The cost of traveling

[yukongold]

Just returned from our trip last week and I finally got around to going thru the fuel receipts. I was not unpleased with the final results.

Drove over 8,600 miles thru 17 states in 42 days and averaged almost 13 mpg.
See the details in the attached screen shot of my Excel worksheet. (some blank spots in the mpg space - I messed up. Several times when the pump shut off I just assumed I had "filled up" only to find, when we got back on the road, that the pump quit early and I had only partially filled up.)

Some thoughts - - -
I think the trip, even with $3200+ worth of fuel, was still cheaper than if we had done this road trip in a car. Consider - fuel cost would have been half (or even a little less ??) - - but - - we would have had to get a room 42 nights. Nowadays even a cheap room is $100 or more per night. (we checked a room in podunk nebraska one night - town of less than 2500 people - and the cheapest we found was $120 per night. (We ended up boondocking at a truck stop) Plus, we would have had to eat out two or three times a day instead of shopping at a local grocery and cooking for ourselves, the same as if we were home.
So let's add it up: room 42 nights x $100 (conservative) = $4200
4 meals per day (2 meals, 2 people) - let's say $15 each per meal = $60 x 42 = $2520 (and that doesn't include tips)
fuel (our Audi uses premium) - say less than half, so $1300
rooms $4200 + food $2520 + fuel $1300 = $8020

Pulling the TT - - - fuel $3200
food costs - don't consider them part of the trip. We would have had to eat at home, too, so food was not a consideration since we shopped and cooked just like at home.
Camp sites. We have the 'America the Beautiful' card (or whatever they are calling it now) and stayed almost exclusively in COE or Forest Service campgrounds. Our cost averaged $12 per night at those sites.
Our total cost for camp sites was $818 - and that includes a $350, five day stay at a private campground in the Black Hills.
fuel $3263 + campsites $818 = $4081

I know that fuel prices have gone up significantly in just the past few weeks but I still think RV'ing, in whatever you may have, is still a bargain and a good way to travel. Fuel costs are outrageous and people have every right to complain, but when all is said and done and all factors are considered it's still a great way to see the country.
If you stay in hotels/motels and eat out or (God forbid) travel by airplane you will, I think, spend considerably
more and see less.


Go and enjoy.

[Sunseeker16]

I agree with you. It hurts to fill up a 55 gallon tank once or twice a day but I still think it's the way to go. Recently did a PA trip and unless things get really wild planning a fall trip somewhere. I got over the PA trip cost pretty easily. I did some overnights in roadside rests to save a few bucks and put the RV on a relatives property for 8 days in PA. It's still possible but it's expensive and I think you are spor on. Still cheaper than a hotel.

[Sunseeker16]

Not only that but being able to bring a fresh batch of fresh dug wild Ramps (leeks) back is priceless.

[GalsofEscape]

Agree, you can travel longer and farther on the money camping rather that going by car or by plane. Several years ago, I had done an estimate for a 1 week trip (4 people, airfare, car rental, lodging, meals, stay in one state and see 4 tourist sights), and found we could do a 3 week trip towing the camper and 7 tourist sights and 15 states for about the same cost. so got alot more bang for the buck.

so my quick back of the envelope calculations for 4 people eating out maybe 1/2 of the time and using a bit more expensive camping venue like Journey KOAs (and i only average 8 mpg when i tow):
Car:
21 nights @ $100/night = 2100

6000 miles at 21 mpg = 285 gals x $5/gal = 1425
12 meals/day x 21 days = 253 meals @ 15/meal = 3780
Grand total = 7305


Towing:
21 nights @ $30/night = 630
6000 miles at 8 mpg = 750 gal x $5/gal = 3750
126 meals @ 15/meal = 1890
Grand Total = 6270


taking the camper is cheaper but how much cheaper is going to depend on where you camp and how often you will be eating out......

[mysery1]

The wife and I just completed a 46 day trip and we didn't keep track of what it cost. I don't know if this was a bad decision or not but we had a great trip.

[fipntdot]

i have been thinking this as well. Not happy gassing up the truck, but evens out or comes ahead with not eating out and no hotels. Hotels are super pricy anymore.

(Of course, we will just ignore the startup cost of truck and camper).....

[ForestWalker]

Traveling the Alaska Highway right now in our 2017 3051 Forester that averages about 8mpg.

For gas in Canada it is costing $1CAN per mile to travel. Now in Alaska and it is only costing .78US per mile to travel.

Of course, currency exchange now is at $1US= $1.22 CAN

[RedRoverComeOver]

There are times to camp and times for vacations. Still enjoy hotels, long hot showers, not having to clean, do dishes, chores and having someone else cook good meals for us. An RV wasn't a purchase to try and penny pinch for us.

[yetavon]

We are fixing to head out for 3 weeks and 1800 miles, Got a Graduation and Family reunion. Considered taking the car and a tent, $820 vs $260 for fuel, camping cost will be about the same, but would be eating out more. Bonus is bringing the bike for going out exploring... gets nearly 3X the MPG as the truck.

[Homebrew]

Originally Posted by yetavon

We are fixing to head out for 3 weeks and 1800 miles, Got a Graduation and Family reunion. Considered taking the car and a tent, $820 vs $260 for fuel, camping cost will be about the same, but would be eating out more. Bonus is bringing the bike for going out exploring... gets nearly 3X the MPG as the truck.

We have always brought the motorcycle to explore areas to save on fuel and it’s just more enjoyable that the truck while site seeing.

[yetavon]

Originally Posted by Homebrew

We have always brought the motorcycle to explore areas to save on fuel and it’s just more enjoyable that the truck while site seeing.

We went up 3 years ago, then on to Maine... Missed having the bike, so we just picked up a Toy Hauler for this trip. The last time I rode a bike in that area... It was a Mini Bike Late 70's.... Already have a couple hundred miles planned.

[tomkatb]

Just got back from the bucket list dream trip to Italy.

Wonderful plus. Cost was near $1000 per day. Included a cruise on Viking. 16 days total. 7 in Rome. 2 in Venice

Last year we spent about $125 per day on a western trip for 50 days in the fifth wheel.

I think I liked the western trip better. The wine was better in Italy.

[Coolharts]

Just got done a 7000 mile 3 week trip, 19 States. 11.1 average MPG. $3779 in diesel.

[mnoland30]

Loved your post Tomkatb, but I think they import Italian wine here.

I stayed in 100's of hotels when I was working. They are all the same. If I never stay in another, I won't mind a bit.

In the past 6 years, I've stayed in two campgrounds that had electrical only because we wanted to run the A/C. Most of the time we stay in the mountains, and don't need A/C. Our solar provides electricity, and I usually carry an extra 50 gallons of water (for that hot shower). Life is good.

We'll probably stay closer to home this year, but we are going to Lake Powell on the houseboat for two weeks. If you think fuel is expensive in an RV, try buying it from a Marina. Usually $2/gallon more.

[eric1514]

Originally Posted by mnoland30

...
We'll probably stay closer to home this year, but we are going to Lake Powell on the houseboat for two weeks. If you think fuel is expensive in an RV, try buying it from a Marina. Usually $2/gallon more.

I drove by Lake Powell last month. I don't think there's enough water in it to float a canoe.

[markb422]

MS Excel has a cost compare spreadsheet template that is easy to personalize. It is setup to compare cost from one vendor to another, but you can easily change it to compare; camping vs car/hotel vs fly/rent a car, etc. I have used it for comparing cost of many things and not just travel.

[Nick Danger]

Originally Posted by RedRoverComeOver

There are times to camp and times for vacations. Still enjoy hotels, long hot showers, not having to clean, do dishes, chores and having someone else cook good meals for us. An RV wasn't a purchase to try and penny pinch for us.

Well said. Never thought I was going to save money by getting a camper.
For that matter I never thought my motorcycle purchase was an attempt to save money. It's just less expensive now than it was the day I bought it.

[Webefine]

Originally Posted by ForestWalker

Traveling the Alaska Highway right now in our 2017 3051 Forester that averages about 8mpg.

For gas in Canada it is costing $1CAN per mile to travel. Now in Alaska and it is only costing .78US per mile to travel.

Of course, currency exchange now is at $1US= $1.22 CAN

We are also traveling to and around Alaska this year, currently in Palmer.
Traveling through Canada was costing me around $.90 per mile for diesel after the exchange rate, a little better in Alaska closer to $.80 per mile.

[poppytoymaker]

s the price of fuel keeps growing on a daily basis, I think alot of people are going to stay closer to home. Feeling lucky to be living in Cental Fl. I will be doing beaches on both coasts. In a one fuel tank round trip and one fillup for storage and next trip

[timfromma]

Right now, my budget is $0.60 per mile just for fuel. That's just over $200 per tank. Most of my trips for the rest of the year are about 2 hours drive away from home. I do want to take a 6 hour trip in the fall but that one is a wait and see what fuel prices do.