somewhere!The older we get, we want to get "away" for a purpose. We live in the country and, as far as 'getting away' for the sake of just 'getting away'.... fact is ... we're already "there"! So, before we leave our solitude, DARK nights, peace and quiet, no traffic, no kids running through our campsite, cars blowing horns, and obnoxious people who have had too much "bubbly" next door, we've got to have a good reason to go somewhere now! So we are planning for a purpose now! Not just to "get away!"

Camping in this economy | Good Sam Community

Mik68
Explorer
May 21, 2013
Our 6 month camping holiday in a TT inc purchase of vehicle, TT, air tickets for family of 5 from Aus, insurances, fuel, food, entertainment etc. i'm hoping we can do for $100,000. trip of a life time as someone else in this 'topic' put it, 'an opportunity to spend quality time with our kids, while they are still kids'. Sounds like a lot of money right? Which of course it is, but not compared to another Aussie I know wh just returned from the West coast of US with his family of 5 hoteling it every night in all the touristy spots over a 4 week period & spent $70,000. Ouch! Where as he was spending $2000 a day, i'm hoping to do it for $200. Is this possible? I hope so!
jaycoj1208
Explorer
May 16, 2013
Look if the economy is your concern then owning a car is not for you. No matter what it cost for fuel or what ever the fact is if you are to travel then rving is by far the lowest overall cost for a family. My family and I took a trip from Ohio to Texas last year. My brother and his family took a plane stayed in a hotel. He spent almost 1,000 dollars more than we did after all expenses.
tomman58
Explorer
May 10, 2013
noe-place wrote:
westernrvparkowner wrote:
tomman58 wrote:
noe-place wrote:
We will take a "major" long trip if gas is around $3.50 and if it's a dime or so higher, we'll cut back on the distance.

So you are saying if you would do a 5000 mile trip ok but if gas goes up a dime you cut back?

5000 mile @ 10 miles per gallon = 500 gallons at a dime more = 500 *.10 = 50 bucks !

Wow!
And even if that trip was nothing but driving every day it would take at least 10 days at 500 miles per day, so that would equate to $5.00 per day. That is almost a quarter pounder with cheese meal. At that rate I would cut back too.

Are you talking about the same 5000 mile trip as the other guy? What 5000 mile trip?

I guess you didn't understand the word "if" in my calcs.
noe-place
Explorer
May 10, 2013
westernrvparkowner wrote:
tomman58 wrote:
noe-place wrote:
We will take a "major" long trip if gas is around $3.50 and if it's a dime or so higher, we'll cut back on the distance.

So you are saying if you would do a 5000 mile trip ok but if gas goes up a dime you cut back?

5000 mile @ 10 miles per gallon = 500 gallons at a dime more = 500 *.10 = 50 bucks !

Wow!
And even if that trip was nothing but driving every day it would take at least 10 days at 500 miles per day, so that would equate to $5.00 per day. That is almost a quarter pounder with cheese meal. At that rate I would cut back too.

Are you talking about the same 5000 mile trip as the other guy? What 5000 mile trip?
noe-place
Explorer
May 10, 2013
tomman58 wrote:
noe-place wrote:
We will take a "major" long trip if gas is around $3.50 and if it's a dime or so higher, we'll cut back on the distance.

So you are saying if you would do a 5000 mile trip ok but if gas goes up a dime you cut back?

5000 mile @ 10 miles per gallon = 500 gallons at a dime more = 500 *.10 = 50 bucks !

Wow!

What 5000 mile trip?
noe-place
Explorer
May 09, 2013
We're going to Alaska next month but we're flying. Going to take at least one BIG trip in the MH when we get back but I've been so busy planning the Alaska journey I haven't begun to plan the other. Maybe I can plan it now.
beulahwareagle
Explorer
May 07, 2013
I teach school, so I get summers off to spend traveling with my kids. We pack up the 4runner, put three bikes on the back, and travel from Alabama to Colorado each summer for about 4 weeks total time. Tent camp everywhere we go; much cheaper and vastly more interesting than staying in motels. Have visited many nice campgrounds and met lots of nice people everywhere. Couldn't afford to travel like this if we didn't camp....
mister_d
Explorer
May 05, 2013
We are a family that is struggling in this economy... part of the middle class that is slipping down. The way I see it, my kids will only this age once and as a parent I'm going to do my darndest to give them every experience I can. We sacrifice in every way possible so that our camping season is filled. We have 53 nights planned over 8k miles this year.
westernrvparkow
Explorer
May 02, 2013
tomman58 wrote:
noe-place wrote:
We will take a "major" long trip if gas is around $3.50 and if it's a dime or so higher, we'll cut back on the distance.

So you are saying if you would do a 5000 mile trip ok but if gas goes up a dime you cut back?

5000 mile @ 10 miles per gallon = 500 gallons at a dime more = 500 *.10 = 50 bucks !

Wow!
And even if that trip was nothing but driving every day it would take at least 10 days at 500 miles per day, so that would equate to $5.00 per day. That is almost a quarter pounder with cheese meal. At that rate I would cut back too.
Mik68
Explorer
May 02, 2013
Cheers tomman58, We will only be in Canada from Quebec city to Toronto on the East and Calgary to Vancouver in the West so not a lot of time in canada in comparison. All of the other time is in the U.S.
We cycled across Canada from Vancouver to Toronto back in '99 so don't need to see any of that again.
Thanks for the campsites tip