Update on gas cost May 25, 2023, 05:17:37 pm Just do an update on the costs of ownership. Baxter the RV is not a cheap companion. This only the cost of gas -- just a tad under .30 a mile to move the beast. I do have other spreadsheets of various costs. My sense is it's just under .50 cents a mile for all costs - gas, propane, insurance, annual/semiannual mechanical checkups and upkeep, parks, parking lots, etc. I didn't track food either eating out or in. glen
Re: Update on gas cost Reply #1 – May 25, 2023, 05:30:44 pm And the Elephant in the room; is amortizing the cost of the 'Beast' to start with. RonB 1 Likes
Re: Update on gas cost Reply #2 – May 25, 2023, 09:06:42 pm Promised myself I would never calculate fuel costs and convert that to cents per mile. I know it’s a lot and leave it at that. A bit of ignorance is bliss.A side effect of the above, when shopping on the road, if I balk at the cost of a basic consumable item being too expensive, knowing I could find it elsewhere for less, I tell myself that once I leave the store and go anywhere else, the fuel cost will nullify any savings.Adding in the cost of the rig itself, maintenance, insurance is a non starter too, sunk costs, see original bliss statement. 1 Likes
Re: Update on gas cost Reply #3 – May 25, 2023, 09:14:22 pm Being nomadic, boondocking exclusively on public lands and staying put as much as possible by using my little motorcycle to do errands, saves me a lot of money that would normally go to fuel.I could not imagine having to pay to stay and then moving every few days or weeks.I couldn't afford to eat after all that. 1 Likes
Re: Update on gas cost Reply #4 – May 26, 2023, 07:54:16 am I did a back of the envelope calculation last winter to decide if I would visit relatives in Seattle on the trip back to Michigan from Arizona. I used extreme values of $5.00 a gallon and 10mpg to get 50¢ a mile. (Gas was about 4.25 and going up at the time and I average just over 11 for mileage)I went to Seattle as I figured it was worth $500 extra in gas to visit them. It's all how much you're willing to dish out the extra cash to get to where you want to be. 3 Likes
Re: Update on gas cost Reply #5 – May 26, 2023, 10:36:12 am Quote from: Linda B - May 26, 2023, 07:54:16 amIt's all how much you're willing to dish out the extra cash to get to where you want to be.That's the bottom line. I'm only doing this for intellectual exercise. As I tell my kids, friends, or frankly anybody willing to listen to me - 'either I spend the money or my kids will spend it after I'm dead".glen 2 Likes
Re: Update on gas cost Reply #6 – May 26, 2023, 11:39:53 am Quote from: colddog - May 25, 2023, 05:17:37 pmJust do an update on the costs of ownership. My sense is it's just under .50 cents a mile for all costs - gas, propane, insurance, annual/semiannual mechanical checkups and upkeep, parks, parking lots, etc. glenThis is like my S/O reminding me that eating that pint of Hagaan Das is bad for me... But gawdalmighty, I do love their Butter Pecan!One app that has been helpful (as I'm sure most of you already know about), is Gas Buddy. I've found differences in pricing as much as $1 from one city to another here in New Mexico. In fact, as of today, the price per gallon here in Silver City is $3.86. Deming, NM (52 miles) is $3.25. Just for grins, it's $3.09 in Alamogordo. . 2 Likes
Re: Update on gas cost Reply #7 – May 27, 2023, 04:11:16 am Just to put the first order cost concept into round numbers, I figure this:Capital cost: buy for $100K, sell after 10 years for $50K, drive 25,000 miles: net capital is $50K, thus $2.00/mile.Fuel cost: $4.00/gallon gas, 8 mpg: thus $0.50/mile.Other costs (storage, maintenance, license, insurance, …): $2.5K/year, thus $1.00/mile.So, fixed (not much dependent on miles) costs are $3.00/mile, variable (dependent on miles) costs are $0.50/mile, so driving more miles is not a big factor of total cost of ownership. At least its not a boat. 2 Likes