To RV or Not to RV?

So, you’re considering buying an RV and you’re wondering if: it’s a good move, you’ll love it or hate it, you’ll love it and she/he/it will hate it – or vice versa.  Here are some insights gained from several summers of RVing.  The scenario on which I’m basing my comments and calculations is: 2 people spending 100 consecutive days touring the US, driving 5000 miles in a pickup, towing a 30’ travel trailer or 5^th wheel, using mostly public campgrounds.  I’ll compare that scenario with this one: same 2 people and number of days/miles but driving a car and staying at motels/hotels/B and Bs.

Costs

1. The RV and tow vehicle will cost 2-3 times as much as the car – view the difference as prepaid lodging costs.  The folks touring in the car will spend 4-5 times as much for motel/hotel lodging, about $10,000 more in total.
2. RVers will pay about twice as much on gas but half as much on food.  They pretty much offset each other and aren’t big ticket items anyway.
3. I suspect in the long run, say 5 years of doing 100-day tours, the cumulative cost of the 2 approaches will be comparable.

Chores

The at-home chores don’t stay at home when you RV; except for the yard work, the chores go along for the ride.  Cooking and cleaning, maintaining and repairing: if you’re sick of it and have to get away from it, take the car.

Beds

RVers know who slept in their bed last night.  Motel users don’t.  Nor do they know what those people did in bed nor the residue thereof, nor how many bugs, viruses and bacteria they left behind.  RVers sleep in the same bed every night, they’re used to it, know what to expect.  Car tour folks sleep in a lot of different beds, most of them fine but some not.

The Outdoors

If you enjoy nature and outdoor activities and sitting around a campfire, go with the RV.  But, you don’t have to love the outdoors because the RV is self contained and you only need to be outside when you’re setting up or breaking camp.

Personal Convenience

RVers can pull off the road wherever there’s a wide spot if they want to grab a sandwich or a cold beverage or go to the restroom.  Car touring folks can carry edibles in a cooler but have to keep their legs crossed until they find a rest area, gas station or large bush.

In RVs the clean clothing is on shelves and hangers, the dirty clothing is in a laundry bag in the ‘basement’, and the toiletries are in the medicine cabinet, just like at home.  If you’re car touring, that stuff is jammed into a suitcase, unpacked and repacked at each stop.

Other Comments

1. Speed and time.  If you have to get there fast, take the car.  You’re gonna burn a lot more fuel and $ towing an RV at max freeway speeds.  We stay at 65 MPH.
2. Towing.  It’s easier than you think but not for everyone.  Borrow or rent a trailer, any trailer, take it to an empty parking lot and try it out.
3. Test it.  As noted above, renting before you buy is a good idea.  Determine what kind of rig you want and rent one like it for a week or two.
4. Buy used.  Odds are, your first RV won’t be your last and you’ll only have it for a season or 2 so buy a nice used one.  There’s plenty of ‘em out there.
5. Finding campgrounds.  Campground websites abound.  State and federal agencies have their own listings and there are several others also.  We have 2 favorites we use a lot.
6. Food.  Having your favorite foods readily available and being able to prepare them the way you like is a big RV plus.  I think RVers will have a more healthful diet and will be less prone to overeating than the car tour folks.
7. Questions.  I’ll answer them if I can, refer you elsewhere if I can’t.