Vacation Time

[Chester Taje]

Next friday my wife and i will be on vacation for two weeks. We will be at a destination campground for nine nights.

http://www.campingbc.com/

We will be away for 15 nights. I sat down to do some rough calculations on costs.
If we were to hotel/motel it, it would cost $1880.25 for accomodations. Average cost for rooms are $109.00 plus tax.
Food costs in cafe/restaurants at (This is going cheap)$60.00/day would be $900.00.
Fuel cost taking truck would be about $556.80. Additional cost would be ferry cost estimated at $130.00 return. As you can see we have done nothing but eat/sleep/drive. This bill would be about $3447.05

We are taking our trailer. Camping will be a cost of $450.00. Ferries estimated at $150.00 return.
Fuel will be about $742.40 and food will be about $600.00 eating in trailer(and we will eat very well at that price).

We have not added any outside costs. This is just to get there. Either way other costs will crop up for various tourist items etc.
Basic cost difference is $3467.00 for hotels etc minus the trailering cost of $1942.40 . We would save $1504.65 and then be free to do as we pleased.

Travel distance one way is about 676 miles.

[Gina D.]

Since you are paying anyway....

can I go with you?

[Chester Taje]

Since you are paying anyway....

can I go with you?

[Doug Mager]

....forget it Gina!! You wouldn't want to go any way.
600 miles from Grand Cache would only get you as far as Skookumchuck, B.C. and you'd STILL have those nice young uniformed men at the border to deal with, and yes, dang it, BOTH WAYS....LOL!!!!

[Byron Kinnaman]

Next friday my wife and i will be on vacation for two weeks. We will be at a distination campground for nine nights.

http://www.campingbc.com/

We will be away for 15 nights. I sat down to do some rough calculations on costs.
If we were to hotel/motel it, it would cost $1880.25 for accmodations. Average cost for rooms are $109.00 plus tax.
Food costs in cafe/resturants at (This is going cheap)$60.00/day would be $900.00.
Fuel cost taking truck would be about $556.80. Additional cost would be ferry cost estmated at $130.00 return. As you can see we have done nothing but eat/sleep/drive. This bill would be about $3447.05

We are taking our trailer. Camping will be a cost of $450.00. Ferries estimated at $150.00 return.
Fuel will be about $742.40 and food will be about $600.00 eating in trailer(and we will eat very well at that price).

We have not added any outside costs. This is just to get there. Either way other costs will crop up for varies tourist items etc.
Basic cost difference is $3467.00 for hotels etc minus the trailering cost of $1942.40 . We would save $1504.65 and then be free to do as we pleased.

Travel distance one way is about 676 miles.

It seems that some thing's missing here. Saving 1500.00 per vacation, how many years would it take to pay for that Escape? Make that about 1/2 the cost of a new Escape figuring 50% depreciation by time you sell it. But then you need to take into account the amount of interest you would gain with the money invested that's tied up in the Escape.

[Chester Taje]

It seems that some thing's missing here. Saving 1500.00 per vacation, how many years would it take to pay for that Escape? Make that about 1/2 the cost of a new Escape figuring 50% depreciation by time you sell it. But then you need to take into account the amount of interest you would gain with the money invested that's tied up in the Escape.

Escape paid for in cash---Its our retirement gift. Interest now a days is very low. The savings is what i would have to fork out if i had to Hotel/Motel it. Each to there own. Money is not my prime motivator in life. If we all thought that way there would not be any older trailers or vehicals to buy. Every one would have nothing but money in bank.

[Gina D.]

Buying a trailer strictly for a specific vacation is one thing.

Using your trailer that you bought and use all the time in other areas.. camping, long weekends, guest room etc is another.

It's pretty safe to say that since I started "egging", I have spent every other weekend in one. While I have only taken 2 of what I would consider long distance journeys in mine (Both from so. cal to Oregon) and I certainly did save some money when I did.. the value of the trailer is in the spontaneous get up and go factor, not the traveling motel factor.

Long journey's are merely icing on the cake.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Escape paid for in cash---Its our retirement gift. Interest now a days is very low. The savings is what i would have to fork out if i had to Hotel/Motel it. Each to there own.

My point is that there's probably no real monetary savings. And the savings you calculated would take a long time to pay of the cost of trailer and monies earned on some other investment. The trouble with many numbers thrown around is not everything is taken into consideration. When reporting a monetary savings by using something money was spent to acquire the cost of the acquisition needs to considered, usually by amortizing the initial investment over a period of time. How somebody chooses to spend their money is totally up to them and any suggestion that an expenditure wasn't proper is out of place. Hence, my comments are not in anyway a matter of how, why, etc. on the expenditure, only on the reported savings as a result of that expenditure. The reported savings and expenditures were interesting, but not complete.

Money is not my prime motivator in life.

Yet this topic was started about money and the savings you would be making by using your trailer.

If we all thought that way there would not be any older trailers or vehicals to buy. Every one would have nothing but money in bank.

Thought what way? I can't make a connection with this statement and anything I said.
As stated above I only wished to make the point that the initial calculations were incomplete.

[james kent]

Sleeping in your own bed
Eating off of your own dishes
Food that you have prepared just the way you like
***PRICELESS***

[Alf S.]

Hi: I am still among the land of the working... with paid VACATION!!! I figure that now is the time to buy& pay for a trailer and use it for any purpose I can on vacations, stat. holidays, four day weekends ETC. Then when I get to the time when the Goober Mint pays me to stay away... I WILL!!! In the trailer, in the warm weather SOMEWHERE!!! Having our own trailer with us and meeting like minded others in C.G's. is a Bonus!!!
The problem I see with retirement looming is loosing my stat. holidays and payed vacations...soo I need to save money but still enjoy it!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Alf S.]

Hi: Chester... I just viewed "The Living Forest" and any way you figure it...THATS LIVING!!! ENJOY!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Dave and Kathie]

Wow Chester, looks nice - we bookmarked the Living Forest for a future trip! Have a great time.

[Edward Shook]

Hello Ches, have a safe and relaxed vacation. In 2003 I figured if we stayed in the Casita 240 nights it would pay for the cost of the Casita. We are already half way at 124. I think that the real advantage to the trailer is where we can stay with it. We cannot afford to stay in the remote lodges and have guides take us to remote fly-ins. The Casita gets us close andwe can canoe in or backpack. Some of the areas we frequent don't even have lodging. Then there are the ralleys and people we meet in our travels, many times the trailer is the coversation starter. Have fun Ches & Marie

[Anne H]

When my friends were ragging on me for getting a trailer, I put together a spreadsheet comparing vacation costs too.

I have the additional expense of either dog-sitters (if I leave the hounds behind) or extra fees in hotels if I bring the dogs (usually not a good option as they get very nervous in strange surroundings).

I figured that at my current rate of camping (20-25 nights a year), it would be around 5 years to fully reimburse the cost of my Escape.

Of course, I'm not sure that I actually save any money; since it's more affordable to travel with the trailer, I just find that I travel a lot more!! (and I'm not one bit unhappy about that)

[Lainey]

Next friday my wife and i will be on vacation for two weeks. We will be at a destination campground for nine nights. http://www.campingbc.com/

Hi Ches, checked out the link - wow, what a very nice spot. Looks like a well run place. I like the 'no outdoor music' policy. You and Marie will have a super time. Soak in some ocean for the rest of us land-locked folks will ya?!

Sleeping in your own bed
Eating off of your own dishes
Food that you have prepared just the way you like
***PRICELESS***

Add to that list:
No bed bug epidemic in your own accommodations,
Making a pit stop becomes a lot easier when you don't have to find the next gas station...
All the great people you meet when camping

[Chester Taje]

Hello Ches, have a safe and relaxed vacation. In 2003 I figured if we stayed in the Casita 240 nights it would pay for the cost of the Casita. We are already half way at 124. I think that the real advantage to the trailer is where we can stay with it. We cannot afford to stay in the remote lodges and have guides take us to remote fly-ins. The Casita gets us close andwe can canoe in or backpack. Some of the areas we frequent don't even have lodging. Then there are the ralleys and people we meet in our travels, many times the trailer is the coversation starter. Have fun Ches & Marie

Thank You Thats my feelings also. I will be using up about 250 nights in the near future(Next Year)

[james kent]

Hey Ches
Didn't you retire once before and then go back to work?
Is this a little 'De-Ja-Vu' ?
Go for it you have earned every bit.

[james kent]

Alf
Stat holidays are
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday

[Chester Taje]

Hey Ches
Didn't you retire once before and then go back to work?
Is this a little 'De-Ja-Vu' ?
Go for it you have earned every bit.

Thats right. I had a real great year off then i got a job opportunity which i could not pass up. I don't regret it.