Popup for work travel

[Dray]

My job requires me to travel sometimes.  I have a couple trips coming up.  So I was considering using my popup instead of staying in a hotel.  I got to thinking about getting reimbursed for the cost of the campsite.  I wonder if I'll have any trouble with that.  I work for a government agency and the bureaucracy can make people very dumb if they see something that's out of the ordinary.  

Does anyone have any experiences using their popup for work travel?  Any experience trying to get reimbursed?

Thanks

[austinado16]

Just be careful about stumbling in the next morning smelling like a campfire, with smores on your breath:yikes:

[wavery]

My job requires me to travel sometimes.  I have a couple trips coming up.  So I was considering using my popup instead of staying in a hotel.  I got to thinking about getting reimbursed for the cost of the campsite.  I wonder if I'll have any trouble with that.  I work for a government agency and the bureaucracy can make people very dumb if they see something that's out of the ordinary.  

Does anyone have any experiences using their popup for work travel?  Any experience trying to get reimbursed?

Thanks

[SIZE="7"][COLOR="Red"]OMG!!!!!![/COLOR][/SIZE]:yikes:

A government employee that would DARE try to save us tax payers money................what are you thinking???:eyecrazy:

Can you imagine the scandal???

The next thing you know, the Republicans would hear of it and try to make Obama turn in AirForce1 on a Fleetwood Motorhome.........:U

[AustinBoston]

The next thing you know, the Republicans would hear of it and try to make Obama turn in AirForce1 on a Fleetwood Motorhome.........:U

Would that come under the "Cash for Clunkers" program?  

To the OP: I have taken local trips where I wanted a FC/FS site.  The only way to do that on the weekend here in Minnesota is to show up by 5:00 PM on a Thursday.  Well, I don't have Friday off, so both my wife and I have gone to work from the campground.

But...that's different from travelling on the company's nickel.  Most procedures call for reimbursement of "accomodations," and a campsite is an accomodation.  If they specifically say "room fees" that might be more difficult to pull off.

Austin

[austinado16]

Would that come under the "Cash for Clunkers" program?  

Austin

You sir, just cracked me up!!:D

[lonewolf452]

I have often suggested this to my boss. Campsite at $20-40 a nite versus motel at double to triple that. If the crew likes camping and grilling and the weather isn't too hot (no air), the CG has showers and toilets....why not.

[Dray]

It would cost about $25 to stay at the cg and more than $100 for a hotel room.  But bureacracy will likely not allow it!

[chip]

I work for the State of Delaware.  Our travel policy at one time had provisions for taking a camper on a business trip, if the traveler wanted to make a vacation of the trip (or not, I suppose).  Traveler had to get advance approval and was limited in reimbursement to a per mile rate, up to the cost of cheapest airfare.  

Travel between home and destination campground was on annual/personal leave, as I recall, probably for insurance reasons and to keep the traveler honest maybe.

Never hurts to float the question.  Worst you can get is a "No."

[MotherNature]

I think you have an excellent idea.  When we camp at the DE shore, DH drives directly to the campsite after work on Friday and commutes in on Monday mornings - the boys and I leave Friday morning and have everything set up by the time he arrives; we also pack up everything on Monday because he has to leave around 5 am.  This might sound like a pain to some, but it is well worth avoiding rush hour shore traffic, plus his workplace is an hour closer to the campsite.  I hope that it can work for you; being on travel is not always great and coming back to the campsite at the end of the day would improve morale!

Anyway - I worked for the Navy for 10 years and know what a pain travel reimbursements can be (hopefully your agency isn't so picky)!  I agree with previous posters - float a memo up your chain of command that cites the cost benefits - the worst they can say is no!

Good luck!

[flyfisherman]

One of the compaines I use to work for once upon a time tired of the bookkeeping hassle of expenses for travel. They went over to a per diem arrangement that worked out well all the way around. It kept those of us on the road more honest ... and cut down on the home office people needed to keep abreast of all the little details. The company could care less (well, almost) where you stayed or what you ate, so long as you were where you were supposed to be and doing the thing you were supposed to be doing. I would look for and stay at more reasonable hotel/motels, eat breakfast at McDonald's and lunches on the light side. In fact, I've even bought some little things at the supermarket and had lunch in a park at a picnic table.

The company was real fair in what they allowed for meals and lodging and what I would do is be more frugal in my selections so that at the end of the week I'd have pocketed a few extra bucks for my mad fly fishing life style. All we had to do is substantiate that were at a certain location by sending in gas reciepts and such ... the company could care less what they added up to, just that you were there. And if my memory serves me right back when I was in the military and they sent me some place on my own I would draw a per diem allowance for the travel and eat what and where I wanted.



Fly

[Stella]

s'more breath *giggle*

[ddlrsad]

My husband does this all the time...he just came home from a 3 month stay in Atlanta.....his company gives him money up front ..... hotels there are not cheap by any means......cg is only $23 a night.....we even go up for the weekend while he's gone ......if it's cheaper you would think that the company would rather you do that...good luck....

[maromeo]

My father took all of us on his business trips in the summer. That is how I was able to see the US.  Some summers we hoteled it depending on where the conventions were and some we pulled the Steury PUP with our 71 Ford LTD. If the trips were out east we hoteled it due to humidity and no A/C in the PUP. Our west trips he pulled the PUP. I have great memories especially my brothers trying to catch my father floating down the Yellowstone River after he fell in while shaving. I can still see the makeshift clothesline with his wet clothes and wallet with all the dollar bills on the line drying. He never lost his razor! Too funny.

Mary

[hoppy]

I wonder if I'll have any trouble with that.  I work for a government agency and the bureaucracy can make people very dumb if they see something that's out of the ordinary.  
Thanks

Good luck getting reimbersed from the government.

 Just ask the car dealers that took in the "Cash for Clunkers" how they are making out getting reimbersed from the government! :banghead:

[PatB]

We just went on a one week camping trip from ILL to PA and my wife had to make a stop in OH for business. In our case, we stayed at a hotel for one night prior to her appt so that she could get ready for the appt and not have to use 'the little shower' in the PUP.

Anyway, her employer was aware of all the details and reimbursed our mileage from IL to OH (and return trip) and gave my wife credit for the 3 days the trip would otherwise have taken. So we cut our trip expenses by about $500, stayed in a hotel for one night, had 3 days of travel that didn't go against my wife's vacation time, and the employers expenses were the same as if though my wife had travelled there without going on our vacation. A fair deal from all sides.

Campgrounds rates are so low as compared to hotels that I can't imagine any reasonable person having a problem with that- it should all come down to the money. However, best to check it out in advance.