Community Forums

NealC · 06-09-2018, 06:43 PM

Ever had the thought and compared what kind of house (S&B) you could get, and land, for what a motorhome costs? It's an interesting and somewhat humbling or daunting thought. How much square footage and no land is in your motorhome vs. what you get in a house (depending on where you live of course).

Deep thoughts...

Dav L · 06-09-2018, 07:06 PM

NealC - you are a full timer - right?
Then you are in a better place to know what it really costs to live in an RV.
I can make some guesses, but that's all they are.

I do know what the S&B costs are :(

So, what are the costs to full time:

Cost of RV payment per month (our assumption is one has a mortgage on it). Certainly this is going to vary depending on what rig. But easy to calculate.

Sales tax and annual registration costs.

Insurance

Cost per month for site.

Electricity - included in the site cost?

Waste dump - included in the site cost?

Propane - if not fully electric (stove, heat etc)

Diesel - if heat is diesel

Repairs

Ground's maintenance (if not included in site cost)

Satellite charge

Cable tV charge

Cellular charge (if no good and free WiFi at site)

What else?

I heated my MA all this winter using it's Diesel Hydrohot. I was a little surprised how much fuel it used. Don't have it totalled up though.

drdarrin · 06-09-2018, 07:56 PM

I don’t care what the difference in cost is. My home is now where ever we choose to park it. We moved it across most of the Midwest last year and we’re in Canada and Alaska this year. Couldn’t do that with a S&B. When we’re unable or unwilling to do this anymore, we’ll do something else. There is an incalculable ROI in this type of investment that far exceeds renting a piece of land from the government and maintaining it for our heirs.

wildtoad · 06-09-2018, 08:19 PM

Motorhome cost half what house cost yet taxes are 3 times higher. House is paid for, not so for MH ( by choice ). While my house does not move, moving the mh is expensive at 7 mpg. Getting “free” electricity at paid for campsites doesn’t compare with what I pay monthly for electric at the house. I can buy a lot of electricity for what I pay for the site. Free WIFI and internet at campgrounds usually is cr$p not so at home and not sure how to value something that is free but iffy versus something I pay for.

If I was worried about the costs I would stay home.

AudiDudi · 06-09-2018, 08:29 PM

Of course the house and land greatly depend on the area. Rural vs Urban.

I would guess that a full timer in an RV that moves a 2-3x times a month and stays in RV parks with FHU is going to spend close to $10k (if not more) for park fees and fuel.

Annual maintenace on a DP could run more than on a S&B. OFC, no property taxes on the DP which could pay for fuel.

It's all about the lifestyle

jacwjames · 06-09-2018, 08:30 PM

A sticks & bricks house will hold value, and in most cases appreciate. Just finishing building a custom house on ~6 arcres. I know what the cost is & that is with me doing most of the work. It is/was painful!

A motorhome will depreciate and will be worth much less when bought new.

If you have the money, buy a nice coach, travel as much as possible and then sell. In the end it's a nice life if you can afford it.

eddieelk · 06-09-2018, 08:31 PM

I'm on my 5th motorhome, a 37' 1998 PA Vision. Insurance is $230.000 per year for full coverage. Personal property taxes are $400.00 for 2 motorhomes, 2 cars, 40' park model. Spent four months in S. Texas this past winter. Paid cash for all units. Do my own maintenance. Low cost living and traveling. I have owned 4 motorhomes starting in 1999 that cost me $35,000 for the 4. Have traveled thru 40 states and 40-50,000 mile. Planning a trip west this summer, and Texas next winter. RVing costs as much or as little as you want to spend. Eddie Elk.

Whirrlly · 06-09-2018, 10:39 PM

No deep thoughts here kinda.

A home and land ties one down to one spot. If that is what you want then go for it and keep you MH for trips

If you want 0 maintenance on a home and want to move around more, don't get another S&B.

Be a part timer type, get your S&B and take a lot more MH trips!

Sweet thing is you can own and do whatever you personally want.

We kept thinking beach home. I hated the cost of hurricane insurance LOL and property taxes on that beach home so we decided we weren't going to tie ourselves down to one location. I can hit a ton of different beach locations for the costs of that home on the beach we wanted

It is just do it how you want to do it. Combine a home, no home with your MH any way you want.

Costs only matter to you and your financial situation.

Hgrace56 · 06-10-2018, 05:46 PM

A real home is the best investment in the world with a few exceptions.
A motorhome or RV is nothing but an expense.
That said I'll keep both as long as I'm still a viable organism.

grindstone01 · 06-10-2018, 06:58 PM

The only simularity between a house and a MH is that you can sleep and eat in them. Every other comparison is like apples to oranges, nothing in common with different purposes. There are just too many differences to compare living/owning a MH to living/owning a house.
I'm not sure about that house being the best investment comment. My dad's Walmart stock he bought 30 years ago did better than our last house investment!!

Cypressloser · 06-10-2018, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindstone01

The only simularity between a house and a MH is that you can sleep and eat in them. Every other comparison is like apples to oranges, nothing in common with different purposes. There are just too many differences to compare living/owning a MH to living/owning a house.
I'm not sure about that house being the best investment comment. My dad's Walmart stock he bought 30 years ago did better than our last house investment!!

Man, I hear you.

Taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs, renos add up it'll make your head spin.

Besides, when you're in the market at the wrong time trying to sell your house - oh boy. I don't know anything mid to high end in the area selling for more than 85% of cost and lots and lots of two and three year old stale listings.
Been there, done that.

Thanks, but no thanks.

hohenwald48 · 06-11-2018, 06:51 AM

Regarding S&B appreciation, most folks think "I bought for 200k and sold it for 225k so I made a profit". They don't think about all the expenses.

Although a S&B is a better value than an RV, neither is a great investment except in rare cases.

Comparing one to the other is kind of like comparing boats to airplanes. Totally different critters.

micbob4 · 06-11-2018, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whirrlly

No deep thoughts here kinda.

A home and land ties one down to one spot. If that is what you want then go for it and keep you MH for trips

If you want 0 maintenance on a home and want to move around more, don't get another S&B.

Be a part timer type, get your S&B and take a lot more MH trips!

Sweet thing is you can own and do whatever you personally want.

We kept thinking beach home. I hated the cost of hurricane insurance LOL and property taxes on that beach home so we decided we weren't going to tie ourselves down to one location. I can hit a ton of different beach locations for the costs of that home on the beach we wanted

It is just do it how you want to do it. Combine a home, no home with your MH any way you want.

Costs only matter to you and your financial situation.

This is exactly what we decided. Was looking at second home near the water, but with having to be in on place and maintaining we choose the RV route. Also, had timeshare but liked the idea of taking dogs with us so RV won here as well. In my mid 50s still working so not selling home, will use RV for long and multiple short trips. My situation I look at my S&B as my home and investment, the RV as my mode of family time and vacation. If time comes no longer something we want to do, we sell with understanding it was never an investment just a memory maker.