How often do you use your Motorhome?

[doublehooked]

I'm new to RVing, always owned boats and never used them as much as I should have. I'm going to get a motorhome and would like to use it a couple of times each year for about 1 or 2 months (give or take) a year, plus a couple of short trips.
I'm just curious how often do you use your's? How long do you go for?

[Petro]

Originally Posted by doublehooked

I'm new to RVing, always owned boats and never used them as much as I should have. I'm going to get a motorhome and would like to use it a couple of times each year for about 1 or 2 months (give or take) a year, plus a couple of short trips.
I'm just curious how often do you use your's? How long do you go for?
Do you still use it?

This is a good question. I suspect the answers will vary a lot from northern states to southern states. My DW and I live in WI and most campgrounds are closed here from around Oct 15 to April 15. We winterize our coach in late Oct. In mid March we de winterize it and go south for 3 weeks. We return 1st week in April and we do not have to re winterize it at that time.

We plan on taking a couple 2 of week trips in the summer. The rest of our camping is done with long week ends Thur - Sun. My wife told me were were out last year for a combined total of 12 weeks.

Don

[Brigadoon]

When we bought our first RV, the Wife and I agreed there was no use in spending a large sum of money and having it sit, therefore, we made a pact with ourselves to use the RV no less than once per month for a 3 day weekend. That was 11 years ago and I'm happy to say we have really stuck to that deal.

For the 9 years that we were still working full time, we would go once a month for weekends to campgrounds 90 to 350 miles away. This allowed all the motorized systems, fluids and tires to get up to temperature. Then while we were parked, we ran all house systems whether we needed to use them or not. We also managed a vacation of 3 to 4 weeks annually.

I think this has minimized our maintenance costs over the years. I base that on my observations of other rv owners that also store their rv's in the same storage yard where our rv is stored. Over the years we do not seemed to suffer the same problems the other owners incure when they let their rv sit unused for months at a time. Now this is my own unscientific observations.

For the last 2 years we have used it continuously for 5 to 6 months each year spring to fall and once a month during the winter (easier to do in Florida than many other regions).

Perhaps you would consider a 5th wheel rather than a motorhome since it seems your rv will sit for months at a time without using it. At least you would have fewer motorized issues to deal with.

[Elkhartjim]

We've owned our mh for 30 months and it just turned over 25000 miles. We have averaged 93 nights per year and so far this year, 35. I would consider renting one if I used it less than 30-45 nights per year. Just my opinion.

[chasfm11]

When we first considered purchasing a MH, I was concerned about how much we might use it. Since I'm not retired, we are limited to my vacation time and weekends. Until last October, we have used it very regularly, at least once a month on average. We are fortunate in Texas to be able to use it pretty much year round. We've camped on Thanksgiving week and over the New Years weekend.

We've also done long trips - 18-22 days just about every year. We are likely to put 3K miles plus on during those times.

When we bought our MH, we considered a 5er. I was concerned about the time that the MH would sit between uses. When we priced TVs that would handle a 30 foot plus 5er, we found that combined purchase price of it and the 5er was more than the used MHs we were looking at. We would be in the same situation with a large TV - it would pretty much sit between camping trips. We have dogs and the MH is easier for us to deal with them. Additionally, we sometimes take others along and the MH is a better choice for us with multiple guests. We did 3K miles in eight days with 5 adults, 2 dogs and an 18 month old. I cannot imagine what that would have been like in a pickup.

[Cruzer]

Not near as much as we would like to!

We bought our first RV, a 33' Itasca Suncruiser in 2003 and had it for 18 months. We decided we really wanted a bigger DP so went with a 40' Allegro Bus. We had that 3 years and put on 30,000 miles. Then we got the 42' tag axle Bus and have had that 3 years now and put on 35,000 miles.

We would love to use it more but I am still working and have hooks holding me down here. Plus, it's Wisconsin, which pretty much shuts down over winter (which, as previously mentioneed, is very long up here). We don't overly care for the campgrounds around here and would rather travel out west. So, we don't do the every weekend kind of thing but save it up for longer trips. Typically a 26-28 day summer trip out west, a couple of week or long weekenders to Indiana, and maybe even a 2-3 weeker out west in September.

One thing I've heard is that it's best to not go with a diesel pusher if you aren't full timing because you really don't need that. Technically, that's true but then you really don't "need" a motorhome anyway, so you. I would say get whatever you want, can afford, and are comfortable with. An RV is not a good financial investment whatever you do. It's a depreciating asset. But it sure is a great investment in your health, well-being, and enjoyment. There's plenty of other ways that you can spend money and not enjoy it. Plus, last time I checked, you still can't take it with you.

[RVThere]

Our range of usage from taking friends to Cabelas (2 hour round trip ride) to 3 week trips in the summer. With work and kid schedules, we would like to use it more. Our typical usage:
- Easter 1-2 weeks
- Memorial weekend
- 3 week summer trip
- 1-2 long weekends
- 1 week trip after Thanksgiving

It gets mothballed from early Dec. to early March.

The RV also serves as an escape when the inlaws drop by for a visit!

[Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43']

Like others have said "We need to use it". Last year we spent about 160 nights in the M/H. It is now 4.5 years old and we have 46K miles. Trips range from a couple of days to 10 weeks and from an RV park 9 miles from home to Maine (2006) and Florida (2009) and many places in between.

[Norm4015]

When we bought our first motorhome in 1999 we stayed in it (actually two motorhomes) for ten years and one month before moving into a house. Now we only stay in the motorhome 6 months each year.

So we had about 3680 nights in motorhomes before going sticks-and-bricks part time.

[kjburns]

We generally take shorter trips (500 miles round trip) and get out every month for a couple of weeks. Our longest trip was 3400 miles round trip.

[GaryKD]

Hi doublehooked,
We are 1/2 timers.
1. Winter camping is with chapters of the RV clubs we belong to. This is about 1 week per month from November through April. We live in south Florida.
2. After the Gkids get out of school (mid-June) we are off with them for a couple of months.
3. We get them back home and then spend 3 months traveling to wherever suits our fancy.

[bdpreece]

When I was working it was probably once a month for long weekends during the summer plus a couple of 2 to 3 week trips. Now that I am retired we go for about 3 months at a time then home for about 3 over and over, just following the sun.

[HD4Mark]

We use ours for one month in the winter to escape the frozen north and once in a great while during the summer. Both of us are still working so it's not easy to get enough use out of our MH. We live on a lake in the stick house so venturing out in the summer means a trip out the back door

Looking at retirement soon so we will be fixing the lack of usage problem.

[mythplaced]

do trips back and forth to repair centers count?

if so 3X per month from Mar to Nov..20-25 trips per yr