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Old 01-16-2025, 05:07 PM   #1
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How much does a Sportsmobile 4x4 REALLY cost?

I'm not sure everyone really wants to see this, but ...

I was doing some budgeting recently and (in a very nerdy way) I decided calculate exactly how much it cost me to own my 2004 4x4 Sportsmobile for the past 20 years. Here's what I found:

$116,148 ($5807/year) depreciation
$55,227 ($2761/year) gasoline
$53,347 ($2667/year) repairs
$10,500 ($525/year) insurance
--------------------------------------------
$235,222 ($11,761/year) TOTAL

Looking back at my photo collection, I see that I camped about 1000 nights, so this works out to:

$235
cost per night of camping

Totally worth it.


========================================

NOTES:
  • All dollar values numbers were converted to 2024 dollars to account for inflation.
  • I'm pretty hard on my van. Much of the fun for me is seeing just how far I can get off-road. If you stick to campgrounds, your repair and depreciation costs will likely be much lower.
  • Yearly repair costs for my first decade of van ownership were only $750/year. This increased to $3650/year for the second decade of ownership. A lot starting wearing out after 10 years!
  • I did some of the work myself, saving a bit of cost. (My time was not considered in these costs.)
  • I spent even more $$ at Amazon, etc. for all the "little stuff" and toys needed for my van adventures -- not listed.
  • I bought my Sportsmobile new in 2004 for $80,000 ($131,148 in 2024 dollars), and I sold it in 2024 for $15,000. I subtract these for the "depreciation".
  • I drove my van 135K miles. At 11 MPG and $4.50/gallon gasoline (2024 dollars), that's $55,227 in gasoline.


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Old 01-16-2025, 05:13 PM   #2
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Here is a list and summaries for most of my repair/service bills:

year / bill / (in 2024 dollars) / service
2005 $40 ($63) maintenance
2005 $360 ($571) maintenance & windshield
2006 $600 ($938) 15000 mile service, Transfer Flow gas slow-fill fix attempt #1
2006 $300 ($469) front tow hitch, alignment
2006 $100 ($156) maintenance
2006 $650 ($1,016) maintenance, front hubs replaced, Transfer Flow gas slow-fill fix attempt #2
2006 $406 ($635) tuner
2007 $900 ($1,364) tires (4)
2007 $600 ($909) fuel pump fail, high beam lights fail
2007 $470 ($712) 30k service
2008 $100 ($149) 35k service
2009 $200 ($290) maintenance, front diff service
2009 $650 ($942) axle shaft seal
2011 $413 ($566) shocks parts
2012 $820 ($1,108) replace refrigerator
2012 $350 ($473) maintenance & diff, trans
2012 $600 ($811) tie rod
2012 $270 ($365) windshield
2013 $660 ($868) diffs, t-case, hubs
2014 $750 ($962) brake calipers, window replace
2014 $260 ($333) tire (1)
2014 $700 ($897) body work
2014 $2,250 ($2,885) new wheels and tires
2014 $750 ($962) exhaust, battery cables
2014 $300 ($385) windshield
2014 $405 ($519) tuner
2014 $50 ($64) rear tire holder parts
2015 $1,550 ($1,938) radiator replace, front suspension work
2015 $31 ($38) rear tire holder parts
2016 $2,000 ($2,439) brake rotors/pads, ball joints, t-case seal
2016 $570 ($695) maintenance, disconnect rear A/C
2016 $850 ($1,037) tires (2)
2016 $1,750 ($2,134) Deaver springs parts (rear)
2017 $950 ($1,131) Deaver springs install, battery, maintenance
2017 $340 ($405) windshield
2017 $116 ($138) sway bar disconnect parts
2017 $640 ($762) tires (2)
2018 $470 ($547) trans service, loose steering, maintenance
2018 $1,170 ($1,360) front leaf spring replacement (labor), maintenance
2019 $770 ($875) starter, battery
2019 $980 ($1,114) steering box
2019 $670 ($761) tires (2)
2019 $3,000 ($3,409) radiator replace, exhaust work, brake work
2019 $1,800 ($2,045) alignment, muffler, tires (4)
2019 $130 ($148) loose air intake duct
2020 $50 ($55) warranty tire work
2020 $800 ($879) tires (2)
2020 $1,700 ($1,868) replace radiator
2021 $1,000 ($1,075) rear spring shackle, body repair
2021 $3,000 ($3,226) both drivelines replaced
2022 $1,800 ($1,895) replace radiator
2023 $295 ($301) track bar parts
2023 $60 ($61) trans fluid
2024 $300 ($300) windshield
2024 $3,300 ($3,300) front brakes, track bar, battery, wheel bearings/seals


NOTES
  • Yes, I really did need to replace my radiator 4 times! Body flex towards the end caused repeated failures.
  • I went through 5 windshields.
  • My tires usually ended up needing replacement from being damaged offroad -- I never completely used up the tread. Though I did sometimes replace them all at the same time when only a few were messed up.
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Old 01-16-2025, 05:45 PM   #3
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I try hard not to know what I spend on vehicles.
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Old 01-16-2025, 10:16 PM   #4
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This is some impressive bookkeeping.
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Old 01-17-2025, 05:59 AM   #5
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Agree with the above, I don’t track and this is impressive bookkeeping.

I do have a very thick file, thicker than other vehicles. Also, I don’t consider depreciation as the vast majority of vehicles depreciate or depreciate to a certain level.
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Old 01-17-2025, 08:47 AM   #6
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yonah -- the USA could use your "numbers skills" in Washington !! Nobody there knows what the "f" anything really costs ! They pay whatever somebody asks for !
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Old 01-17-2025, 10:23 AM   #7
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I don't want to know. I think it is measured on $1000's per 1/2 inch of receipts in my SMB binder.
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Old 01-17-2025, 12:52 PM   #8
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Our cost per trip are increasing exponentially. The van has been sitting in the driveway all ready to go for the last 10 months. Since I became my wife's chauffeur there are no camping trip coming up in the foreseeable future. Have seriously consider about selling it, although I keep putting off taking the photos. I really like driving and camping in it.
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Old 01-17-2025, 03:20 PM   #9
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For comparison, here's my estimate for a more typical scenario...

If I stuck to campgrounds and did only mild off-pavement use, I predict I could have sold my 20 year old 4x4 van for more like $50,000, and my repair costs might stay consistent with those from my first decade of use (only $750/year). This results in:

$81,148 ($4057/year) depreciation
$55,227 ($2761/year) gasoline
$15,000 ($750/year) repairs
$10,500 ($525/year) insurance
--------------------------------------------
$161,875 ($8093/year) TOTAL

If I still camped about 1000 nights, this would work out to be:

$162
per night of camping
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Old 01-18-2025, 09:20 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rallypanam View Post
I try hard not to know what I spend on vehicles.
I agree. Though I like and am impressed by Geoff's organization I generally don't do it. It's hobby for me.
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