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Doing the math...

Started by GoneCamping, Jul 12, 2022, 02:18 PM

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GoneCamping

As most of you are aware, I got rid the house and most of my possessions, bought a 5th wheel and a truck to haul it around with, and have retired and been full timer going on 4 years now.

Now I don't have a pension to fall back on, so my only income has been Social Security, which you all know doesn't pay squat, and as a result I've resorted to working Campground Maintenance. I've been at Pinehirst RV Resort in Old Orchard Beach (OOB) Maine for the past 2 summers, didn't work the summer before, and worked for two Army Corp of Engineers at North Bend Park near Boydton Va and at Lake Lanier near Atlanta the year before that.

When I left Atlanta, I didn't have anything lined up, so I just went to Florida, but quickly found the income limitations posed a real problem for me. I already had a Thousand Trails (TT) "Zone Pass" that allowed me to stay for 2 weeks in their system, followed by 1 week out before repeating the process, all without any nightly fee's when in the system, cost me $585 per year for the membership. That one week out of the system for every third week was draining funds fast.

I wound up buying (5 years in house finance at $162 per month) the bottom rung membership upgrade (Elite Basit) that allows me 2 or 3 weeks in one park, and the ability to move to another park without any time out. I also added their "Trails Collection" (TC) for an extra $300 per year, that added 31 more parks I could use in Florida alone, and essentially more than doubled the number of parks I could use nationwide, all without any nightly fee's. There are a few parks in the system that charge a small nightly fee, I just haven't used any of them.

With all that said, I did the math. In the past 3 years, I've only been outside the Thousand Trails system for a total of 7 nights. Which means I've spent around 1,088 nights inside the TT/TC system. Some places cost more than others, but using a fairly low nightly cost of $35 per night average, I have saved somewhere around $38,080 +/- over the past 36 months (minus my loan @$5832 and yearly membership fee's @$2655 of course for a total of $8487, I come out with a $29,535 total savings over 3 years, or close to 10 grand per year.  Bottom line is, I pay $237 per month to live inside the TT/TC system full time year round, includes all my utilities as well.

And only 1 year left to pay off that lifetime membership upgrade saving me more. Gotta love camping full time without worrying about nightly fee's...!


...At Orlando Thousand Trails this past winter...
Full Time RV'er
Florida (Winter time)
Maine (Summer time)

2003 Ford F250 Super Duty V10
1999 Cardinal 5th Wheel

dno

I liked living in the RV we lived cheap. I kind of wish I could do that now as things have been very slow and our store lease goes up every year and our rent goes up every year. We really feel the pinch, sounds like you found a pretty good solution.
[USAflag]  [usa_az]

4Campers

That's some cheap living.
I'm with you on the monthly payment from the gov, it doesn't go far. If I had to live on mine alone there's no way I could make it. No pensions for me either as most places I worked for were lucky to last long enough to join.

Daughter loves her TT membership, tries to use all their days during camping season. She's looking to go permanent next year because storage fees went up again. She's done the math and figures a perm site would only be another $20 per month over storage fees plus save on fuel not hauling the TT back & forth. Almost a wash.
Tim & Donna
Cincinnati, OH
Pop got sold- Moved to the Dark Side
2017 Cherokee Grey Wolf 24RK
2016 GMC Acadia
SIL does our towing

GoneCamping

#3
I've considered annual sites, but would have to have one up here in Maine for summers, and one in Florida for the winter. I could get a 6 month "Annual" at Thousand Trails Peace River (Wauchula Florida) for around $3200, but haven't found one that cheap up here in Maine. It would be nice if I could park an RV in both places, and just travel the coast in a fuel efficient car instead of hauling a 5th wheel around at 5 mpg.... The park I'm working at here in OOB get's over $6,000 or their 6 month "Annual" site. The also charge $109 per night for cash customers (Thousand Trails members pay $0 per night)...
Full Time RV'er
Florida (Winter time)
Maine (Summer time)

2003 Ford F250 Super Duty V10
1999 Cardinal 5th Wheel

4Campers

Having a trailer in both places would make it easy. My issue would be leaving it sit unguarded for 6 months.
Looks like you need to do more math, figure out costs of hauling the 5er VS driving a small car. And the cost of another trailer, lot rent, new small car. It just keeps adding up doesn't it? LOL
DW has always wanted a hybrid. New TV, new hybrid, storage fees is 3 payments I don't want!
Tim & Donna
Cincinnati, OH
Pop got sold- Moved to the Dark Side
2017 Cherokee Grey Wolf 24RK
2016 GMC Acadia
SIL does our towing

toomanytents

Dave
2011 Ever-lite 27RB -- sold