Trip Plan...Am I Crazy?


djnjo1

New Member
I'm in the very early stages of planning an RV trip with my family (wife and 2 teenage daughters).
We are discussing a trip in the Summer of 2008.
My first whack at a plan is as follows:

Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone to Monument Valley to Grand Canyon

Of course we would stop in between and spend a little time at each place, but not a whole lot, maybe a day and a half.

I've seen that one way rentals are possible. One place allows a pickup in Denver and a dropoff in Las Vegas so the full trip
in that case would be:

Denver to Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone to Monument Valley to Grand Canyon to Las Vegas.

We live on the east coast, so we would be flying in and out.

Is three weeks enough to do all of this, or is that too ambitious?

Any thoughts on all aspects of this would be appreciated (rentals, shares, borrows, buy/use/sell etc.) including places to stay and see.

Thanks much in advance.
 

Grandview Trailer Sa

Senior Member
Re: Trip Plan...Am I Crazy?

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Yes, it can be done, but it seems to me that you are shoving a lot in a short period of time. I have not been to Mt. Rushmore (yet), but you could spend a week at Yellowstone and you won't see it all. I have been there 3 times and have not seen a 1/4 of the park.

Same at Monument Valley and Grand Canyon. One or one and a half days just won't cut it.

Spend 1 or 1 1/2 days each, you will see enough, that you will be planning your trip back before you leave. :) I have been there and done that.

Good luck
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Trip Plan...Am I Crazy?

You didn't mention a thing about money.

You should weigh the cost of your vacation in an RV versus staying elsewhere.

I've done it both ways and for some families it is less expensive without the RV rental.

Now if you OWNED an RV ... that would change everything.
 

djnjo1

New Member
Re: Trip Plan...Am I Crazy?

Thanks Tex and good points.

Just a rough estimate puts this trip at well over $5k, the way I see it, if I rent.

This is most likely a "once in a lifetime" thing for us. Something we've always wanted to do and the kids like (at least now) the thought of traveling in an RV.

The question of Owning:

I did consider that I could concievably buy (finance) an RV, do the trip and turn around and sell it right away and only incur the cost a few months of loan payments which would appear to be less than the cost of rental.

Not sure how great an idea THAT is.

How "liquid" is the market for RV's?

I would likely buy it out West, and would then sell it in the same area.

Thoughts?
 

djnjo1

New Member
Re: Trip Plan...Am I Crazy?

Grandview Trailer:

Thanks, that's the sort of info I was wondering about.

As I said in the response to Tex, we're viewing this as a "broad strokes" kind of trip, where we would get a small taste of alot.

Also, extremely interested in your thoughts on the owning and selling idea in my reply to Tex also.
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: Trip Plan...Am I Crazy?

If you buy a new RV, it will lose a significant amount of value when you drive it off the lot. Furthermore, today, a large percentage of new RV's have manufacturing problems out the door, which take time in the shop to repair. If you buy used and get a good deal, hopefully any manufacturing problems have already been taken care of, and the depreciation is less. On the other hand, you have to deal with whatever modifications or traumas the previous owners have inflicted on it. And selling it may take quite a while. It WILL cost you more than 'a few months of loan payments' which will mostly be interest (deductable though), but with good dealing and luck it may cost less than renting.
 

djnjo1

New Member
Re: Trip Plan...Am I Crazy?

hertig - 5/8/2007 1:37 PM

If you buy a new RV, it will lose a significant amount of value when you drive it off the lot. Furthermore, today, a large percentage of new RV's have manufacturing problems out the door, which take time in the shop to repair. If you buy used and get a good deal, hopefully any manufacturing problems have already been taken care of, and the depreciation is less. On the other hand, you have to deal with whatever modifications or traumas the previous owners have inflicted on it. And selling it may take quite a while. It WILL cost you more than 'a few months of loan payments' which will mostly be interest (deductable though), but with good dealing and luck it may cost less than renting.

Good info....I would be buying used...Kinda figured that selling would take a while based upon all the units you see around....

Deduct interest? Didn't think that deduction was available for a non business or non residential purchase....is that when the RV is considered a primary residence?
 

Archh

New Member
Re: Trip Plan...Am I Crazy?

That would be a nice trip. If you keep your plans flexible it will work well.

Somewhere along the line you are all going to say "Oh this place is sooo nice can we stay an extra day?"
Then you can stay and maybe chop off a part planned for later in the trip.

We used to do three week trips before I retired and were able to go from California to The Great Mall in Minn. and then down to Branson, MI and then back thru Colorado to Calif. So it can be done without any problem.

I would suggest calculating fuel milage at 7 mpg. You will be climbing a couple hills out here. And wind will eat your fuel.
 
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