PollyOR Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 DH wants to take a road trip next summer. I'm fine with that, but I'm not so sure about his idea that we should buy an RV. I don't think he's taking into account all of the various costs associated with owning an RV (storage fees, registration and tags, insurance). What else should we take into consideration while trying to decide if we should become RV owners? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 The amount of fuel used by an RV. Fees at campgrounds. I don't think it's a cheap way to travel, but it's a lifestyle choice that many people enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 RESALE!!!!!!! They drop by seventy percent and noone is buying anymore. My dh had the same lovely idea. We have taken 2 big trips in five yrs. This thing is a monster to me. 32 ft. We tried to sell, but they wont even trade for what it is worth. I think its not worth a yearly trip, it has to be more. Once a mo. maybe to make up for the pymts, ins. reg. and storage. Just my opinion, but I was not pro RV from the get go. But, dare I say it has saved our bottoms thru two evacuations in four yrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Oh yeah, dont forget, pre-during and post cleaning. yuk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 You could also check into a rental, or buying a used RV (that has already taken the big depreciation hit) and reselling it afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillieBoy Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Depends on the RV. Are you looking at a C/A class, or a 5th wheel/trailer to tow with a truck you already own? There is also propane for refrideration and cooking plus fuel for a generator if you are not "hooked up". You can avoid major campgrounds whose fees are similar to a cheap motel by staying in state campgrounds with not as many amenities but you'll need to be more self-sufficient. Due to the economy, it is a great time to buy a used RV, but resale will be bad unless you hang on to it for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 DH wants to take a road trip next summer. I'm fine with that, but I'm not so sure about his idea that we should buy an RV. I don't think he's taking into account all of the various costs associated with owning an RV (storage fees, registration and tags, insurance). What else should we take into consideration while trying to decide if we should become RV owners? Gas! Our RV gets about 5 miles to the gallon. Depending on what type of trip and how far you are going it can work out. You save money on hotels and eating out while you are on the road. And the comfort of traveling is so nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 You could also check into a rental, or buying a used RV (that has already taken the big depreciation hit) and reselling it afterwards. Yes, look into used! Renting an RV is very expensive. It would probably be cheaper to stay in hotels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 If you're going to buy, buy the smallest thing you can tolerate. People are downsizing from the big rigs that cost too much in fuel now. So if you have a small RV, you'll be able to resell, if it's a big one you'll be stuck with it. We have a tiny one, and absolutely love it. it registers as a van, so insurances and licenses aren't more expensive. We can camp in the tent spots at campsites, and save there. The fuel isn't too much. When all four of us are camping, we pitch an extra tent for my husband to sleep in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIN Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 We have a travel trailer we pull behind a truck. We love it! :) We bought it used, pay insurance and tags every year. We store it at my folks, so we don't have that cost. You do have to pay to camp at whatever campground you stop at, but it is much less than a hotel. We camp with friends about once a month June-Sept. It is so fun! Hanging out with friends, the kids swim or play together, sitting around the campfire telling stories, it doesn't get much better. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacie Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I don't know if this is still applicable but when we purchased our first about 12 years ago the interest portion of the financing was deductible on federal taxes as a second home. If this is still the case, this may be a hidden advantage. We have a very bare boned, no frills travel trailer, stay mostly in state parks, and completely enjoy having it. We travel a lot during spring, fall and winter. Sure, it would probably be so much easier to pull into a hotel, have someone else bring up our bags and park our car. But to us there's a tremendous benefit to eating breakfast in the morning dew, sharing a few pieces of bread with the deer and other wildlife that wander through the campsite (sometimes they come close enough to almost eat from the kids hands, if I'd allow it, lol), meet many other campers who share similar interests, have the kids become fast friends with other camping kids riding by on bikes, take nice hikes to see beautiful waterfalls/other scenery, and eat dinner around our campfire. It's not about which is more financially advantageous to us but rather a lifestyle decision. We're trying to instill in our boys a love of nature and the outdoors. There's a wonderful state park near us that we often spend weekends at, just to get away and relax. We school on the trips at times, and travel places we're learning about. You may want to consider what your husband is saying, and look beyond the costs of it. I'm glad I did!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 (edited) DH wants to take a road trip next summer. I'm fine with that, but I'm not so sure about his idea that we should buy an RV. I don't think he's taking into account all of the various costs associated with owning an RV (storage fees, registration and tags, insurance). What else should we take into consideration while trying to decide if we should become RV owners? Depreciation hits hard... take for example, my in-laws bought a brand new top line "bus" RV for $250,000 and now 12 years later are lucky to get $40,000 for it if they had to sell it. (They paid it off but may use it as a trade in...??) They travel 6 months of the year in it. It adds up fuel wise, camp costs, food, tags, etc. Hitching a car to the RV can be a hassle if you make a mistake -- it can ruin your car. Ask my in-laws about the time they ruined the transmission of their car doing this. One thing I should add is the wear and tear of any RV. Is hubby handy for repairs? If not, it'll set you back to send it to the shop. Plus, one thing no one mentions about RVs is the "smell" of the porta-potty. No matter how clean you keep it or rules for it. The blue water smell permeates everywhere. You get used to it. And, basically for the woman folk... it is NOT a vacation!!! You'll be cooking, cleaning, vacuuming (a lot), making beds, and hauling laundry if you don't have a washer/dryer on board. Not fun. Edited July 20, 2009 by tex-mex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Depreciation hits hard... take for example, my in-laws bought a brand new top line "bus" RV for $250,000 and now 12 years later are lucky to get $40,000 for it if they had to sell it. (They paid it off but may use it as a trade in...??) One thing I should add is the wear and tear of any RV. Is hubby handy for repairs? If not, it'll set you back to send it to the shop. Plus, one thing no one mentions about RVs is the "smell" of the porta-potty. No matter how clean you keep it or rules for it. The blue water smell permeates everywhere. You get used to it. And, basically for the woman folk... it is NOT a vacation!!! You'll be cooking, cleaning, vacuuming (a lot), making beds, and hauling laundry if you don't have a washer/dryer on board. Not fun. I though ours was bad depreciation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJB Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Rent, don't buy, and give it a test run. If you buy, find one second hand since they depreciate wildly. We've rented before and it gave us an idea of all the joys (easy to stop and camp anywhere, easy to eat and have a clean bathroom on the road) and hassles (cumbersome and sometimes difficult to take side trips on less traveled roads). I think it depends on where you live and how much you'll use it. Also, once you have an RV you feel compelled to take trips with it, which might lessen your trips where you stay at nice hotels with room service! We've owned a trailer that we pulled from both up to and down from Alaska. We had marvelous trips and will be RV owners again once we live in the states. However, we have five kids and hotel rooms for our crew are expensive. We also like to be able to prepare our own food instead of relying upon fast food on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacie Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Plus, one thing no one mentions about RVs is the "smell" of the porta-potty. No matter how clean you keep it or rules for it. The blue water smell permeates everywhere. You get used to it. We've only had a problem with the smell of the potty once in all the years we've owned one. It was because I thought he added the chemicals, he thought I did. Once we emptied and added the chemicals as we should, it was fine. We mostly stay where there are sewer hook-ups so we empty it every other day, just in case. And, basically for the woman folk... it is NOT a vacation!!! You'll be cooking, cleaning, vacuuming (a lot), making beds, and hauling laundry if you don't have a washer/dryer on board. Not fun. Not to pick on you tex-mex ;), but I don't have any problems with this either. I plan our meals to be super simple and mostly cooked outdoors. If it can't be grilled or cooked over the campfire, it has to be microwaved. I prepare the meat before we leave, stock the pantry with what we'll need, and make sure we have enough snacks. I usually put a roast in the crockpot one morning before we take off on an adventure. The kids love, love to cook when we're outside, so everyone pitches in and it seems more fun. As far as laundry, the amount of laundry we have when we travel is the same whether we camp or stay in hotels, with the exception of towels. I have to do it when we get home either way, regardless. It's not extra work. The camper is about the same size as my home kitchen, so it's just not a lot of cleaning involved. Someone wipes the bathroom down twice a day, someone sweeps when needed, and as long as the bed covers are pulled up and the pillows are in place, we just don't stress over having the beds made. We use that green outdoor carpet outside the door so we don't track dirt inside. I'm very relaxed about chores while we're away and the kids find doing things in the camper is not really a chore anyway! All in all, it's just a fun way for us to travel. But it's not for everyone, without a doubt!! My best friend would never set foot in anything like a camper, or less than a Hilton for that matter! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I don't know if you are dead set on having a RV or not, but a pop-up camper might be another viable alternative for you?? You can tow them easily behind a truck or a car and they crank open to a nice little living space. We had one when I was a kid and we easily slept 6 people in it. I don't have a clue what they cost new, but I know my sister just bought one just like the one we had when we were kids and she only paid $7,000. I just wanted to throw that out there if it would be helpful. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralloyd Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Yes, there are expenses. You have heard from other here what they are. Yet, our RV is the best purchase we have ever made! Buy used, I say then enjoy the great family experiences! Keep in mind that, we actually plan on buying a newer and bigger one in 6-8 months. The plan is to travel the US for a year maybe two. Our current one is just too small to live in, and too old to handle this much driving. If you do purchase one, consider not staying in "camp grounds" you have to pay for, all the time. We usually pull off the road and find some nice places in the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 My parents have had an assortment of pull behind camper trailers and we have loved them all. Yes, it costs more to haul one or drive one, but the ability to sleep in the same bed every night, carry your own food, and relax is wonderful. Last weekend my dad stayed at a KOA campground that was $20 a night. It had showers, a pool, a playground, free cable TV hook-ups, and more. We often stay at area lakes in it for less than $20 a night. Take lunch meat, some bikes, and a swim suit and you are all set. Way more comfortable than a tent! I have to second (or third) renting one if you are not sure what you want. For the big bus sized ones some states require you get a CDL license (like what a semi truck driver needs) and that can be expensive. For the smaller ones your regular license should be ok. Anyway, my parents have rented the various sizes and driven them as far as 2000 miles to see pros and cons of each size. The price wasn't too bad to rent when they did it off season. They finally decided on pull behind. It does mean my dad had to keep a full sized truck with enough engine power to pull it (and he used to never keep a truck so that was a change). Advantages to a pull behind are that you won't be towing a car. Since car seat laws apply to RVs, you won't have to be constantly hooking and unhooking car seats if you ride in one and live in the other. Having the truck also gives room for bikes and other extras. And you will need a second vehicle for last minute trips to grocery stores or in case of an accident. Other reasons they didn't go with an RV included the difficulting in finding campgrounds with pull thru areas. The bigger they are the harder it is to find camping places that are long enough and accessable. A driving RV also has the same upkeep and maintence as a car - oil changes, etc. While you have maintence with a pull behind, there is not as much as often. They just retired and are considering another one for travel now. My dad has been visiting places extensively and priccing extensively. With the drop in the economy, he is finding new ones sometimes for less than used ones. Dealerships are having a terrible time selling them and are taking big losses on some. Some used ones are not selling cheaply because the owners have too much money tied up in them or they still owe too much because they bought them at high market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 It depends on what kind you are talking about, but if you are only planning to use it once then it would be cheaper and easier to rent one. We have a pop-up camper for a family of 5. It is wonderful since we don't spend much time in it anyways (too many things to explore). The insurance is CHEAP, it requires no gas, few repairs (most can be done as a DYI project), and we have our own potty, shower and kitchen. It does require propane, but one small tank lasts us through the weekend and then some as long as we stay at a park with electricity. We stay at army corp parks or state parks if possible, because they are safer and usually have some kind of playground. KOAs are nice, but they are usually off the beaten path and a bit more expensive. Be sure to check out craigs list or your local news paper for used campers. People are practically giving them away right now. We bought ours new, and I really wish we would have taken time to look around a bit. Either way, happy camping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 We have LOVED our 29' travel trailer, but our usage has waned over the past couple of years. With nine of us, it has probably saved us some money overall, but it is not free... Two more... 1) Personal property taxes: In Virginia, we pay personal property taxes each year on anything we use on the highways, including the camper. The bad thing about the camper taxes is that they are NOT eligible for the tax relief that is provide for cars, so the tax rate you pay is higher. 2) Equipping your second home: I recommend you plan on spending US$2000.00 to US$3000.00 on top of the price of the camper to equip it. Think what it would cost to equip an *entire* second home, including a full kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms and you get the idea. You might think you can just get these things from the house, but many things from your house are not appropriate for a camper (because of weight or fragility) AND you will find that is a HUGE deterrent to actually going on trips. Also, there are many, many things in a camper that you do NOT have in your house, such as polypropylene water hoses, 30-amp extension cords and waste-water stuff. It's plenty of work to pack the camper for a trip even with a fully-equipped camper. If you haven't already seen it, I recommend you rent the movie 'RV' and watch it before you dive into this. While this movie is quite over-the-top, just keep in mind that much of what people find as humorous is based in reality. As a large homeschooling family that camps, I will say we found more of that movie to be TOO familiar than I would like to admit! :w00t: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I desperately wanted one and last year we almost purchased one. I had plans to travel the United States and write a book, as well as homeschool on the road. Then we spent a weekend and DH figured out it would be cheaper for me to stay in hotels. Ah, all the fun was taken out of the trip then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 2) Equipping your second home: I recommend you plan on spending US$2000.00 to US$3000.00 on top of the price of the camper to equip it. Think what it would cost to equip an *entire* second home, including a full kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms and you get the idea. You might think you can just get these things from the house, but many things from your house are not appropriate for a camper (because of weight or fragility) AND you will find that is a HUGE deterrent to actually going on trips. Also, there are many, many things in a camper that you do NOT have in your house, such as polypropylene water hoses, 30-amp extension cords and waste-water stuff. It's plenty of work to pack the camper for a trip even with a fully-equipped camper. Good point... again, my in-laws have a "second" house on wheels like this. The RV has its own set of dishes, towels, supplies, tupperware, medicine cabinet is stocked, and so on. Like the poster said above, it really is a lot of WORK to pack an camper (or RV) for a trip... my in-laws love the lifestyle as retirees, but also are honest to caution those from seeing it thru rose colored glasses as it being truly a "vacation". It is work. But for some, this is what they like to do as a family and they do enjoy RVing. I would rent one for now and see if it appeals to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 Thanks to everyone who responded. I appreciate the time you took AND your honesty. DH read through the thread this evening. We haven't had a chance to talk about it yet, but I'm sure that what you all shared will help us in our decision. :boxing_smiley::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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