144 days in a 18 foot box

[Dennis_Smith]

Summer road trip for Dennis and Shauna Smith
June 3, to Oct 15, a total of 134 days.
Touched 12 states, camped in 9 different states in the mid-west.
19,015 miles, trailer pulled 6898 miles/ average 141 day.
33 different campgrounds, average stay 4.06 days per campground.
Camping cost $4786, $35.71 average a day. High was $70, low was $15
Gas cost $3717, $27.73 daily average, .19 cents a mile for gas, about 10 MPG
Entertainment, $2585, $19.29 daily average.
Groceries $3332, $24.86 daily average
Restaurants $1863, $13.90 daily average
Total $16283, $121.51 daily average
36 National Parks (5), Monuments (6), Memorials (6), National Lakeshore (4), Historical Parks (4), Historical sites (8), Historical trail (1), National battlefield (1), and National scenic River Way (1).
Campgrounds ranged from KOA’s to national parks to Military base campgrounds. We prefer small private campgrounds, we never park in free places. Gas, we use gas buddy and shop for gas, Entertainment, we have a senior park pass so all the parks are free, but we do something every day, boat rides, train rides, movies, plays, museum, etc. etc. We find something to see or do every day. Groceries, most from Walmart, they have what we want, easy parking if we are pulling our trailer and there everywhere. Restaurants, we eat out when we want to, we do have a budget and a waist line to watch.
We have a 21 Foot trailer, with our tandem bicycle on the back bumper of the trailer, 21,000 miles and it rides great. Our tow vehicle is a Ford F250 with the 5.7 gas motor. We also have a 18 foot Kevlar canoe on top of the truck.
A fun trip, lots of neat things to see and do in the Midwest.

[rbpru]

Comparing our first year of travel with our third year of travel, we winnowed our expenses down to what we need or use.

Originally we stayed at campgrounds with full hook ups, electric, water, sewers, tennis courts game rooms and such were niceties that were soon learned we did not use. We migrated to National and State Parks or campground with electricity only. Now its State forest and grasslands at a fraction of the costs.

[allen8106]

I was fixin to say that seemed like an awful high daily average until I calculated our last three week trip. Ours was $128.67 average per day. You did well at $121.51 per day.

Good job.

[CavemanCharlie]

Dennis Smith wrote:
We do it the old fashion way with a little note book. Then when we get home the wife puts it in a spreadsheet. With the note book its always on, and right there. We like when we are traveling to keep track of what we are spending, and nope we dont do that at home.

Thank You, Take some pictures next year and post them along with your expenses too. It would be fun to see them.

[Dennis_Smith]

We do it the old fashion way with a little note book. Then when we get home the wife puts it in a spreadsheet. With the note book its always on, and right there. We like when we are traveling to keep track of what we are spending, and nope we dont do that at home.

[CavemanCharlie]

Dennis Smith wrote:
Summer road trip for Dennis and Shauna Smith
June 3, to Oct 15, a total of 134 days.
Touched 12 states, camped in 9 different states in the mid-west.
19,015 miles, trailer pulled 6898 miles/ average 141 day.
33 different campgrounds, average stay 4.06 days per campground.
Camping cost $4786, $35.71 average a day. High was $70, low was $15
Gas cost $3717, $27.73 daily average, .19 cents a mile for gas, about 10 MPG
Entertainment, $2585, $19.29 daily average.
Groceries $3332, $24.86 daily average
Restaurants $1863, $13.90 daily average
Total $16283, $121.51 daily average
36 National Parks (5), Monuments (6), Memorials (6), National Lakeshore (4), Historical Parks (4), Historical sites (8), Historical trail (1), National battlefield (1), and National scenic River Way (1).
Campgrounds ranged from KOA’s to national parks to Military base campgrounds. We prefer small private campgrounds, we never park in free places. Gas, we use gas buddy and shop for gas, Entertainment, we have a senior park pass so all the parks are free, but we do something every day, boat rides, train rides, movies, plays, museum, etc. etc. We find something to see or do every day. Groceries, most from Walmart, they have what we want, easy parking if we are pulling our trailer and there everywhere. Restaurants, we eat out when we want to, we do have a budget and a waist line to watch.
We have a 21 Foot trailer, with our tandem bicycle on the back bumper of the trailer, 21,000 miles and it rides great. Our tow vehicle is a Ford F250 with the 5.7 gas motor. We also have a 18 foot Kevlar canoe on top of the truck.
A fun trip, lots of neat things to see and do in the Midwest.

Cool :C Thanks for the post. You are very good at keeping track of expenses and number.

Did you do this by hand or, are you using a computer program that helps you do the math.

[Passin_Thru]

We figure we average $1/mile on a 3000 mile RT to Ok and back to VA, including 17 days of entertainment, food and 14 Grandkids. They are costly too!.

[rbpru]

We spent 58 days circumnavigating AZ, Zion, Bryce, Vegas and points on the way. We drove 8500 miles of which 5500 was towing.

Our average camp fee was $27.00 and our daily total was $87.00 for everything. We almost always stay at state parks. We average 10 mpg.

We also average 50 mph and 300 miles a days.

This is typical I believe plus or minus 10 %.

[Dennis_Smith]

Our goal is to do all the national parks, monuments etc...That gets us to a area. After we do the park we google fun things to do in the town we are in. We also use "roadsideamerica.com" an "factorytoursUSA.com" we truly have found a ton of stuff on these two pages. We aren't gong to give up our home, but we love to travel all summer. We have great folks that live next door that takes care of the house. Everything is auto pay and all our medical stuff is mailed to the house and then mailed to us every couple of months.

[SheDrives]

Dennis Smith wrote:
Summer road trip for Dennis and Shauna Smith
June 3, to Oct 15, a total of 134 days.
Touched 12 states, camped in 9 different states in the mid-west. A fun trip, lots of neat things to see and do in the Midwest.

I'd love to see the details -- route, campgrounds, entertainment, etc.

Hubby and I are just embarking on the TT journey. I want to go fulltime. He's not willing to give up the house and 2 acres, but he is willing to head out on extended trips of 3-6 weeks.

I read lots of travel blogs to find out cool places we should visit. Having lived all of my life in the Deep South and Texas, I'd like to experience more of the USA, especially those things that are not adjacent to the Interstate highways!

[Dennis_Smith]

Our cost was right what we planed to spend. Could we cut cost, sure but remember we go and do something or see something every day. Our goal is to see everything there is to see where we are at. We never just sit for a day in the camp ground. That for sure would save money. We knew what our budget was and worked around that. Fuel cost was a bit lower then we thought it would be so that open up the budget a bit. We did this same trip out west in 2016, and spent about the same amount. a fun trip and we look forward to covering the south in 2018

[jfkmk]

I'm jealous! Sounds like a great trip!

[jarata1]

Nice post wow that's a lot of money spent I'm sure you could cut that down quite a bit if your full timing and not on vacation

[Downwindtracke1]

We did a Canada 150 trip, BC to Newfoundland . Back through the States, Maine to North Dakota. It was just under 20,000KM. Our trailer is a ORV 20FQ, a 20',it wasn't crowded with two people and a Yellow Lab/Golden Retrieve cross. Good floorplan. Best fuel economy was 12.7 liters per 100km driving through Lake of the Woods, Ontario, worst, 20.9 was driving into a stiff head wind on fast turnpike in the mid west. Generally we saw 16 to 18, depending on speed and head winds.

[GrandpaKip]

Sounds like you had fun. Thanks for all the information. Always nice to hear how others travel.