Little Calculator I made

[Prepilot_3ck]

Those of you who like to plan a trip like my wife and I do, I've made a little calculator that compares the cost of of a trip in your RV (or camper/TT) with staying in hotels on the same trip.

http://www.theholmesnetwork.com/stuff/RVvsHotel.xls

Instructions:
It's just an Excel sheet, but I added some drop-down menus and such to make it a little easier to use.

You can change any of the values in the GREEN cells. Everything else is automatically calculated.

In the upper left, enter in the MPG you get in each of your vehicles. We have a car, a truck and an RV. So that's what I put in there. Enter the number of nights your trip will take. Then enter the average camping cost, then the average hotel cost for the area you are traveling. Last enter the average gas price.

You can look at the graphs below and see how much money (gas and lodging) you can expect to pay for each of the travel options. If your mileage range isn't shown there, click in the "range int(erval)" box and select a range that best represents your trip.

It's pretty basic and is an estimate, but it seems to be a fairly accurate tool for my wife and I. However, regardless of the results of this calculator, we end up taking the RV anyway.

Feel free message me with any questions.

Thanks,
brian

[tmmar]

Brian,
Not sure if you would need to add the number of people that are in the party. If you have, say 8 people, you might need 2 cars or trucks vs 1 rv and 2 rooms vs 1 campsite.
Just a thought, otherwise it looks pretty helpful..

[Prepilot_3ck]

yeah, I would typically just add that mentally. We just did a long trip with my in-laws. So double the hotel cost. We would have taken my "truck" (land rover) so an additional car wouldn't have been necessary.

It's a nice little estimator, my wife and I drove from Las Vegas, NV to the northwoods of wisconsin last summer. My calculator estimated $20 high. not bad. If the point of the trip is to use the RV, I don't really look at the other vehicle calculations, but if the point of the trip is to visit an area or for work or something, then we take in to consideration other options. However, we more often then not, take the RV regardless. We just love it.

Brian

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by Prepilot_3ck

yeah, I would typically just add that mentally. We just did a long trip with my in-laws. So double the hotel cost. We would have taken my "truck" (land rover) so an additional car wouldn't have been necessary.

It's a nice little estimator, my wife and I drove from Las Vegas, NV to the northwoods of wisconsin last summer. My calculator estimated $20 high. not bad. If the point of the trip is to use the RV, I don't really look at the other vehicle calculations, but if the point of the trip is to visit an area or for work or something, then we take in to consideration other options. However, we more often then not, take the RV regardless. We just love it.

Brian

I found this little calculator quite informative. Now I can brag to the wife that taking the trailer is actually cheaper than going the motel way. You don't have to convince me, I would take the trailer every time!

[Snivek]

I like this calculator and to further boost the cost benefits of RVing instead of moteling, eating is a lot cheaper in a RV then at restaurants 3 times a day.

[Team Wilhelm]

Sweet thing

[piscesman]

Yes, I agree with Snivek...is there any way you can include some entries for food costs? Eating "at home" is a lot cheaper than in restaurants!

[jaxfl]

I don't like your little calculator. Using it, anything over 205 miles for my MH/Toad is going to cost me more then car/truck hotel. There should also be the cost of food that would help some to make it to 240 miles before it starts costing me. Thanks

[Prepilot_3ck]

I'm glad you all liked it. Sure. I can probably add food cost, but my wife and I never know what we're going to spend on food when we are out. We bring some staples, but we typically try to hit a local farmers market or something like that. For SURE it's cheaper then eating out all the time and WAY more healthy.

JAXFL: What kind of setup do you have? I pulled a HTT with my Land Rover (Small V8) and even at 6 MPG my break-even point was around 800 miles (round trip, assuming no wind and the mountains were reasonable). Are hotels pretty cheap where you like to go? Most of the places we go hotels are WELL over $150/night and in many of those places $200+ is the norm. At those prices my DP's cost effective range is 2000 miles (round trip).

As I'm sure we all feel here, RVing isn't necessarily about the cost savings, although sometimes it does save us money and hassle for sure. It's about the life-style and what we all like to do.

Brian

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by Prepilot_3ck

I'm glad you all liked it. Sure. I can probably add food cost, but my wife and I never know what we're going to spend on food when we are out. We bring some staples, but we typically try to hit a local farmers market or something like that. For SURE it's cheaper then eating out all the time and WAY more healthy.

JAXFL: What kind of setup do you have? I pulled a HTT with my Land Rover (Small V8) and even at 6 MPG my break-even point was around 800 miles (round trip, assuming no wind and the mountains were reasonable). Are hotels pretty cheap where you like to go? Most of the places we go hotels are WELL over $150/night and in many of those places $200+ is the norm. At those prices my DP's cost effective range is 2000 miles (round trip).

As I'm sure we all feel here, RVing isn't necessarily about the cost savings, although sometimes it does save us money and hassle for sure. It's about the life-style and what we all like to do.

Brian

I used your great little calculator and got somewhere around 3000 miles before it started to be the same cost as the motel way. But, this did not account for the cost difference of food. I have four in my family and the cheapest meals seem to be at least $25 each ( for the four of us ). This of course is fast food usually also. Not to mention, you always have a washroom with you no matter where you are. Little kids can't wait!

[Prepilot_3ck]

Yeah, I think you can always assume you're going to save money on food when you camp. Unless you're eating lobster and rib-eyes everynight... which is not a bad idea!

Brian

[jaxfl]

Originally Posted by Prepilot_3ck

JAXFL: What kind of setup do you have? I pulled a HTT with my Land Rover (Small V8) and even at 6 MPG my break-even point was around 800 miles (round trip, assuming no wind and the mountains were reasonable). Are hotels pretty cheap where you like to go? Most of the places we go hotels are WELL over $150/night and in many of those places $200+ is the norm. At those prices my DP's cost effective range is 2000 miles (round trip).
Brian

You asked so here goes. The DW and I are the ones that RV the most. Some times we take the GKs but not always. I pull a Chevy Colorado with a 32' Class C E450 that gets about 8MPG. The normal CG cost is $40 a night and the average hotel I see signs all the time for $49 - 69 a night. SO...at 200 miles the costs are: 2 Nights CG $45, hotel $65 and I get free breakfast.

Car $158.57 - 21mpg
Truck $167.50 - 16mpg
RV $165.00 - 8mpg

at 400 miles the costs are: 2 Nights CG $45, hotel $65.

Car $187.14
Truck $205.00
RV $240.00

Now if yuo are talking a Hilton then yes the milage would change but at a Best Western or Laquantia the $65 a night is right.
So over 300 miles is costing me. Not counting the cost of the MH, Insurance, & maintanance. But if you are in to RVing because of cost then you should re-evaluate.

[Prepilot_3ck]

Originally Posted by jaxfl

You asked so here goes. The DW and I are the ones that RV the most. Some times we take the GKs but not always. I pull a Chevy Colorado with a 32' Class C E450 that gets about 8MPG. The normal CG cost is $40 a night and the average hotel I see signs all the time for $49 - 69 a night. SO...at 200 miles the costs are: 2 Nights CG $45, hotel $65 and I get free breakfast.

Car $158.57 - 21mpg
Truck $167.50 - 16mpg
RV $165.00 - 8mpg

at 400 miles the costs are: 2 Nights CG $45, hotel $65.

Car $187.14
Truck $205.00
RV $240.00

Now if yuo are talking a Hilton then yes the milage would change but at a Best Western or Laquantia the $65 a night is right.
So over 300 miles is costing me. Not counting the cost of the MH, Insurance, & maintanance. But if you are in to RVing because of cost then you should re-evaluate.

Yeah, those hotel rates are pretty reasonable. I can see how it could make a difference. We would normally stay in Hampton, Bestwestern, Laquinta, etc.. also. Places like Sedona, any of the wine country regions of California, San Diego, or near the national parks (types of places we go) hotels are pretty crazy. Depending on the purpose of the trip, we may opt for the hotel then... Assuming money was a big issue regarding the trip.

The good news is, now you know you can travel to some more expensive areas and SAVE money! I highly recommended the central coast California wine country.

Brian

[jaxfl]

Originally Posted by Prepilot_3ck

Yeah, those hotel rates are pretty reasonable. I can see how it could make a difference. We would normally stay in Hampton, Bestwestern, Laquinta, etc.. also. Places like Sedona, any of the wine country regions of California, San Diego, or near the national parks (types of places we go) hotels are pretty crazy. Depending on the purpose of the trip, we may opt for the hotel then... Assuming money was a big issue regarding the trip.

The good news is, now you know you can travel to some more expensive areas and SAVE money! I highly recommended the central coast California wine country.

Brian

Yes, I also highly recommended the central coast California wine country. However on that trip the Airplane is not included and Flying across the USA is the only option for a week trip.

[wayne1]

Don't forget that you will have clean sheets with your RV. You really think hotels change the bedspreads after little Johnny got changed on it?
Try sneaking a dog into the room. Watch him go crazy on the pillows and sheets. And you sleep on that?

[Jas]

I modified the calculator for food and that is what made the real difference for us.

I figure that an average hotel chain was Days Inn, not fancy but not a slum either so I checked thier rates at several areas we wanted to camp at ranging from Virginia Beach resort area (just up the road from us) to the back woods of West VA and NY. I figured a free breakfast would be included at the hotel. On average we seem to get something cheap out for lunch so that cost is the same for both trip estimates. The real sticker is dinner. A cheap nite out at anything above an Applebees costs us at least $30 for the meal. Where as when we camp we usually eat at the campsite. I figured that the cost of the food for the trip camping was going to be the same as what we would spend eating the same meal at home which is already accounted for in our food budget making dinners and breakfast at the camper virtually free as the cost is figured into our normal living expenses anyhow. Where as in a hotel we are pretty much stuck eating out lunch and dinner.

To end the rant, here's the results:

an average 2 night excursion with our rig and eating habibts tends to break even at 400 miles which is beyond our current comfort commute distance towing for a single day. I've towed further by myself but with the wife & dogs......

In the end it all boils down to accounting for your normal at home living expenses too. If you eat out all the time I doubt that it will help increase your range using this calculator but if you tend to cook like we do it will nearly double your effective range especially on short 2 & 3 day trips.

[Scouter55]

You have to include the cost of bringing your own bed along to wherever you are going. Would you rather sleep where hundreds of strangers have slept before or in a bed that only you and your wife (and kids) have slept? That's why I like RVing!