Hi, Clousie,
You stated that you didn't really want to do the urban thing, and you are more into hiking and scenery. My sister and brother-in-law retired early several years ago, and they have found RV rentals/sales places that need to have someone drive the RV up to Alaska. She is on vacation right now so I can't give you the name of the place they have used. They have done this twice. Maybe you could google this information. When she gets back, I will send you the details. The one time, they flew into California and drove up the coast of CA,OR,WA, spent some time in Canada and then to Alaska. I think you have to have the RV there within 30 or 40 days so it gives you plenty of time to tour the coast. She used AAA to chart out their trip via scenic routes. She talks about this trip as one of the best they have taken. Oh, regarding your concerns with the RV, the place makes everyone watch a video and practice lessons before you can take off.

They travel a lot, but try to make it as economical as possible. They use Priceline a lot since they are flexible with time, too.

She has used VRBO for rentals. Unfortunately, while the place they rented in Amelia Island, FL for 2 months was in a good location, the townhouse was filthy. She did not ask for referrals and learned a lesson. She spent the first week of her vacation cleaning. She did contact the owner and complained and he and his wife came down to repair the mold that was growing in the shower! They did not get bored staying in the one location. They enjoyed traveling around the area and getting to know it quite well, and in fact, making a few new friends.

She was going to rent through VRBO again in Pensecola, FL for this winter, but, you know the story there.

All my information is second hand, but I hope it helps. My feelings tend more towards Patrick. I don't call it a holiday/vacation if I am cooking and cleaning.

Good luck to you and enjoy your travels.

Mosey,

That idea of relocating RV's sounds quite intriging, and along the lines of what I was looking for. Please repost to this thread when you have a chance to get more info from your sister about the company.

When we travel now, I'm always looking for something unique to include in our trips, and just want to continue doing the "different" when we have even more time to travel.

The orginal poster was looking for inexpensive ways to travel. Motels are more expensive than campgrounds. Eating out is more expensive than cooking your own. Any time you have "someone else" do for you, it's more expensive than doing it yourself. I don't have to worry about someone being sick cooking my food. I don't have to worry about how clean the sheets or blankets are at the motel.

I don't even enjoy cities, so I have no need to camp in one. I live 45 minutes from San Francisco and you can count on one hand how many times I've been in the last 30 years but one of those times we drove our motorhome though the city and over the Golden Gate so our boys could see it.

I realize we have two different ideas of travel and vacations. There's nothing wrong with that, each to his/her own.

Utahtea

Yes, Utahtea, but it is all relative. I know folks who bought a major motor home (Fifth Wheel, or whatever you want to call it) for retirement for over $200,000. They forever tell everyone how much money they're saving because they rarely pay for hookups. But meanwhile they're traveling all over the country at 6 miles to the $2.00 plus gallon of gas. And I could stay at medium priced motels for about 3000 days -- that's over 8 years of every day motel staying just to catch up with their initial investment. If you traveled for two months a year, it would take nearly 48 years of motels to catch up with that initial investment. Of course the thing is financed, so actually I'd stay even more than that in motels to catch up! So let's think twice before we automatically call an RV or motor home, a less expensive option!!!

Patrick,

Clousie asked about inexpensive ways. A $200,000 RV is in the LUXURY class. You don't need to spend anywhere near that to get a motorhome, 5th wheel, trailer, etc. RV's also hold their resale values so even when you are done with them you are going to get some of the cost back. Example: We were looking at Southwind Motorhomes a the local RV show. New 2005 models with every emenity are going for as low as $85,000. 1995 ones are listed on rvtrader for $30,000 to $40,000. So you don't lose EVERYTHING. If you buy used you save even more.

We purchased a 1985 Winnebago motorhome in 1994 with less than 30,000 miles on it. It was in fantastic condition and had every little gizmo anyone could want for that year. We keep journals and records and I record data on spread sheets.

Total cost for the last 11 years including purchase price, sales tax, insurance, parts, maintance, registrations is $34,045.91.

Gas for the last 11 years & 71,167.9 miles we have put on the motorhome comes to $11,932.46

Camping supplies and camping fees for the last 11 years total $4,538.27.

Groceries for the last 11 years total $2465.00,

Dining out for the last 11 years total $248.16.

Grand Total $53,229.80 We have spent 324 nights and 351 days traveling in our motorhome. We also use it for day trips or just a ride in the country. DH has taken the motorhome to work when one of our other commute vehicles were in for repair. We live in California so we have "peace of mind" that in the case of a bad earthquake, we have someplace to sleep, cook, bath, and live.

When we retire the only cost that will really increase is the camping fees. Instead of spending one or two nights in locations, we plan on spending weeks so the cost of the gas will not be increase that much. BTW, even our old gas guzzler gets 7 1/5 MPG and the new ones get at least 10. Our Expedition only gets 11 - 15 MPG and if I travel, I wouldn't want anything smaller.

When people go full time RVing and sell their home, they don't have the cost of gas, electric, water, sewer, garbage, etc. because those are all included in their camping fees. They don't have to pay insurance or sales tax on their homes.

BTW, every 4 to 6 months someone stops by our house asking if we want to sell our motorhome. We have been offered $5,000 site unseen for it!

So how many days of vacation including your vehicle cost, sales taxes, registations, insurance, repairs, parts, maintenace, gas for 71,167.9 miles, motels, eating out can you do for $48,229.80?

Utahtea

Sorry, but I can't even begin to relate to your post, utahtea. I'm happy that you're happy traveling that way. But I'd be miserable in the first week spending only $248 eating out. Eating out is the MAIN thing I travel for. Spreading that amount out over 11 years is something I can't comprehend, just like I can't comprehend spending $2465 on groceries that you have to cook and clean up after. I'm glad you enjoy it, I just don't. We have different ideas of what "vacation" and what "travel" means to us. That's fine.

By the way, I have made major traveling trips spending less than $175 a day total, which appears to be your average daily cost. There are different ways of doing it.

I'm not sure how you came about $175 per day, but I came up with $164 and that doesn't take into consideration the resale value of the motorhome and the fact that we have a third vehicle to use if needed. That's just figuring night. If you figure days then you have to use 351. We go on many day trips without spending the night and that lowers it to $151 per day. Also every year we keep the motorhome the per day cost will go down. While DH and I like food, we go on vacation to see the scenery and prefer the non-man made kind.

Yes, We are worlds apart when it comes to vacations.

Utahtea

This is silly, since we've both admitted we have different tastes. But I only think in terms of nights of vacations. I don't call leaving my house for the day and coming home that night "travel" or a "vacation". If we wanted to talk about day trips, I could pack a lunch from my refrigerator and walk to the beach for a picnic and that wouldn't cost a penny. I only consider nights for costs, since lodging is normally the big deal. And I approximated that figure doing the math in my head. I apologize it was a little faulty. Does it really make a difference? Not to me.

Not everyone is as lucky as you to be able to walk to the beach. The reason I mentioned the day trips is because the cost of gas to get to those locations was include in my total gas amount. We enjoy taking off for a day in our motorhome, having our own bathroom, kitchen and place to change into a bathing suit if we want to.

Utahtea

For sure everyone has different tastes regarding retirement travel, for example, camping, RVing, moteling, resorts. So you have to decide what's right for you. Do you want an isolated place for fishing or rather a place for taking in shows or casinos?

What we did over some years ago was plunk down the money (about $10,000 minus trade in) for our 26ft. trailer and a Suburban to pull it. So that was an initial outlay of funds. Now we will likely sell both which have served well simply because of our getting older. But we have also used motels and toured in Europe.

Retirement travel is a whole new adventure requiring planning.
Bill in Missouri