We just had our 5th totaled by the Ins. co. due to a roof tear that happened unnoticed during the season last season, causing 3 of the walls to delaminate. Big bummer for something that had only seen 4 summers.So the question came up, how much does a camping trip actually cost? Should we just take the money and do more conventional travel?I won't get into all the nitty gritty, as everyone's actual use and numbers vary by a huge amount. But for us (2 people), camping generally meant long road trips, for weeks at a time. Not worrying about being frugal on campsites (we did a lot of KOA's, for example). Taking the dogs. Eating out when we felt like it. Doing some tourist tours/attractions.Non-camping meant 2 week trips, some with airfare, some driving, dogs in a kennel. We did not have to pay for hotel/motel at our destinations (stayed with family, etc.) We never rented a car. Very few admissions/fees to see things. We did, however have to dine out a LOT more.The only thing not counted in either were groceries - we'd do that even if we just stayed home!So comparing all up expenses for the two types of travel, including the front loaded loss on the camper due to depreciation (and maint. and storage, etc.) we averaged $242 per day for 126 days of the lifestyle.For non-RV, we averaged $298 per day over 42 days. Throw in an extra at least $100 per day if we had to pay for lodging, let alone car rental, and it seems pretty clear which way is more cost effective.Of course if we could have used the 5th for it's full depreciation life, the cost of ownership per camping day would have dropped. And there are lots of ways to economize that we didn't worry about - so it is easy to come in under our amount. Probably by a LOT.But given what appears to be the low side number for conventional travel, and how it only can get more complex/costly to see many of the same places it is easy to go camping at.....Looks like we are making the reinvestment in a new RV!

JMO. but I think you're comparing apples to oranges. Each style of travel should stand on it's own merits irrespective of cost ... RV simply because you enjoy it, no other reason. ;)

Sorry to hear of the loss/destruction of an almost-brand-new camper over something as dumb as a punctured sheet of rubber. But glad you plan to replace the RV and stay with the cool kids.

I have read a few of these types of posts and I enjoy reading everybody's rationale for the way THEY prefer to do it. :BHere is mine: We use our 5er for camping and enjoying the great out doors. That cost is what I would call one of our hobbies in life and the cost is what it is. However, when we use our rig for "RVing", we are using our 5er as a alternative to staying in a motel. These types of situations arise, for example, when we are traveling for a wedding or the like. Not for "camping". This example is when I will compare the costs of the two.

The cost is just the price of doing business. We own our camper, therefore we take more vacations than we normally would. We are going to Florida for a 2.5 week vacation starting next week... a vacation that we wouldn't have done without the camper. We go to the lake 2 or 3 times a year... trips that we likely wouldn't have done without the camper. We take a lot of trips that we probably wouldn't take without the camper.As a bonus, its SO much easier to travel in a camper with 2 toddlers and 3 dogs. Everyone has their own space... we have our own bathroom... we have our own kitchen... we have our own toys... we have our own chairs... we have our own beds.We spend more money on vacations per year, but we go on more vacations per year. Our kids are getting experiences that they wouldn't have had. We get time with friends and family that we wouldn't have had. Money well spent, in my opinion.

Leaving the dog at home or in a kennel is not an option for us unless it's an absolute emergency quick trip.

The real cost of camping vs not | Good Sam Community

Jbrowland
Explorer
Feb 07, 2017
The real cost of not camping?

My daughter writing that she wants to be a Ranger when she grows up = priceless ;)

If we didn't own an RV, we wouldn't go camping half as much as we do.
atwowheelguy
Explorer
Feb 06, 2017
I never figured buying an RV could SAVE money. If there are hotels at your normal destinations, I think it would not be economical to incur the constant expense of taxes, depreciation and maintenance for occasional use. I bought mine for comfort and convenience. I would never go into debt to finance a toy, but many do, so there could also be interest to pay. If it's financed, it also must be insured. The price of my camper was small enough that I don't insure it. A loss that size wouldn't bankrupt me. I go to dirt bike events that are typically 20-30 miles from the nearest hotel. Usually there is not even a campground with utilities, just a field. I don't want to sleep on the ground, so it's the camper for me. Plus it hauls my motorcycles! A car and a hotel just won't get the job done for me.
colliehauler
Explorer III
Feb 05, 2017
Take a 90 day vacation to Alaska and stay in motels every night and eat at restaurant's keep your receipts and compare what a used RV and truck would cost along with camping receipts and grocery store receipts. The used truck and RV can be sold after the trip.

I would be willing to bet that the RV trip will be less.
mx727
Explorer
Feb 05, 2017
So, three weeks in the Keys would cost ~$7500 at a Courtyard for one king room.

Very nice campground cost $2500.

I'd drive either way. Tolls and fuel increases about $1000 RT with the camper.

Kids and family can come down for a few days. I don't have to pay for another room with the camper.

Food is cheaper.

The difference in just lodging pays the payment for the brand new rig, so I'm going to break even on the first trip. Last year, I was money ahead.

We do this trip twice a year. There is no way that it would be cheaper to take both trips without the camper.

The intangibles of being in your own "home" and sitting outside with friends and family are just a wonderful bonus.
Lumpty
Explorer
Feb 05, 2017
My friends all make fun of me for my "racer math", but given how we use our Class C it absolutely makes financial sense, staying in it about 40 nights a year at pro and club track events as much as 1000 miles from home. Any further than that, we do fly and hotel it. An example was our last big trip back in September-October. Left Thursday night from NJ headed to Auburn, AL where both kids are students. Wal-Mart'ed for a nap in Staunton, VA. Tailgated until Sunday at Auburn for the LSU game. Spent Sunday night at a Georgia State Park (FDR) near Pine Mountain, then drove up to Road Atlanta for Petit LeMans week on Monday where the big kid was driving in one of the support series. Stayed there through Sunday morning then home in one long drive that day. Cash out of pocket? 2000 miles of fuel at 8mpg was $575, the overnight in the State Park was $30, my competitor RV pass at the track was $200. We ate and drank well, so let's say $200 in groceries. Total? $1,005.

If I had driven my Golf Sportwagen, sure, gas would have been significantly cheaper, that 2000 miles/40 mpg = $112. But then, 10 nights in hotels, at at least $150 a night on average, because both these were high profile events, so $1500, then food at a minimum of $100 a day, so another $1000. Over $2,600.

Making this a fly-drive would have been even more. Plane tickets at even $250 each for my wife and I would have been $500. Rental car about $500. One night of hotel and a day of food saved would still be $2150. Way over $3,000.

We do trips like that 4-5 times a year. I've calculated that owning the RV over the 10-12 years I plan to keep this one (we're halfway through) will cost me in depreciation, insurance, maintenance and repairs about $5,000 annually. While all the travel and having the motorhome is discretionary spending, if we are going to do what we do, the RV easily "saves" the money spent on it.
ncrowley
Explorer II
Feb 05, 2017
We have done the math and RVing does not save us money over other types of travel in almost all cases. However, we travel for a week to a month at a time and will not put the dog in a kennel for more than a few days. Also, we would not travel so much if we had to stay in hotels and eat out all the time. We know that without the RV, we would not travel very much and would not see all the things we have seen. Therefore, for us, the extra cost of traveling with the RV is well worth it.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Feb 05, 2017
We are now doing what I call "Hybrid camping" - if it's too hot, too cold, too tired, too stormy, etc, we stay at LaQuintas. Our 2 dogs are welcomed there, the rooms are clean and nice. But when we get to areas that are scenic, or we wish to explore more closely - camping is the way to go! The one thing that most hotels can't offer: you step out the door into the forest (or desert or seashore, etc). Our last epic sightseing trip was the Pacific NW, and we used a pop-up truck camper that I have $1000 invested in. Getting the better mpg (compared to our old Class C) and minimal investment levels that "which is cheaper" playing field real fast. But in our case, camping allows us to experience the best places, firsthand.
IdaD
Explorer
Feb 04, 2017
RPreeb wrote:
For us, the trailer is for camping. We don't "RV" in the way the many on this forum do it - we go camping in the national forests and parks. We go to mostly hang out in nature.

When we do destination travel, we generally leave the trailer at home, even if driving, because we have other reasons for making the trip that don't involve "camping". There is generally less hassle involved in checking into a hotel, going in and out from a location close to or right at the activity we are there for, No worries about using water or battery or LP. No decisions on whether it's time to disturb the campground by firing up the generator to recharge.

So we see it both ways. We live at home in a fixed, immovable house, but we trip out away from there both ways as necessary.

We mostly use it as a camper too, but the trailer worked surprisingly well on a vacation to Disney in California last summer. It made the travel part easier since we had a bathroom and our kitchen in tow, and once we were down there it was not only cheaper than a hotel but with young kids it actually worked better since they were in a familiar environment versus bouncing off the walls at a Hyatt or whatever. It kind of opened our eyes and with as much as we use it my wife and I have decided that it's going to be worth investing in a nicer toy hauler within the next few years. It is more work in some ways but I do like the greater independence and being able to pack what we want. With a family of five and a big dog vacations via air travel aren't going to be very practical in the foreseeable future, and frankly I fly enough for work to more than get my fill of all that noise.
RPreeb
Explorer
Feb 04, 2017
For us, the trailer is for camping. We don't "RV" in the way the many on this forum do it - we go camping in the national forests and parks. We go to mostly hang out in nature.

When we do destination travel, we generally leave the trailer at home, even if driving, because we have other reasons for making the trip that don't involve "camping". There is generally less hassle involved in checking into a hotel, going in and out from a location close to or right at the activity we are there for, No worries about using water or battery or LP. No decisions on whether it's time to disturb the campground by firing up the generator to recharge.

So we see it both ways. We live at home in a fixed, immovable house, but we trip out away from there both ways as necessary.
colliehauler
Explorer III
Feb 04, 2017
Crowe wrote:
JMO. but I think you're comparing apples to oranges. Each style of travel should stand on it's own merits irrespective of cost ... RV simply because you enjoy it, no other reason.

Exactly. I have no idea why people feel the need to justify their choices.
Crowe I agree completely. Short trips I use a motel, longer trips I usually take the RV.

There is a famous quote by Oscar Wilde Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

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