Complaints about Cost of Mhs vs Motels

[down_home]

We hear it all the time from Folks with MHs and without, that it is cheaper to stay n Motels!
Taint true McGheee!
Friend from Church just back from Colorado hunting Elk.
Nearly $3,000.00 for a week at one motel..plus tow staye each way at other motels.
Roundcher Motels are well I don't know but I say 120,00 a night or less.
"Outwest" "Upnorth", Canada and Alaska a heck of a lot more, maybe 300.00 a night? or in the case of his stay to hunt Elk near $3,000.00 for 7 days.
Or coach at 6mpg-7 mpg 3600 miles at least would be only $1200.00in fuel. RV parks $35.00-$50.00 a night? a total of 7 or probably 8 days there and back $1,600.00 possibly heck we can spend another $400.00 o on the trip and still have a $1,000.00 left for something. Staying longer and other variables.You can pay for the coach and sleep in your own bed eat your good food and not wear a mask, use your clean restroom and get better tv, meet other RVers have a heck of a lot more fun on the same dime. I expect. I am too something to crunch more realistic numbers but I think RVers can tell the Motel lobby to get a new calculator.

[mr__ed]

way2roll wrote:
I won't stay in a hotel for a myriad of reasons so there is no sense in even reviewing the math. It's a moot point for us. I like having my own everything and I know who slept in my bed. I also find all the febreeze and strong cleaning agents they use in hotels give me headaches and I have a lung issue that is aggravated by them as well. I consider myself fortunate to be able to take my "apartment" along wherever we go. That said I usually find campsites are about 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of a hotel in the same general areas we visit.

X2, I full-timed for many years in various types of RV's until a sudden handicap took me out of RVing. For the past 6 years I've been living in long term hotels, which I've found suitable for my condition. Right now, the rental cost is close to $1200/month, which puts it less expensive than a motel. Plus, a full kitchen is included along with a handicap accessible bathroom . Utilities and housekeeping are also included. However, I always found fulltime RVing to be quite cost effective since I usually remained in one place for a month to months at a time, thereby cutting traveling costs. If I were physically able, I would no doubt return to RVing. That's the best lifestyle, as far as I'm concerned.

[04fxsts]

Care less about comparing motel cost to MH travel, too many things are better in MH. I slept in that bed last night and the night before. my wife and I are both good cooks, we have two dogs that we will not leave at home when we travel.
We normally stay in rest areas or Walmarts while traveling and all the relatives we go to see have space to park while we are there. That just worked great this summer when we went from Indiana to Idaho, much better than in 2003 when we made the same trip by car before MH. That trip had us scrambling to get one of the last rooms in town and some of these last rooms in town were not up to what we would have liked. In fact one stop looking for a room we were told everything was full for 100 miles because of a big rodeo event. Another 100 miles when you are ready to stop for the night is a big kick in the backside. Jim.

[down_home]

Wanderlost wrote:
We travel in an RV because we choose to do so. We've never considered the financial angle -- it does not matter to us.

I love knowing:
* that I don't have to unpack
* I know who slept in the bed
* I control the laundry
* I'm a danged fine chef, thank you very much
* My cat is not traumatized by hotel smells
* People in RV parks seem friendlier than in hotels
* I like seeing the world at ground level
* I'm retired, not in a hurry, so why not RV?

Hear Hear! Amen!

[Diamond_c]

I agree with everything that wonderlost said except the last one, I’m not retired

[Wanderlost]

We travel in an RV because we choose to do so. We've never considered the financial angle -- it does not matter to us.

I love knowing:
* that I don't have to unpack
* I know who slept in the bed
* I control the laundry
* I'm a danged fine chef, thank you very much
* My cat is not traumatized by hotel smells
* People in RV parks seem friendlier than in hotels
* I like seeing the world at ground level
* I'm retired, not in a hurry, so why not RV?

[ncrowley]

When I had a trailer, I did the math for us and the way we travel, and figured out that we were saving a little bit of money using the RV vs a hotel. Once we moved to a class A diesel, it is more expensive to travel in the RV. However, it does not matter anyway. First, we would not spend a month on the road if we had to stay in hotels. The bag drag gets old, we do not like eating out all the time, we have a dog, and we really want to be able to sleep in our own bed. Also, we have been in places where there were no nearby hotels or the RV park location and views were better than any hotel.

Everyone spends their discretionary funds differently, but for us, traveling in the RV is worth every penny.

[down_home]

$150.00 per night average? One month trip to Alaska. $4,500.00 just for the lodging. From what our friend reported, I think it might have been Steamboat Springs, Colorado on his elk hunt, it was a lot higher.Of course in Elk season a lot of hunters and they have to dance to their tune. Eating out in Alaska or in and n parts of Montana, where a town might have one restaurant or hamburger stand it cost us a lot about 2001.Three meals a day x $30.00 x 30 days $2,700.00 for two. I don't know what the actual costs are but here, 5 Guys now is over $15.00 for a burger, fries and drink! I quit the McDonalds fat soaked sponges but they were around $11.00 for equal. $30.00 now for two with drinks at Cracker Barrel for supper. This is the most common or only chain restaurant. Mom and Pops? In Az they were higher than Cracker Barrel about $45.00 for 2 in Williams.
A Steak house $50.00 minimum unless it is the Outback and two really halfway decent steaks are over $55.00 for two. Ruth Crisp $125.00 a head and more.
So eating in your own Motorhome means better food safer food and cost less.

[monkey44]

Be willing to bet, if you cost RV and camping and cook meals, and include maintenance vs Hotels, out meals and costs, the numbers might not be much different.

The choice might only involve comfort, your own bed, your own meals - AND the freedom to go where you want vs. motels and the fixed location and convenience of services. So some chose one, some chose the other, and it has nothing to do with overall comparative costs for either.

[time2roll]

Stop adding up the cost and just go have some fun already.
Otherwise focus this energy of debate on earning more money and the issue of cost falls away.

[Bobbo]

way2roll wrote:

Bobbo wrote:

DrewE wrote:
My personal experience has been that, in general, if I'm staying for several days someplace before moving on, gas for my motorhome + grocery shopping + a campground is less expensive than gas for my car + restaurant meals + a motel; however, for a stay of only a night or two or three, the car and motel is usually less expensive. That's for relatively inexpensive motels and campgrounds and restaurants, nothing high-end.

They're different ways to travel, though, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some places just don't have motels where I want to be (and others lack campgrounds). Sometimes having one's own home away from home with you, kind of like a snail, is a great advantage. Sometimes the less demanding and slightly quicker driving of taking a car is preferable to taking the motorhome. What I do depends on what makes sense for the trip.

Don't forget to factor in insurance on the RV, tires every 5 to 7 years, maintenance, repairs, and the list goes on.

Cost of ownership shouldn't really factor in. Sure it's a cost but it's apples and oranges. If you are going to factor the cost of a hotel to the cost of ownership for an RV, you might as well throw in the cost of your house and car too.

I disagree. You are going to own your house and car anyway so their costs don't factor in. Now, if you are not going to own a house or car if you own the RV, then you are correct. You won't own the RV anyway, so its costs should be included.

[frankwp]

I haven't read the entire thread, so forgive me for repeating another post. For all the costs involved in RVing, I have no doubt that we could all stay in hotels & save money. But I also have not doubt about where my wife, kids, grand kids and I would rather stay.

Our 4 grand kids, the eldest is 18, have camped with us every summer since they were babies. They talk about camping all year & start the count down to August about the first day of spring. Even a day at the campground with no planned activities is a great day for all of us, and certainly better than a day at a hotel with no planned activities.

[DrewE]

Bobbo wrote:

DrewE wrote:
My personal experience has been that, in general, if I'm staying for several days someplace before moving on, gas for my motorhome + grocery shopping + a campground is less expensive than gas for my car + restaurant meals + a motel; however, for a stay of only a night or two or three, the car and motel is usually less expensive. That's for relatively inexpensive motels and campgrounds and restaurants, nothing high-end.

They're different ways to travel, though, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some places just don't have motels where I want to be (and others lack campgrounds). Sometimes having one's own home away from home with you, kind of like a snail, is a great advantage. Sometimes the less demanding and slightly quicker driving of taking a car is preferable to taking the motorhome. What I do depends on what makes sense for the trip.

Don't forget to factor in insurance on the RV, tires every 5 to 7 years, maintenance, repairs, and the list goes on.

For total cost of all the trips, sure. There are of course costs to owning an RV beyond gas and campground fees...just as there are costs to owning a car beyond gas and motels and restaurants.

For any one given trip, however, the additional costs above the more or less fixed costs of RV or car ownership and maintenance are pretty limited. The additional insurance cost on the RV (or car) is nothing. The additional maintenance required is generally minimal. The additional tire cost for the RV is likewise nothing, since they generally need replacement due to age rather than mileage, while for the car there is a bit of additional expense there due to the mileage.

[way2roll]

Bobbo wrote:

DrewE wrote:
My personal experience has been that, in general, if I'm staying for several days someplace before moving on, gas for my motorhome + grocery shopping + a campground is less expensive than gas for my car + restaurant meals + a motel; however, for a stay of only a night or two or three, the car and motel is usually less expensive. That's for relatively inexpensive motels and campgrounds and restaurants, nothing high-end.

They're different ways to travel, though, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some places just don't have motels where I want to be (and others lack campgrounds). Sometimes having one's own home away from home with you, kind of like a snail, is a great advantage. Sometimes the less demanding and slightly quicker driving of taking a car is preferable to taking the motorhome. What I do depends on what makes sense for the trip.

Don't forget to factor in insurance on the RV, tires every 5 to 7 years, maintenance, repairs, and the list goes on.

Cost of ownership shouldn't really factor in. Sure it's a cost but it's apples and oranges. If you are going to factor the cost of a hotel to the cost of ownership for an RV, you might as well throw in the cost of your house and car too.

[Bobbo]

DrewE wrote:
My personal experience has been that, in general, if I'm staying for several days someplace before moving on, gas for my motorhome + grocery shopping + a campground is less expensive than gas for my car + restaurant meals + a motel; however, for a stay of only a night or two or three, the car and motel is usually less expensive. That's for relatively inexpensive motels and campgrounds and restaurants, nothing high-end.

They're different ways to travel, though, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some places just don't have motels where I want to be (and others lack campgrounds). Sometimes having one's own home away from home with you, kind of like a snail, is a great advantage. Sometimes the less demanding and slightly quicker driving of taking a car is preferable to taking the motorhome. What I do depends on what makes sense for the trip.

Don't forget to factor in insurance on the RV, tires every 5 to 7 years, maintenance, repairs, and the list goes on.