How to calculate the cost of RVing

[Jayco-noslide]

I'll use a 2003 Class C motor home purchased 7 years ago as an example because that's what we have.
I paid $23000 for it. Let's assume I sell today for $15000. OK much of this has to be estimated. So I spent $8000 (Not the price I paid for it). I estimate I've spent 75 days per year using it(525 days) so = $15 per day for "lodging". Not bad. But to the $8000 I need to add Camping fees($2000), repair, service and improvements($5000), fuel that's over and above traveling in a car for 40000 miles(that's actual)= $3600 car versus $12000 MH = $8400. Plus Misc. cost of $1000
Grand total cost = $24000 for 7 years, 40000 miles and and estimated 525 days of living in it. Averages out to $45 per day.
I can live with that. But a new MH, fewer nights use and trading soon would raise that to way more than a luxury hotel for same number of nights.
Different viewpoints or math?

[Dadio24]

Walaby wrote:

Cloud Dancer wrote:
Yes, the cost of the depreciation is easy to figure out, and to most people it makes us look like dumb lousy money managers. If it's true, I don't want to hear about it.

I agree.. I don't care how others spend their money, and I don't care about others opinions on how I spend mine.

Mike

I can 2nd this attitude. Who cares what others say, think or do, if I am enjoying my time and can afford it, let me be me.

[Jebby14]

colliehauler wrote:

Jebby14 wrote:
all your money, and then some.........


in all seriousness mine owes me nothing. 2k to buy it all in (taxes and fees included)

900 bucks in bearings and tires

150 bucks in random repairs

shes on her 5th and final season.

my wife (who hated that I make her come camping) now says yes faster than anyone and is all for planning things months ahead and both my kids beg to go. daughter has been asking me for weeks when its coming home from storage. Keep telling her as soon as the mud lets me. To me that's worth more than money

I would be willing to bet you'll get a lot of your investment back when you sell. Even if you didn’t get a penny back it sounds like it was worth it.

What will you replace it with?

likely a newer slightly larger hard side. similar bear bones model but in the 25' range. outside possibility I go with a big popup. need to get a good deal. opeted for disnwy world winter 2020 and another season on our prowler. hopefully i chose right.

[Jayco-noslide]

Some great comments. My only purpose is that many RVers really don't know the "cost" and tend to underestimate. Many leave out the depreciation of the RV entirely, which is the largest part of the hobby cost. I plan to keep on camping anyway.

[colliehauler]

Jebby14 wrote:
all your money, and then some.........


in all seriousness mine owes me nothing. 2k to buy it all in (taxes and fees included)

900 bucks in bearings and tires

150 bucks in random repairs

shes on her 5th and final season.

my wife (who hated that I make her come camping) now says yes faster than anyone and is all for planning things months ahead and both my kids beg to go. daughter has been asking me for weeks when its coming home from storage. Keep telling her as soon as the mud lets me. To me that's worth more than money

I would be willing to bet you'll get a lot of your investment back when you sell. Even if you didn’t get a penny back it sounds like it was worth it.

What will you replace it with?

[wilber1]

If it is something you really enjoy and can afford it, there is no point in spoiling it by figuring out how much it actually costs.

[Jebby14]

all your money, and then some.........


in all seriousness mine owes me nothing. 2k to buy it all in (taxes and fees included)

900 bucks in bearings and tires

150 bucks in random repairs

shes on her 5th and final season.

my wife (who hated that I make her come camping) now says yes faster than anyone and is all for planning things months ahead and both my kids beg to go. daughter has been asking me for weeks when its coming home from storage. Keep telling her as soon as the mud lets me. To me that's worth more than money

[colliehauler]

philh wrote:

colliehauler wrote:

Edd505 wrote:
Boat, plane, RV, memories = priceless.

Can't afford a plane so I will settle on Boats, motorcycles, and RV'S

Boats are holes in the water you try and fill with Franklins
Planes are openings in the sky you fill with Clevelands

You know the old saying about boats; The two happiest days of boat ownership is the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

Not true in my case, not yet anyway. LOL

[philh]

colliehauler wrote:

Edd505 wrote:
Boat, plane, RV, memories = priceless.

Can't afford a plane so I will settle on Boats, motorcycles, and RV'S

Boats are holes in the water you try and fill with Franklins
Planes are openings in the sky you fill with Clevelands

[colliehauler]

Edd505 wrote:
Boat, plane, RV, memories = priceless.

Can't afford a plane so I will settle on Boats, motorcycles, and RV'S

[jplante4]

Edd505 wrote:
Boat, plane, RV, memories = priceless.

Roger that. Nantucket at sunrise.

[Edd505]

Boat, plane, RV, memories = priceless.

[colliehauler]

Cloud Dancer wrote:
Motorcycles, Street Rods, Muscle Cars, Airplanes, Race Cars, Boats, Motorhomes......and still managed to send my daughter to private schools. I also taught her camping and fishing. I made money owning/operating a racetrack and also became a commercial pilot (yeah, got paid for it). I'm months from being eighty,....working on the Dutch Star, and still trying to have a good time. I never put a pencil to how much my hobbies cost. All I know is that I can't afford what I want NOW.

Yes but you have a lot of great memories.

[Veebyes]

If you think RVing is expensive, try boating. Not talking a trailer boat. If you think boating is expensive, try aviation.

We figure daily running costs to be in the area of $150. This covers fuel, CG, food, fun stuff, anything that happens between coming out of storage & going back in. Then there are the annual costs. The insurance, the vehicle servicing, the storage.

Spread out over 150-170 nights use per year we think we do OK. We used to be very active boaters at over 40 nights a year on the water but the RV is dirt cheap to the boat & we always anchored out so no cost for marina fees. The boat gave us about 2MPG.

[colliehauler]

CFerguson wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
This is how I calculate my RV investment:

Did I have the money to afford it? Yes.

Do I enjoy it? Yes.

Cost = acceptable.

Excellent Summary!

After reading lots of replies which echoed my sentiments this basically sums it up.