$200 per night sound about right for total cost?

[Oldtimer]

For us, a truck is a givin and always has been so only new expense was the Escape. Can’t stand hotels. There are always kids running up n down the hall ways, doors slamming, and the people above stomping on the floor when they walk or their children jumping and ruff housing around as kids will do. Hard the get a good nights sleep. Love sleeping in our Escape. I guess we have been lucky as not to have rude neighbors in the camp sites we have stayed in yet. And “ additional cost of buying an Escape “is minuscule compared to the freedom one has to go and see places at ones own pace is priceless.

David

[salmo7000]

Yes there are intangibles that you can’t put a price on. In 2 years of camping, I have yet to spend even one night in an RV park with hookups, so that is not an expense I’ve incurred. Boondocking in a beautiful remote spot, with a river or a lake right outside the door, with no others in sight or sound, that is priceless.

Two weeks ago I was camped right next to a river in Montana, totally alone, and there was a loon hanging out right in front of camp. Along with rising trout. Incredible things to look at, and the only sounds were that of the loon and the river.

You can’t get that experience staying in a motel. And you can’t put a price on it.

[miataone]

Buying used (rather than new) fiberglass trailers and then reselling them in 2-4 years has so far allowed me to avoid depreciation entirely. They hold their value extremely well! I also prefer to let someone else find and repair the "bugs" in the unit before I own it!

[flynfrfun]

As has been mentioned...DON’T calculate cost of ownership! It will take all the fun out of it. I made this mistake with one of my lifelong passions and I’m still trying to reprogram my mind to accept the cost so I can enjoy my dream.

If budget is a concern buy a used Escape that you can tow with your existing vehicle.

I watched a youtube video showing someone selling their RV. Paid $130k, 8yrs later trying to sell for $30k. I wonder what their per night cost of ownership was? At least with an Escape the depreciation is pretty minimal in comparison.

[h2owmn]

There is so much wisdom here.

My first trailer was a $9000 small Aframe and I was 5 years from retirement. I promised myself that I would camp once a month both for practice and for "getting my money's worth" and I kept that promise. The only rough calculation I did was count $100 a night for hotel and after 90 nights, less than a year, I had it "paid for". After retirement I moved up to a bigger Frame (used) and eased up on the rigor of once a month because I was now going for longer trips.

When I set foot in my friend's 17B it took me one week to put a deposit on my 17A, and it took that long because I was talking with Escape about some changes in configuration so that I could have two dinettes, which they happily and easily accommodated. I dare say no other manufacturer would have even considered interrupting their usual build.

I'm with Donna and others. You can't put a price on the experiences and then their memories (two for one!).

And while you're adding up, you should probably count a few hours of your hourly rate for unpacking, tent, kitchen, etc set up and then take down.

[Dcboyd]

It’s for pleasure and memories. I have skied for 45 years from the Pyrenees to Canada to the US. I have owned three large sailboats and have sailed from Texas to Mexico to the Honduras and Bahamas over a period of 35 years. I have also owned an Airstream trailer and a Harley Davidson touring bike.
Memories galore. I back packed Europe for 4 months after college graduation.
Cost of this. Never figured, never tried to justify. It would be depressing.
Cost is not what it is about.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

And, how many of those hotels are situated so that you can watch your friends canoe the lake?

Or see them stare down a bear or dodge a charging bull moose!

[Artlady]

I’d like to quote so many comments here, but there would be too many.

This is one of the best threads on this forum! It gave me a couple of laughs, as well as nodding my head in agreement.

The joy of being able to go where we want and when we want, not worryIng about if some cabin or hotel is booked up already, the beauty of camping in the woods communing with nature, the serenity of being lakeside or oceanside (with the door of the Escape opened, and the bathroom right there), the excitement of being able to bring the fish right to the grill or stovetop, and so many other similar experiences FAR exceed any cost of using a hotel room!

-Not to mention using a hotel room where someone else has spread numerous gross bacteria, viruses and who knows what else, brings me a sense of comfort, safety, as well as knowing my bed, pillow, and surroundings are CLEAN!!!

As an aside, hotel TV remotes were tested, and found to have more bacteria (especially E. coli), and more dangerous bugs, than a bathroom! Yuck!

Then, there’s the drudgery of lugging in and unpacking suitcases and other items not safe to leave in the car. Especially when you’re taking a cross-country drive and have to do this at every location.

Finally, we traveled in relative safety during this pandemic, snug and safe in our camper. Instead of using gross gas station bathrooms, we used our own! Very helpful during those times you “just have to go no matter what”!

So I agree with many of you... having this Escape renders us opportunities that are priceless!

[davidmurphy02]

Our first foray into trailer camping 20 years ago was driven by the desire to be able to take trips and bring our cats along. We had no idea that we would love RV'ng so much....and our cats (mostly) seem to like it too - definitely no way to put a price on that!

[Oldtimer]

David, is your escape yours or does it belong to your kitties.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Perhaps I am a bit cynical, but what does it matter if it costs $100, $200, or $400 per night. If you want to own, use, and enjoy an RV, in this case an Escape, then whatever the cost is is the cost of “doing business.” If I were worried about the cost, I would not have purchased it in the first place or spent bundles of money in modification to personalize it. And even worse, if I sat down and figured out how much it costs considering all the factors, I might have second thoughts. Just my 2 cents.......

Hi Carl
Although it was a simpler time, my dad and I did a lot of hunting. He believed in two things, first always shoot premium ammunition and second “lay down fire and let them run into it.
So he shot a lot, didn’t mind missing and always had a great time. And the memories were priceless to him. That’s who I learned from. So while we keep track of miles, milage, costs and all that, it really doesn’t make a lot of difference, we are going anyway. That’s how I see costs. Go home when you’re tired of it or run out of money.
Iowa Dave

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by Oldtimer

David, is your escape yours or does it belong to your kitties.

I would have 4 camping cats in a heartbeat, if they would make the trailer payments. I’m still looking for my future Escape, one that I can afford. Sooner or later I’ll snag a keeper.

For me, the Escape can be my own personal cozy cabin in the woods one day, my cabin at the lake the next day, my cabin in the mountains another day. I’d like to live (for periods of time) in many scenic places. A trailer enables that. My own place, with a familiar bed and a pantry stocked with the foods i want to eat. My little cabin, located where the air smells sweet and the temperature invites walks, bike rides, and outdoor living. How does one put a price tag on ‘quality of life’?

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Hi Carl
Although it was a simpler time, my dad and I did a lot of hunting. He believed in two things, first always shoot premium ammunition and second “lay down fire and let them run into it.
So he shot a lot, didn’t mind missing and always had a great time. And the memories were priceless to him. That’s who I learned from. So while we keep track of miles, milage, costs and all that, it really doesn’t make a lot of difference, we are going anyway. That’s how I see costs. Go home when you’re tired of it or run out of money.
Iowa Dave

Hi Dave,

You said better in far fewer words what I was trying to say. I want the experience so I’m going anyway, no matter what it costs.

I have always been one to budget my income so that when bills arrive, I didn’t have to scramble to find the money to pay them. Now that I am no longer employed, as the monthly retirement income comes in, I allocate a certain amount to travel. Yet that amount is a buffer because I also allocate some of my income for day-to-day expenses such as the new wrench I want to buy, filling the vehicles’ fuel tanks, or (pre-COVID-19) the trip out to a restaurant for lunch or supper my spouse desires. It is what I would spend either at home or when traveling.
When I spend too much, I dip into the travel allocation. Nope, not going home early!

Hope you have gotten all the cleanup completed in the aftermath of the big blow. It took me about three weeks when I got home after Hurricane Irma to cut up/pick up and burn the downed trees and debris that was everywhere. Fortunately, they were 95% pine trees which are much easier to “process” since they doubt wave intertwined and twisted branches. Of course, after processing the downed trees I started dropping the pine trees killed by bark beetles. That kept me busy for a good long time.

I guess the moral of the story is that some memories you want to remember (RVing), others (storm cleanup) you would prefer to forget!

Carl

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Oldtimer

David, is your escape yours or does it belong to your kitties.

That must be a hypothetical question. Everyone who has ever been employed in the service of a cat knows that the cat is in control and the “servant” is not!

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by Oldtimer

David, is your escape yours or does it belong to your kitties.

Well, they do let us use it

[Oldtimer]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

That must be a hypothetical question. Everyone who has ever been employed in the service of a cat knows that the cat is in control and the “servant” is not!

Lol ain’t that the truth my 6 fur balls have us very well trained
As you can see by our picture, my tractor belongs to the royal queen

[cpaharley2008]

Credit Cards......
I have a bad habit of taking advantage of those offers like, "no payments, no interest for 12 months" which appear frequently in my statements. I normally do not carry any monthly credit card debt so that must be the reason. My point, it gives me a reason to travel since they are giving me an interest free loan for 12-18 months. So if you run into me at the Sage Pub in Osoyoos on Thursday night, I'll more than likely buy you a beer as I'll have 18 months to pay for it..................

[rubicon327]

My fathers only regret when he got his first fiberglass trailer (Scamp 16) was that he didn't get it sooner! I sold the Scamp for quite a bit more than he paid. We partner on the Escape 19 and both of us use it. My mother spends a few weeks at the shore in the summer, my father uses it to ski and steelhead fish the tributaries of Lake Erie for 1-2 months and I do all modifications and use it with my young family. We both have capable tow vehicles that we would own anyway to tow boats, utility trailers, etc. Many great memories being made by 3 generations. No payback calculations necessary.

If I had one piece of advice it would be to do it now while you can. You never know what tomorrow will bring. If you have your health and the discretionary income to do things you enjoy you are blessed.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

If I had one piece of advice it would be to do it now while you can. You never know what tomorrow will bring. If you have your health and the discretionary income to do things you enjoy you are blessed.

I can vouch for that, while recuperating at home. The only bright side of my situation is that it happened during this Covid debacle which kept most everyone else home. But I can feel the urge increasing.........

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by flynfrfun

As has been mentioned...DON’T calculate cost of ownership! It will take all the fun out of it. I made this mistake with one of my lifelong passions and I’m still trying to reprogram my mind to accept the cost so I can enjoy my dream....

Absolutely right. I made the mistake of calculating the "cost of ownership" for my 4 kids (all grown now with 3/4 no longer at home) and it made me realize how much cheaper it is to own an Escape trailer. Looking forwards to a few more years from now when I can retire and spend more time out in my Escape saving money.