| Just about everyone
is familiar with those RVs we see on our highways. To those who have
never been in an RV, they can seem like very strange vehicles. While
a new RV can cost as little as $4000 (for a folding camping trailer)
to $400,000 for one of those huge, bus-like motor homes, they can
also be rented for weekends or longer vacations.
RV Travel vs.
Commercial Air Travel
A recent study by a major consulting firm determined that a family
of four can spend between 25 to 75% less when vacationing in an RV
than going by plane. And there's no hauling the kids through
airports or trying to pacify them during a long boring flight. You
eat good, nourishing, home-cooked meals (okay, maybe an occasional
TV dinner?), stop when and where you choose and sleep in beds that
you know are clean and free of bed bugs. And if you have younger
children, it is a simple matter to put them down for afternoon naps.
Many
Kinds of 'Campgrounds'
While 'camping' is usually associated with RVing, there are many
very luxurious resorts that cater to the RV crowd. Their costs are
far less than those resorts with the big, fancy (and very expensive)
hotels. There are RV parks at nearly all the great beaches,
Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. If you would like a quiet,
lake-side stay, there are many public campgrounds offering full
utility hook-ups for RVs and at costs under $25 a night.
Typical
RV Travel Costs
We have driven coast to coast spending less, total, for our
overnight stays than the cost of one discounted motel night. So how
about the cost of gasoline (or diesel) at $4 a gallon?
While those big, bus-like Class A motor homes only get 6 to 12
miles per gallon, a Class C mini-motorhome typically achieves 15 to
18 mpg. A class C can be rented for $100 to $120 per day for a two
week period. Completely self-contained, they typically sleep a
family of five, are 23 to 25 feet long and very easy to drive.
Fuel is
Expensive for Everyone
Ah, yes, the cost of fuel at $4 per gallon could seem to be a
problem. True, it was much better when the fuel was 40 cents a
gallon but fuel has gone up for everyone. The airlines are boosting
their fares and cutting back on services because of fuel costs. Your
family car could cost anywhere from $60 to $100 oto fill its tank.
If you're going anywhere it is going to cost more. But there are
ways to reduce those costs. Driving at slower speeds (it seems
easier to go 55 mph in an RV than in a car) can save a bunch.
Properly inflated tires, avoiding start-stop routes (as in a city),
even maintaining a constant speed on the freeway all help to
significantly reduce the fuel consumption.
Isn't
Travel by RV Better?
For us, the overwhelming advantage has been the freedom to go where
we want and change our minds without incurring horrible financial
penalties such as charged by the airlines. And when you get to your
destination, you have your own transportation without having to rent
a car. You don't have to pack a suitcase and make those hard
decisions of what to leave behind because the suitcase isn't big
enough or the airline limits what you can take along. |