DVC or Travel Trailer?

[smchan]

My wife and 2 boys, 3 and 5, enjoy going to Disney World. (OK, that's like saying fish like water around here, huh? :-D) One of the aggravating factors of WDW trips is the cost of lodging and food. She always wants to stay onsite, and the cost of the food kills me. I've sported for Victoria & Alberts a few times, I really like it, but paying for overinflated fast food day in and day out kills the vacation budget in a hurry.

To get to the point, I've been trying to find a way that my gang can enjoy WDW for at least a week each year. I've decided I can do that by: cutting admission costs (annual passes with trips 1 week 11 months apart, or perhaps an annual 2 week trip), cutting food costs by eating offsite more or making our own meals, and cutting lodging costs which means DVC or camping.

My wife has thus far refused to cook on vacation. But I've negotiated w/ her that some cooking on vacation could equate to more frequent or longer vacations, and I'd help her with the meals. Every meal prepared is probably $30-$50 minimum saved for a family of 4.

A 200 point DVC membership would get me a 1 bedroom for a week each year at WDW, but it would cost me ~$600-$800 I think in annual maintenance.

For about the same initial money, around $14,000, I could buy a fairly nice travel trailer. I'm thinking one with a queen bed in the front, bunks in the back, and a slide out - roughly 27-28 feet. That $600-$800 would probably pay for 2 weeks at Ft Wilderness - and then some - particularly since my wife and I homeschool and we can readily travel in the off-season. As for a tow vehicle, we have a '00 Suburban with the towing package, so it should be able to pull a 27' trailer with a slide out.

Pros and Cons I've thought about:

DVC Pros: Can fly or drive to WDW, choice of resorts, nicer rooms than one has in a TT, good residual value (good for 40 years - TT won't last that long), can use for different vacations.

DVC Cons: High annual maintenance fees, other vacations aren't necessarily a good "deal", ie pretty much stuck using DVC at WDW.

TT Pros: Nice to have my own "stuff" w/ me: bicycle, fishing poles, etc. Can easily go other places (the beach!), can boondock on the road, FW camgrounds strike me as the kind of place where I could relax and enjoy WDW (I'm not a theme park guy), cheap(er) way to see if I like the camping experience - could upgrade to a Class A later in life, could use TT for month long trip out west in a few years (which we're kicking around).

TT Cons: Storage costs (my neighborhood convenants won't let me keep it at my house), I'm nervous about towing (though I have plenty of experience with towing boats, etc), depreciation over time (what would be my amortized cost of the TT over time?), always requires a strong tow vehicle (Suburbans, etc ain't cheap), bedrooms aren't as private as DVC 1 bedroom.

I realize y'all might be a biased gang, but what do you think?

BTW, to give you a sense of my towing distance, I'd be traveling from central NC - about 600-700 miles to WDW for my trips.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Well Sam, it looks as if you have the pros and cons pretty well thought out and it is coming down to what is the right decision for you. Another thing you have to consider is the maintenance on a TT. It's like having another house, with plumbing, electrical, appliances etc that all have to be maintained. Now it may not get as cold in NC as it does here in PA, but you do get below freezing and every winter you have to winterize your water lines. Not a big deal, but is if you don't and you have to deal with broken lines because of a freeze. In addition to normal household maintenance, the TT is a vehicle, too. There are tires, brakes, towing equipment etc to maintain. I am not trying to discourage you, but I know a lot of people who got a TT not realizing this and got discouraged quickly.

Your experience towing a boat will easily transfer to the TT. It may be bigger and heavier with more wind resistance, but the basics of towing are the same.

Your suburban will tow a pretty big TT. I am limited in size with mine (Explorer Sport Trac) so I pull a Kiwi 21C which is about as big as I can get, but we find it more than adequate for our family.

Now you have to decide if this is right for your family. A TT is close quarters - will they be happy this way? Does your wife like the idea of a vacation outside of a hotel? And realistically, while you may do one or two meals in the TT, you still will be eating out at WDW. We do about one meal a day at the campground at FW.

Some stuff to think about, for sure. But we would love to see you and your family at FW!

 

[2beagles]

Sam, I agree you have made a good analysis of the options.

We did much the same pro/con thinking before we bought our TT.

Owning a TT is not necessarily about saving money but preference in accomodations. But we have found that when we get to one location and stay a while the cost per day decreases because we're not driving.

We have been to WDW twice since buying the TT and have found that our expenses were much less than when staying in hotels and eating all meals out even with the cost of additional gasoline.

I don't mind cooking when on vacation, but I cook different kinds of things... there are lots of products out there that allow you to make a nutritious meal for your family in just a few minutes. I do lots of the prep cooking before we leave and have it frozen in containers for quick use.

My experience has been that we usually have breakfast before heading out, take a snack with us, and have 1 or 2 meals in the parks (depending on how late we are staying).

Another thing that I like about the TT is that when we are traveling to our destination we stop in a nice campground but it doesn't have to be fancy because we're just there one night and we have all our "stuff" with us.

I guess you can say that I'm biased, but it was the right decision for our family. Good luck with your decision.

 

[smchan]

Originally posted by ftwildernessguy
Does your wife like the idea of a vacation outside of a hotel?

That, my friend, is the $64,000 question! When she went as a child, her dad always got a pair of tower, park view rooms in The Contemporary, one for the kids and one for the parents, so that's her standard. She definitely did not get to go every year back then, but she more or less does now, so I've set a higher standard on frequency. We definitely do NOT stay in The Contemporary unless it's in one of the garden wings on some discount special like AP rates.

As for me, my typical childhood Disney experiences were along the lines of Motel 6, so staying onsite - anywhere - at Disney is a treat for me.

My dad is semi-retired and recently got a new rig: an F-250 diesel crew cab and a new 30 foot fifth wheel TT w/ slide out. (I want to say it's a Prowler, but I can't remember.) My wife also checked out a 30' class A w/ 2 slide outs and thinks she'd be comfortable in that. (Indeed, it was nicer than many TT's we've seen, but those rascals are high dollar for a man with only 4 weeks off per year. I could see it in my retirement years.)

So I think the thing to do is for me to plan a trip to FW next year, borrow dad's rig, and just see how well it works. I'm nervous about using it, but I get the sense that campers are a tight community and would readily help a newbie like me.

Sam

 

[smchan]

Originally posted by 2beagles
We have been to WDW twice since buying the TT and have found that our expenses were much less than when staying in hotels and eating all meals out even with the cost of additional gasoline.

I get the sense that would be my situation as well. Consider breakfast, for example. To feed a family of 4 in the morning at WDW takes at least $15-$20 for a bagels, cereal, milk and juice. In the TT, no more than $2-$3 per meal. And the time savings appeals to me. Everyone gets ready (usually waiting for mom), then go to the restaurant, then get in line, then wait until everyone is finished eating - typically kills 45m to an hour. We can eat independent of one-another in the morning if we're in a rush.

I *like* eating out at WDW, but 3 meals a day for 4 folks over a week is a major portion of my budget. In fact, it probably rivals or exceeds my typical lodging budget.

I can see breakfast everyday in the TT except for 1 character breakfast during the week, occassional lunch, and most dinners with a couple nights reserved for special family dinners (O'hannas, Brown Derby, Chefs de France, etc). I think it would readily cut my vacation meal budget by half or more.

At home, we typically spend $80-$125 per week on food. Eating at WDW, that might last 1 day!

Sam

 

[FredS]

Originally posted by smchan
So I think the thing to do is for me to plan a trip to FW next year, borrow dad's rig, and just see how well it works. I'm nervous about using it, but I get the sense that campers are a tight community and would readily help a newbie like me.

Sam

Sam, you are lucky in that you have the opportunity and I would strongly suggest doing just that -- testing out a similar setup to see how you and the family like it. I STRONGLY disagree with the poster who seemed to imply that your experience towing a boat would be very helpful in towing this type of rig. It is very, very different but it sounds as if you are aware of that and probably can quickly learn the ins and out of towing a large TT.

Actually last year we both bought DVC AND purchased a TT. We like both types of vacations, and camp often locally as well as making a trip to WDW and planning more. Don't be surprised if you end up doing both..........

And I don't see the necessity for your wife cooking! My husband knows better than to plan on me cooking at WDW and I am sure a bright man like you can quickly learn to handle the cooking on your own.

 

[smchan]

Originally posted by FredS
And I don't see the necessity for your wife cooking! My husband knows better than to plan on me cooking at WDW and I am sure a bright man like you can quickly learn to handle the cooking on your own.

LOL! I was sort of hoping it could be a shared duty. She wants to visit WDW annually, and I want to have less expensive vacations, so I think this is a reasonable point of negotiation? If I do all the cooking, we'll quickly get sick of hotdogs.

With respect to towing, how much different is a 5th wheel from a regular TT? I've considered giving up my beloved convertible for a crewcab pickup as well with the thought of using it for a 5th wheel TT.

Sam

 

[Whosemom]

Never, NEVER, get rid of the convertable


That important opinion out, let me add my camping 2cents.

My dh and I always said "No camping, no way!" But after a series of unfortunate vacation lodging incidents coupled with a cut in pay - TADA!!! we are campers. We just have a pop-up, so the type of tt you are discussing looks like bringing your house as opposed to camping. LOL. So, bearing that in mind ...

Pre-camping, we always got homesick on vacations on about day 4, even having a good time. With the camper, at the end of two weeks we whined like babies "do we HAVE to go home ALREADY?" We were really pleasantly surprised.

As mentioned previously...how great that you have a chance to try it without the investment !!

Best of luck in your decision-making process!

Micki

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Yeah, keep the convertible, Sam. We have a convertible and a quad cab truck. Two entirely different vehicles with two entirely different uses.

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree, FredS. I still think the BASICS of towing that Sam has gotten towing a boat will be helpful in towing a TT. In fact, in some situations, he may find it easier, ie. backing up. I feel it is much easier to control a larger trailer backing up than a smaller one, and I have pulled everything from a garden cart on a lawn tractor to a 40 foot dual axle behind a dump truck.

On the other hand, I agree with FredS regarding the cooking situation. When we are out in the camper, I am the head chef. Now granted it generally consists of some sort of charred meat on the grill, but I am the man in charge of the grill. And by the way, clean up goes along with the job.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

I am married and have two boys. When my husband brought up the idea of camping in a TT 3 years ago I thought he was nuts. LIke your wife my Disney vacations as a child were a room for kids and a room for adults at the POly water view. I've stayed at the Contempory and Coronado and Dolphin and Swan. Anyway we all love Ft. Wilderness. Since buying Annual passes in 2001, we went three times that year. After the initial trip and paying for the Ap''s, the other two trips were a breeze. We usually budget about 150-175 per week at home for food and eating out. (Friday is always/sleepover and pizza night here, actually except for Sun night dinner, we probably eat out all weekend) Anyway we usually find that our food budget is the same while camping. It is very easy to cook more than hotdogs on the grill!! We have shish-ka-bob with shrimp and bar-b que sauce, steak porkchops, chicken ets. Plus the crock pot is great to put a meal in before you leave for the parks and have ready when you get home. If you really want to impress your wife , there are lots of cookbooks out there. My Dh cooks a lot when camping and NEVER at home!! We just bought AP's on our trip in Aug and are returning for 2 weeks in Jan and Parents only vacation for a week in March. The three trips combined for a total of 29 nights will be cheaper than the 10 nights we did in 1999 staying at Coronado Springs!!

The other lovely thing about camping are the quick weekend trips. We just love to get away from the phone and answering machine . There are so many easy, wonderful times with your kids to be found while camping. It has such a relaxing, bonding feel about it. So an advantage to a TT is you can take it to see anywhere. And for me personally the advantage of having my own bed that no one else has slept in but us, and my own sheets that I know when were washed and not to mention our own comforter is wonderful. Whenever I see those "behind closed doors " investigations on the stuff in hotel rooms, and on the bedding, I am greatful for my camper. By the way, we started out with only a 20' TT but now have a 31' with a super slide out. We pull it with a chevy crew cab 3500. I usually drive it half way and one trip drove it the 900 miles from Disney back home all by myself. So don't let people scare you off about the driving or towing. I had never towed anything ( boat , etc) until we started camping.

Just to let you know too, we have just staarted to look into DVC. For us we are sticking with the TT. If I could figure out a way to fly it down there for vacationsI would. We would rather buy an AP every other year and get about 30 nights at Disney that way then to have one week every year for the same cost. Hope all of this helps!!

 

[John VN]

We gave deep thought to the DVC vs MH battle. We decided on DVC because of our employment situations and we started going to OKW 4 to 5 times a year. Just so happened that the RV bug then BIT us so we bought a MH and now we go to FW at least once a month and are now thinking about how we will utilise our DVC Membership.
As mentioned by others it is very comforting knowing that you have your second home with you (TT), but staying in a 1 or 2 bedroom with the king bed and that relaxing tub the huge shower the fantastic kitchen ( I do the cooking ) the comfortable living area...
You have gotten some good feedback and my advise is--Give your dad's rig a shot and while at FW meet with a DVC rep. and DON'T sell the car.

 

[smchan]

Originally posted by John VN
We decided on DVC because of our employment situations and we started going to OKW 4 to 5 times a year.

Interesting comment. It's because of my employment situation that I'm concerned about DVC. I work in the IT industry and would prefer not to be stuck with an annual maintenance expense if I were to be laid-off. (I guess I could always rent the points though to cover those expenses, right?)

OTOH, I worry I don't have enough vacation to enjoy the TT. At the moment, I've got 4 weeks per year plus 7-8 fixed holidays and 4-5 personal choice holidays.

I definitely see short, weekend trips with a TT. My wife and I love to go to Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC for long weekends. I've not really considered that benefit yet and need to research campgrounds in those areas.

Sam

 

[Krisu]

We've had a motorhome for 2 years now, and for us the decision was not to save money but a way for us to all be together (dog and cat included)

 

[house_of_princesses]

My $.02....

After our 4th dd was born, my DH took the 3 girls to a RV show, and came home with a 28' tt. Thought he was nuts! But, I knew better than to throw a fit before trying it out. Now, it's the only way I want to travel! My own sheets, bathroom, floor between the bed and bath, my own stuff.

We were travelling frequently, and pulling the tt with us. We, too, homeschool and it works great! Some weekends DH would pull the tt to a campground on a Thursday, leave for the office Fri. am and come back Fri pm to a camp humming along. (BTW, we shared the cooking duty. Have a Coleman Road Trip Grill...best thing we ever purchased, next to the tt!) Not too long after the 28' was bought, we purchased a 33' tt w/ bunk and slide out. Love it even more! It truly is our 2nd home.

As far as expenses, they are dramatically reduced with a tt. Especially when you have 6 to sleep! Not too many hotels with 3 double beds in a room! When you think of the DVC maintenance vs. tt maintenance...I have yet to spend $400/year on maintenance of my tt. But, yes, there is maintenance. I guess the question comes down to...will you use it for more than FW trips? (You already answered that.)

I would borrow the rig, not only for FW, but one or two other campgrounds. FW is not representative of our countries camping facilities! Find a local place and take it for the weekend. Even now, Autumn is a wonderful time to camp! No crowds, good campfire and hiking weather.

Good luck in your decision and let us know how you decide!

 

[melk]

Thought I would throw in my $.02 also. We too were torn between a TT and DVC. We have friends that have a TT and love it. They were always after us to get one. But for us it also meant getting a tow vehicle. When we added up the costs (TT, tow vehicle, yearly maintenance, insurance, etc), we felt it was a better deal for us to do DVC. We bought resale so it didn't cost us as much as through Disney. We bought at VWL so when we stay there we are still close to FW, where we used to love renting a cabin.

We now love our DVC purchase and have never regretted it. Granted, I don't mind doing some cooking on vacation (basically all breakfasts and maybe 2-3 dinners). But the bright spot is I don't have to clean our room at DVC (unlike a TT!).

There are times when we say we would like to have a TT. But for us, we felt that every vacation we were in the same surroundings in the trailer. With DVC we can visit any of the Disney properties or trade out somewhere else (and they are upscale accomodations).

Only you can make the right decision based on your family. Either way you will have positives, the biggest one being frequent trips to WDW!!!

 

[house_of_princesses]

I don't have to clean our room at DVC (unlike a TT!).

That's why I bring my 4 dd's!!! Seriously, our tt takes us 5 - 10 minutes in the morning to clean up. If everyone leaves their shoes at the door, even less! And I actually enjoy packing it up and unpacking it. Kind of therapy for me......

 

[Gunship Guy]

My vote would be to purchase the TT and enjoy it for the following reasons:

Depending on where you live you might be able to use it year round.

Maintenance doesn't have to be a huge issue. If you buy new it's under warranty for a couple years. If you want a used one shop for one that's been well maintained. If you have a few handy-man skills you can probably fix the trailer yourself with little trouble. We've been camping for many years and have never had huge maintenance issues. Trailers just don't fall apart around you.

There's something your family will get from camping that you'll never experience staying in a hotel or similar environment.

What we once spent on a week-long Disney vacation staying in one of their resorts would have made my trailer payments for an entire year.

Having to do your own cooking? That's part of the charm of camping. While I'm manning the grill my wife and sons sit or stand around and we talk. We have some very good conversations.

I can't speak to the pros/cons of the DVC, but I can certainly speak on the benefits of camping. My family loves it.

 

[cyndilou01]

Camping, would save you so much money and Ft. Wilderness is not your typical campground. My daughter (age 20) who is really not a camper and does not alway go with us, but if she hears Ft. Wilderness her clothes and stuff are the first ones packed. She loves it. So much for the kids young and old alike there are many days we do not even go to a park if we are staying a week or so. Also with the camper you can always take some weekend trips locally. It is a great thing to do with your kids great bonding time.

I would definetly make sure you get a slide out, makes all the difference in the room...