New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

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New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

August 24, 2013, 09:24:48 pm

Well, I was talking to a guy here in the campground. We were laughing how people come up to you and ask your mileage. He started answering them by saying about 30 dollars an hour. I figure I usually run about 55 miles in hour and if I average 8 miles a gallon at 4 bucks a gallon makes the cost to run about 27.50 a hour. Interesting way to think on it. So, we have hour meters on the coach and we know the fuel we put in so we can say a per hour running cost like you can do in a boat or a plane.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #1 – August 24, 2013, 09:33:29 pm

If you add in the average cost for fluid changes you can get it closer. This number is just fuel.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #2 – August 24, 2013, 09:57:48 pm

and if someone takes a 2 week vacation by air to a resort and they pay $3000 for 2 people that works out at $83.00 an hour plus getting fleeced on drinks and food !!
Mind you, you do have to facter in the cost of your coach, but if you amortize that over 10 yrs then look at the fact you do not have to deal with a bunch of drunk yahoos who party all night, the cost of a coach is peanuts!
We also do have a residual value at the end when selling and all the partiers have is a big headache.
Plus we have the comaraderie (sp?) of all the Forum.
John H

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #3 – August 25, 2013, 12:03:40 am

How does one tally up the value of returning each evening, regardless of where you are, to the "ambiance" of your own home? My wife just posed that to me. We are presently cozy in our easy chairs, warmed by our space heaters, while outside it is 42 degrees. We have our own bed, private bathroom, HD TV and everything else that makes this our home (on wheels). Difficult to put a price tag ($/hr) on all of this comfort.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #4 – August 25, 2013, 09:01:37 am

I agree guys. But it is a way to look at it that puts it in perspective. I would be insane by now in a hotel. I felt better yesterday so I got to thinking. People always want to know what should I budget. Well if we come up with a per hour number that makes it simpler. I will say this that no matter the number you can not replace being home.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #5 – August 25, 2013, 09:02:21 am

Don...wish we had a "like" button for your comment.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #6 – August 25, 2013, 11:54:15 am

Greetings

Expanding on your thoughts..@ 55 mph= 218.18 hrs
12000 mi a year ave 8mpg = 26.06 @3.79
FT insurance ours 2.96 per hr
Fluids 1,28
Tires @100000 mi = 3.6¢ per mi
Repairs @1 per mi
TOTAL 30.34

Now the undefinables..
Propane - Camping
Campfires
Happy hour(s)
Vistas in the US
Relationships

Quality of Life!

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #7 – August 25, 2013, 12:26:00 pm

I was getting close to 30 an hour too pushed fuel to 4 not much different either.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #8 – August 25, 2013, 12:31:27 pm

Greetings

John your right on.. we track ours per trip.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #9 – August 25, 2013, 05:29:38 pm

Interesting subject. For those mathematicians out there, what would be the hourly cost to operate a average automobile? What I am thinking here, is the difference between the two, would be the true cost of traveling by road from point A to B with the Foretravel as opposed to travelling in a car.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #10 – August 25, 2013, 07:34:21 pm

I think of it as quality of life. Priceless.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #11 – August 25, 2013, 07:38:39 pm

Using the NEW math, $1.00 a mile is close, if your counting, I agree on the priceless point.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #12 – August 25, 2013, 08:07:37 pm

Unfortunately I am part bean counter so I keep pretty good records of all the expenditures. We drive the coach between 2000 and 6000 miles a year. Average cost between $1/mile to $5/mile. At an average of 43 mph you can figure the cost per engine hour from the afore mentioned figures.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #13 – August 25, 2013, 08:33:52 pm

Quote from: Peter & Beth – August 25, 2013, 08:07:37 pm

Unfortunately I am part bean counter so I keep pretty good records of all the expenditures. We drive the coach between 2000 and 6000 miles a year. Average cost between $1/mile to $5/mile. At an average of 43 mph you can figure the cost per engine hour from the afore mentioned figures.

Long ago I had a bean counter across my desk as a Foretravel sales manager and we used up a legal size yellow pad divided into two halves vertically to list the costs of the diesel motorhome versus a gas coach. Half hour of this and I finally reached across the desk and grabbed his hand with the pen in it and said. "This doesn't pencil. You have to WANT this.
All that appreciation and income. This is where you spend it, this is a depreciating asset."

Long pause. He looked me in the eye and shook his head and said "you are right I want that diesel out there. Thanks for explaining it to me."

True word for word story.

Bob

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #14 – August 25, 2013, 08:44:48 pm

Motorhome owners understand that it is all about the ride from point A to point B as much as enjoying life when you get to point B. Cost is immaterial. I just keep track of costs because I'm anal.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #15 – August 25, 2013, 09:09:40 pm

I am like Peter. I do not care about the cost and I am Detail Oriented. Not allowed to use the other term any longer. Just had some time on my hands and wanted to calculate it differently. My next way is per night. I will let you now how that comes out.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #16 – August 25, 2013, 09:13:24 pm

Quote from: John S – August 25, 2013, 09:09:40 pm

I am like Peter. I do not care about the cost and I am Detail Oriented. Not allowed to use the other term any longer. Just had some time on my hands and wanted to calculate it differently. My next way is per night. I will let you now how that comes out.

Learned playing poker as a young man NOT to count your chips until the final hand has been dealt.

Past half way through a game not to count. So I guess we are halfway? Cool.

I would have been and was a bad influence on the club chapter. Changed the jacket colors and had a rally at the dodger show with 115 coaches dry camped in the parking lot and had a steak and potatoe cookout there.

Bob

Bob

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #17 – August 25, 2013, 09:14:10 pm

I drive way more miles though.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #18 – August 26, 2013, 12:47:46 pm

John, glad to hear you are feeling a bit better. More so everyday we hope as you regain strength and stamina. Having a goal in mind (like the GV) helps a lot.

I keep track of $ as well. We have a travel budget figured into our long term plans going forward. Instead of flying, renting cars, staying in hotels, eating out and all the rest of those expenses we bought our Foretravel, travel 5-7K miles/year, try for 90-120 nights per year, buy fuel, insurance, maint, upgrades, toys, camping fees and are still under budget and having a great time and are pushing the use time up as we go. The other way would use up the entire budget in two or three one week trips. The FT way is much better. If it starts to cost more than the budget we cut back a bit or reallocate to increase the budget. We have another ten years or more of active travel, no time like the present to get going.

It is a lifestyle choice. After close to 40 years now with an RV of one sort or another, it is ours.

Roger

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #19 – August 27, 2013, 06:00:28 am

While we all have a budget of some sort, to me the RV experience is worth every penny we spend on it. If most folks actually sat down and figured all the expense fuel, tires and battery's every 6-8 years, depreciation. interest, insurance, campgrounds, repairs and maint., and storage fees if any, there would very few motorhomes ever sold. Simply put if you enjoy it you just make it work. A few years ago we traveled with a friend for 10 days he pulled a trailer with motorcycles in it and did the motel thing, we took the M/H and pulled the motorcycles, for the trip only our costs were within a few dollars over the 1800 mi round trip by the time they bought all their meals, coffee and so on out, and we slept in our bed every night.

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #20 – August 27, 2013, 11:20:19 am

Greetings,

Ah yes - the sleep in your own bed, wake up to perking coffee, looking around to see what the neighbors are doing, happy hour and campfires - what else is there?

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #21 – September 02, 2013, 10:39:11 pm

Quote from: fouroureye – August 27, 2013, 11:20:19 am

Greetings,

Ah yes - the sleep in your own bed, wake up to perking coffee, looking around to see what the neighbors are doing, happy hour and campfires - what else is there?

We full time in our rig. My daughter I law once told me she could not live this lifestyle as she "needed Tito sleep in her own bed at night".

My DW and I will not give up this lifestyle until we can no longer steer the coach down the road.

Roland

Re: New way to figure out cost to operate the motorhome by the hour

Reply #22 – September 03, 2013, 12:23:21 pm

Sue and I are definitely on a budget so we defray costs as much as possible by doing work ourselves and trying to squeeze more out of life per dollar than, perhaps, others. Part of this is the challenge and part of it is the simple fact of Social Security and changes in how retirement works between one generation and another.

So we're sensitive to how much we spend on traveling in the motor home.

But I can tell you that if that motorhome got 20mpg I wouldn't drive anything else. It's not "fun" to drive like my old 356A Porsche was (paid $1600 for it, by the way, in 1962) but it's fun to drive in other ways. I absolutely love being a few inches higher than most truck drivers. I love that I can see over the bridge railings (Sue.... not quite so much; especially when they are close to the passenger side). I love the seats and the fact that if I feel a little cramped I can just move the seat a little up or down or back or forward or tilted one way or the other and make it better.

I like that it's pretty maneuverable for a 36' long rig and that I can see better backing up than with any trailer we ever had.

I like the fact that it's quiet on the road so that Sue and I can talk in normal voices.

I love taking a nap and waking up looking out one of the big bedroom windows at the view.

When we drive a car to another town for shopping I often think to myself that I'd rather be driving the Foretravel. In fact, according to Sue, I often say it. Too often, probably.

The other day another motor home with a jeep was parked nearby and I went over to see how he had his hooked up. It was a 1997 Beaver something-or-other and he invited me in to look at it. The little wooden railing leading up from the door was broken and loose. While it was lighter inside it was also shabbier and more worn appearing. The walkway to the rear bedroom was too narrow for me to walk straight down without my shoulders brushing each side uncomfortably. The bedroom looked smaller and less inviting. Not as much cabinetry.

I remember my wife's parents talking about a rich pal who owned a Beaver motor home and I was, frankly, somewhat disappointed that this was not as nice as I had thought it would be.

Not anywhere near as nice as our bottom-of-the-line U225 Foretravel from 1993, that's for sure.

As long as it's fun to go adventuring in our RV we'll continue to do it. I'm not rich but I'm still not going to try to count every penny we spend on it.

Craig

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