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Old 10-11-2012, 08:31 AM   #1
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Name: john
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cost per trip?

ok got to thinking,,, next week we go on our tenth trip since we got the scamp. that means our cost per trip so far is $1150.00 so far, and this is just the first year.
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Old 10-11-2012, 09:12 AM   #2
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I calculated a few months ago that based on price paid for trailer 5 years ago & number of nights out in it, I am down to about $14 per night as far as original outlay goes. But when I add in the cost of yearly insurance and maintenance & updates - tires, battery, fans, new brakes, wheel bearings, LED lighting, new upholstery, etc the nightly cost of having the trailer jumps up to about $27 per night based on usage.
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Old 10-11-2012, 09:43 AM   #3
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The purchase price of our camper was defrayed after only two hundred nights of use, when comparing the per night price for lodging vis-a-vis a moderate motel room. That is the entire purchase price, not considering the resale value of the Scamp.
The upkeep on the Scamp has amounted to little more than one replacement set of tires, 5 quarts of toilet chemical,and half a tube of grease... over 60,000 miles, 8 years, and maybe 400+ nights.
The fuel usage is mitigated nearly as much by the reduced pace of towing as it is aggravated by the towing itself, resulting in a difference within the margin of other factors.
All that... and our Scamp has depreciated nearly as far as it ever will,while still retaining over half of it's purchase value.
The comfort, convenience,and flexibility, of our little travel trailer has made travel more economical and desirable than any other means.
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Old 10-11-2012, 10:02 AM   #4
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This can be a slipery road to wander down, for example I thought about cost per hr of use of our seadoo and came up with a shocking number, ie gas insurance and repairs. There for a I sold it. Like anything in life if you buy a decent quality item and look after it and keep it a while you will get to enjoy it for a sensible price. With a little care a fiberglass trailer of pretty much any make will last a long time.
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Old 10-11-2012, 10:04 AM   #5
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Floyd raises a good point in regards to the depreciation factor. For people such as myself who picked a used trailer in good shape for a good price & do some needed maintenance & updates, there may well be no depreciation but a big increase in value. After 5 years & over 330 days of use, I was at a recent rally where I was offered by two different people a lot more than what I originally paid for the trailer. So if and when I ever sell it the cost per night of use will be much lower than it is today & in fact if the offers made are a reflection of what it will go for & I have good reason to believe they are, the cost per night of usage may well end up being $0. Got to love fiberglass trailers.
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Old 10-11-2012, 10:52 AM   #6
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This is like figuring up the cost of fish by the pound for the average fisherman.
I love to fish, especially in the High Sierras.
If I worried about the $800.00 a pound the fish cost I never would fish again.
$800.00 a pound might be a little conservative.
Eggs are far less expensive.
John
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Old 10-11-2012, 12:04 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Perry J View Post
If I worried about the $800.00 a pound the fish cost I never would fish again.
$800.00 a pound might be a little conservative.
have had several humours evening at the family dinner table attempting to calculate out the real cost of the fish we were eating - your right $800/lb is probable very conservative. The fun of catching it though is priceless.
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Old 10-11-2012, 05:22 PM   #8
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It does not matter what it costs us to use our trailer---it is PRICELESS to us because we no longer need to sleep on the ground, worry about seams/canvas/zippers self-destructing with each set-up and take-down, no bed bugs, we can stop along the roadside anywhere and make lunch and a cup of tea without having to do anything more than open the door and we can go anywhere we wish.
....and you cannot beat priceless.
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Old 10-11-2012, 05:55 PM   #9
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I went to a training on bedbugs this afternoon....pretty sure i am never sleeping in a hotel again......time to save a little more to order us a scamp...need to decide what we will need or use and what isn't all that important i think......
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Old 10-11-2012, 06:17 PM   #10
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Cost??

315 days this year really reduces the per day cost.

I also expect that my trailer is worth more than its purchase price. As a result the cost of our trailer is really minimal.

Lastly, since I keep track of everything we spend, I know clearly that it is more expensive for us to be home than to be on the road. The entertaining factor is much larger.
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Old 10-11-2012, 06:26 PM   #11
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It does not matter what it costs us to use our trailer---it is PRICELESS ....and you cannot beat priceless.
Theresa you said it well!
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Old 10-11-2012, 06:42 PM   #12
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No question about it, the cost of my used camper + the fun of camping + meeting new friends + saving $$ on hotels = way more smiles than I care to count!!
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Old 10-12-2012, 07:39 AM   #13
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And the stars at night, the smell of the campfire, a loon calling out on the lake and a warm, snug safe bed to crawl into when your ready- as Theresa said Priceless!!
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Old 10-12-2012, 08:13 AM   #14
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My s.o. keeps detailed spreadsheets on her (now sold) SCAMP and the Lil' Bigfoot.
I, on the other hand, just throw money at the Hunter C-II as I feel the need.

That said, the factor that's often not included, is the value received from ownership, from the pleasures of restoration and making each FGRV "Ours", to the nights we spend using them and the freedom we gain.

My take; if ya gotta keep track of costs, be sure to assign a number to the value received from ownership. Personally, I put that number at "Priceless", others may be less, some even more (if there is such a value).

If, on the other hand, if your primary concern when buying is getting your money back when selling, maybe you better ask the seller (and/or your s.o.) to sign a "prenup".



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Old 10-16-2012, 08:34 AM   #15
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well my cost was per trip,,,not per day, that will be interesting too when i look at it. in the end i don't think it will be very long till our costs compared to any other way of travel will be so inexpensive that we will no longer be able to afford to stay home.
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Old 10-16-2012, 08:36 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by eggless View Post
I went to a training on bedbugs this afternoon....pretty sure i am never sleeping in a hotel again......time to save a little more to order us a scamp...need to decide what we will need or use and what isn't all that important i think......
lol bed bugs,,,,,
hotel rooms are like sausage,,,,never ask whats in it....
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Old 10-16-2012, 08:42 AM   #17
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cool my per day cost of camping so far, on the purchase pirce of the trailer alone,,, 329 dollars per day,,lol if this keeps up every time i go camping they will have to send me money,,,lol
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Old 10-16-2012, 09:38 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by john warren View Post
cool my per day cost of camping so far, on the purchase pirce of the trailer alone,,, 329 dollars per day,,
All the more reason to keep traveling John got to get the cost per day of use down!
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Old 10-16-2012, 01:10 PM   #19
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Generally speaking, when I factor in the cost on insurance, tires and etc as well as depreciation, I get a number I don't actually care about anyway.

What I look at is the cost of towing (increased fuel use compared with driving at the same speed sans a trailer hitched on), and then add on the costs of the campground. Then I compare with the costs of staying at a hotel/motel.

Generally the motel option has always been very close in price and is SO much less hassle that it makes NO economic sense to pull the trailer along (sorta like the $800.00 per pound fish!) Prior to my purchase of the big one-ton diesel pickup, it was always FAR cheaper to do the motel thing.

Now add in the costs of having to drive from the campground to where we really would prefer to be, (usually downtown in a major city) and compare to the fact that the hotels are usually already downtown in the city (or the motels are often in the suburbs, much closer in to the city center than a campground) and another factor arises.

And since neither wife nor I enjoy "camping", (in fact staying home is greatly to be preferred over going "camping") the trailer becomes purely a hotel room for those events where nearby motels are not possible.

Thus the trailer actually leaves the driveway as rarely as possible (usually three to four times a year for a weekend at a time) and we are working to reduce that level of usage as well.

This year was VERY unusual. We went to Spring Swap Meet at Monroe, Spring NOG, I went to two races in Alberta where I had been asked to drive a team car, Joyce took it to a group outing for one of her social clubs, then up to Barkerville as a "let's try doing it this way" trip, then to Fall Monroe Swap Meet and fall NOG (as a "lets try once more to see if we can enjoy -or at least endure - a weekend in a campground" experiment). 8 trips in all.

Next year's spring NOG is only 30 miles out of Portland so we may attend that to go see the attractions of Portland
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Old 10-16-2012, 01:46 PM   #20
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Speaking of Opposites

We generally avoid cities, rarely stay in motels though we generally can get a room in very good motels for $39 a night in just about any city, and look forward to being in our trailer home.

The trailer offers a simplification of life, not just in the maintenance and operating cost sense, but in 'stuff' to manage. Beyond cost, there's a stress free life that goes with traveling about and exploring our marvelous world.

A side benefit is all the mental stimulation by the new. Each day is exciting and expanding. Every where we turn there's something to see and learn.

As well there's a physical benefit to travel and exploration (walking, hiking, geocaching and swimming), just returned from our annual doctor's visit and everything is good.

As to cost we feel our trailer is not dropping in value. Though for those depreciating their trailers and those that bought brand new trailers, camping may be seen as expensive. I suspect most used trailers are holding their own in price.

Though staying in motels can be inexpensive at least for us, it generally implies eating out and that can be very expensive and generally means richer foods.

When we were younger motels/hotels were fun but now I can't imagine anymore fun than what we have in our trailer. Interestingly many of the best places we went this year like Craters of the Moon or the Chirachua Mts were not motel heavy.

Since we've started RVing I've been paying attention to my mpgs. When we're home, just buzzing around own, between us we average 23 mpg
(Ginny has a heavier foot than I do), the same as we get towing. A high mpg towing situation like a trailer that doesn't lose value, helps keep cost down.

I do realize we have a marvelous life, being able to travel at will. It is a choice we made that I will never regret. I also realize it's not for everyone. Now entering into our 12th year of extended travel we can not (at least do not want to) imagine life not on the road. It is without a doubt the least expensive way we have lived but more importantly it is the most extended fun we've had.

Wishing each of you happiness in your choices... it's 'on the road' for us... leaving in six weeks...
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