I will be the first to admit that I know very little about economics. I’m also not the best at higher level math. However, to my credit, I am the household bookkeeper and budget master. I also run a small non-profit which I started from the ground up right before the big recession hit. It’s our 13th year and we’re still in business and growing! All that said, I feel somewhat competent where small scale money is concerned. Don’t even think of asking me a question about our nation’s economics. I’ll give you a blank stare!
The other important thing to note is, I majored in recreation. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Administration, Therapeutic Option (or shortened up, Recreation Therapy. Yes! It’s a real thing people get paid to do!). As a Recreation Therapist, I worked in several different settings including Psychiatric Care, Skilled Nursing, Drug and Alcohol Rehab, and lots of youthwork settings. In all of my career life, I have worked with people of all ages and backgrounds. This will all be important to my “Economic” theories related to RVing.
When we first bought a trailer, we had to buy a tow vehicle to go with it. We bought a brand new Suburban because we couldn’t find a used one with low enough miles set up the way we wanted. At the time we purchased it, there were so many kick-backs from Chevy and the dealer, we actually could get a brand new one for the same price or less than a used one. It was crazy! We also bought our trailer brand new because we couldn’t find a used bunkhouse model that didn’t smell weird and where you could pack both food and clothes. It was a very strange time for used trailers! They were just starting to get the idea that families wanted to travel and that everyone in the family would bring stuff and want a bed to sleep in!
As soon as we bought our trailer and tow rig, we pretty much ceased any kind of travel that involved a hotel and an airplane. We also began taking a weekend trip almost every month. The tow rig also became my daily driver and was a great mom carpool-mobile.
I don’t have a CLUE how to do the math to figure out the value of the tow vehicle to the travel vs what we paid for it, wear and tear on the trailer and rig, or whatever kind of math an economist would use. Here’s the math I did when we traveled with our kids:
- Gas – for a family of 4 was almost always less than airfare
- Car – we didn’t have to rent one, so we saved on car rental
- RV Park Fees – At $35 – $85 per night for a family of 4, this was always a better deal than a hotel
- Food – At first, we almost never ate out. This saved us a lot of money. When we were able to go out a little more often, we still saved quite a bit of money on food. We didn’t spend any more on groceries for a trailer trip than we would have staying home. We always figured that just by eating breakfast in our trailer, we saved at least $50 per day for a family of 4 (with a Starbucks type breakfast).
Sounds like a bargain, right? Now, figure in the cost of your trailer over the time you have it minus what you sell it for when you’re done with it (or in our case trade it in). Then, divide by the number of years you use it. That’s what you spend on your vacationing on just your RV. Our first trailer, we had for 10 years. We bought it for about $13,000 and sold it for about $6,000. That’s about $700 per year. Then, we pay for storage (let’s figure $100 per month). So, there you have another $1200 per year. $1900 is a pretty nice car trip hotel vacation! I try not to think about that!
Here’s where the financial payoff improves: when you take the weekend trips periodically throughout the year. Yes! You have to use it to get your money’s worth! Our little 3 day weekend trips are a bargain! Especially if we stay in a state park. Even if we don’t stay in a state park, our the gas and RV Park fees for a weekend trip usually cost less than a nice dinner and a movie for two people. If you’re just going to use your rig for your annual summer vacation, you might want to re-think your purchase.
You can improve the payoff even more if you purchase a used RV or trailer. RV’s and trailers don’t hold their value. As soon as your wheels hit the street from the dealer, it’s worth a bunch less than it was on the lot.
As a Recreation Therapist and someone who has spent most of her working life working with youth in some capacity, I have seen what happens when people become unbalanced. I don’t mean the lack of ability to stand on one foot without falling over (I am challenged in that area!). I mean the lack of taking time out away from work, school, and stress. I’ve seen what happens when people don’t take the time to do things they enjoy and re-charge. It’s not pretty! It can lead to all kinds of problems like anxiety, depression, and the over-use of substances to “fix” the negative feelings. I’m not saying buying an RV or trailer will fix this. What I am saying is, it’s helped us and other people I know un-plug and come back refreshed. It helps maintain life balance. When I worked in nursing homes as a Recreation Therapist, my residents liked to talk about their travels. Not one ever said, “Wow! I really wish I hadn’t traveled!” Instead they told stories of their adventures and time spent with their families.
We recently took a “free” trip to Hawaii for 8 nights. We used airline miles to purchase the tickets and hotel points for the hotel. We paid for one activity type thing, a rental car, and food. Breakfast was included with our hotel stay (we still had to pay for a tip and if we wanted to eat eggs, that was additional). Lunch and dinner was pretty much all we really had to pay for food-wise. It was the most expensive vacation we have ever been on! We were in a resort area with what I called “the resort fee.” There wasn’t really an added fee, it was just more expensive. When we drove around and visited other areas, it was a little less expensive, but not much. It was Hawaii! It made me think that RVing was an even better deal! I had no idea how out of touch I was with resort type vacations! We take our trailer to touristy places. It was nice to be reminded that we are saving some money.
My husband is an engineer. He’s really good at math and he can do crazy math in his head. His theory on all of this is, it’s a wash. If we didn’t have the trailer, we weren’t storing it, etc, we’d spend the same amount of money on vacations. We’d just be traveling differently and less frequently. Since he’s so good at math, I would have to agree with him on that!
We are now empty nesters. We’re on our third trailer, a 5th wheel that we love! In the last 6 months, we’ve camped (fake camped) about 25 nights in it. In some of the places we camped, we wouldn’t have been able to find a hotel for under $150 per night with slim pickings as far as restaurants were concerned. I think the most we paid per night was about $75 for a swanky upgraded premium site. We are doing our best to get our money’s worth by taking lots of trips! If we didn’t have the trailer, we’d probably not take weekend trips that help us decompress. We’d probably be crabbier, but I don’t want test this theory to find out! Another great thing that happens on a road trip is conversation. My husband and I get a lot of talking done in the car. We talk about the kids. We solve the problems of our government and other nations. We make fun of signs we see on the road. We talk about our hopes and dreams for the future. We wouldn’t have these same conversations on a plane surrounded by strangers. So, when this recreation therapist does the economic math for our RV travels, I come up with “priceless.” You’ll need to do your own math with your calculator and your heart and see what you come up with.
Next Trailer Girl Blog – Mrs. Lewis, I Believe You’ve Become Separated from Your Children. A funny story about losing our kids (and getting reunited) in a National Park!
Trailer Girl's Guide to Happy Camping 