Thinking of buying a TT

[rubsal70]

Hello
I was wondering how expensive it is to own a TT. I'm wondering how much is spent on gas and is it worth it? Do y'all use the TT because yall dont want to use a hotel. Is it more expensive than just getting a hotel. Obviously everyone is different but I'm looking for ballpark number
Thanks

[rubsal70]

Actually bumpy here in Texas our state parks are mostly nice and ran around 20-26 a night.

[Bumpyroad]

I think that the main cost savings would be in eating meals in instead of paying restaurant prices. a decent campground is not much less than a low cost decent motel.
bumpy

[Rumtan]

The key here is quality time. Hotel time is usually spent watching TV then off to bed, were as RVing is a group/family sport that involves participation and planning to achieve a time of decompress and self awareness. Its like zen for the soul. Go ahead, put a price on that !

[rubsal70]

Guys I want to say thank you to all of you. I didn't mean to bring up that question but I'm researching before I make a decision. We do like camping and we do it at least 6-8 times a year plus whenever we go fishing. I. Think I will end up getting one but maybe next year. The one that I'm looking at right now is the jayco 264bh model. That's the one I like.
Thanks for all your input guys.

[camp-n-family]

Hobbies and fun are never cheap but only you can put a price on what your family/fun time is worth.

I'd pay $50 a night on top of the $15,000 purchase price to be in the bushes, on a lake, around the fire, "roughing it", before I spent $150 to stay at the Holiday Inn any day.

[GilliedogKiwi]

We bought a 22' Jayco in 2011 - 6 months later we traded it in for a 24' and this year we traded that in for a 26' Jayco 266RKS. We love the freedom camping gives us and we know where we are sleeping and who slept in the bed before us! No bedbugs!! Clean and tide bathroom too and kitchen. As others have mentioned if you can afford the tow vehicle and a camper of some kind whether it be a popup or a Trailer - be sure you will use it. You also have to consider where you can store it when you are not using it.

[Slate_CM]

I would agree that there is no real way to say which is cheaper, too many variables.

I just like the extra options with my TT. Our first outing was to a three day music festival on big ranch in the middle of nowhere. Camping only or drive at least 30-60 miles to the nearest motel.

I will also use mine for work if I have a job out of town. If it's more than one night, it is cheaper to use a state campground instead of a motel. Since I don't usually like the Motel 6 etc. And so far campgrounds have been quieter than a motel.

[westend]

If you start small like a used pop=up camper, you won't have to think about the expenses. The gas mileage won't be any difference and you'll recover the cost of the camper by not staying in motels. If you decide you want something bigger and better, you'll be able to recover most of the cost of the used pop-up if you sell it.

[2012Coleman]

I'm wondering how much is spent on gas and is it worth it?

Your asking this question on an RV forum where I don't think you will ever get an answer of no to this question. Yov'e been told that you won't save on money over hotel rooms - consider room rent vs cost of gas and camp ground fee which is per night. That's only the tip of the iceberg. You don't give any info on family, but family size is a big factor in determing the cost - bigger trailer means bigger tow vechile.

You need to decide this on your own. If you/family are an outdoors person(s) and like camping related activities, then you may like the lifestyle. If you are considering a purchase only so you can "save" money on hotels, then most likely not a prudent idea. People may tell you to rent, and while a good idea in theory, renting is very expensive. Do you have any friends you could spend a few nights with on a trip?

[Bumpyroad]

at one time I think i calculated that if I drove an average of 300 miles a day on a trip, that I would break even between hotels/motels and a RV. that did NOT include the cost of the RV.
bumpy

[dadmomh]

Having a TT can be the best thing going or a real PITA, depending on lots of variables. Don't count on over 10 mpg regardless of your tow vehicle and the trailer you're towing. If in hilly/mountainous areas, count on a little less.

My cousin in Houston "jokes" that going into hilly areas in the Houston area means going over the freeway overpass....pretty true.

Are you looking at maybe a trip or two per month or per season? What distance = the cost of gas.

Can you store the TT at home or do you have to pay for off-site storage. That can get pretty pricey, so check on that before you go very far in this.

What is your tow vehicle and its ratings and, if you don't mind saying, what trailer are you considering? We may be able to offer more help with that info.

Will you be paying cash or financing? Not being snoopy, but if you finance, the interest on your loan is deductible on your taxes as a second home. Some would not consider financing, others consider it just part of the ability to get out and camp. Ours happens to be financed at an excellent rate and our payment is about = to a couple of movie/popcorn/coke evenings. We'd rather have our TT and bring our own popcorn.

We camp mostly in TN, MS, KY state parks or COE and pay about $20 - $25 per night including water/electric and sometimes for the $25 we have full hookups. Don't know how that compares to your part of TX. We recently made a trip to OH and stayed at a moderately priced hotel for 4 nights......we could have camped a good many nights for what that cost us + we like having our own bed and our own stuff ready to use. It's very rare for us to go out to eat since we enjoy that part of camping. So the cost of food camping vs at home is pretty much a wash.

You need to think about how you're going to use this trailer, how often, will you store at home or off-site and most importantly, is your current tow vehicle rated to tow this trailer safely and with some wiggle room?

BTW, welcome to the forum and hope we can help you with this.

[bid_time]

rubsal70 wrote:
I guess I want to know how much more Expensive it is

$21.99 per night.

Really, how do you expect anyone to be able to answer that? Do you have a brake controller, what brake controller will you be using, do you have the proper hitch equipment, will you need to pay for storage, are you positive that your truck is big enough, how much are camp fees at the place you will be camping, how many miles per gallon difference is there, how much does gas cost, how much does the holiday inn cost, will you be using full hooks of electric only, how far is it, will you be buying firewood, how much firewood per day, how much does the firewood cost, do you do your own maintenance, ... starting to catch on?

RV is a way of life, we do it because that is what we like. It's not because it's cheaper or more expensive; it's neither - it's what we like to do.

[rubsal70]

I guess I want to know how much more Expensive it is

[bid_time]

rubsal70 wrote:
Well the rv is 14999 and I have a truck that gives me 21hwy n 15city. Max towing for my truck is 8100. We like the outdoors as well. We do fishing and hunting so we are definitely outdoors people. The max driving we do is about 190 miles. I'm not sure how much lower mpg I will get when pulling. We do camp a lot or fish a lot so we have to stay at hotels cause of family. If it's me and the boys we camp out.

If I were you, I would make darn sure my "family" wanted to RV before you invest. My first wife wouldn't even consider a shower in an RV let alone a campground shower. It was Holiday Inn or nothing. If I were you, I would rent an RV for a week before you invest. You may save yourself an expensive mistake.

[EcoBullet]

rubsal70 wrote:
Well the rv is 14999 and I have a truck that gives me 21hwy n 15city. Max towing for my truck is 8100. We like the outdoors as well. We do fishing and hunting so we are definitely outdoors people. The max driving we do is about 190 miles. I'm not sure how much lower mpg I will get when pulling. We do camp a lot or fish a lot so we have to stay at hotels cause of family. If it's me and the boys we camp out.

Figure on mileage dropping to about 9 or 10 mpg when towing. The trailer will depreciate rapidly. There is insurance to consider, and tires will need replacing every 5 years, whether you pull the trailer or not. Still, if you like the lifestyle and plan to use the rig quite a bit, it can be worth it.

For me, it wasn't worth it while I was still working. I would rather fly somewhere, rent a car and see something new. Now that I'm retired I have enough time to mosey along and see things along the way.