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Friday, August 12, 2005
With the economy slowing, Americans are becoming more conscious of costs - including vacation travel.
Many are using recreation vehicles (RVs), which reduce travel expenses significantly without compromising on family fun or creative comforts. A recent vacation cost comparison study demonstrated that, even after factoring in RV ownership costs, a family of four can save up to 70 percent on average when travelling by RV.
RV's Least Expensive Option Nine different kinds of vacations to such popular family travel destinations as the Grand Canyon, Orlando, Cape Cod, Napa, Calif. and Alaska were analyzed by PKF.
Among the variety of vacation travel modes studied for each of these destinations, RV trips were the lease expensive in all cases, including pro-rated vehicle ownership costs for the period.
For a typical week-long vacation, the study showed that depending on the type owned, going by RV cost an average of 65 to 80 percent less than a cruise; 57 to 72 percent less than an all-inclusive air/hotel/meal package; 50 to 66 percent less than a trip involving air travel, rental cars, restaurant and hotels; and 34 to 56 percent less than travel to a condo or rental property by personal car or airline.
The cost of going by RV was 13 to 42 percent lower than travelling in a personal car, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants - the least expensive of the non-RV travel options analyzed.
"Affordability is just one of the reasons more and more families are choosing RVs over other forms of vacation travel," said Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) President David J Humpreys.
"But there are other important reasons to go by RV, too. Many people tell us their RV trips are the ultimate family bonding experience." Travel is far more comfortable, convenient and flexible with an RV, as there are no worries about flight delays, crowds and heavy baggage to lug." May be Tax Deductible Amenities in today's RVs range from central heat and air conditioning, fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms and plenty of storage space to new innovations like entertainment electronics, satellite dishes and expandable, "slideout" rooms.
"And, for the vast majority of RV buyers, the interest on their motorhome or towable unit is deductible at tax time because it qualifies as a second home," Humpreys added.
Significant Savings Over Flying with Kids RV owners confirm that the savings and convenience of RV vacations are significant.
"To fly with the kids would be well over $1,000, and when you factor in expenses for hotels, renting a car and eating out all the time, it really adds up," said RV owner Andrea Hyland of Long Island, N.Y.
"On top of that, we have to book everything at least a month in advance. RVs are a much better option for us." Besides major cash or credit outlays required from the start to finish of eachvacation (e.g. food, fuel or fares, lodging or campground fees),PKF factored in an estimated cost of ownership of the RVs analyzed based upon research documenting average ownership periods, residual values, annual days of use, insurance and interest deductions.
Now Own RVs A record 8.6 million U.S households own at least one RV - about 10 percent of all vehicle-owning households nationwide, according to University of Michigan research. In all, there are more than 30 million RV enthusiasts and 9.3 million motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth-wheel travel trailers, truck campers and van conversions on U.S. roads today.
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