Budgeting for Camping

[four22]

I'm new around here and have been reading alot. My wife and I hope to purchase a travel trailer in the next year or 2 to start spending more time away with our children.

Couple of questions....

How much should I budget for a monthly long weekend with the family?
What are some suggestions of what to look for in a TT with 2 small children?

I'm hoping to stay around the 30' range and no more than 7500-800 pounds. We definitely want a bunkhouse to grow into.

Looking forward to some of the shared knowledge here.

Thanks!

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Look for low price campgrounds like state parks and corps of engineers parks. They usually have at least water and electric hookups and dump stations. Usually less than $30 per night. If you go to Jellystone, KOA or commercial campgrounds with lots of amenities it can run $100 per night but they do have lots to keep the kids busy. There are some beautiful corps of engineers campgrounds near Bowling Green KY. Look for them on www.recreation.gov I also use www.woodalls.com and www.rvparkreviews.com to locate campgrounds.

[tatest]

On the other hand, the big cost of RVing is usually the fixed cost of owning the RV: license fees, insurance, maybe storage, annual maintenance, and cost of money which includes depreciation and either interest on a loan or lost income on the money that could have been invested (not much return today, but it has been higher).

Since my RV cost $60,000 when I bought it, depreciation and lost earnings were high, pushing fixed costs to at least $3000 a year the first few years, so if I used it 100 days a year, that's another $30 a day. Those costs are down as the value goes down, but if $1500 a year and I only use it 10 days, then $150 a day.

[Mandalay_Parr]

Many private RV parks have weekly and monthly rates which are less than daily rates.
Might buy a campground directory and make a few phone calls.
Also go visit some parks and talk to the campers. They are quite willing to share their knowledge.

You may call me if you wish.

[tatest]

Where are you going and how far is it?

One of the places I go is a lake 16 miles from home, at 8 MPG it costs me $10-15 for fuel (counting the trip to RV storage and back). I spend $8 a night for the campsite.

Another place is a city park 40 miles away, $5 a night for the parking spot with hookups, $25 to $30 for fuel.

A favorite place on Grand Lake is 80 miles way, $30 a night, $50 to $60 for fuel.

Most distant place we would regularly go is a golf resort 160 miles away, $35 a night (plus greens fees) and $100 to $120 for gas.

Those are the place I choose to go. I've had nightly site fees as low as $0 (one night or two nights free in a city park) and as high as $150 at family resorts at major destinations like Disney World, or near big cities like NYC. Commercial parks catering to families might be $30-$80 a night in less popular places, and I've paid $16 to $35 a night to use state parks.

Food costs what food costs, whether camping or at home. I get by on $120 a week for groceries, for myself. When my wife was alive, it was about $180 a week for groceries, and taking her out to eat at least one meal five days on the average, so another $120 to $150 dollars at the cheap local restaurants we visited (big chain places, bar food, or fancy locals can cost a lot more).

Activities? We generally didn't buy any, but you might look into cost of things like boat rentals, amusement park fees, and so on. I've been to family resort campgrounds, and while some had separate amusement park or activity fees per person, others added it to the campsite price whether you used it or not.

[rbpru]

We just finished a two months tour of 8500 mile, 5500 of which were towing miles.

Stayed at a mix of state parks and private campgrounds throughout IL, MO, TX, NM, AZ, NV and UT. From the day we left home with the TT and TV loaded for the trip, our cost was $90.00 a day, that was total expenditures, gas and all.

There are only two of us and our dog, we pack our lunches or eat in the TT at a rest stop. We mostly hike or sightsee with the TV. The DW puts something's in the crock pot for supper when we get home.

If we go to a state park and stay, it is cheaper because we do not burn gas sightseeing.

Yor expenses may be more because of your kids.

[boosTT]

Insurance figure $200/year and it will likely be a little less.

[four22]

All great information so far.

Roughly how much does insurance for a trailer run a year?

[Dick_B]

We (2 Seniors) figure on $100 per day but we always stay at private campgrounds and usually eat lunch at a restaurant and occasionally supper out as well.

[beemerphile1]

It depends on how you camp and what you do and is in reality impossible to answer. However, food, camping fees, fuel, entertainment, and miscellaneous expenses I would figure $100 per person.

[Tiger4x4RV]

Don't forget that your budget needs to include any of the following which are applicable to your situation: storage fees for the TT, insurance for the TT, and TT vehicle license fees. These will be charged whether you just park the TT or go out often and use it.

As to your question of what to look for in a TT for small children: safe sleeping space (bunk rails?), safe stairs and ladders.

I've camped extensively with children from my own 6-week-old infants to my currently adult grandchildren. At least until kids approach the adult stage, plan on extra parental vigilance. There are so many wonderful unfamiliar things and places that they will want to investigate. No leaving them alone in the TT for even a short time. No "I thought you were watching them" situations. Watch out for camp area traffic, wild animals, uncontrolled tame animals, etc.

Have a great camping life! You'll be building many memories with your children. Don't wait too long to get started on this.

[fla-gypsy]

It really does matter what type of camping you want to do. Aside from the cost of the RV and Tow Vehicle (& fuel) it can be fairly reasonable. State parks in my part of the world offer many amenities at a reasonable cost (<$30 a night) and your food cost is the same if you eat at the campsite.

On the flipside some RV resorts in this part of the world can approach $100 a night. That's a big difference. Regardless of cost the memories are priceless.

[Bears_Den]

One of the things the DW and I do when it comes to food is to take what we already have in the freezer and pantry and just get a few things that we may need. We figure it was food that we were going to use at home anyway but instead will just use on our trips. We like to camp at SPs instead of private campgrounds. State parks are cheaper than the private CGs that are in it for a profit. Depending on what you want to do once you get to the CG will determine how much $ you'll spend. If you're just going to take advantage of what the CG has to offer you will get off cheaper than if you go on excursions, theme parks etc. Cost will be solely up to your family based on what you all want to do. Whatever you decide, remember you're making memories for your entire family that will last a life time.

[boosTT]

10 MPG... really depends how far and often you plan to go.

[PenMan]

Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will get lots of answers. We camped in tents when our kids were young except when we used my dad's motorhomes (he had several over the years). We went from tents to a hybrid when my knees got bad enough that I didn't want to sleep on the ground. We moved from the hybrid to our TT when we wanted to stay longer and wanted to be more comfortable.

The amount to budget is very open. If you camp in a national forest or boondock then the cost of fuel and your food is basically it. If you stay fairly close to home and cook in camp like you cook at home the cost difference is negligible (if you don't have monthly trailer payments 🙂 ). If you stay in state parks the cost is fairly low. In NM the rates vary from free to $18 depending on the amenities. If you camp at an RV resort you could spend over $50 per night. So the cost varies depending on what you want. Sorry, I can't help with a bunkhouse trailer as I have never owned one but I'm sure many will chime in. At any rate, camping is a great way to get closer with your kids and I know you will enjoy it.