Associated travel expenses for 6 months

[Jim-n-Kathy]

Hello folks,
My wife and I purchased our 2955 about 6 months ago. We have taken it on several trips. We love the lifestyle so much that we are thinking about leaving our home in Folsom, CA and just plain wandering for 6 months. As a first step we have been compiling a 6 month "on the road" budget. We factored in daily expenses and average fuel costs. If we pull this off we do not plan to stay more that 4-7 days in any one spot. I have copied some figures below so maybe ya'll could check it out and see if it makes sense. We are not extravagant and like most folks in our 50's we pretty much have most things we need. We are both retired. We just don't have the experience of living in the Rv for 6 months. So we wonder how our estimates compare with the real world from someone who has done this.
Thanks you so much for your feedback
Jim and Kathy in Folsom, CA.

Campground $7,200.00 [40 per night]
Fuel costs $3,763.64 [11 MPG at 3.45 per gal for 12000 miles]
Food costs $3,600.00 [20 per day]
Propane $811.20 [1.3 tank refills per week]
Sight seeing $2,500.00 [misc fees]
Generator fuel $312.00
Misc $910.00
Montana Maintenance $500.00 [general associated]
Duramax maintenance $88.00 [new truck so this is oil change only]
Cell phone $414.00 [70 Per rmonth]
Internet $270.00 [45 per month]

[Emmel]

Jim, when you say you want to stay in one place for 4-7 days, to save a LOT of that expense, I would look into a campground membership such as Passport America. This is one of many different cg memberships that will save you from 10% to 50% at thousands of different cg's. Check out the web sites for these different memberships, there is P.A., Thousand Trails, Resort Parks International, (also one of my memberships), Reserve America, and lots of others! Don't forget the Good Sam Club, 10% at most all cg's as does AAA. If you happen to join P.A., email me and I'll give you my members number, I get $10 off the $44 annual dues for the referral.
You have spent some time with the figure and it shows. When it comes to food for us, we only count the extra we spend when we go out to eat. I guess I figure that I have to eat where ever I'm at and if you saw my 'figure', your food costs may not be enough! Hee!
After you have been on the road for a while, you may find the costs will vary to lower or higher, but you got some good figure to start with!

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

if possible, stay a week, and ask for weekly rates, sometimes 7 nights for price of 6. even if you only stay for 6, you have the option to stay longer.

we find we like longer times in campgrounds as we get older, errrr, more relaxed! take in the local sites in a more leisurely manner.

enjoy your trip!!!

[stiles watson]

I think your campground estimate may be a bit high unless you plan to does most of your traveling in the northeast. Campgrounds in the southern half of the States get a little less expensive. As has been said, the cost of some memberships can quickly be recovered in discounted rates. More often than not, you can get a weekly rate (usually pay for six and get seven) if you know you will be there seven days. Better to over estimate than under estimate your costs.

[Bogeyplus]

I have been doing a lot of research on this subject as I prepare to go full time in the next couple of years. If you look around there are actual expenses that people have spent full timing here is a links to a couple of them http://www.1tree.net/adventure/full-...hreeyr.htm andhttp://www.rvlifestyle.net/id37.html
If you look around I know ther are more with a wide variety of spending.

[Delaine and Lindy]

Looks like the numbers on the RV park is a little high unless your on the left coast and the upper right coast, you can find RV parks that are cheaper. GBY....

[Waynem]

Agree with others that the CG costs are a little steep. Passport America will give you your $44 dollars back in returns after using it 4 nights (typically). Those $40 CG's will only cost $20, with some around $12 and up. Your propane usage is really going to depend on whether you are in the Southern states, or traveling in the colder areas. If you stay South, your figure may be a little high. Don't forget, whenever you plug in to electric to use the electric part of the water heater and not the propane.

[exav8tr]

Jim and Kathy. I think your estimate for lodging is a little high. We have been fulltiming for the last 19 months and we have averaged $19.00 a night. Having said that we belong to: Thousand Trails, Good Sam, Escapees, Passport America, Enjoy America and Resort Parks International (RPI) and are able to use the Military Fam Camps. We are ahead on everything except 1000 Trails as it will take us several years to recoup our initial outlay to them. The $40.00 a night is what most KOA's charge, which I have found are some of the most expensive, other than a luxury park. Camping World has Camp Club USA also.

Hope this helps somewhat.

[bigmurf]

Our daily rate for CG is less than $10.00 per night. That is for the last 4 years now.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

After 5 years of full timing we have kept our CG costs to an average on $20. per night. We could lower that number even more if we stayed in more National and State parks. We have had Passport America and Good Sam for all of those 5 years and use them whenever possible. We also try to take at least a week or more at any of our destination parks.
While on the road to that next destination you can also stay for FREE at most all Wal*Marts, K-Mart, Sam's Club and most all truck stops. You will have no hook ups at these locations but you are only there for the night.
1.3 tanks of propane is high unless you are in the colder areas which would require a lot of furnace use. We stay in the warmer climates and I doubt we use more than 5 tanks in a year. We also do not do a lot of cooking in the trailer.
With any kind of luck $500 for Montana maintenance could also be high. Again in 5 years I doubt we had more than $1,000 total.
Fuel costs is a tough one to call but right now diesel here in west central Florida it is now UNDER $3.00 a gallon (2.95 at Flying J) and that price was as of today. Just a week ago it was $4.25. Of course that could go back to $5.00 in a heart beat.