[B_and_D]

Where we like to go in the summer it would cost us about $150 - $250 a night for what we pay $18 a night for in the TM. We get a lakefront location with swimming beach, a place to park the BIL's boat, a nice yard, friendly neighbors, full cooking facilities, private bath, a separate bed for each of the kids, etc. And it doesn't cost us that much more in gas to take the TM, we get about 15 - 16 mpg towing. And, as was mentioned above, we have all of our belongings with us and can also take our cat. I tried for about 2 weeks to find a motel in LA that would take a cat (luckily DH stayed home with her) when we went to the King Tut exhibit, everyone wanted $25 per night extra just for having a pet in the room. I figure even if we were to sell the TM for $7,000 (and there's no way that I would) tomorrow, it's cost us about $70 per night including the extra gas, insurance, license, new tires, etc. (and we won't sell it for years and years). So I feel that we're really ahead financially, even at this point. The cost per night will just keep going down and down every year as the depreciation slows.

I've been really happy to check into a motel occasionally; this past summer after dry camping for about a week I took the kids to Oregon and stayed in a motel and was REALLY glad to have a bathroom with lots of water and electricity, but we were also glad to be back at the campsite. We like going to places where there aren't a lot of motels or other lodging besides camping.

Sure we could just bring along a tent, done that, like the TM a lot better, and we are both really glad that we bought it. However, we did buy ours used, so we paid roughly 40% of what a new one costs. I really believe that with rising gas prices the TM's will hold their value better and better. The cost really depends on how much you'll be using it.

We have never regretted our purchase once. We actually enjoy it more and more every time we use our TM.