Poker and RV's

Most RV owners do not get their money’s worth on their RV. A fairly decent one will cost you from 30K-300K. Some people even spend up to a million for the very top of the line. RV’s depreciate thousands when you drive them off the showroom floor and they steadily depreciate over time at a rapid pace. Most owners use them 1-2 weeks a year and even then some of them take them on long trips but stay at nights in hotels or spend 30-60 dollars a night to stay at an RV park which is usually only a step above a parking lot with hookups.

Not me. The first year we got ours we drove 17,000 miles around the country. And we spent less then $250 on RV parks. We stayed in remote areas, truck stops, 24 hour grocery store lots and of course, scores of Wal-Marts. Since that time I average 7-10 days a month sleeping in it at Casinos. And we have since been halfway around the country again. It has been a picnic vehicle, a large group sightseeing vehicle and even an outdoor wedding changing room.

But, most of the time it allows me to go to a Casino or card room and play a few hours, and take a break whenever I want. I can play late into the evening and still play a morning tournament after a good nights sleep.

About 7 months out of the year I can take it to Vegas and enjoy having an extra thousand to use as my poker bankroll for the week. I almost always bring home more then I went with when I take the RV. I pay my gas and buy my groceries out of my bankroll and play no “house-edge” games.

I am so surprised that more people don’t use their RV’s that way. I see it as a multi-way to save money. I don’t pay for lodging, and my food is a fraction of what it costs to eat out. It costs me interest but all that is an income tax deduction because it qualifies as a “second home”. (It qualifies as a “first one” when we are living in it full-time).

I seem to average a little more poker profit on these more intensive poker trips, then day trips to a casino because I take more frequent breaks. And it is easy to walk away from the table and come back later when it is a 5 minute walk rather then an hour drive. When there is heavy traffic we pull over and read, nap, or eat until traffic is better and we never need reservations or follow a schedule to have to be somewhere by a certain time.

My RV is a 1999 26ft Lazy Daze Coach built on a Ford V10 engine and ¾ ton van chassis. If I wasn’t married I would live in it full-time, but my wife is not yet ready for that kind of adventure just yet. However, she is feels comforted like I am by owning an RV in case of a disaster, disability or complete financial meltdown we could live in it if we had to, and still be happy as a couple. I am not sure that many other couple we know could.

I will probably keep it another 3 years unless her company closes in this next year. There are some “rumors” that it could.

She would be very open to buying something bigger, if we decided to go live in it again on a permanent basis. I think something about 32 foot with a slide out might be on the distant horizon for us.

The RV mindset is very different when it comes to taking trips. It is less stressful a drive because I am sitting in a comfortable chair up high with many creature comforts within reach. You can’t accelerate, slow or corner fast so I tend to drive less aggressively and allow a lot more room between me and other traffic.

For most people the vacation starts when you get to your destination. For a true RV’r the trip begins when you climb on board in your own RV.