Do you think the overall price of camping is starting to get to high? The price of campgrounds, diesel to get it there, camper payment if you have one. Etc. Just wanted to get some thoughts and opinions.

Doesn't it make sense for prices of camping `stuff' should go up with all of the other items for sale? How can a site be $25 (or whatever price you want to put there) forever?Cars don't cost $1000 anymore like they did 40 years ago. Why should camping be any different?

I agree that prices are going up, not much that we as RVers can do about it though. Taxes on the RV parks have gone up, minimum wage and medical insurance for workers has also increased which jacks up the price for camping on privately owned parks. The costs for an RV and any parts/supplies has also certainly increased in the past few years. Only good news right now is that fuel prices are way down, but doubt if they stay low for very long.

Let us see GAS (I HAVE A GASSER) lowest in years. Government CG no rise in prices many years, Resort I stay at in winter same price last 3 years. Camping on the beach still free. Nope do not see it

Looking at new trailers, they appear to be priced about the same as what they were when I bought mine 6.5 years ago. Cars have gone up, but not more than they ever do. Gas has gone up (although not for a couple years now). Some campground fees have gone up - this varies quite a lot by state/region. Around here, they're not that much more.In the meantime, airfare has also gone up a fair amount, as has the price of staying in a hotel.Seems like a wash to me. If I'm going to go on vacation, I'm going to travel somehow and stay somewhere. The options here have all gone up. Camping is about the same value it has been, relative to the other options.I think part of the issue here is that while these costs have gone up, incomes among the middle class by and large haven't. Incomes in the top 1% (and even more so in the top .1%) have gone up a lot, but that's not most of us.

Getting expensive | Good Sam Community

Water-Bug
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
CAMPING is still cheap. RVing can cost whatever you want to spend. It's been that way forever.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Oct 23, 2014
Hi,

If I travel 300 kilometers per day the cost of fuel equals the cost of a hotel room in Canada.

I tend towards boondocking when ever possible.

My next choice is to use freecampsites.net where I can find free or inexpensive places to overnight. They now have an advanced search which allows filters such as searching for electric sites.
noplace2
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
tegu69 wrote:
I was talking with a friend about going to Alaska a few years ago. It was something on my 'bucket list' after I retired. The price of fuel was going up and I was starting to question if I should go or not.

We spent 5 months in AK in '08. If you recall, fuel was at its highest point ever, before or since. $5+/US gal in AK and upper $4's through Canada. We watched bears fishing for salmon and a mom and 2 cubs walk through our site.

We are FAR from upper income people, but we made it happen. Would we do it again with the same circumstances? H*** yes!
RollandB
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
For our area, campsites have increased some, fuel right now is decreasing, but it's still our preferred way to travel and spend weekends compared to motel/hotel. With having two dogs it's still less expensive with an RV.
FlatBroke
Explorer II
Oct 23, 2014
Johno02 wrote:
And those of us that depend on Social Security as our main income are not even in the top 50% in most cases. And we are really feeling the impact of higher campground prices, actually even moreso that the gas prices. The $10 I spent for a Golden Age Passport 11 years ago has been one of the best bargains we ever got!

Yeah but Yahoo, we just got an average increase of $20 a month in benefits. We can go out and buy ...........................Oops, never mind I my insurance's went way more than that.
D_E_Bishop
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
Old Days wrote:
I think camping is the cheapest way to see America and the most relaxing. Nothing better than a 2 week vacation traveling out west. So for my money it is worth it.

X2, except for that out West part;), we prefer back East, or Mid-West. We're like a few others, we're getting a new States Visited map, we're on our second time around. Yes it is very worth it.
kcmoedoe
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
John&Joey wrote:
ccbb088 wrote:
Do you think the overall price of camping is starting to get to high? The price of campgrounds, diesel to get it there, camper payment if you have one. Etc. Just wanted to get some thoughts and opinions.

Yes, for us it seemed like it. When a campground is charging $30/night and I can get a nice hotel for $55/night and in the morning walk away from all the liability ??????

When I can drive my Highlander and get 24mpg vs my Class A at 6-10 mpg ??????

The only time my Class A made sense in traveling was when I turned the key off and stayed in one location for more then 4 days before moving onto the next location. Then an RV made sense for us as a means of traveling the country.
On what planet are nice hotel rooms $55.00 a night? A Best Western, a Holiday Inn Express or a Fairfield Inn all are generally $100 a night or more depending upon location and no one mistakes them for truly nice hotels. You can drive a car and get better mileage than in a motorhome or when towing a trailer, but you have to factor in the facts that you have to schlep your suitcases around every night and have to eat restaurant food almost exclusively, unless cold cuts and microwave burritos make up your diet. It isn't all about costs, it's often about lifestyle.
Cloud_Dancer
Explorer II
Oct 23, 2014
kcmoedoe wrote:
John&Joey wrote:
ccbb088 wrote:
Do you think the overall price of camping is starting to get to high? The price of campgrounds, diesel to get it there, camper payment if you have one. Etc. Just wanted to get some thoughts and opinions.

Yes, for us it seemed like it. When a campground is charging $30/night and I can get a nice hotel for $55/night and in the morning walk away from all the liability ??????

When I can drive my Highlander and get 24mpg vs my Class A at 6-10 mpg ??????

The only time my Class A made sense in traveling was when I turned the key off and stayed in one location for more then 4 days before moving onto the next location. Then an RV made sense for us as a means of traveling the country.
On what planet are nice hotel rooms $55.00 a night? A Best Western, a Holiday Inn Express or a Fairfield Inn all are generally $100 a night or more depending upon location and no one mistakes them for truly nice hotels. You can drive a car and get better mileage than in a motorhome or when towing a trailer, but you have to factor in the facts that you have to schlep your suitcases around every night and have to eat restaurant food almost exclusively, unless cold cuts and microwave burritos make up your diet. It isn't all about costs, it's often about lifestyle.

I agree, it's the "lifestyle",....THAT'S the reason we can justify it. The advantage of being able to conveniently take the fur babies, and have a convenient place to leave them, is a major part of it for us. Plus, being able to stop almost at will, turn on the Quiet Diesel generator, fix something to eat, shower and shave, nap, walk the dogs, unhitch the 4x4 GMC Envoy, ride around, see the sights,.....etc,etc, etc.
And, did I mention how comfortable it is to drive/ride a big motorhome?
There's nothing quite like it.
georgelesley
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
The past two fall seasons we have done long trips in the rockies. Last year 5200 miles, this year 7600 miles. All was done within our normal monthly budget including scheduled vehicle mx. We do alot of boondocking and eat in the rv, not in restaurants.

We have found since we are not at home, those costs drop dramatically, enough to cover our travel costs. This past trip we got 19MPG (diesel) cost per mile was .21 for 7600 miles, average camping cost per night for 6 weeks was $10. It is all in how and where you camp.
littlemo
Explorer
Oct 23, 2014
ccbb088 wrote:
True but is it still worth it?

This is my opinion, justifications, whatever you would like to call it:

We try to stay in State and National Parks, COE, NF campgrounds and since we are seniors we have the Senior passes which usually makes it 1/2 price. Even if you don't have the pass it is still cheaper than Private Campgrounds.

The cost of fuel is what it is. Whether auto or MH.

You have to eat wherever you are so groceries not an issue.

You have "utilities" whether you are at home or in RV.

This IS our "entertainment". We don't go to movies often, go dancing, go to theatres, parties, etc. so what we would spend doing these things, I guess we spend on camping and travel. This is what we enjoy doing so to me it is "worth it".