The full question is this: For one night, would you drive 10 miles out of your way to save $15 on a campsite?
So assume you can stay at one RV park for a certain amount, but if you drive another 10 miles, which just so happens to be out of your way, you could stay in a similar park for $15 less for a night’s stay?
What would you do? Stay and pay the extra $15 or drive the 10 miles and put the $15 you saved into your pocket (or gas tank)?
It depends on the location and length of stay, not so much the $15.
For us the savings would just slightly out weigh the cost. At current gas prices of $3.50 (average for this area) to drive 10 extra miles at 5.5mpg I would spend save only half of the $15.00. Now if I had to return the same way or travel that extra 10 miles when I left, then there would be no savings at all.
Not necessarily to park at a paying camp, but we have driven as far several times to stay for free at a Harvest Host site
Let’s do the math. 10 miles x 2= 20 miles. Let’s say 2 gals. of gas = $6. $15 – 6 = $9.00 savings give or take. Not much wear and tear for 20 miles, but all in cost, call it $9.00 cheaper. Now time, 20 miles will take a half hour of your time, so what’s that worth at the end of the day.
Then, there is the uncertainty factor. Let’s assume your on vacation and you saved up for this excursion. My vote is nope, relax a half hour earlier.
I said yes, but it more depends on location more than cost savings. I’ll go out of my way to stay at a park with more shade and better spacing, usually a public property.
No I would not just to save $15.00. I am tried of driving at the end of a long on the road day. I just want to get set up and unwind and relax.
I think this is normal for anyone with membership discounts, like Passport America. We look at their maps and if there is a member RV park in the area we drive to it.
Depends on if the campsite was prettier/more welcoming…because we might end up staying longer!
I would drive 10 miles to get to a nicer campground, but not to save $15.00. $30.00, yes.
Depends on how tired we were and how late in the day it was.
No. Because I can spend the nite at a rest stop and stay on our chosen path.
No because you not only have to drive the 10 miles to the campsite you also have to drive the 10 miles back to you route. so with the price of gas or diesel now a day it would probably cost you more than just to pay the extra 15 dollars.
Not for a “similar” campground, but if it’s a step up in some way, sure!
Depends if it is 10 miles off the road or 10 miles further down a road I’m taking in the morning.
Emily’s going to have fun summarizing this one, with all the comments! 😉
I hit “other.” I wouldn’t drive 10 miles — one way, mind you — to save $15 for one night, but my husband probably would! 🙂 For several nights, I’d be OK with it. The question is mostly moot for us, though. In transit from Point A to Point B we usually stay at Walmart, Sam’s Club, or another free place for one-night stops.
We get 7.5 MPG….10 miles is about 1 & 1/2 gallons. At $3.80 per that is about $6 extra gas.
So only save $9 less the return trip of $6……..Forget about it. Even in less expensive gas states
than CA it is a no go. $15. in CA is chicken feed when some RV parks are as much as $100. a night.
10 miles out of my way equates to 20 miles round trip (if I actually had a destination that couldn’t change. At $3.10 per gallon of diesel and about 7 miles per gallon, that’s almost $9 I would have to spend to save $15. I would need something more than that.
It would depend greatly on the amenities offered or perhaps the view as to whether I would consider this as an option. More than likely if we were traveling from point A to Point B and this was a stop on the way, I probably would not do it.
It would probably depend on what I could find out about the park 10 miles away, compared to what is available where I am. The gas may be worth the drive….