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)?
I always consider total cost per mile, not just fuel, but even so — our View costs <$1 per mile so if it’s 10 miles *total* I’d consider it, but it it’s 20 miles total, then no.
10 miles is a gallon of gas, and 10 miles back to my route is another gallon. So a $15 savings quickly becomes a less than $10 savings.
I almost always prebook sites, and price not a issue, if I want to be in the area. At 7 miles a gallon, drive to save is not really saving.
Depends on how many nights we’re staying at said campground. It depends on the road conditions. And it depends on the time of night!
Depends on several factors:
Is it for only one night? (longer stays = more savings)
What amenities do I need? (50A, pull-through, etc)
Is it a “Destination” or a “stop over”?
Everything being equal I would not, any savings would be eaten up in fuel costs.
But as they say nothing is ever equal.
I routinely go 30-40 miles out of my direct route to visit a state park, even for just one night. We generally drive 250-300 miles per day so the extra miles to get to a state park is not much. We are usually rewarded in a better camp site and experience.
If I am looking to stay one night I would pay the extra $15 because fuel cost of the round trip would eat up a good part of the savings. If I am going to stay several days then the savings would add So I would go to the cheaper park.
The truth is that I probably would never know of the cheaper park since I have a tendency to stay at a place closest to the highway. Once I find it I stop looking.
Just thought I’d add one more point. The quality of the CG can’t be determined by the fees charged. I’ve been to some “resorts” that had resort in the name simply so they could charge more. There were no amenities to speak of, staff was almost invisible and it could have been cleaner.
It depends on several things, naturally the extent of tiredness or sleepiness, but the big one is the condition of the CG itself. If this is a ragtag park with my neighbors sewer hose connected just outside my door or my rig, lots of extremely old rigs, that haven’t moved in years, and other things of that nature No. Also if it is located next to a main highway or train track, also no. We use our own bath and laundry facilities so that wouldn’t come into play. Don’t care if there is a swimming pool or not, just in case we decide to extend that overnight stay. Just looking for a generally clean and fairly quiet place after 10:00 PM.
It would depend on several things. How tired we are, the quality of the road, if we have the grands with us, things of that nature.
It would depend on length of stay. 1-2 nights, no more than yes.
No. Why would I spend $12-$15, in fuel, to save a dollar? Doesn’t make sense to me. The site, that costs $15 more, most likely is a better CG. Some people will spend $2.00 in fuel, to save $.50 on a gallon of milk too. It’s a head scratcher.
I would drive out of my way JUST TO GET a campsite.
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.
If it costs you $15 to go just 20 miles then your driving the wrong rig.
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.