Cost of Motorhome Ownership - Per Night Stay [Gulp!]

[wildebus]

I agree, Lee. I am as guilty, if not more so, when it comes to the 'Stayed at place X. Beautiful location/facilities and only £y per night and 3 litres of diesel' statements. As I mentioned, my mate David @wildebus replied to a previous 'Cost of Motorhoming' Thread with the suggestion that a 'Cost per Night' category would be more beneficial than a 'Cost per Mile' figure [which I also collect ...]. Then I saw on another Forum a query from an intending purchaser on whether he should buy an older but low mileage Van, or a newer, but higher mileage Van; one of the first replies was from an ex-pat in Spain: 'Ask about the number of nights used [wear & tear on bedding/upholstery etc], because many people will drive from UK, stay 90 days and never turn a wheel until it's time for the return journey' [as near as I can recall, so not quite verbatim]

The question on the 'right' van is well made.
In my case, I bought both an older AND a higher mileage van, but mitigated that decision by being pretty sure I would not be doing high miles, and the vehicle being a well looked after 1 owner motorhome. (for example, despite the high miles and age, there is zero wear and tear on the upholstery or cab seats).
I would not have bought the motorhome I did if I had in mind touring Europe for 3 months every year for example, I know that.

So, that plus David's suggestion prompted me to calculate the figures. And tha, M'Lud, is the case for the Defence [pending production of the Mental Health Act Assessment ]. I am the first to acknowledge the mental and physical health benefits of getting away in the Van. And the frustration and boredom of being 'Confined to Barracks' after having to cancel the New Forest and Rye Rallies, plus a 'bridging' break on one of the Basic Facilities New Forest sites on medical advice prompted me to make the calculations

Final thought: Many of the expenses [VED, Insurance, Finance, Time-based maintenance] are 'Sunk Costs' that are almost wasted if one doesn't manage to use the Van [as my paltry 28 days away since 21st April show]. Or, as someone on another Forum expressed it during COVID Lockdown, 'I looked out of the window at the Van, and never thought that I would pay so much for a bloody garden ornament'

Steve

 

[nabsim]

I'm not manipulating the stats, Neil, far from it. I'll have you know that I used to manage a Bank. I have my professional reputation to think of ... On second thoughts ...

I did the calculations partly out of frustration and boredom at being 'Confined to Barracks' because of another set of health problems. I hope that we'll be able to get away for a few days between hospital appointments, before clearing off to Spain via France in late November to get the current year's paltry 28 nights just about into 3 figures. But there again, I've said much the same thing just about every month since September 2022, and live has intervened every time ... Mustn't give up, 'cos, until the day of one's funeral, there's always tomorrow . Just send your Card to 'Marchie, Box Number 93 ...'

Steve

I didn’t mean you were manipulating them Steve. What I was meaning is drive a few miles away and use it. Apart from diesel all other costs will be the same or less than staying at home and more nights in the van would alter your nightly cost.

Especially being in Scotland where you trip over yourself with good free park ups

I too am very bored lol just over two weeks since my op nd very earliest I my have a chance to get away will be the after the six week consultation. It will need a very good reason for me to miss autumn equinox at the stones even if I have to get Shane to drive me there lol

 

[The laird]

Hope you have a good recovery neil all the best mate

 

[GMLS]

If we ever worked out the whole real cost of everything, we'd never get married

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I am thinking that inflation is forcing the market to fall for vans as it is for houses, we had to estate agents here this week doing a valuation, we always do when the market is jumping up or down so we have a reference.

They both said more or less the same thing, houses over £300k are not selling very well, £200-£250k are holding their own and selling as before and sub £200k are moving fast, the reason being is the mortgage rate, it has come up so fast people are crapping themselves and want to get out of the high mortgage payments.

We and Lizs daughter are okay as we don't have a mortgage, her son is not in too bad a position as he has two properties but only one mortgage both are let out and he's not put up the rents to silly levels so he has happy tenants and more than covers his mortgage and lives in one of them.

 

[mistericeman]

For me personally ...life is far far FAR to short to be sitting poring over figures and filling bloody spread sheets in ...

We simply get away in the motorhome with each other and the dogs ..

As much as we can
Drink as much as we wish
Eat what we wish
Watch as many sun sets as we can
Walk on as many beaches as we can
Have the heating on as much as we want
Stay wherever we fancy ...free/site/etc

How much that costs ....I neither know NOR care
If we can afford to do it ....and want to then we do it .

None of us know what tomorrow has in store for us .

 

[marchie]

If we ever worked out the whole real cost of everything, we'd never get married

I thought getting married was expensive until I got the bill for the divorce ...

Steve

 

[Burge]

I thought getting married was expensive until I got the bill for the divorce ...

Steve

Don't fancy going there now at my time of life after 43 yrs of bliss ( we have never said a bad word to one another) what a load of Bo@@ocks that is when folk say that.

 

[marchie]

Don't fancy going there now at my time of life after 43 yrs of bliss ( we have never said a bad word to one another) what a load of Bo@@ocks that is when folk say that.

My Decree Absolute arrived on my 49th birthday! First birthday present inwards that I've had to pay for ... . My standing joke with Elaine is that we are failed cruciverbalists; 24 years together and never a croosword ...

Steve

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

Don't want to know the cost .
As long as its affordable,and when it's not we will stop doing it.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Don't want to know the cost .
As long as its affordable,and when it's not we will stop doing it.

Or downsize

 

[trevskoda]

Dont care about money as no pockets in a shroud, its made round to go around.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Ah, I'm sort of like that already Trev, no money in pockets, all sat on the drive..

 

[Phantom]

Out of interest I did some quick figures, lots of ways of looking at it though. We had 2 weeks away in our MH. Fuel, lpg, parking, sites etc averaged about £12/day. But if that was our only MH use of this year then with ins, mot, tax etc that would have averaged about £29/day over those 14 days if on sorn the rest of the time. But if we just mot'd and insured our MH and did not use it at all it would average just £1.16/day over the year.

 

[wildebus]

Out of interest I did some quick figures, lots of ways of looking at it though. We had 2 weeks away in our MH. Fuel, lpg, parking, sites etc averaged about £12/day. But if that was our only MH use of this year then with ins, mot, tax etc that would have averaged about £29/day over those 14 days if on sorn the rest of the time. But if we just mot'd and insured our MH and did not use it at all it would average just £1.16/day over the year.

Steve is including the actual cost of the motorhome and - I think - not factoring in resale value. If you do that, that £1.16 would rocket up!

(I am not saying you should or should not include that. Personally, I think I would factor in the depreciation cost over the period.
And then there is the question of do you use the difference between buy price and estimated resale value, or the buy price and estimated replacement cost? As you could claim there is zero depreciation as you could sell for what you paid - but then buying a replacement will have gone up a lot, so the benefit of lower depreciation is wiped out)

 

[2cv]

The thing that rarely gets consideration in calculating the cost of running a motorhome is the lost interest from not having the cost price invested. Even at a 5% return this would involve a cost of £2000 pa on a £40000 van, a very significant factor in cost per night.

 

[Phantom]

Steve is including the actual cost of the motorhome and - I think - not factoring in resale value. If you do that, that £1.16 would rocket up!

(I am not saying you should or should not include that. Personally, I think I would factor in the depreciation cost over the period.
And then there is the question of do you use the difference between buy price and estimated resale value, or the buy price and estimated replacement cost? As you could claim there is zero depreciation as you could sell for what you paid - but then buying a replacement will have gone up a lot, so the benefit of lower depreciation is wiped out)

Even taking inflation into account we could sell it for more than we bought it for including all running costs to date, so free to use for now!

 

[marchie]

Steve is including the actual cost of the motorhome and - I think - not factoring in resale value. If you do that, that £1.16 would rocket up!

(I am not saying you should or should not include that. Personally, I think I would factor in the depreciation cost over the period.
And then there is the question of do you use the difference between buy price and estimated resale value, or the buy price and estimated replacement cost? As you could claim there is zero depreciation as you could sell for what you paid - but then buying a replacement will have gone up a lot, so the benefit of lower depreciation is wiped out)

I have included depreciation over 7 years, to match the original finance package [although we have been paying a lot extra, so that after 28 months of ownership, we are 30 months ahead of schedule and will clear the loan in 54 months instead of 84]. The M/Home written down value I'm using this year about £7,000 below the minimum P/Ex I would accept, hence the overall cost per night being closer to £145 than the computed £175]. I always adjust the running costs when I sell a vehicle to reflect the actual P/Ex price rather than the spreadsheet written down calculated worth.

Steve

 

[wildebus]

Even taking inflation into account we could sell it for more than we bought it for including all running costs to date, so free to use for now!

but you sure couldn't buy a replacement today for it for what you paid, could you?

 

[marchie]

The thing that rarely gets consideration in calculating the cost of running a motorhome is the lost interest from not having the cost price invested. Even at a 5% return this would involve a cost of £2000 pa on a £40000 van, a very significant factor in cost per night.

5% investment return over the last 10 years for cash savings would be an overstatement. My cash deposit was around 20% of the M/Home purchase price, and my net interest for the 2 years+ of ownership, had I retained the cash would have yielded a touch less than £2,000 in total, and that ignores the depreciation of the cash savings purchase value.

I prefer to focus on the actual costs incurred/accumulating, ignoring 'opportunity costs', and I keep the data for my own amusement and/or a source of information for debates about vehicle running costs/total cost of ownership etc. One of my old bosses in the Bank used to say, 'There's no place on a Balance Sheet for gut feeling' [when customers would attempt to paint a rosy picture of the mythical 'hidden asset value']

Steve