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Old 06-29-2014, 12:17 AM   #21
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The tt qualifies as a second home depending how much you use it each year, and thus the loan interest is tax deductible per the tax man. Also the tt gives you peace of mind, per the wife. She says she knows who has slept in those sheets and who has used the toilet. Happy wife, happy life!

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Old 06-29-2014, 12:21 AM   #22
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All depends on expected return on investment. CG prices run from around 1/3 to 1/2 of comparable area mid grade hotels. State parks at $24-28 a night compared to $100 a night.

$72 bucks a night adds up quick. Plus how far you tow, how much you paid for your rig, etc.

But, $72 a night.

Plus I spend 70+ nights a year in hotels. Trust me, camping is better.

Reality is it depends on what you wish to get out of it. I'm sure once all the math is done traveling my vacancy light can be done much cheaper.

But, sitting next to a grill, under your awning, listening to nature or sitting in a sterile smelling hotel room listening to your neighbors consummate their relationship? I'll take the camper.

Plus since I work still it's a hobby to me, weekends and the occasional week or two. so getting away for the weekend is really nice, to go sit in the woods for a day or two. Hotels remind me too much of work.
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Old 06-29-2014, 12:43 AM   #23
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Old Coot - What the heck did you do that required you to travel that much?
I personally prefer road-trip type vacations, so cost is unimportant to me, it's the atmosphere I am after.
But something like a Disney World vacation, I can't imagine staying in a hotel for an extended period of time.
Business travel usually moved too fast for me to even consider driving, let alone staying in a trailer.
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Old 06-29-2014, 02:04 AM   #24
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MommaHuffman, not sure where you got the idea that RV'ing is cheaper than motels.
on every RV forum i'm a member of, the vast majority state NOT to expect that you'll save money by RV'ing, over moteling.

it's a lifestyle, not a money saver. the best you can hope for is that it costs the same.
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Old 06-29-2014, 06:40 AM   #25
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Camping cost is just like any other hobby, it costs you money but your paying for the "experience". Like hunting or fishing, if you figure all the cost of license, gear, ammo, clothes etc, you are probably paying $30 a lb. for meat. It's the memories of the event everyone remembers, not the cost.
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Old 06-29-2014, 07:05 AM   #26
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Visiting my son who lives in Las Vegas we stay at the Oasis RV Resort. Last year, my son asked if I would rather stay at RV resort or The Belagio (very upscale hotel) and that was when we were in our 18 ft Work and Play. Without hesitation I told him at the park. We sleep in our bed, everything I touch is mine, we are not dragging suitcases and most importantly, when you pass people in the hotel you are lucky if they nod at you. I usually always end up spending a lot of time talking to my camping neighbors. That's why I like camping. The people are different.

When we were younger with the kids being small we had a tent, van and then pop up. It was a cheaper vacation then and that was all we could afford and none of us would trade those experiences. Now it is only the DW and I and we choose the camping lifestyle. We are about to go on a 3 month trip. I could not imagine sleeping in motels for that period.

Is camping cheaper? I'd say no. But is think it is like old Harley Davidson saying, "if I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand".
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Old 06-29-2014, 07:07 AM   #27
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Old Coot - What the heck did you do that required you to travel that much?...
Procurement Quality Engineer for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. Job was to go to LM suppliers and inspect parts for the Multiple Launch Rocket System(MLRS). Last 3 yrs, LM had an "Urgent Need" from DOD for the MLRS Guided Warhead which required traveling EVERY Mon. morning from Charlotte-Atlanta-Evansville, IN and drive to Graham, KY and inspect 25 Guided Warheads, go back to motel, get up Tues am back to the airport to some other supplier, Wed am repeat, Thurs am repeat, Fri head home and get ready to start the same thing Mon. Delta credited me with 999,000+ miles in 2.5 yrs. 01Jan06-31Jul06(retired) only got in 73,000+ with Delta. Over $6,000/mo in airline tickets.
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Old 06-29-2014, 07:19 AM   #28
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Wow! That's really impressive Old Coot!
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Old 06-29-2014, 07:27 AM   #29
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I personally stay in a lot of hotels in the midwest and would much rather have the camper. Its mine and even though its smaller than a avg hotel room its much more comfortable as other have said. There is a break even on the hotel vs camper and for one-two night stays you could find a hotel that would save you money. With that said,I could not tell you the last time i found a true 75.00 a night room anywhere!!! Even in the biggest dumps the room with the taxes, tourisiom tax, special district tax and resort fees are always 15-25% of the room rate.

I hate hotels......
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Old 06-29-2014, 07:29 AM   #30
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Wow! That's really impressive Old Coot!
There were 7 of us badged to Camden, AR that covered the entire US. Everything done to Mil Specs (DOD) which gives you an idea of why everything costs so much when it comes to the military. Lives are at stake.
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Old 06-29-2014, 07:37 AM   #31
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Camping cost is just like any other hobby, it costs you money but your paying for the "experience". Like hunting or fishing, if you figure all the cost of license, gear, ammo, clothes etc, you are probably paying $30 a lb. for meat. It's the memories of the event everyone remembers, not the cost.
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Old 06-29-2014, 07:59 AM   #32
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More expensive to camp? Let's just break down the numbers. First, there's the cost savings on the "room"... For us that's about $70/night, on average. Then there's meals... Other than when staying in a villa at Disney, we've never cooked a meal in out hotel. So, assuming a free breakfast, you're into $50 for lunch and probably $70 for dinner... I can cook burgers for 4 for about $7 and a steak dinner for about $25... And a Mtn Pie dinner for about $5. So that's around $100/day, on average, I'm not spending on a corporation.
Now we get into some serious cost savings.... Happy drinks... At $3/lager (and that's being generous) and $4 for a mix, the money comes rolling out of your pockets. My hotel bar bill easily hits $30/daily for the wife and I.
In all... that doesn't make up for the 7 mpg I lose towing... And (as many have said previously), I'm sleeping in my own bed (Which, since adding a 4" memory foam and plush top mattress cover, has become the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in).
However, as a family, we'd never spend 35 additional nights a year (on top of our usual two weeks of vacation) on "vacation" (aka, camping). So... You're right, it is more expensive.
I'm an at-home dad with two kids and a wife who's rarely home... So in my case, instead of lounging at the pool all summer... Or trying to fill our days with something, anything... We're out exploring the world (well ok... Exploring amusement parks, mostly).
So, IMO, we'll call it even.


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Old 06-29-2014, 09:24 AM   #33
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OldCoot,

I travel all the time for work also, maybe not as much as you did. And I find staying in the hotel and motel rooms all the time gets old really fast. Same looking walls and fast food places. Front desk staff that don't care if you booked a non smoking or king bed room and they gave it away because you get in off the road after 10 pm, and they thought you were a no show. When it comes time for a few days off with the wife no way do I want to stay in another motel or hotel. Its lets jump in the RV and go. No flight delays and I can stop when and were I feel like it. Eat my own food when and the way I like it and sleep in my own bed. And the drinks are a lot cheaper and colder. Hell even the two dogs can come along.
By the way for my job I drive every where I go 98% of the time. Maybe fly 2 times per year. The area I cover is from Canada to NC/VA and out west to KS. So I do spend several hours flying the friendly Ford F150 airways.
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Old 06-29-2014, 09:34 AM   #34
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OldCoot, I travel all the time for work also, maybe not as much as you did. And I find staying in the hotel and motel rooms all the time gets old really fast. Same looking walls and fast food places. ...
Did it for 10 yrs for Lockheed and yes it REALLY gets old quick and when you get home, DW who has been home alone says, "Let's go out to eat" and you can't refuse. To others it seems like a wonderful job to travel all the time, but as they say, "The grass always appears to be greener on the other side of the road". Met some absolutely wonderful, brilliant people, but also some on the other end of the spectrum. I prefer retirement. Have only flown maybe 1/2 doz times since, including 1 to Paris, France, compliments of FF miles and a couple of class reunions, etc. Gave most of the FF miles away to family & friends and still have just under 100,000 left for emergencies.
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Old 06-29-2014, 09:49 AM   #35
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If we go somewhere for a weekend it will cost us around $800 to stay in a hotel and eat out and if we take Rv it will cost around $575 even if we eat one meal out at our favorite restaurant. So I vote for Rv every time.
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Old 06-29-2014, 09:50 AM   #36
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You cannot even begin to compare the 2, I tried and almost drove myself crazy trying to justify the RV lifestyle. We have at a glance on paper over 100k tied up in the TV and trailer with all the goodies I have added and use it 2 to 3 weeks a year tops. Yes I need a truck but an old 90's 3/4 ton from any mfg would do to haul my flat deck to get water for our place once or twice a month vs a loaded super duty. We fly every year to Ontario and Nova Scotia 1 week in each place and rent very nice cars for less for the entire trip than just paying for fuel to drive to Ontario with the truck and trailer. The other side of the coin is the people we meet when RVing and all the little out of the way places we end up along the way and I love hauling a trailer the bigger the happier I am. So I gave up trying and just enjoy the little bit of quality time we do get to spend in our RV and will continue to fly to places far away when we want to save money and time.
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Old 06-29-2014, 10:10 AM   #37
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I haven't really met anyone who bought an RV and all the related toys with the thought of saving money in mind. RVing / Camping is a lifestyle, some people love it, others hate it. I spent most of my 35 years working life "on the road", worked in every Canadian province from Ontario west, and in many US states. I know just about every Alberta hotel / motel south of Edmonton, and after a few months they all look and smell the same, as does restaurant food. If you knew who they hired to clean some of the motel rooms, their personal habits, and what some did when nobody is watching, you'd probably never stay in one again.

That being said, to me spending a night in a motel/hotel isn't a holiday or vacation and I only do it now out of necessity. The last time I was on a plane was 9 years ago to go to a funeral in Toronto, I still have nightmares about Toronto airport, HWY 400 & 401. Instead of spending thousands of dollars going to exotic places and vacations, we spent our money on a 5th Wheel and TV. We have a month booked in a great campground about 50 miles away from us, all services, huge spaces, fishing, mountains, and even cross border travel all within a 20 minute drive of the campground. I don't find pulling a trailer hundreds of miles very enjoyable, but we have just about everything you could ask for within 2 hours of our house, and we get so sleep in our own surroundings every night.
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Old 06-29-2014, 10:17 AM   #38
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Thanks everyone for your advice and sharing personal experiences! I am learning a lot from this forum and enjoy reading different posts. I only mentioned price because my family was always on a budget and camping was the "cheaper" alternative back in the day. Now of course, there are cheaper ways to RV too! Some buy a pop-up where some by Class A! Regardless of how you camp, it's a personal preference and I have found that all campers are the most friendliest people!
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Old 06-29-2014, 11:01 AM   #39
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We spend 7 months out per year traveling from Tampa to Los Angeles to Michigan spending time with kids and grandkids. We pull a 21ft Forest River and stay in it always. We had to go to the motel for a couple days to have some work done on the FR and with two dogs, it about drove us crazy. We overnight a lot at Walmarts while traveling from point to point, Used Thousand Trails ($525 per year zone) and Passport America a lot. There is no way we could stay in Motels any where close to what it cost us to RV in our little TT. Say we use a thousand gallons per year of gas at $4 per gallon or $4000 in gas plus I bet we dont spend $1800 in campgrounds for the 7 months. So $5800 total, or around $27 per day. There is no way I can rent a car, sleep in a motel, cook our own food and pay for air flights the amount we travel for $27 per day. The icing on the cake, we rent out house out for 6 months to snowbirds for $1600 per month while we are on the road which pays for everything. When we visit our family, we have our own place to sleep without bothering them. What a fantastic life, if our health just holds up. I am 67 and we are starting to make adjustments to the trailer to to leave in the fall. Ok now you want to talk depreciation. We have a 2010 SP189 that I just bought for $8800 (like new). Maybe we will get 5 years out of it and sell it for 3800. Cost of trailer $1000 per year and still need a car regardless. On the road again, can't wait to get on the road again. Just look out your window and say there goes those crazy old people on the road again. I wish I was back on the road again. I think our neighbors in our stick and mortar house can't wait to get rid of us. Just kidding.
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Old 06-29-2014, 11:23 AM   #40
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That is awesome tampajohn! I can't wait for the day when hubby and I can just go!
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