I was on a 3+ week trip in my van recently and had a  breakdown in N AZ. Cost me $270.00 at the shop and $40.00 for the Motel 6.
Another $400.00 for a major part replacement.
I had been staying with my brother a few days in N AZ so I called him to let him know. He said I should consider selling the van since
"you seem to have so much trouble with it and spend so much $$ on it."

He and his wife were on a 7 week trip last summer and drove from AZ W to the CA coast, up through Oregon and WA, SE through Yellowstone/Salt
Lake and home in their Calss A (mid-priced), almost always paying for campsites (most costing $25-60 nightly), and since they get, at best 6 mpg
and drove 3800 miles. He paid 3 times in fuel costs alone, as I spent on this one trip for emergency road service. I think I'll be staying with my 
current set up for many reasons, the least of which is NOT the very high cost of day-to-day, basic operating expense while "tripping". The
remoteness of the places I can get into, and stay in, is an indispensable feature of my van.

(Thanks Larry, for the "shop" reference of TNT Automotive in Kingman, AZ-incredible place)

Bob Stevens
'87 Syncro Westy .... 18mpg ... very few paid campsites, thank you BLM
On Nov 26, 2010, at 1:17 PM, Matt Thyer wrote:

> Can I get a Hallelujah from the chorus.  You've pegged me brother Loren.  Those campers are nice, but the price tag is awfully high.  And that's just the capital investment.  They tend to cost way more to maintain and their operating expense is extreme.  Another thing to consider, how many of you would start hacking on something you paid that much money for to make it more your own?  Not I, no way.  Sticking with utility and function over flash any day.  
>