Quandry?? Going across country ..rig vs. car

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Davydd

People in Class C's and Class A's had made a life style choice. The are not besides themselves for the most part. They are committed to RVing. You are sounding more like having misgivings about buying your Class B or your wife is not fully on board with the idea of traveling that way.

Who cares about the cost of gas when someone shells out more for an RV than any potential car they buy?

Buying a $350,000 to $500,000 Class A... especially brand new to live in it full time is...in my opinion, a terrible investment.....it's a depreciating asset..... and over time you won't have any value........

It's not at all like buying a house.... which appreciates in value.....big difference...

I know that my Class B is a toy and I can live with that depreciating asset...and just enjoy it while we can....

As far as I'm concerned.... when I sell my RV the money we recoup will be deducted from what I paid and it would have been like renting the RV.....

I'm OK with that... much smaller scale....I'm not selling my house for a Class A....or even a fancier Class B... not worth the investment...... again.. these are NOT investments.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

If you are driving 6,000 miles...
And you get 21 MPG in the Sprinter and 29 MPG in the car...
And gas and diesel are both $3.75...

You will save about $300 in fuel by driving the car.

If both the Sprinter and the car would require service (i.e., oil change, etc.) at the end of the trip, what would you save by driving the car? Guessing...

$200 savings if using car.

If you drive the car, you will need probably 12 nights of hotel at, say $75/night and if you drive the Sprinter, you may need 6 nights at a full-service campground at, say $35 per night.

Cost for driving car = $700.

If you drive the car, you will need to eat out for all your meals, but might get a continental breakfast at the hotels so let's say $35/day for restaurants. If you take the Sprinter, you may want to eat out once very other day so ...

Cost for driving car = $300.

So the cost for driving the car is: hotel + food - fuel - service = $500 more than if you take the Sprinter, but if you think there will be significant wear and tear on it or if something bad happens with your emissions, then that number could easily go in the other direction.

Well, I think I'm taking the CAR..... here's WHY....

Actually, for everyone's information... gasoline across the USA right now is running 50 to 60 cents less per gallon than diesel.... especially outside California....I checked on the Pilot RV application...you can see the average price per gallon at all of their stations across the USA... very handy....

Also, the further we drive the more significant the savings.... when we reach our destination we will be using our car for 4 weeks or more and driving around that area is a lot easier in the car.....

I estimated 6,000 miles... but it could be more...and the difference adds up...

Plus, I did a search online at these various Pilot stations and discovered that in many areas we are going they have B20...... I just had my emissions system completely replaced... I don't think I want to start using a lot of biodiesel blends in the Sprinter right away....bad call....

So, for all of these reasons.... I'm going to take my car... but, thanks for your replies.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Plus, I did a search online at these various Pilot stations and discovered that in many areas we are going they have B20.

Nobody will force you to buy at Pilot. B5 is readily available everywhere in the US except Minnesota.

[<<B-Guy>>]

Hey Willie! Just wondering what Classic Mini you have?! I still have a '79 that I rebuilt from the ground up 25 years ago!

1270 bored to 1330, ported head, 3/4' SU, rally cam, LCB exhaust, neg camber front suspension etc.

I have not had it on the road for a couple of years, but should do so again - maybe this summer!


Cheers ........ Brian.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by avanti

Nobody will force you to buy at Pilot. B5 is readily available everywhere in the US except Minnesota.

Thanks for this information...
What stations have the regular diesel??

Major stations like Shell, Chevron, etc???

Still....50 to 60 cents per gallon does add up...

[<<B-Guy>>]

I don't understand how these things work - often - including right now - diesel is cheaper in Canada than gas! Not always though.

Brian

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Thanks for this information...
What stations have the regular diesel??

Major stations like Shell, Chevron, etc???

Varies by locality. But there is really no issue. In a few places you have to shop around a bit, but there are major distributors everywhere that eschew bio. Some of them even advertise it.

[warpig]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Thanks for this information...
What stations have the regular diesel??

Major stations like Shell, Chevron, etc???

Still....50 to 60 cents per gallon does add up...

This map might help you on where NOT to look.

Retail Map - Biodiesel.org

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Well, I think I'm taking the CAR..... here's WHY....

Actually, for everyone's information... gasoline across the USA right now is running 50 to 60 cents less per gallon than diesel.... especially outside California....I checked on the Pilot RV application...you can see the average price per gallon at all of their stations across the USA... very handy....

Also, the further we drive the more significant the savings.... when we reach our destination we will be using our car for 4 weeks or more and driving around that area is a lot easier in the car.....

I estimated 6,000 miles... but it could be more...and the difference adds up...

Plus, I did a search online at these various Pilot stations and discovered that in many areas we are going they have B20...... I just had my emissions system completely replaced... I don't think I want to start using a lot of biodiesel blends in the Sprinter right away....bad call....

So, for all of these reasons.... I'm going to take my car... but, thanks for your replies.

I used to spend a lot of effort towards saving money until the friends dropping like flies around me made it abundantly clear to me that I too can't live forever.

[Willie_B]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

Hey Willie! Just wondering what Classic Mini you have?! I still have a '79 that I rebuilt from the ground up 25 years ago!

1270 bored to 1330, ported head, 3/4' SU, rally cam, LCB exhaust, neg camber front suspension etc.

I have not had it on the road for a couple of years, but should do so again - maybe this summer!


Cheers ........ Brian.

A 1975 I bought from New Zealand. Had it 15 years now. 1300ish, 10.5 to 1 comp. built right. Will cruise 80mph all day. Lowered a bit and fully adjustable susp. Real fun in the mountains.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

Buying a $350,000 to $500,000 Class A... especially brand new to live in it full time is...in my opinion, a terrible investment.....it's a depreciating asset..... and over time you won't have any value.........

That would be true except for the fact that nobody buys a 350-500k motorhome as an investment. Your depreciating value criteria could be just as validly applied to buying an ice cream cone.

[InterBlog]

The inspiration for our Class B purchase was a 6,000 mile trip we did across the USA and Canada in a Toyota Sienna minivan in the summer of 2014.

It only took that one time for us to realize that a car is simply not the right tool for that job. We did the trip in the July / August time frame, and we were Class B owners by the end of September of that year.

[jon]

If anyone is questioning if they take a car on a road trip as apposed to their B they should just sell their B.

[Mfturner]

I've driven cross country enough in both a car and a B that I personally would choose the B unless I had a very specific reason not to, like inner city driving when I get where I'm going maybe. But I generally dislike hotels, I'd rather be in a Cracker Barrel parking lot.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Mfturner

I've driven cross country enough in both a car and a B that I personally would choose the B unless I had a very specific reason not to, like inner city driving when I get where I'm going maybe. But I generally dislike hotels, I'd rather be in a Cracker Barrel parking lot.

Better breakfast than a hotel.

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Better breakfast than a hotel.

For sure.

Better coffee too.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Davydd

Better breakfast than a hotel.

Correct... I'm going places where I need the sure footed Subaru Outback....
You wouldn't take a jet across the city or a helicopter across the USA...

It's all about the right vehicle for this particular purpose.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by jon

If anyone is questioning if they take a car on a road trip as apposed to their B they should just sell their B.

LOL! You've got that right. Anyone that suggests to me that driving clear across the country in a passenger vehicle is a better experience than the amenities provided in a class B, assures me that any further response would just be a waste of time.

[booster]

Depending on the circumstances, the correct vehicle might be neither vehicle mentioned. I hate flying and the things that go with it, but if I had only a couple of days stay, I would fly before I would drive 3 days each way.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

Depending on the circumstances, the correct vehicle might be neither vehicle mentioned. I hate flying and the things that go with it, but if I had only a couple of days stay, I would fly before I would drive 3 days each way.

I hear what you're saying. Some situations may leave you with no other choice, but IMO unless the circumstances dictate it, flying today is too degrading an experience for normal people to voluntarily be subjected to.

I suppose it largely depends on one's subjective feeling about driving. For some it's an irritating necessity. On the other hand, I've been driving close to 70 years and outside of a few monumental traffic jams, it has been a remarkable and positive experience. Rich or poor, everyone is pretty much on the same level playing field and the general level of understanding anticipation and cooperation I've experienced is nothing short of remarkable compared to human behavior in other venues.

But we digress. A decision on whether to drive a passenger vehicle or an RV across the country just based on dollar cost confounds me. IMO, the most powerful feature of an RV is the blessed independence you enjoy. Other than a fueling station, you are nobody's prisoner nor a victim of run down motels, greasy food and foul rest rooms. So I'll drive across the country for a three day stay in a New York heartbeat.