mike_mn
Twin Cities, MN
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Edit, After all the responses...I need to reask the quesiton...
I guess I was on a different frame of reference when considering justification of the cost...not looking at it from a per/night cost, but a satisfaction level. Am I satisfied with the number of nights I have camped vs. how much I have paid for the camper? For me, yes the cost is justified. How many nights does it take you to feel like it isn't a boat anchor sitting in storage or your back yard that is depreciating everyday you have it?
How many camping nights per year do you think justifies the price you paid for your trailer? I realize this is something each person needs to decide, I am just wondering what others think.
For me, we are at 18 nights so far this season and have 4-6 more nights planned before winter. I feel very good about how much we are using the trailer.
* This post was
edited 08/23/08 11:21am by mike_mn *
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targaboat
sulphur springs, tx, usa
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Probably 365 for all people. In other words can not be JUSTIFIED. It is just something we want to do.
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socialstudiesmom
SW MI
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35 nights of camping for us so far! We camp quite a bit in the Fall so know we'll be at 40 plus by end of the year.
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elbmiNrM
Atlanta
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I don't like camping in hot weather. I camp from early fall until late spring, but living in MN, you don't have that luxury. A time or two I've had a state park all to myself until my friends came on the weekend. One week last year, it was down in the teens--and I still enjoyed it--just had to be prepared for the weather. The camper stayed nice and warm with one of those little cube heaters. Had to turn it down so it didn't get too hot!!
As you said, you'll get all kinds of answer on this question. For me, just knowing it's there to get away makes it worth it to me. When we owned the motor home, we were gone for extended periods of time, and when we had tents and pop-ups when the kids were little, it was worth whatever spent just to see them enjoy nature.
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Chuck_S
Broadview Hts, OH, USA
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Do not try to justify the expense of a camper (or boat), nor track the expenses. This will depress you no end and Five-Star hotels are much cheaper! 
20 to 30 nights is about our guestimate average per season. Multiply times four seasons and that's at most 120 nights for us. Just the trailer cost alone (discounting camper and tow vehicle maintenance, insurance, fuel, campground fees, camper supplies, and time wasted on internet camper sites) makes this $120/night. At minimum. More nights will drop this for the initial cost, but the rest of the costs just keep on coming. We whine about the hotel costs in Gettysburg but are perfectly willing to pay $50/night for a full service campsite and burn 70 gallons of gasoline to get there and back to sleep in our own beds. This is an irrational economic decision we make several times during the college school year.
There is no justification for spending this much money. But this is America/Canada and you can spend your money as you please.
-- Chuck
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Rookiecamper
Northeastern, PA
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No need to justify the price...it's camping, it's family, it's fun!!! Of course I'm not loaded with $$, so we bought used. We went to Disney during the first summer we had it. We figure with the money we saved on airfare for 5 and hotel accommodations, factoring in the $700 gas and campgrounds on the way, together with selling our old pop-up, the HTT was half paid for that season. It is like golfing or any other recreational activity...some think it is a waste of time and money, others can't live without it. If you enjoy it, it's justified.
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Janitor1
Sturtevant WI
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Ok - your question made me think. So, I added up some of our expenses. The RV loan payments, insurance, campgrounds, etc. I figured we camp between 25-30 nights per year. That ends up "costing" us about $260 a night to camp.
It sounds like a lot; however, we definately like our RV better than any hotel room we've stayed at, with its comfort, convenience and privacy, it is our home away from home. We always know we will like the accomodations wherever we decide to vacation 
Also, down the road (no pun intended), we can sell the RV if we want and recoup some of our investment. You can't do that if you choose to stay at hotels.
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JudoJeff
Southwick, MA
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And your fixed costs remain the same, so the more nights you camp, the less the per day cost becomes....
You can't put a price on the bonding between you and the kids when you're out camping, it's a lifestyle thing.
K1BE Jeff
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mike_mn
Twin Cities, MN
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I guess I was on a different frame of reference when considering justification of the cost...not looking at it from a per/night cost, but a satisfaction level. Am I satisfied with the number of nights I have camped vs. how much I have paid for the camper? For me, yes the cost is justified. How many nights does it take you to feel like it isn't a boat anchor sitting in storage or your back yard that is depreciating everyday you have it?
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junmy3
Warner Robins GA
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DW and I have camped 44 nights so far this year and we hope to have around 26 more. We feel that is enough to justify the TT, but it is still less than we want to camp. Work just keeps getting in the way of our camping.
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