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Old 05-13-2023, 06:22 PM   #29
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Totally understand the move away from an RV. Hopefully it will be some time for us.

We retired a little over a year ago. Now we can go where we want when we want. The toughest part is neither of us can stand to be away from our grandkids for too long so 4 weeks is about the max.

We started the credit card points game about 7 months ago so we travel by plane or MH depending on where and timing. We just went to Vegas (plane) just to go and it was almost free with points. We are going to Cancun twice, the Dominican Republic and Hawaii in the next 10 months all on points.

On the MH side we have multiple trips planned this year and for next winter.

We enjoy traveling both ways but the best is when our kids and grandkids go camping with us as they now have a TT.

The important thing is to get out and enjoy life while you still can!

Safe travels everyone!
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Old 05-13-2023, 11:28 PM   #30
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The first time I retired, rehired once, and hired back as a consultant once, we took a trip back east. Air to Florida. Did I not mention that I fully believe that if man were meant to fly he would have been born with wings? That being said, we rented through Costco a car picked up in Florida. Did the east coast from Florida to Massachusetts. We went west after that and then south. Three and a half months. Spent tons of money on hotels and restaurants (three times a day). Spent too much time in restaurants, but did see a lot. Purchased a Class C, tow dolly, and went across the country two years later. Four months. Spent less and had a lot more time to enjoy the trip. I know, because I have it documented in a spread sheet. Yes we sold the Class C, purchased a diesel dully and fifth wheel. Loved it. Two more trips across the country and each cost less then the first. Now a Class A diesel pusher do to my back and knees, the class A was a blessing, but not as comfortable as a fifth wheel. Our fourth trip across country, trip to Alaska, and others are not going to happen. The second COVID booster nearly killed my wife and we are limited to three to four hour from home trips. That being said, we would never want to go with out our motor home. We will never go back to restaurants and hotels. We had our bellies full of them on the first trip.
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Old 05-18-2023, 02:54 PM   #31
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The biggest eye opener for us is the price of motels now. One Motel six had good reviews and the pictures were great. The room was ok, but the beds were lumpy and the bathroom was way out dated. I didn't know they made toilets that low. $92. The Quality Inn was better with a skimpy breakfast at $139. The last was a Holiday Inn Express at $174 for a suite after a $20 discount. The room was the best and it came with an amazing breakfast. The DW says it will be a Holiday Inn express or equivalent in the future. I just have to learn to smile at the check-in and remind myself that I no longer have the expense and depreciation of our motorhome.

Edit: DRM901, I agree with you. For 25 years, we enjoyed everything related to the adventure of RV travel. We are just at the point that we've seen and done what we wanted. Enjoy it while you can and have the desire.

Well it is a dilemma. As we get older handling a 30 something Buffalo is stressful. I’ll be 80 in a few years and I’ve decided that I’ll hang up my driver spurs and just drive my hoopti. But I also see that the cost of travel isn’t cheap. $200 for a nice room, $60 for meals or more if you like fine dining, as I do, and then gas and maintenance $50 per day. So all totaled youre gonna spend around $300 per day. Kinda of what it cost me to drive my motorhome. Just sayin.
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Old 05-18-2023, 03:12 PM   #32
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We just finished our first trip from AZ back to WI without a motorhome. We found the pros and cons of "Non-Motorhome" travel. The pros: faster travel, less stress, less fuel cost per mile, my wife can drive while I nap, no depreciation of thousands per year (that investment money is working for me now), no RV insurance and no annual service and repair bill. The cons: Having to drag our stuff along with the dog into a motel room that isn't always the best, then having to drag it all out and repack for the road in the morning, not having a bathroom 20 feet away whenever the need arises, Not sleeping in our own bed, not having a "fully stocked kitchen less than 10 feet away", not having a large picture window to see the country, and not having the room to bring more "Stuff". ( That might actually be a good thing). I hope to convince my wife that she doesn't have to take 25 outfits back and forth and that it makes sense to only travel with what we need for the trip. We have enjoyed the last 27 years with a motorhome and I miss some of the conveniences they offer. However, we no longer take trips for scenic and pleasure, but just travel between homes twice yearly and a couple of side trips. We feel we have made the right choice, but I still have a warm feeling when I pass a motorhome with two happy campers looking down on a loaded Truck.

FWIW I do check RV Trader just to see what's out there. and wonder " What If"?
Consider using AMTRAK. Many of the comforts of a motor home and no driving required.
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Old 05-18-2023, 04:21 PM   #33
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You didn't mention waiting in line to get into the parks.

For us a huge thing is waking up inside the park before people can even drive in. No waiting to get in, no trying to find a place to park. Sometimes the trails, or river, or lake is right at your campsite.
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Old 05-18-2023, 04:29 PM   #34
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Grueling trip

Last November we had just gotten to Brownsville TX after our normal leisurely MH drive there when we got word my sister in Minnesota had passed. So a quick 1,600 mile 3-day, grueling trip back North. We could not have done it in our MH, so our CRV toad put on the miles.

I'd forgotten how expensive motels were - and every meal at restaurants added up, too. Some states (like Missouri) are VERY sparse with rest areas. Each night I was exhausted when we finally got to a room, even with DW doing some of the driving.

Short of an emergency like that, I'll take our house that has wheels under it.
Back to "normal", we left the Rio Grande Valley on May 1 and won't get back to Michigan until May 26 or so. Much better traveling this way.
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Old 05-18-2023, 05:41 PM   #35
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I recently had to hotel it for 3 weeks on a 2000 mile trip because the RV was still in a shop when I was scheduled to leave. I told myself never again.
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Old 05-18-2023, 07:02 PM   #36
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Just not a fan of hotels

I have to agree there are some advantages to traveling by car. But hotels are just not my cup of tea. No mater how nice of a hotel we have stayed at there has been running loud kids, barking dogs, people talking loudly at 3am. Breakfast at these hotels are okay unless there is a large crowd or many uncontrolled kids. And yes, I hate having to carry everything in and out of hotels. Not having a full kitchen with a full fridge, and having to go out to find a place to eat after a long day of driving ain't no fun. Not having my recliners and having to sit on the bed, or uncomfortable chairs the hotels have are also no fun.
I'm not saying "every" time we have stayed at a hotel it was a bad experience, but too often it has been. Unless I didn't notice RR tracks close to a campground we are staying at I very seldom experience any problems at campgrounds. For me I will always want to travel by RV.
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Old 05-18-2023, 09:34 PM   #37
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Blessed to be able to move on to the next adventure.FYI your don't have a Patent on a wife who over packs.
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Old 05-18-2023, 10:12 PM   #38
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IMO RV travel is about a life style. Hotel based travel is a different life style. I will not judge what works for anyone except us. DW wife has major food allergies and simply can not eat out anywhere, nil. So our RVs is the only real way we can travel, see places and do stuff. Since we are both retired and have no real time limits, the drive is as important as the destination.
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Old 05-19-2023, 06:46 AM   #39
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Due to DW health we sold our MH this month. Last fall we tried a trip to TX made it halfway but had to return due to her health. No more long travels for us. No more Campgrounds, No more lousy Motel rooms, No more expensive restaurants. We don't travel anymore. Got a decent price for MH. Am happy to no longer have a monthly RV loan payment but I already regret not having a MH to take long trips all over the USA.
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Old 05-19-2023, 07:57 AM   #40
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We are also reaching the age (75) that multi-month trips, hiking, and visiting places with lots of walking are getting harder to do. We are planning to change it up this year and buy a park model probably in AZ. Selling our class A and picking up an older Class C under 30 feet that we can remodel and make ours. We plan on traveling to and from our park model and RVing while we are at home and at the park model but just short trips just to get out and enjoy some federal and state parks. We are just not ready to go back to staying in hotels. We find that people in hotels stay to themselves while RVers are friendly and easy to make friends with.
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Old 05-19-2023, 08:14 AM   #41
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rarebear has it right. you can go places and do things in an rv, that you could never do in a motorhome. if all you want to do is gbet from point a to point b, travel by car is cheaper. but to stop along the way and to make a spontaneous stop at a national park, or attraction, oe even a quiet byway, it is often out of the question,
where else can you witness a drug raid in a campground at 5 pm. where else can you watch two tornadoes in one day. where else can you get stuck in a blizzard for 4 days.
these are all personal experiences, but where else can you see all the great lakes in one week. when could you put your foot in the atlantic and pacific in two weeks.
have you ever just stopped at the albuquerque balloon festival?
so many memories that we will never forget.
thats why we enjoy it.
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Old 05-19-2023, 08:39 AM   #42
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We've both driven and flew to South Florida each winter for about 30 years. Had our share of hotels along with snoring neighbours and all kinds of flight complications but I've always enjoyed driving.
Guess we're still new to the MH scene having bought our rig last year. We had a Class B for 2 years before that.
The first thing friends ask is "what's the gas mileage?" I usually deflect them with the cost of a campsite with full hook ups and the price of hotels.
I've always been a handy guy, tinkering and tweaking things until cocktail hour and I enjoy both!
Right now we wouldn't trade this way of travel. Going where and when you want and stopping along the way. I have a bucket list and there's still room in the bucket. When the bucket's full....the for sale sign will go up!
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