RV Camping Found Best Family Vacation Value
RESTON, Va. -- Recreation vehicles (RV) owners save significantly on family travel, concludes a vacation cost comparison study which found RV camping vacations the most affordable. The study shows that a family can get 50 to 80 percent more vacation for its money when traveling and camping in an RV.
Among the 12 different types of vacations analyzed by PKF Consulting, an international consulting firm with expertise in travel and tourism, camping vacations using different types of RVs -- folding camping trailers, truck campers, van conversions, travel trailers and motorhomes -- were the five most economical trips, regardless of the distance, duration or region.
On average, RV camping vacations were found to cost about 50 percent less than driving the family car and staying in hotels, 60 percent less than traveling by bus or train and staying in a hotel or motel and 70 percent less than flying to a vacation destination and staying in a hotel. In addition, the study found even the most expensive RV camping vacation cost about 65 percent less than flying and renting a house or condo, 75 percent less than taking a cruise and 80 percent less than an all-inclusive package vacation.
"The findings of this study show that RV vacation savings are so significant that it wouldn't take many trips to recover the initial cost of the RV," said Gary LaBella, Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) vice president of public relations.
"RV travel and camping is a natural choice for the growing number of cost-conscious young families and retirees looking for vacations of maximum value," he added. "And, since RVs provide transportation, lodging and meals in one package that's ready to go when you are, RV camping vacations provide more travel freedom, prevent cost overruns and help avoid vacation foul-ups."
A Louis Harris & Associates survey on RV travel attitudes found that 87 percent of RV owners and 52 percent of nonowners agree that for low-cost vacations, there's little to beat an RV. Almost one-fourth of nonowners have experience unexpected cost overruns on other types of trips.
PKF analyzed major travel costs for a family of four, including transportation costs (fuel, fares), overnight accommodations (campground, hotel/motel fees) and food (groceries/restaurant expenses) in 30 selected U.S. city pairs.
For a week-long vacation, the most expensive RV camping trip totaled $590. Included in this analysis were fuel expenses, campground fees, groceries to cook 75 percent of the meals in the RV or at the campsite and restaurant costs for the remaining meals.
The same one-week family vacation by personal automobile, staying in one hotel/motel room and dividing meal costs between restaurants (75 percent) and groceries (25 percent) would cost $1,169 -- nearly twice as much as the most expensive RV vacation.
If that family chose to travel by air, rent a car at their destination, stay in a rented residence and eat a majority of their meals at the rental property, their vacation would cost $1,543 -- nearly three times as much. The cost to travel either by train or intercity bus, rent a car at the destination, stay in a hotel/motel and divide food costs between restaurants (75 percent) and groceries (25 percent) would also be three times higher than the most expensive RV vacation -- $1,588 for train/hotel and $1,589 for bus/hotel vacations.
Traveling by air with the same ground arrangements would cost $2,918, or nearly five times more than the same one-week vacation by RV. Airfares were based on an average of round-trip coach, competitive and special fare offerings.
Compared to the costs of all-inclusive vacation types, typically promoted as highly economical, RV camping vacations were far less expensive. A family of four traveling by air on a domestic all-inclusive package vacation would spend $4,317 -- almost seven times more than the most expensive RV vacation. Cruises were found to be almost six times more expensive, totaling $3,310 for a family of four.
Where possible, the costs of weekend, extended weekend and two and three-week trips were analyzed, and savings for RV vacations consistently were equal or greater.
Campground fees, found to average $18.96 per night in the 32 cities analyzed in this study, significantly contributed to the RV vacation cost savings. Hotel/motel rates in the same cities average $84.82 per night.
"An RV is a lasting investment that provides continuing returns, including unlimited use, savings on future vacations and the resale value of the unit itself. One way to analyze the long-term economics of an RV purchase is to consider the initial cost of the RV in relation to the cost of taking other vacation types," LaBella suggested.
For example, the $4,752 average price of a folding camping trailer is nearly equal to the cost of taking just one week-long all-inclusive package vacation or cruise; two airline/hotel vacations; three airline/residence rental, bus/hotel or train/hotel vacations; and four car/hotel vacations.
A large, more luxurious RV such as a typical $12,979 travel trailer would be paid for with two 14-day package vacations; three airline/hotel trips; four train/hotel or bus/hotel trips; or five car/hotel excursions.
The study dealt only with quantifiable economic factors. PKF Consulting did not attempt to compare the quality of each vacation type. As a result, the convenience, flexibility and quality family time cited as major travel benefits by many current Rvers could not be addressed.
Capital and ownership expenses for cars, RVs, summer cottages, condominium apartments, timesharing and membership arrangements were not incorporated into the study. Rather, the study present vacation savings once the capital investment, such as the purchase of an RV or vacation residence, is made. The findings enable consumers to calculate the time it will take to recover the cost of their capital investment.