Summer van project

[Triple Jim]

Having spent quite a few nights in motels, and also going on several long trips, both business and pleasure, in a motor home, I can tell you that one is not a substitute for the other.  The one thing that's really nice about a motor home is that every morning when you wake up, no matter  where you are, you're in your little vacation home, and don't have to pack and unpack and check in and check out and eat at restaurants every day.

[atavar]

even if you take in to account the money you sell the unit for when you are done, if you account for all expenses most often you come out ahead over the life of the unit by staying in hotels instead. This does not include any allowance for time and labor. 

[Testarossa]

Take the budget for any of these and divide it by the cost to stay in a 4 star hotel for a night and have pretty girl in a short skirt bring you drinks by the fireplace.  You can get a LOT of nights in a nice resort for the cost of a camper.  don't forget to include insurance, maintenance, tires and gas..

In winter, I want to pull into the lot an hour before the lifts open, have a leisurely breakfast and go skiing, without worrying about finding a $300/night room in a hotel too far to walk from the lift (if I were made of money I could do that).

In summer I want to use a free national forest pull-out and have a hot meal and a quiet night's sleep without setting up a tent and sleeping on the ground. Then wake up early, have a hot breakfast and hit the road without repacking wet stuff.  AND I can haul the motorcycle without a trailer.

The money I have invested in the van would pay for about two months of motel rooms plus restaurant meals.

Besides, compared to a Motel 6, I'd rather look up and see this:

[dl.allen]

that van is cool.  It makes its own adventure that a hotel can never provide!
You should tour Alaska in that thing

[Testarossa]

Alaska is on the bucket list. And Baja. Maybe in one long trip!

[charlie b]

I like camping and RV's.  Much more so than hotels.  But, if I am taking a 'luxury' trip to a city/town, then I'll take the hotel.  The nice thing is I have the choice of all three anytime I want.  Pack the tent on the bike, get out the truck and trailer or pull out the credit card.

[Lannis]

Seth, looks like you're having fun, and I understand why you'd enjoy it and how it meshes up with your skiing activities.   Sort of like a custom Westphalia camper idea, but fixed up just like you want.

What I DON'T understand is many of my contemporaries who retire, possibly sell the house, and then buy a huge motorhome and set out across the country.   

I'm biased anyway because if I'm traveling, I want to be on a motorcycle.   If I have to be in a car, oh well.   But in one of these giant road hogs?   Getting 6 or 8 miles to a gallon?   And parked up at night cheek by jowl with 25 other similar motorhomes, right on top of each other in a KOA or RV campground?   That would be a nightmare to me.

And how do they afford it?   If you're doing any serious traveling, say 400 miles a day, that's $150 a day just for fuel, and probably $50 a night to laager up in a park with hookups (not to mention tires etc).   You don't get any of THAT money back.

All that's on top of the $100k or so to buy it - and those bad boys depreciate faster than a Guzzi, so there's more money toasted.    But I know a LOT of guys who do it and seem to enjoy it.   If I wanted to spend money that fast, I'd buy a thoroughbred race horse or a big boat or a swimming pool or a jet ...

Lannis

[Triple Jim]

I'm not disagreeing at all, Lannis, but when I traveled on business in a motor home, I spent nights along the way in the tractor-trailer side of rest areas, and when I got where I was going, I stayed in the company parking lot or a similar free place.  When I traveled on a vacation, I got where I was going, pulled the parking brake, and stayed there a week or two, mostly in driveways of friends' houses.  It really worked out well.  I admit that I have acquired a couple nice 31 footers without having to pay for them though.

[oldbike54]

 Seth , you could load Gail and the beemer up and come to the Okie in OCT . Some of the same folks that were at Cripple Creek will be there .

 Dusty

[Lannis]

I'm not disagreeing at all, Lannis, but when I traveled on business in a motor home, I spent nights along the way in the tractor-trailer side of rest areas, and when I got where I was going, I stayed in the company parking lot or a similar free place.  When I traveled on a vacation, I got where I was going, pulled the parking brake, and stayed there a week or two, mostly in driveways of friends' houses.  It really worked out well.  I admit that I have acquired a couple nice 31 footers without having to pay for them though.

Our old Guzzi rider Roger Davis does the same thing.    His job requires him to travel the country installing and servicing equipment, sometimes on short notice and for indefinite times, in factories.   He now has a big motor home that he uses for that, so he's always "at home" and never has to "go home".

But that's for work.   I did lots of things for my job (like live in Colorado and use a Blackberry) that the job paid for that I would never do on my own .... !

Lannis

[Testarossa]

Lannis, I agree 99% on the futility of living/traveling in a large motorhome. But when you talk to the people who actually do it, they like it. Most of the folks I've met are not what you'd call athletic, and they like their comforts. They want to spend the winter in Florida or Arizona, and the summer by a lake in Minnesota (they often summer and winter among old friends). 

It makes sense financially: Buy a used (depreciated) motorhome for $65,000 (new $150,000); finance it at 6% over 10 years and with insurance (typically $200/month) you're paying less than $900/month. Plus renting a plot with hookups at about $650/month. No real estate tax, no mowing of lawn or shoveling of snow. That might look pretty good to a couple living on social security, compared to renting/owning a house. Unless the mortgage is already paid off, in which case you can afford to keep the house and buy a smaller RV. (In my case it means house, van and more old motorcycles than I have time to maintain.)

Dusty, an Okie trip might be in the cards!

[charlie b]

If you like the social life of the rv resorts it is a nice way to get around.  You can 'chase the weather' all year, so no deep winters and no broiling summers.  The social life is what draws many people, yeah, like a mobile retirement community.

It can be really cheap (MGC) by boondocking whenever possible.  Easy in NF areas but most Walmarts, Cabelas, etc allow parking rigs for a night or two.

And, no, many folks don't like it.  Kinda like many folks would never touch a motorcycle and don't understand why someone would be stupid enough to ride one :)

[LowRyter]

I like my toy hauler 5th wheel.  I can put two bikes in it.  It's great for camping.  I usually camp in it 3 or 4 times a year for 3 or 5 weeks. It's been great for great for camp outs, races, motorcycles rallies, etc.  I don't have to ride in the weather, I have a comfortable place to camp, and I can camp in the best places to ride.

[Testarossa]

I don't think I ever got around to posting this -- it's how we honeymooned a year ago. We used the F650 for twisty-road loops around NorCal, Oregon, Yellowstone.