Vacation Cost

When people see our 5th wheel, or hear about one of our extended trips, we often get comments like “Must be nice.”

Well, yes. Yes it is. 

We are extremely grateful that our health and our finances allow us to enjoy this little bit of luxury in our retirement.  We enjoy the flexibility of having our own home on wheels, and we like the idea that, wherever we are, we will spend the night in our own bed.

What many do not understand – and we seldom mention – is that, in spite of the original investment, it is a cheap way to go.  Our first big trip, a six-week tour that included eleven US states and two Canadian provinces, actually cost less than a one-week flight to Jamaica.

A recent study confirms that -

Even when fuel prices rise, RV trips remain the least expensive type of vacation, according to a new study comparing vacation costs.

PKF Consulting, an internationally recognized consulting firm with expertise in travel and tourism, found that “typical RV family vacations are on average 26 to 74 percent less expensive than other types of vacations studied.”

Even factoring in RV ownership and fuel costs, the study reveals that RV vacations are more economical than those taken by personal car, commercial airline or cruise ship.

PKF analyzed major costs that would be incurred by families taking nine different types of vacation to such popular travel destinations as the Grand Canyon; Orlando, Fla.; Cape Cod; Napa, Calif.; and Alaska. PKF selected three types of RVs typically used by families for vacation purposes – a folding camping trailer, conventional travel trailer and Type C motorhome.

“In all cases, RV trips were more economical than other vacations analyzed, regardless of trip duration, distance or region of the country,” says Kannan Sankaran, PKF’s lead researcher for the study.

“Even when fuels prices rise, our data show that each RV vacation would still be significantly less expensive,” Sankaran explained. “While fuel costs are a component of the overall vacation cost, fluctuations in fuel prices aren’t significant enough to affect a family’s decision of whether or not to take RV trips over other types of vacations.” According to the study, fuel prices would need to triple to make RVing more expensive for a family of four than other forms of travel.

Vacations using a personal car, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants – the least expensive of the non-RV travel options – were found to be 36 percent more costly on average than going by RV.

The study showed, for example, that a family of four traveling from Washington, D.C. to Dennis Port, Mass. for 10 days with their folding camping trailer in tow, staying in campgrounds for the local average of $25 per night, would save 54 percent, or $1,696, over the same trip taken by car, staying in hotels, averaging $120 per night and eating in restaurants. Taking the same vacation by motorhome would save $974, or 34 percent, over going by car.

On a trip from Atlanta to Orlando for a week, a family of four would save $1,658, or 53 percent, by traveling in their motorhome and staying in campgrounds averaging $27 per night, rather than flying, renting a car, staying in hotels averaging $125 per night and eating in restaurants.

Shorter getaways were also found to be more economical by RV. For example, a family taking a three-day vacation from Pittsburgh, Pa. to Lancaster, Pa. would save $271 - or 31 percent – by towing a conventional travel trailer, rather than going by car, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. The savings would be even greater - $1,049 - or 62.2 percent – for families taking the same trip by motorhome rather than flying.

According to PKF, renting an RV is the most affordable way to tour Alaska. The study shows that 14-day RV rentals were less than half the cost of Alaskan all-inclusive cruises, including roundtrip air fare and 69 percent less expensive than trips involving air fares, car rentals, hotels and restaurants.

Vacation Type Trip Duration: 7 Days

Car towing a Folding Camping/Trailer/Campgrounds $1,125

Light Duty Truck or SUV towing a Travel Trailer/Campgrounds $1,376

Motorhome/Campgrounds $1,491

Information published by Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle and Camping Association.