How do you define too expensive?

On gas: Rule no.1 - avoid Shell stations. Have never had a problem with no-name gas and will fill up at one if convenient and cheaper. We use gasbuddy if on an unfamiliar route with few stations. Since we typically get around 6-8 mpg, we won't drive very far just to get a lower price. Sometimes you are simply faced with paying more or running dry. Lowest price through 7 western states this summer was in Or. ($2.19 IIRC) and after 4500+ miles no issues whatsoever with finding decently priced gas, but you have to be prepared to pay more in some areas regardless. You can drive many miles some places, like the Or. Coast, and the price is the same everywhere. Be glad, very glad that you don't have to pay Can. gas prices which around here is currently about $3.85 USD/gal ($1.27 Can/liter). If you can't afford the gas whatever the price is, you shouldn't be RV-ing.

On CGs: We use a membership CG org. and not including annual dues, don't pay extra per night and can stay in the system non-stop (max. 21 days per location). On our 21 day, 4500+ mile summer trip, we stayed in 3 private CGs and 2 casinos one night each and the balance were free to us. Stayed in a KOA in Utah which was excellent (super clean washrooms) except for being near the freeway - something like $50/night. With private places, we try and find one that gets us a discount through Good Sam or via our CG membership org. If just over-nighting, will look for a low cost CG depending on condition/reviews. What through us off this summer was forest fires near Yellowstone NP and we bailed out of a 2 day stay at a KOA there and had to pay a cancellation fee. Managed to find a new place to overnight for around $30 en route to a CG we already had 2 nights booked at and added a 3rd night no problem there (one of our "free" CGs). DW pre-books every trip we go on, long or short and for longer trips does all research for a CGs en route online.

We've done 58 nights this year so far and at an avg. of $50/night could have been about $3,000 but have only put out around something like $700 incl. our annual membership dues. DW, being accountant, LOVES saving money and that kinda money really adds up over time.

Besides gas and CG cost, food can be a big cost. On short trips, we always food shop after we cross into the US but almost always seem to overbuy and overspend. On a road trip it is SO tempting to eat out a lot. Food cost has been the hardest thing for us to control and it takes discipline. Still working on it... :(

westernrvparkowner: would love to stay at one of your RV parks someday if I only knew where they are... :h

Wasn't going to comment but I will. Depends on what the RV'er want's or expects in a CG for their stay. Overnighting we will NOT pay over $20 per night even with FHU as we'll only be there for 12 hours max. 30 amp electric is more than enough for us as nearly all CG's have dump stations and clean safe water to fill the fresh water tank and we only need to dump/refill at the most about every 4 days so why have a sewer/water hookups at the site and pay additional for no use at all. We calculate the hours stayed by the cost and assign a cost per hour for staying. If over $2/hour for our overnight stay duration we don't even enter the place.

Absolutely love Passport America (many years as a member and has over 1900 CG's) as it saves us many hundreds of $$$ each year and most of the CG's in it are actually quite nice! Having plenty money isn't an issue or determining factor for us but overpaying or overcharged for what we receive or use sure is! Anyone can throw money at something if they want and receive little or no value for it. One thing for sure is that once spent, the money is gone for ever! Spend wisely and you will have more left for a lot more years of enjoyment!

Just returned from the U.P. of Michigan yesterday (Tahquamenon Falls fall colored leaves trip) and stopped at Tiki CG on north edge of St Ignace, MI our first time but it won't be the last, and had a very nice clean everything working properly bath house, level well drained long drive thru pad on large grassy landscaped site (rained all night and had ZERO puddles, 30 amp elec, very good included free WIFI, spotless CG and very friendly management and also had water at the site. Whopping sum of $14! Dumped at their site when we left for home. On the way up to Tahquamenon stayed at the Casino CG just north of St Ignace and the cost is normally $15/day water and 50 amp electric but they said we didn't have to pay anything as it's late in the fall season now.

Our Tahquamenon State Park CG site in the lower CG unit (Portage CG) 30/50 amp paved pad #44 across from the very modern bath house was $23 the first night and $18 each night after while there. The upper CG there is open all winter but we like the lower one the best and have been going there annually with our RV's for about 50 years now in the fall for colored leaves and falls viewing. Love the place and the area!

A CG having a playground, a pool, a game room, organized activities, etc is actually a big deterrent for us to even stay there as we won't use any of them and will be charged higher site fees anyway to pay for them even being there. Also along with these amenities comes a lot more noise, screaming, and mischief.

Staying at a final destination for a few weeks or more or having a lot of kids with you, then FHU with children baby sitting amenities would be desirable perhaps usually. So detached from nature and what kids really need to learn about and be in. Funny how as most older adults seem to have learned, nice quiet pleasant highly shaded CG's are the most desirable by far.

Paying extra $$$ for a CG site that has lots of amenities you never use is smart? HOW??? and WHY???

coolbreeze01 wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:
A lot of posts involving multiple RVing issues involve people saying this or that is overpriced. How do you make that determination?

I don't deal with jerks. If the person taking the money somehow puts me off, I take my money elsewhere. Attitude makes a difference.

Where in this thread did dealing with jerks become an issue?
Thanks to everyone who has responded, it have been an interesting peek into how different people come to different decisions when faced with the same set of facts.

Around here, nearly every station charges the same for gas and diesel. I can save about 2 cents per gallon by driving across town or out to the freeway. That's about 10 miles one way. Not worth it, IMO.
When traveling, I stop for fuel at Flying J Travel Centers whenever possible. The RV card gives me 3 to 5 cents off, and the debit card gives me the cash price.
Our trips have become mostly in-state these days. When going to the Flathead Valley, we stop at Great Falls at the Malmstrom FamCamp or KOA if the FamCamp is full. Locally, we use State Parks or USFS campgrounds. Yes, I have the Golden Age Passport!
We look for senior or military discounts when using private campgrounds.
We look for convenience first, price second. IMO, it is foolish to save on campground fees, then spend time and money traveling to get where we need to be. For instance, we can save a lot of money by parking at Lost Johnny Point Campground on Hungry Horse Reservoir, but we will be driving to Kalispell nearly every day (about 30 miles one way), so the fuel costs will wipe out those savings rather quickly! It makes more sense to spend the money to stay in an RV park near town.
As some have stated, "too expensive" is more related to value received than actual price!
The same applies to motels when traveling without the RV. It is foolish, IMO, to spend over $100 for a night in a motel, when all one is going to do is shower and sleep. I do not care if the place has meeting rooms, a sauna, a hot tube, a pool, a gym, etc. I just want to sleep in a real bed instead of the seat in the truck! On a recent trip to Nevada and back, I stopped at a little old rat-trap motel just off the freeway in Central Idaho. It was clean, dark, and quiet, and cost $30, IIRC. It was worth it. It was NOT worth the price of a La Quinta room, though.

I don't like paying for stuff that I do not want or I am not going to use. When it comes to CGs, give us a site with some separation from the next one, 30A power, maybe water, sewer not needed, & we are happy campers. This defines most SP CGs. For that we don't like paying any more than $30PN.

When it comes to the RV, we happily spent extra for a quality rig feeling that in the long run it would be cheaper on maintenance. 10 seasons, over 1500 nights used, over 100,000 miles, this has worked out to be true.

You puts your money where you feel you get best value for it.

Oh, and to the poster who mentioned a New Orleans campground that you wouldn't have to drive. Check that out closely. New Orleans does not have great public transportation unless you are near the street cars on Canal or St. Charles and there are no campgrounds there. The French Quarter is walkable but you have to get there. You definitely don't want to walk through certain areas.

I read the entire thread and there are so many points to comment on. I'll start with a set price limit per night is useless without a location. Real estate rules apply to campgrounds just as home prices and rents.

I know where the best value is for fuel locally and plan accordingly. I agree that isn't what OP asked. I generally find a 5-10 cent difference at any given stop with maybe one outlier expensive station. I constantly do the math on price per gallon difference with how many gallons I need to fill up. I'm taking the station that is easiest to get back on the highway and easiest access with a trailer if it's $3 difference. $5 for the tank I think a little harder and over that I change stations.

For folks commenting on savings, there are many ways to save. We've eaten thousands of sandwiches on the road savings thousands of dollars. I never buy coffee unless a friend wants to meet for coffee. My coffee is better anyway.

But I've stayed at many KOAs and loved them. Sure a few were bad. Ditto for other campgrounds. I love State Parks for destination travel but that's not what I do. If I'm going to a national park, I do everything possible to be in the park. But often I just need a central location to see an area. State Parks might be a 10-15 minute drive from the gate to the campground. Reservation systems are a pain in many states. The campground store has awful hours if there is one. I don't need a pool but I like a friendly campground, ability to buy small supplies, hookups, and a good location.

Someone mentioned opportunity costs which I have pounded in my kids. Time value of money also applies. KOAs app is easy to use. I work long hours and don't have a lot of time to search for the best deal at every location. I've loved a few parks run by small towns with $15 sites. They are hard to find online and you have to get lucky. The rules are different for someone working than if I was retired. I save plenty for retirement and pinch pennies where it makes sense but crossing traffic to save a few bucks gas isn't it and if the KOA saves me 30 minutes per day when I'm touring an area, I'll pay $15/day more. The cheaper campground is usually off the beaten path and harder to get to.

2gypsies wrote:

Lantley wrote:
I seek savings in other areas but the RV show goes on as planned. That often means premium destinations during peak season.

I am an avid weekend warrior.I imagine if I were retired, I would have and a different mindset.

Trust me....waiting until you're retired is much too late to start saving.

Waiting will also be too late to take my family to a beach front CG during the summer.
I understand there are times to save and lots a ways to save money.
Owning an RV and camping is a luxury not a necessity. It would be more rational to save every penny spent camping. However life too short for that.
We enjoy prime CG's during peak season,we also in enjoy non prime CG as well. Bottom line is you have to pay to play. When it comes to picking a CG price is not the first factor I consider but is farther down my list of considerations.

we avoid private RV parks as much as possible.
though sometimes, they cost as much in California, as some of California's state park campsites.

NEVER stayed in a KOA and never will. we don't find value in amenities like they have. not worth spending the extra money.

we prefer more natural settings and most private RV parks don't have that.

so, most public campgrounds are usually cheaper and provide that natural setting that we like.

but we always research the available campgrounds where we're going and almost always look for the cheapest.
we don't want swimming pools, laundry facilities, playgrounds, clubhouse and so on.
not worth the money to us.

Many times we can find suitable parks for half the price of KOA's if we look around. Maybe not with the amenities but we don't use them anyway. You're right. It depends on location and amenities. I don't rule out KOA's when I search. I compare what they offer vs what other locations offer and compare price. We full time so $20 or $25 more per night does add up. We also don't worry too much about the price of fuel. We prefer Flying J, Pilot, Loves in that order. It's not worth it to save a few dollars to go out of our way or try to get into a tight station.