Ski RV's, who's sleeping in parking lots?

[CascadeLuke]

10k for a decent 2001 class C. 10k for the 4x4.

I’m kind of with your thinking. Though I’m new to shopping it seemed on the high side. Spoke to the guy- nice enough and reasonable. Said a fella was way into it but looked into financing and the conversion is not recognized so it’s not financeable. He warned me of that. Maybe some bank out there will. Doesn’t kill it for me but I’m not compelled quite yet to cut a check and drive around at 8mpg. Finance a portion and tax deduct would warm me up some.

[ACH]

Prior to finding our Provan Tiger we were on track to purchase a used E350 Chinook and convert...

That Winni in Oly is pretty sweet for the money though. Keep in mind that unless the rig is fully winterized with heated tanks, etc, you won’t be using the plumbing anywhere where it gets below freezing on the regular.

[North]

Anybody else keep track of their cost/night for their rig? It's inherently imperfect math, given that some portion of the vehicle price would be recouped if you sold it, but I still think it's an interesting exercise.

I'm at about $70/night, with somewhere near 250+ nights in mine. It's well worth it to me at that price, but I often wonder what the average $80K Sprinter or even $45K truck camper setup pencils out at. Takes a lot of nights off the grid to pay for the fancier ones. Seems like the average #vanlifer would be better off balling out on AirBnBs during their weekend getaways and annual summer/winter vacations.

[adrenalated]

Anybody else keep track of their cost/night for their rig? It's inherently imperfect math, given that some portion of the vehicle price would be recouped if you sold it, but I still think it's an interesting exercise.

I'm at about $70/night, with somewhere near 250+ nights in mine. It's well worth it to me at that price, but I often wonder what the average $80K Sprinter or even $45K truck camper setup pencils out at. Takes a lot of nights off the grid to pay for the fancier ones. Seems like the average #vanlifer would be better off balling out on AirBnBs during their weekend getaways and annual summer/winter vacations.

I refuse to do that math; however, I'll note that I'm also employed.

[North]

I refuse to do that math; however, I'll note that I'm also employed.

#vanlife me is generally stoked on the rent, but holy shit did I underestimate the price of having a mobile ski chalet/I70 management device. The shit we get ourselves into for this stupid sport...

Future employed me is excited to utilize a highly fuel efficient vehicle to transport me to and from the opulent vacation home I've rented for the week.

[babybear]

Anybody else keep track of their cost/night for their rig? It's inherently imperfect math, given that some portion of the vehicle price would be recouped if you sold it, but I still think it's an interesting exercise.

I'm at about $70/night, with somewhere near 250+ nights in mine. It's well worth it to me at that price, but I often wonder what the average $80K Sprinter or even $45K truck camper setup pencils out at. Takes a lot of nights off the grid to pay for the fancier ones. Seems like the average #vanlifer would be better off balling out on AirBnBs during their weekend getaways and annual summer/winter vacations.

this is why we went less cool, but more economical ram van vs sprinter.
better price to daily use ratio (husband rides bikes to work a lot but uses this vehicle essentially as his daily driver)
I would rather be in my own van down by the river than in a mediocre hotel
and since andrew works in the luxury hotel industry I get my fix there
Always amusing when we pull up to a high end hotel in our camp-mobile. we're always the employee favs

[mattig]

Someone could tell me it's 400/night and I wouldn't care. I haven't used a portapotti all year. You can't put a price on that.

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[simple]

10k for a decent 2001 class C. 10k for the 4x4.

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10k for a shit box RV maybe. 4x4 is about $15k now. This isn't 2010 sorry. #vanlife instagarbage pumped up prices anywhere near a big city.

[apex dave]

Anyone considering purchasing an RV for skiing needs to give it some sober second thought. I have done the winter RV thing and would make the following observations.
-You can't go cheap or small if you want to be comfortable. Condensation, dead batteries and frozen plumbing are no fun unless you are into the whole dirt bag experience. Northern Lite, Big Foot, Triple E (my rig) are neither cheap nor easy to find used.
-If someone gave you $30,000 or $40,000 to use skiing how many nights skiing could you buy staying at a basic motel? Plus gas and insurance, parking hassles etc. It bears realistic consideration.
-Wife and kids bring an added dimension to consider. Even the biggest truck and camper are small for a couple and pretty unbearable for a family.
My advice is to rent an RV (truck and camper or class C) in the winter and try it with the whole family. See if the romantic notion of life on the open snowy, slippery, mountain road is shared by the rest of your family after five or six days.

[CascadeLuke]

Anyone considering purchasing an RV for skiing needs to give it some sober second thought.

Shit. Okay hold my beer


Jokes aside appreciate the warning

[mattig]

Anyone considering purchasing an RV for skiing needs to give it some sober second thought. I have done the winter RV thing and would make the following observations.
-You can't go cheap or small if you want to be comfortable. Condensation, dead batteries and frozen plumbing are no fun unless you are into the whole dirt bag experience. Northern Lite, Big Foot, Triple E (my rig) are neither cheap nor easy to find used.
-If someone gave you $30,000 or $40,000 to use skiing how many nights skiing could you buy staying at a basic motel? Plus gas and insurance, parking hassles etc. It bears realistic consideration.
-Wife and kids bring an added dimension to consider. Even the biggest truck and camper are small for a couple and pretty unbearable for a family.
My advice is to rent an RV (truck and camper or class C) in the winter and try it with the whole family. See if the romantic notion of life on the open snowy, slippery, mountain road is shared by the rest of your family after five or six days.

Wife and kid in hard-side NL. We fucking love it. Is it cozy for 3? Absolutely. Do we wish we had a 40ft bus? At times. Would I ever drive to the mountain again without the camper? Not likely, even for day trips.

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[detrusor]

We drive the converted sprinter every weekend. So deluxe. Warm place to boot up, food and drink, mobile office if the skiing is shitty. Also, kids have early morning training at 6:45 so I get them out the door and go back to sleep!


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[jackattack]

Not bad advice to try a rental first, but the rest of Apex Dave’s opinion has a lot to do with lifestyle and expectations.

[OldMil]

Yes, 4x4 high roof Sprinter is the way to go...even with the perceived dooooshyness.

[bodywhomper]

Someone could tell me it's 400/night and I wouldn't care. I haven't used a portapotti all year. You can't put a price on that.

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I can't remember why, but my dad once had to dump our brown water tank when our motor home was parked in front of my suburban home. I think he used buckets and i don't think he spilled any into the street or yard. It was a shitty mess. As a kid watching it all go down, it was fucking awesome! Can't put a price on that!

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[toast2266]

If I was only using the RV to camp in resort parking lots, I might reconsider our decisions. But plenty of places we camp are hours from the nearest hotel. And yeah, I'll take spending money on the camper and dealing with a cramped (but warm!) space over sleeping in a tent or in the bed of the pickup truck (been there, done that, not going back).

[TAFKALVS]

-If someone gave you $30,000 or $40,000 to use skiing how many nights skiing could you buy staying at a basic motel? Plus gas and insurance, parking hassles etc. It bears realistic consideration.

But that's just it. You're not staying in a basic motel a long ways off from the hill. You're getting slopeside lodging. And at many PNW hills, there is no lodging nearby, let alone slopeside.

And I've never been in my camper setup for over $6,000 and the truck never more than $15,000. My current setup I'm in $3500 for the camper and $3000 for the truck. And I use the truck for a lot of other things as well.

How many nights of slopeside lodging would $6,000 cover if you're a weekend warrior? Not very many...

[bodywhomper]

Are fur babies involved? That can make a difference.

FWIW, my parents 81 pace arrow had occasional freezing pipe issues on week long stints in the Sierra in midwinter.

My dad used to have to commute and daily drive our RV for various reasons, not his normal circumstance. Parking was a bear.

[babybear]

I think it's a first world thing. but when traveling I only now either want to stay in my van or at a luxury hotel
I have zero interest in dealing with a regular hotel-which usually also means an urban area and people who want to steal my bikes
van down by the river ftw

[HowNowBrownPow]

Any Co truck campers on here? Just picked up this rig after having a trailer for years [ATTACH]286687[/ATTACH]


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[North]

Interesting to see the different rationalizations. I'm not trying to harsh the stoke for #riglife, more interested in what people think it's worth. $10K? $40K? $60K+?

I do think skiing is the perfect sport for a camping vehicle as they open up a lot of flexibility for chasing conditions and being comfortable during that chase (this is the primary reason I own one). If I was visiting a particular resort or the same area most of the season, I still think a seasonal rental or VRBO/AirBnB makes more sense. For summer camping or less conditions-dependent activities a van/camper is a luxury, but I'm fine sleeping out or in a tent come summer, or committing to a rental ahead of time.

Someone could tell me it's 400/night and I wouldn't care. I haven't used a portapotti all year. You can't put a price on that.

Only on TGR would rig rationalization hinge on the joys of dropping bombs in your very own 80ft^2 XL fiberglass portapotty, and performing your own sanitation work.

But that's just it. You're not staying in a basic motel a long ways off from the hill. You're getting slopeside lodging. And at many PNW hills, there is no lodging nearby, let alone slopeside.

And I've never been in my camper setup for over $6,000 and the truck never more than $15,000. My current setup I'm in $3500 for the camper and $3000 for the truck. And I use the truck for a lot of other things as well.

How many nights of slopeside lodging would $6,000 cover if you're a weekend warrior? Not very many...

I guess a lot of this is region specific. In CO, UT, WY it's more or less the opposite - not many resorts will allow overnight parking slopeside, so you'll be offsite in a rig anyways, and there are plenty of rentals nearby.

Also I'd say $6.5K is the exception rather than the rule for a comfortable and capable winter camping setup. Kudos for making it happen, but I think most people are in it for double or triple that amount.

[byates1]

i had incredible sex w a native american girl at soldier mtn. in November this past.

no additional heat source required.

[mattig]

Interesting to see the different rationalizations. I'm not trying to harsh the stoke for #riglife, more interested in what people think it's worth. $10K? $40K? $60K+?

I do think skiing is the perfect sport for a camping vehicle as they open up a lot of flexibility for chasing conditions and being comfortable during that chase (this is the primary reason I own one). If I was visiting a particular resort or the same area most of the season, I still think a seasonal rental or VRBO/AirBnB makes more sense. For summer camping or less conditions-dependent activities a van/camper is a luxury, but I'm fine sleeping out or in a tent come summer, or committing to a rental ahead of time.



Only on TGR would rig rationalization hinge on the joys of dropping bombs in your very own 80ft^2 XL fiberglass portapotty, and performing your own sanitation work.



I guess a lot of this is region specific. In CO, UT, WY it's more or less the opposite - not many resorts will allow overnight parking slopeside, so you'll be offsite in a rig anyways, and there are plenty of rentals nearby.

Also I'd say $6.5K is the exception rather than the rule for a comfortable and capable winter camping setup. Kudos for making it happen, but I think most people are in it for double or triple that amount.

I'm in it for 100k. Fire sale prices are 95-105k right now.

Why think of it like a sunk cost when these are assets? Reliable, marketable diesel truck with an 8yr/150k transferable warranty and a fiberglass clamshell camper with a transferable 5yr warranty. Outside of a recession, I'm out for what I paid, and the utility was just gravy.

And again, no hotels or vrbos at local hill. Closest is 30 minutes away plus a traffic shit show. Wife won't even let me take it off the truck now that she hasn't had to pee in a Porta potti or eat lunch in the lodge for 6 months. Nothing to do with tgr. I feel like opinions on this are mixed, at best on this. My stance is straight Matti G. Different strokes. My strokes work for me.

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[skysos]

This thing is pretty cool. 1993 Toyota townace 4wd camper with 66K miles on it. 18mpg. Kitted out pretty well. $39K which is a little hard to justify, but for the right person...?

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/rvs...919836678.html

[Skidog]

This thing is pretty cool. 1993 Toyota townace 4wd camper with 66K miles on it. 18mpg. Kitted out pretty well. $39K which is a little hard to justify, but for the right person...?

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/rvs...919836678.html

right hand drive AND 5 speed on the column? Wow...