Cost Analysis
Now we all know that gas prices are rising like the tide before a hurricane. Which begs the question, is it even feasible to go on the ultimate roadtrip? And if so, what vehicle would give us the most bang for our buck given these outrageous fuel prices?
I chose to compare 7 different vehicle types/configurations to answer these very questions.
Class A Motorhome - Also known as bus conversions, pushers (the diesel variety) and what most people commonly think of as Winnebagos. These are self-contained (i.e. sink, stove, toilet, shower, holding tanks) and usually have generators and some type of heat/furnace.
Class B Motorhome - Mostly conversions done on a van chassis and range from old 70s Dodge models to shiny new Mercedes-based Roadtreks. Usually self-contained but may lack a shower or other amenities. Some have generators.
Class C Motorhome - This is basically a truck/trailer type combination that is permanently fixed. Usually have the same amenities as a Class A, but smaller and recognizable by the bed over cab feature.
Eurovan/Vanagon - Classic VW poptops. Nouveau Hippiemobiles.
Conversion Van - These take many forms, built on Chevy, Ford and Dodge and other chassis throughout the years. They can have just a bed, or full Class B type amenities.
Car - A average four door sedan.
Car w/Trailer - I assumed a light pop-up type trailer pulled by the Car for this configuration.
With these vehicles in my mind, I sketched out a cost analysis on Excel:
Roadtrip Cost Analysis - Excel file
I used the following assumptions for my calculations:
Mileage is roundtrip from Seattle, except for the last two sections which are assuming leaving (possibly selling?) the vehicle in Central America and flying back. The 360 day trips assume one flight back to visit family. Not sure if one trip back would be enough - but a year on the road may be too much anyway. I was just going with some nice round numbers for comparative purposes.
Lodging: Costs are based on camping fees and hotel fees - I am assuming some camping nights in the car, and occasional hotel stays in the conversion van, car with trailer and eurovan to have a good shower.
Food: These numbers are probably the most questionable, but I was trying to compare some restaurant eating (only a cooler in car) with having a refrigerator or a kitchen available in the various motorhomes. I think the food number is probably too low, plus there is no budget for cheladas - the real Mexican concoction - and not the disgusting Clamato-Budweiser bottled version!
Vehicle: Based on medium to low end craigslist ads here in Seattle. Obviously we could go WAY more expensive, but actually there are some pretty fabulous deals out here so lower vehicle costs are an option too. There are a couple of retirement towns on the Olympic peninsula that are amazing for car deals - older models but ridiculously low mileage.
Camp gear: This is assuming that even in the car setup we will want to camp in the national parks (Denali, for example). Plus even if we are staying in the motorhome, it is nice to have some outdoor chairs, etc.
Total cost: Sorted by lowest price in each time category. Interesting to notice that the car only option drops significantly in the rankings the longer you go. Also that the difference between a 30 and 60 day trip is negligible. And that going for 6 months is not even double the one month cost. Of course I didn't include miscellaneous costs such as boat rentals and circus attendance. And if my food costs are low, that would increase that number. But still - the initial investment seems to call for longer travel.
It occurred to me a few days later that my analysis of the vehicles was not exactly fair given the arbitrary price points. Keeping the vehicle cost constant would allow better comparison of the amenities and gas mileage so I have changed the costs to a couple different constant number (read: budgets) and the results are quite different!
*The Excel spreadsheet includes these changes and can be viewed by selecting the different sheets at the bottom of the file.
I chose to compare 7 different vehicle types/configurations to answer these very questions.
Class A Motorhome - Also known as bus conversions, pushers (the diesel variety) and what most people commonly think of as Winnebagos. These are self-contained (i.e. sink, stove, toilet, shower, holding tanks) and usually have generators and some type of heat/furnace.
Class B Motorhome - Mostly conversions done on a van chassis and range from old 70s Dodge models to shiny new Mercedes-based Roadtreks. Usually self-contained but may lack a shower or other amenities. Some have generators.
Class C Motorhome - This is basically a truck/trailer type combination that is permanently fixed. Usually have the same amenities as a Class A, but smaller and recognizable by the bed over cab feature.
Eurovan/Vanagon - Classic VW poptops. Nouveau Hippiemobiles.
Conversion Van - These take many forms, built on Chevy, Ford and Dodge and other chassis throughout the years. They can have just a bed, or full Class B type amenities.
Car - A average four door sedan.
Car w/Trailer - I assumed a light pop-up type trailer pulled by the Car for this configuration.
With these vehicles in my mind, I sketched out a cost analysis on Excel:
Roadtrip Cost Analysis - Excel file
I used the following assumptions for my calculations:
Mileage is roundtrip from Seattle, except for the last two sections which are assuming leaving (possibly selling?) the vehicle in Central America and flying back. The 360 day trips assume one flight back to visit family. Not sure if one trip back would be enough - but a year on the road may be too much anyway. I was just going with some nice round numbers for comparative purposes.
Lodging: Costs are based on camping fees and hotel fees - I am assuming some camping nights in the car, and occasional hotel stays in the conversion van, car with trailer and eurovan to have a good shower.
Food: These numbers are probably the most questionable, but I was trying to compare some restaurant eating (only a cooler in car) with having a refrigerator or a kitchen available in the various motorhomes. I think the food number is probably too low, plus there is no budget for cheladas - the real Mexican concoction - and not the disgusting Clamato-Budweiser bottled version!
Vehicle: Based on medium to low end craigslist ads here in Seattle. Obviously we could go WAY more expensive, but actually there are some pretty fabulous deals out here so lower vehicle costs are an option too. There are a couple of retirement towns on the Olympic peninsula that are amazing for car deals - older models but ridiculously low mileage.
Camp gear: This is assuming that even in the car setup we will want to camp in the national parks (Denali, for example). Plus even if we are staying in the motorhome, it is nice to have some outdoor chairs, etc.
Total cost: Sorted by lowest price in each time category. Interesting to notice that the car only option drops significantly in the rankings the longer you go. Also that the difference between a 30 and 60 day trip is negligible. And that going for 6 months is not even double the one month cost. Of course I didn't include miscellaneous costs such as boat rentals and circus attendance. And if my food costs are low, that would increase that number. But still - the initial investment seems to call for longer travel.
It occurred to me a few days later that my analysis of the vehicles was not exactly fair given the arbitrary price points. Keeping the vehicle cost constant would allow better comparison of the amenities and gas mileage so I have changed the costs to a couple different constant number (read: budgets) and the results are quite different!
*The Excel spreadsheet includes these changes and can be viewed by selecting the different sheets at the bottom of the file.
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