Cost Benefit Analysis -- is it worth it ????

[twogypsies]

Keep in mind that not all RVs are money pits. Honestly, we had a 5th wheel and a motorhome during our 16 years of full-timing and never had major repairs.... just tires, batteries and regular maintenance. You never read a post that the topic is "I have a perfect RV". Those people don't post... just the ones that have problems making you think that every RV has problems.

Buy from a quality manufacturer and hope for the best. You may get lucky! Maybe not - but homes have problems, too. From your background it sounds like full-timing would be ideal for you.

[paddykern]

Camped in a tent for 6 years. Saved money over hotel costs.
Camped in a pop-up for 31 years. Saved money over hotel costs.
Now have a small class B+/C-.
Cost > $100,000
Will I save money over hotel costs?
Never expected to save money.
Bought for the experience.

Benefits:
Waking up to a beautiful view rather than the view of an asphalt parking lot.
Always having my own bed, bathroom and kitchen.
Never having to pack and unpack.
Being able to travel with our pets.
Comfortable climate controlled place to read, relax and to enjoy.
Being able to cook my own meals and having a fridge stocked with everything I need.
Being able to pull over and relax and take a nap whenever I get tired.

Example of our trip to Maine we just go back from.
Wake up to the birds chirping in a beautiful, secluded wooded campsite.
Take a shower.
Make and drink some coffee outside in the forest.
Drive to the ocean and make breakfast.
Spend the day at the beach.
Later drive to a restaurant to get some awesome seafood.
Drive back to campsite and have a cup of tea.
Read, watch TV or a DVD.
Go to bed in our own bed.
Wake up in the morning and repeat.

Am I saving money? No and I don't care.

The payback in savings for tent camping was one week.
The payback in savings for a pop-up was three years.
Never calculated but never expect a payback in savings with the class B+/C-

About to go to hunting camp for a week.
No power or water available but I don't need as I have everything with me.
Free, no camping fees.

Experience, priceless.

[nancybninja]

We know it would be cheaper to stay in a hotel. IMO the sanitation fears are somewhat overrated, but as an ER nurse I saw my share of scabies and bedbugs.
I miss our friends and our families, flower beds, belonging to a book club or bible study. Our fresh water pump is out right now. We have had a slide leak, a roof leak and the slide motors are now making funny noises. Our house did not require this much attention. We could have the heater, coffee pot, hot water heater and hairdryer on all at the same time! I didn’t have to trek across the campground with dirty clothes. Conserve water so carefully.
But our RV is still fun. We never sat around a campfire talking to interesting people at a hotel. Hotels are not generally out in the woods. We would not watch a male cardinal feeding a female while drinking coffee in a hotel room. We spend a lot of one one time together, doing things, problem solving, I love my husband and our time together. I guess we could still go hiking biking and kayaking in different parts of the country with our car, but, IDK, this is more fun. It’s a opportunity we have decided to go with.
We can quit whenever we like and get a house. We do have a budget but it’s no trouble sticking to it. It’s just whatever you want to do.

[Norvyet]

Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I realize its not all about dollars and cents but sometimes i read the IRV2 forums and think I'll trade my current life for being a rolling maintenance man which is ok --- I'm a retired Facility Engineer so I know electrical repairs , plumbing repairs and whatever else happens--- I absolutely get it. I'm simply seeking a satisfying retirement lifestyle that provides some satisfaction on an ongoing basis and the RV lifetsyle comes close to possibly achieving that. I've done the McMansions, 3 car garages and acres of land only to end up accumulating "stuff" that does not buy happiness or satisfaction. At least with an RV if I don't like the view or the circumstances I can simply unplug and hit the road for greener pastures elswhere. The Tiny House lifestyle was my original plan but a tiny house that rolls down the road is a more appealing option. Before I conclude i'm always fond of repeating an old quote: The one thing you'll never see on the road is a UHaul hitched to a funeral hearse !!!!
Thanks, Steve

[JFXG]

The journey is the destination.

[Itchytoe]

Originally Posted by Norvyet

As a retired Facility Engineer i get a little nervous looking over the hundreds of posts regarding electrcial problems, plumbing problems , poor quality construction and terrible dealership service. With that in mind I often think I would be better off buying a small house simply because it represents far fewer headaches on a day-to-day basis plus it should appreciate or at least hold its value over time.

They're called Tiny Houses, not small houses. It's a minor quibble, but using the proper terminology will make things a bit more clear to others. Anyway, yes a Tiny House is exactly what you're looking for. It's built just like a house, not like an RV, but they're mobile and can be built to move if that's what you want. Obviously, you won't have drywall if you're towing it across the world, but you also won't have paper thin walls or a leaky roof seam. You'll have the quality you're looking for, and the mobility you're looking for.


What was that? Oh you actually meant a small sticks and bricks? Oh, well, ummm my bad. If you're considering buying a small house and traveling using hotels, you're going to spend a ton of money. It will be cheaper to get practically any RV and live in it full time than going the small house and hotel rooms route. The big money savings in RVs is going full time and not having your RV costs and a mortgage. It's that mortgage that kills you. If you're doing it just to save money on hotels, then you'll have to get the cheapest RV you can find, and even then, it will take a few years to pay for itself in lodging savings.

[okcnewbie]

Originally Posted by Norvyet

....but why would i want to spend my golden years wondering if the ******* is full ?????

Mr. No you shouldn't go...... RV'ing that is.

There are many ways to travel and my experience is if you have to talk someone into something than maybe you shouldn't have.......

[varmonter]

I figure I have a good 15-20 yrs left. I recall how fast the last 20 yrs went by. I could fly to places
I want to go. Rent a hotel. Cheaper
then a diesel pusher. Almost a given. But the dw and I just spent
4 months in our 32 ft tt. Campground hosting 2600 mi from our home. We learned we brought more with us than necessary. We got home and are selling it all. Renting a dumpster and selling the house. Buying a dp.
See ya.. not for everyone I know.
Its not about the money. It's how we want to spend these last 20 yrs
Hopefully. With each other on the road. After that we will be a problem for our kids.😉

[Old Scout]

Lots of really great advice here--for us, its all about the experience, not the costs. We have RVed for 16 years, we are not full-timers--there is a big difference between the two concepts. A few years ago, our friends were "evaluating" the RV life-style. So we sat down with them and built a spreadsheet to compare Rving vs hotels and travel by car or airline. Based on our experience as RVers, we were pretty "generous" with our cost estimates. What we "determined" was that if you travel less than 4 months per year--hotels and a car/airline was the way to go. More than 4 months per year, you could make a pretty good economic case for RVing. Guess what--they have been full-timing for 5+ years now. But after 16 years, Rving for us is all about the experiences you have and the friendships you make, not the money!!!!!

[gatorb8]

RVing is not an investment, it is a hobby.
Decide how much money you want to spend on your hobbies and see if RVing is within that number!

[jeanluc001]

no one mentioned the hassle it is to fly anywhere these days. now you have to get a special i.d. to fly domestic.along with the security hassles and weather delays and passenger disturbances and so called service animals the list goes on. i much rather get in my class a and come and go as i please.

[okcnewbie]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Keep in mind that not all RVs are money pits. Honestly, we had a 5th wheel and a motorhome during our 16 years of full-timing and never had major repairs.... just tires, batteries and regular maintenance. You never read a post that the topic is "I have a perfect RV". Those people don't post... just the ones that have problems making you think that every RV has problems......

My experience is that even with a perfect MH/RV you still lose 5% a year. The last 6 Luxury(ish) MH's I checked were around 5.5% per year. Of course this is compared to 25% off of original MSRP. Even so, if someone spends 100k on used MH it's likely to lose 5k/yr roughly for the next several years.

[Barbaraok]

Originally Posted by okcnewbie

My experience is that even with a perfect MH/RV you still lose 5% a year. The last 6 Luxury(ish) MH's I checked were around 5.5% per year. Of course this is compared to 25% off of original MSRP. Even so, if someone spends 100k on used MH it's likely to lose 5k/yr roughly for the next several years.

So?

Unless you buy to make money (which only a fool would do) what's the problem. Cars loose money each year too. Do you fret about that? And houses can also lose money - ask anyone who lost everything during the Great Recession.

[Oldmso54]

Not sure why everyone is saying hotels are definitely cheaper? A halfway decent hotel from an average hotel chain will be anywhere from $79 to $159 depending on location and time of year.

Yeah, I know you can stay at the no tell motel for $29 or $39 a night but man = I know I wouldn't want to.

We followed our 2 kids around the Southeast US for their college sports and stayed in lots of hotels = it wasn't cheap!! And I'm not talking fancy hotels...

So IMHO the cost really isn't that different and the benefits of the RV lifestyle far outweigh whatever minimal difference there is.