Cost of your hobby

[pitch]

I am constantly asked by non Rv'ing friends and family how expensive this hobby is.
I did not figure the cost of the truck as I have always had one,I spread the cost of the trailer out over a guessstimated life of ten years. Nor did I depreciate either the truck or trailer as I tend to keep things till the wheels fall off.
Any way I came up with a ballpark of 1.25 per traveled mile of outing. More if it is a destination trip much lower for simple short camping.
If any of you have figured it out where do you come in at?

[Caveman_Charlie]

DutchmenSport wrote:

BCSnob wrote:
By staying in a campground in your own bed you're less likley to get bedbugs.

Yea, that is sooooooo true .... BUT... you could wake up with ticks, fleas, grasshoppers, beatles, lady-bugs, fishing worms (and maybe a hook to), a dog, or a cat. You may hear sounds under your bed (trailer), like raccoons playing, or even a passing skunk! (hope that never happens to anyone). You also might have squirrels or chipmunks running over your roof rafters (you'll never experience that in a motel room!), and you wake up to the smell of fresh bacon cooking over a campfire! ... Ah ... you'll never get that in a motel!

There you go. And, that is much more fun then some stupid sanitized, hospital smelling, hotel room.

[Jloucks]

pitch wrote:
I am constantly asked by non Rv'ing friends and family how expensive this hobby is.
I did not figure the cost of the truck as I have always had one,I spread the cost of the trailer out over a guessstimated life of ten years. Nor did I depreciate either the truck or trailer as I tend to keep things till the wheels fall off.
Any way I came up with a ballpark of 1.25 per traveled mile of outing. More if it is a destination trip much lower for simple short camping.
If any of you have figured it out where do you come in at?

Shoot, I dunno, Never been asked that. But, everything is paid off and working fine w' maintenance.

But, it cost me about $65,0000 for the rig and trailer. And, I have gone about 100,000 miles. so... about $.65 a mile plus gas/sites and slowly decreasing with additional miles. With gas and sites... wild guessing $1.20 a mile and decreasing.

[DutchmenSport]

BCSnob wrote:
By staying in a campground in your own bed you're less likley to get bedbugs.

Yea, that is sooooooo true .... BUT... you could wake up with ticks, fleas, grasshoppers, beatles, lady-bugs, fishing worms (and maybe a hook to), a dog, or a cat. You may hear sounds under your bed (trailer), like raccoons playing, or even a passing skunk! (hope that never happens to anyone). You also might have squirrels or chipmunks running over your roof rafters (you'll never experience that in a motel room!), and you wake up to the smell of fresh bacon cooking over a campfire! ... Ah ... you'll never get that in a motel!

[JiminDenver]

We haven't paid a campground fee in years. It cost a bit to set up the rig to be able to do it but it's worth it.

[BCSnob]

By staying in a campground in your own bed you're less likley to get bedbugs.

[bid_time]

Dog Folks wrote:

bid_time wrote:
It isn't any cheaper then staying in motel. The only difference is, a motel won't let me build a fire and roast marshmallows in their lobby.

Here in Florida, state parks are 1/3 the cost of a hotel in tourist areas.

Agree with you on the marshmallows though.

If you think your only cost is the state park fee you're not being honest about it. It's not any cheaper than staying in a Holiday Inn, It's just different and I like to roast marshmallows.

[rhagfo]

Dog Folks wrote:
When I retired and told my doctor I was going to full time, he said:

"Good. You will live ten years longer."

What's that worth?

Best answer.

[WallynDiane]

JiminDenver

I forgot to mention my love of photography. We love yo travel to Europe as well.

My Flickr pictures. Feel free to browse.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/55056358@N04/

[JiminDenver]

Hmmmm

Never thought of it in that way. Compared to overseas travel or the other hobbies of photography and RC airplanes, it's down right cheap.

[WallynDiane]

My hobby is fishing. I have an upscale bass boat that is ridiculously expensive. Supporting my fishing hobby is my Holiday Rambler fifth wheel which ain't cheap either.

Funny thing is we don't eat fish, but we love the RV lifestyle. Our friends at our campground where we are permanently parked have become our best friends.

On weekends that we are not camping I am fly fishing for trout in central Pennsylvania.

I am glad I studied hard in college and have worked very hard. I really don't want to know what all this costs. Our camp is on a Chautauqua Lake in western New York. It is close to the Pennsylvania and New York wine trails. So if the fishing is poor ( which it rarely is), I drown my woes in a nice glass of wine.

[rfryer]

I keep a lot of records and as a matter of fact, I do have some numbers. It’s mostly raw data I have to dig out, but I looked at 4 trips, 2 with a PU and 2 with my 16’ TT. One PU trip was north through CO and WY and ID to WA and OR and back. It cost me $. 23/m. Another was to Yosemite to OR and CO and return and it ran $.31/m.

One trip with the TT was through northern CO and NM and it also ran $.31/m. The other was to Grand Canyon and around CO and it was $.67/m. I don’t know why the big jump except that the granddaughters were with us and costs go up a bunch then. Two qualifiers, those are net costs, i.e., I deduct the cost of the trip that I would have incurred if I had stayed home. And they’re converted to 2011 dollars. No depreciation on vehicles, either, because I keep vehicles a long time, too.

[FunnyCamper]

dbbls wrote:
All hobbies cost, but if I can afford it I do it.

X 3 (or whatever it is now ::))

between the camper, truck, kayak, my horse, my kiddo, my everything fun stuff, I pay alot but I love every single thing I spend money on!!

[Dog_Folks]

BCSnob wrote:
Our hobby: raising, training, and competing with our Border Collies in sheep herding competitions

bought more dogs
bought a van and trailer to go to competitions
bought 6 acres and built a house so we could keep sheep
bought sheep
bought a bigger van and bigger trailer
bought more dogs
bought a livestock trailer
sold new house on 6 acres and bought very old house with several barns on 25 acres and lease 10 more acres

our hobby costs just about everything I earn and I wouldn't want to go back

I think I sense a progression here.:)

[BCSnob]

Our hobby: raising, training, and competing with our Border Collies in sheep herding competitions

bought more dogs
bought a van and trailer to go to competitions
bought 6 acres and built a house so we could keep sheep
bought sheep
bought a bigger van and bigger trailer
bought more dogs
bought a livestock trailer
sold new house on 6 acres and bought very old house with several barns on 25 acres and lease 10 more acres

our hobby costs just about everything I earn and I wouldn't want to go back

[tpi]

The cost can be as much or little as you want. Especially if
1. You already have truck.
2. Don't mind do it yourself maintenance
3. Buy used trailer at a reasonably good deal.
4. Have a free or inexpensive place to store it.

For others like myself, there are some areas where my spending is above average (automotive) and below average on other items.

I do think anyone who tent camps or enjoys the outdoors should give RVing a try if they can afford it. I have some good friends who tent camp a lot. They love scenic national forests and parks. They are probably going to leave a big fortune to their kids. An RV of some type would seem to be a no brainer. Especially a smaller one which fits in public campsites.