HOW MUCH DO YOU USE YOUR SMB?

[Ford_6L_E350]

Bought the SMB in 04 when I got retired, laid off, dumped, whatever after 30 years. Actually, the severance bought the SMB. Went to Alaska. Came home and went to work part-time for a friend doing machine repair and maintaince. Try to travel when possible.

SMBing for 5 years

Best we can tell ~ 3-400 nights in the SMB, about half in National Parks

Alaska twice in the Sporty. Southwest National Parks (Yosemite, Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon (both rims), Chaco Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Death Valley, Sequoia, Grand Staircase, Canyonlands, etc) yearly. Drive back to Iowa to visit family every year.

A little over 71K miles.

Semi-retired. I work when I feel like it and take off whenever I want. Right now, I don't feel like working.

Mike

[yakhlr]

Years of use, 14 months

Nights in van, 76

Miles driven, 23,500

Retired, YES!

Henry

[John and Dana]

We have had our SMB for 16 months now and have put 20k miles on it so far. We don't keep track of the number of nights we camp but we must be somewhere around 100 nights at this point.

We not only use our van for camping/exploring this great big world but we also play in volleyball tournament all summer. We drive the van to the beach or park the night before, get front row parking and spend the night in the van. In the morning we wake up, make coffee and never have to worry about being late or finding a parking space. We also then can use the van for a place to hang out during the tournament.

We also have no kids and an active social life and the van is our no DUI partymobile. We drive it to almost every party we attend then if I want to have a few beers I don't have to worry about driving. I can see the commercial now. Sportsmobile $100,000 not getting a DUI PRICELESS.

We are not retired but I work as a self employer home inspector so with the real estate market in shambles I have had lots of time off the last two years.

John

[MikewTV]

We have owned 'Minerva' for 1 year, 3 months.

Spent 28 nights in her.
(And also used on road trips where we stayed with family but enjoyed having her creature comforts along the way.)
12,500 miles so far.

She is also a daily driver (a station car.)

Retired?..from your mouth to God's ears.

Not as many trips as I'd like but I love this van.

[panion]

Great post Ed, I've been wondering this myself.

I work a 7 day on then 7 day off schedule. I'm in the emergency medical field, where this is a common schedule. I have the unique pleasure of being able to "camp" at work. So I automatically get 7 days a month in the smb.

With two weeks off every month the sportsmobile starts to make a lot of sense. For the past year I've been camping for at least one of the two weeks almost every month.

I've had the van for almost 2.5 years now.

Mileage added is 23,000

Total nights in the van is about 230.

Best part is that this number is increasing, and should average a good 10 days a month in the next year.

Retirement, yes it is around the corner. I'm only 46, but have decided to completely downsize my life. 2 more years of work tops. Time to go back to being poor but happy.

Wish me luck.

[mb309]

I am gonna help you feel good about your usage ratios:

I have owned my van approx 18 months. It has been sleepable for five months. I have spend the night in it four times, and my kids have several times. I am not retired. We have put approx 10K miles on it driving carpools and DD type stuff (mine has nine seatbelts).

[Ed in Montana]

Mb309 I think you should start camping in your driveway just to get those nights in an SMB up there where they belong!

[Ed in Montana]

Last weekend, one of our neighbors in the back and across the side street bought an old 25-foot travel trailer, and parked it in their backyard. I can now see three travel trailers from my back deck, and I get more use out of our Sportsmbobile in one long weekend, than any of the travel trailers get used in a year.

Travel trailers are the camping vehicles of choice here in western Montana. They're cheap used and not too expensive when purchased new. In my neighborhood, I would say a quarter of the homes have a TT parked in the backyard, just taking up space. Of the people I know in town, maybe one or two take their trailers out more than a couple of times a year. The newer big 35-foot trailer I can see in back has been out three nights this year, and was used not at all during the previous two years. I simply don't get it.

True, these camping vehicles cost much less than a class B RV, but why would you purchase one and use it as a lawn ornament? Perhaps it provides a sense of security to think that some year it might actually get used. I don't know.

What I do know is that only a handful of folks in this small town camp more than we do in our Sportsmobile. There's Bob with his truck camper, that spends several months hunting each Fall in eastern Montana, and then there's Jim and Pam (retired) that chase fish all over the U.S. with their giant fifth wheel. And of course there's Dan, a co-worker of mine, that continues to raft more rivers for weeks at a time and seems to always take off more vacation than I do.

But I still wonder about those travel trailers being used as long term lawn ornaments.

[saabman]

Over here people do the same or they rent a plot in year-round Caravan parks (travel trailer parks) I think it is a cheap way to have a holiday "home"

[danamrak]

3 years in DABEE and 39,800 miles and another 300 before we hit home later today.
Average 115 days a year vacationing or camping in DABEE.
Have taken 2 trips of 9 weeks so far. This trip was 9 weeks and 1 day, but who's counting.
Have camped in 32 states so far in DABEE.
Can you tell we like our SMB and enjoy traveling in it.