Are travel trailers the biggest bang for your buck?

[Jim Hovind]

We have had 3 Pick ups and campers and 2 Motorhomes, and 3 travels trailers, and now that there is only 2 of us ( kids grow up ) the Jeep Cherokee pulling the 16' Casita is as cheep of a way to travel as it gets. 16MPG towing 20MPG sightseeing. But the biggest cost saving in camping is what you save in not dining out. Plus you know your bed has not got bedbugs, and you know how your food was prepared.

[Donna D.]

I think when folks need to stay in motels/hotels, travel seems to be about the destination. But, pulling a travel trailer there's a lot about the "journey." YMMV

[Ray N]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I think when folks need to stay in motels/hotels, travel seems to be about the destination. But, pulling a travel trailer there's a lot about the "journey." YMMV

I think you nailed it.
Reminds me of when we owned a sailboat, sailing was the objective, not getting somewhere.

[james kent]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I think when folks need to stay in motels/hotels, travel seems to be about the destination. But, pulling a travel trailer there's a lot about the "journey." YMMV

Taking the trailer for about six weeks across Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchawan and Alberta this past summer meant that we went where we wanted, stopped when we wanted looked at what ever interested us and still slept in our own bed at night and ate from our own plates. We stayed at a lot of very nice campgrounds [and a couple that were the pits], met a lot of wonderful, friendly folk, waved at a whole bunch of other FG's [was that you?] and had a funfilled vacation. If we only travelled a few miles or a few hundred, then the choice was ours. We camped with family at Saskatchewan Island Prov park and at Jasper [worst regulated]. We stopped for museums all across the prairies and at "Hey look at that!" sites too. For us it's the only way to really enjoy a vacation.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Wayne Hill

Did we cover a lot of road? Yes
Did we see a lot? Yes.
Did we stop and enjoy a lot? - No
Did we "wish" we had more time and could stop and explore? Yes

I think you nailed that one; I agree with you.

Unfortunately the constraints of gainful employment have "opportunity costs".
While retirement is a great facilitator of unencumbered travel, it is nowhere on my horizon.

To touch on the initial question ("Bang for your Buck") my initial thought was that for me, economy car + motel won hands down. But, as Donna so rightly points out, Trailering has a way of redefining your focus.

[floyd]

We tow a 13dlxe Scamp front bath with a Ford Ranger4.0L, or a Ford Escape 2.3L.
We have averaged about the same mileage on the Ranger, towing or not, within 1 or 2MPG,due to a difference in speed of about 15MPH.
The Escape, with the smaller engine, loses 3-4 MPG when towing but still maintains mid twenties. (same difference in speed).

With over 250 nights logged so far we have averaged $8 a night for lodging, so the initial cost has long since been offset by the savings.

Type of vehicle driven and cost of accomodations at your chosen destination, and most importantly the size of you trailer, are all variables.
I.E. We stayed at Jekyl Island and at Gatlinburg for $25 a night, where a motel could be north of $150.
(Rest areas and Walmarts are free, in transit)
I went to Louisiana recently and paid $114 a night for rooms along the interstate at Holiday Inn Express. the speed difference was great, but the cost difference made me sorely miss my Scamp. [Eggy-Sue (the pull-it surprize)]

Bottom line.... it's sort of apples and oranges,but my Scamp has allowed me to travel economically, while providing a known quantity in terms of comfort and cleanliness, all this and I still have a vehicle worth driving when I arrive.
When it come to motels,I often have "reservations".... but I stay anyway!

[WtMtJim]

I took another look at the original post and realized that many of us responders did not address some of the points raised.
So here is some more of my experience just to get things rolling again:

Is figuring a loss of fuel efficiency of 20 - 30 % a reasonable amount on the tow vehicle a reasonable amount?
My 4Runner averages 24 mpg on highway solo. It averages 16 mpg when towing my 3,300 lb 16' Casita at 55 to 60 mph. So for me the "loss" in mpg is 33.33%. Very acceptable to me since my former 35' MH got an avg. of 6 mpg. From that perspective I'm getting 166.66% better efficiency than with my MH!
Besides fuel costs - Is travelling in the USA cheaper/on par than Canada?
Can't address that. I haven't towed the Casita in Canada -- yet! It's on my bucket list for later this year.
Average cost of staying ovenight - full hook up $30?
One of the best, and most economical, things we did was purchase a Passport America membership. It is $49 per year, annual renewal at your option, and provides 50% discount at several thousand regular, full hookup private CGs. It has cost us on average $15 to $18 per night with the discount. It is well worth it. We will boondock or use FS or other public CGs for several days to a week (using our "Geezer" pass which averages $5 to $10 per night) and then hit the full-hookup private CG, using our Passport America whenever we can. (example: 4 days at $8/nite using geezer pass, 1 nite boondocking at $0/nite, and 2 nites at $18/nite using Passport America = $68 for 7 nites or less than $10/nite) These are typical numbers for us.
Average cost of a decent hotel/motel room $120
Our experience with motel rooms is similar. It averaged $100 a night (from $85 to $110 or so). When we did that for a couple of years we had several motel chains' discount cards that earned points to give free nights occasionally but it took about 6 months of purchases to earn enough points for 1 or 2 free nights. Most motel rooms now-a-days include some sort of "breakfast" but we still felt it was way too expensive just for a place to flop for the night.
Average cost of restaurant meals for 2 $60 vs
We always figured about $50/day for outside meals. When traveling we usually only bought two meals per day using take-along snacks while on the road midday; ($20 for breakfast or lunch (depending on whether or not the motel included breakfast) for two and $30 for dinner for two) We don't eat a lot and we try to eat simply and healthily. With restaurant food it is difficult to control portion size (and your subsequent intake), the freshness, the quality and the nutritional value - not to mention fat, collesterol, salt, etc. Often, however, there was enough for a "doggie bag" for on the road the next day.
Average cost of buying/preparing your own food $20 ?
As others have mentionned, we don't count the cost of food that we prepare on the road since we would be buying food to prepare at home, too. If anything, we spend less to cook on the road because we eat less and can't "stock up" on things like we do at home (read "Costco syndrome")
Maintenance costs of trailer.
I haven't yet spend two cents on unintended maintenance on my year and half old Casita. The MH I had, however, was a money pit for maintenance.
Initial cost of trailer.
Paid cash for the Casita from the proceeds of the private sale of my MH and had enough left over for some initial mods on the Casita and a solar panel set-up for boondocking.

Before an extended trip I lay out a tentative budget that usually averages $65 to $75 per day. During the trip I keep daily track of expenditures. If we spend too much one day we boondock an extra day or stay in one place and off the the road for an extra day or two. The more often and farther you move in a given amount of time, the more expensive the trip will be.

(Typical buget for a recent 11 day trip: 6 nites at federal CGs using Geezer pass = $42 total; 2 nites at private, full-hook CG using Passport America = $38 total; 3 nights boondocking = $0 -- total lodging for 11 nites = $80 or $7.27 per nite. Gas for 1,500 mile round trip @ 15 mpg (I like to budget conservatively) and $3.75 (I like to budget high on fuel since it so volatile) comes out to $375 for fuel. (1,500 / 15 = 100 x $3.75 = $375). Misc: books, meals out, souvenirs, entertainment, junk store druising, etc for 11 day = $245 or $22.27 per day. Total trip $700 for 11 days or avg $63.63 per day. Even if you round it up to $1,000 for 11 days that's still only $90.90 per day.

This trip, as you can see, we only drove an avg of 136 miles per day, we did more sightseeing and hiking. If you drive more (our avg is 300 miles per day), it will push the avg daily cost up into the $75 - $90 per day range, still acceptable to me.

After 40 years of RVing in tents, tent-trailers, MH, stick-built trailers and now a Casita, for us there is no comparison. The Casita travel style is the best, most enjoyable and most economical we have found.

[Wayne Hill]

WtMtJim,
I had a long winded reply all typed up but I got booted off the computer and you guessed it, the reply is gone.

I had worked out all the $ figures. It works out that even at non prime time with a deep discount on a monthly rate for a kitchenette, the costs are still somewhere around $75/day while staying in the motel and driving my tow vehicile (SUV).

This is with a deep, deep discount. The difference grows astronomically when you consider the same situation at prime time.

Vacationing in the trailer is hugely more economical then.

While walking in the dogs today in a location that I normally don't go, I noticed a white ? Surfside trailer with a black (from tree sap?) roof in one of my neighbour's yard. It doesn't look like its moved in quite some time. I'll have to see if it's available. If the price is right, then maybe roll up my sleeves and get working on it.

Wayne

[artspe]

Every summer ,since getting our camper, we spend 12 nites at the Jersey shore. a cheap hotel room would be $2,100.00 for 12 nights, our campground with full hook-ups costs $420.00 for 12 nights. WE SAVE $1680.00 JUST ON THIS VACATION EVERY YEAR. Additional gas and tolls with camper, maybe $40 at the most. PLUS WE CAN BRING OUR DOGS! ADDITIONAL SAVINGS $360.00. A TOTAL SAVINGS OF $2040.00. we just love camping.

art

[theresa p]

regardless of how much $$ we spend more or less.....i still prefer my own bed. to me, that is totally priceless. the rest---gas factoring, food factoring, campground vs. motel factoring....it's all valuable info, to be sure, BUT for me, it is sleeping in my own bed that i love.

[Donna D.]

Trailer vs Motel/Hotel

Sometimes you just want to be alone where there's peace and quiet. When you motel it, you're always surrounded by others... and perhaps their kids and their dogs and all the noise.

Sometimes you want to be where it's dark and you can see the constellations. When you motel it you're in town and sometimes big cities and light pollution is so bad you can hardly tell when the sun has set.

Sometimes you want to be where your nearest neighbor is so far away you can't see them. When you motel it you get to listen to their room door slam and probably hear them start up their car in the middle of the night because it's parked right outside your room window.

Sometimes you want to look out your window and see the ocean/ lake/ woods/ stream... When you motel it, you're lucky if you don't have a view of the parking lot. Views of the ocean/lake/woods/stream cost more.

Sometimes you want to go where your chidren can run around and yell and get dirty and not bother anyone because they're too busy making memories. When you motel it, you're constantly telling your kids to use inside voice and stop running because there are people in the rooms on the floor below yours.

Sometimes you want to teach your children how to make s'mores and build a campfire with wet wood because you promised him/her roasted hot dogs for dinner. When you motel it, the motel gets cranky when the marshmellow falls off the stick and messes up the gas fireplace.

Trailer = priceless
Motel/Hotel = whatever you can afford

[Robin G]

Originally Posted by theresa p

regardless of how much $$ we spend more or less.....i still prefer my own bed.

I can't agree more! As well as my own bathroom. I don't use public! And I am not always comfortable with hotel room bathrooms. ICKY!



Wayne, Everyone has given you some great suggestions, comparisons, etc. But frankly, it's not about the money!

It's about the experience. If you get more enjoyment from experiencing travel with hotel/motel base, then by all means enjoy it. If you find enjoyment traveling and being able to stop where ever you choose to, with the perk of having things that make you comfortable then by all means enjoy the rv lifestyle.

Having been around rv-ing basically my whole life, I understand it's not for everyone. As far as the money thing, I have found often that flying to my destination and hotels are far cheaper than travel by car/rv etc, but look at what I missed between my starting point to my destination.

[2yax2go]

While not officially egg campers yet (overnight in the drive @ kids house is not = to camping) this is a conversation the Mr. and I have had since we hauled my son's old Boy Scout tent out of the storage bin 3 years ago. We've moved on through a 20 year old Skamper pop-up trailer, the Viking tent trailer and soon to be mobile 16' foot Scamp recently purchased.

We've done the whole travel/hotel thing and had a wonderful time of it. Been, seen done and met. But, there is just something about watching the sunrise/sunset on a particular body of water or stepping outside in the wee cold hours to a sky so full of stars it's takes your breath away. Where else can you go to sleep to the sound of waves crashing just beyond the dunes, babbling brook or bounding waterfall? So much that is beyond description that is usually missed in a hotel room. Even the late night walks to the biffy, before we came up with our alternate solution, wasn't the worst...wasn't the best...but, still not the worst. (although the thought of getting lost in a 500 + campsite someone else mentioned makes me glad we have an alternate choice)

There's the way that first cuppa joe tastes out under the canopy in the early mornings, the friendly waves, "howdy's" and "what is that's" when looking at our little tent trailer rig (based on my own reaction to the Casita that started this whole fibreglas adventure, that's something likely to continue.). I love the morning sounds of children out and about, even the dogs and other furry creatures snuffling about (although the way too nosey and not too people shy raccoon at Edisto Beach State Park was a mite unnerving.) There's no real price that can be put on any of that.

What you've done, Wayne, is remind us all to think why it isn't really the money thing that makes us do/love this....it's everything else that is so intangibly wonderful that makes it worth some of the challenges we deal with when taking on this adventure in the great outdoors.

Thank you for asking the question...and thank you to those who have posted...it's been an enjoyable read.

[Sharon G]

Donna, that's pure poetry and captures the whole essence of the magic of owning your own camper.

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Trailer vs Motel/Hotel

Sometimes you just want to be alone where there's peace and quiet. When you motel it, you're always surrounded by others... and perhaps their kids and their dogs and all the noise.

Sometimes you want to be where it's dark and you can see the constellations. When you motel it you're in town and sometimes big cities and light pollution is so bad you can hardly tell when the sun has set.

Sometimes you want to be where your nearest neighbor is so far away you can't see them. When you motel it you get to listen to their room door slam and probably hear them start up their car in the middle of the night because it's parked right outside your room window.

Sometimes you want to look out your window and see the ocean/ lake/ woods/ stream... When you motel it, you're lucky if you don't have a view of the parking lot. Views of the ocean/lake/woods/stream cost more.

Sometimes you want to go where your chidren can run around and yell and get dirty and not bother anyone because they're too busy making memories. When you motel it, you're constantly telling your kids to use inside voice and stop running because there are people in the rooms on the floor below yours.

Sometimes you want to teach your children how to make s'mores and build a campfire with wet wood because you promised him/her roasted hot dogs for dinner. When you motel it, the motel gets cranky when the marshmellow falls off the stick and messes up the gas fireplace.

Trailer = priceless
Motel/Hotel = whatever you can afford

[mcbrew]

Some quick math shows that towing my Scamp adds about $4.35 per 100 miles as opposed to driving without the Scamp. We have family in Vermont, which is about 550 miles away. Taking our time, that would be about 275 miles a day for two days. That's an extra $11.96 per day in fuel. That would easily be balanced out by staying in campgrounds rather than hotels.

An added benefit is being able to eat lunch or take a nap in the camper at a rest stop along the way. We have a 10 month old baby, too... It is far easier to change a diaper in the Scamp than it is in the back seat of a subcompact car.

[Richard in Georgia]

I know this is an older post, but wow - so timely for me. I gotta throw in my two bits. We have been in and out of all sorts of camping for 30+ years. It is smart to analyse the cost so you don't over spend your assets (especially if retired) Costs are fairly easy to calculate - whatever you forecast the cost to be add 10%
It's the VALUE that's tough to calculate. I am close to retirement and my wife and I are planning our "epic road trip." One of the main reasons we will buy the TT and it's in our driveway, call our name, we will go. Otherwise I will overthink hotel vs VRBO vs B&B vs The Bates Motel. (inside joke) - We plan to buy an Escape because I KNOW the exit strategy will be easy and even after 5 years depreciation will be minimal.

[stevebaz]

The problem with motel travel is its fattening, all you do is eat and sleep the same as your old work schedule.

With the trailer you just want to stop less and once you park you pretty much want to get out and walk. Just don't stop next to an Ice cream shop. I just can't get a goods night sleep in a motel. Rest is found much easier in my own trailer.

[Ken C]

"We plan to buy an Escape because I KNOW the exit strategy will be easy"

Very true and a great selling point.

and more for anyone else searching the archives pondering cost options
https://youtu.be/Z2i1JaQqJXU

[Carl Pa]

The worst hotel rooms, if you can find one, if you have a pet with you. Carl

[Jon in AZ]

Our favorite vacation spot is a beach town in San Diego County.

Hotel room across the Coast Highway from the beach, $250/night. Campground adjacent to the beach, $35/night.

Purchase price of used Scamp three years ago, about $4000. Current market value, maybe $5000-6000.

Walking on the beach early in the morning with a fresh cup of joe, priceless.