For those that view long distance road trips as a waste, why?

[debit.servus]

For those that view long distance road trips as a waste, what brought you to this opinion?

 

[Pebbles]

Now, that's a waste.

 

[user 423]

I view it as a waste because it's 'unnecessary' travel that burns a lot of fuel, adding to our modern global problems. For the first 30 years the travel was done in Toyotas,Hondas, VWs and motorcycles. The past 15 years by gas hog vans and a Class B. I've viewed it as unnecessary and wasteful but it is something I happily plan to do more of. I just won't be claiming that I'm being 'green' while doing it.

 

[MrNoodly]

I view it as a waste because it's 'unnecessary' travel...

Unnecessary to you and others, perhaps, but very necessary to people like me whose sanity depends on going wherever I want to go whenever I want. I spent 61 years anchored in place and becoming mentally ill because of it.

 

[dawnann7]

I view it as a waste because it's 'unnecessary' travel that burns a lot of fuel, adding to our modern global problems.

Do you think it is different if folks are actually living in their RVs? I imagine you'd have a much smaller footprint and would use much less fuel and electricity, etc., than in a bricks and mortar home. (Speculating here. I haven't actually done the research.)

 

[user 423]

^
There is such a wide range of how and where people live that it would be very hard to prove which lifestyle is 'greener'. If you lived in a small,well-insulated house that was built 50 years ago that may have passive solar,etc. and drove a sensible, fuel-efficient car for work/errands, I'd think that would be way 'greener' than driving 1000's of miles each year in an RV that got 6 mpg. Of course there is everything in between, so you can't generalize. Sure, getting out of the rat race is great but all the RVs, the transportation infrastructure, Amazon consumerism and all that wouldn't exist without millions who keep their noses to the grindstone.

I put 'unnecessary' in quotes for a reason because everyone will have a different view on that. Now that I'm retired and drive a gas guzzler, I sort of feel that I'm entitled because for 30 years I drove fuel-efficient vehicles. Back in the early '70s I was one of the younger, ecologically aware people that sneered at the older crowd who clung to their yacht-sized cars that averaged 12 mpg. Now, I realize that I was being hypocritical because it was a matter of degree....I still burned fossil fuel with all my 'unnecessary' travels exploring the country.

For people who espouse the green lifestyle, I think they need to have the courage of their convictions and be truly green. Ride bicycles, or walk, build everything from scratch,grow their own food, get away from things that use electricity (like computers...LOL) and not be driving all over the country in gas guzzlers.

How dull that would be for most folks, me included.

Cheers...

 

[lenny flank]

To be fair, I've driven from coast to coast and from north to south all over the country, and I rack up less than half the miles an average suburban commuter does per year. That's because I spend a month in each city, take the local bus for all my local transportation, and only drive from one city to another, once a month.

PS--compared to a house-dweller, a van-dweller's carbon footprint is a lot smaller. So you ARE being "green" while doing it.

 

[user 423]

^
Like I said, there's everything in between and we shouldn't generalize.

 

[debit.servus]

Do you believe others shouldn't have the ability to travel thousands of miles over the road for pleasure?

 

[debit.servus]

Welcoming responses.

 

[John61CT]

What a bizarre world-view.

IMO road trips are a functional spend item,
I figure $1 a mile to cover everything.

Each person has their own calculus of how important the goal of the trip is, as opposed to what they can afford or feel like spending.

And carbon footprint consciousness does come into it for some.

 

[wagoneer]

I don't find driving to be pleasurable it's a hazard at best. I drive from A to B then from B to A stopping often along the way.

 

[debit.servus]

I don't find driving to be pleasurable it's a hazard at best. I drive from A to B then from B to A stopping often along the way.

If you could buy more than [insert  amount here] of fuel for the same amount of money, would you want to do so? Or is there some belief that it would be inappropriate for you to use more fuel? Or that it would be way too excessive to use more fuel? 

If Money and the cost of driving is a limiting factor, if you could Road journey at least twice as far for the same amount of money, would you want to do so? Or is there a belief that it would somehow be wrong or unfair or cheating to travel too far and cheaply?

If time or negative perception of driving is a limiting factor, if you could Road journey at least twice as far in the same travel day, would you do it? Or is there a belief that it would somehow be wrong or unfair or cheating to travel too far and easily? 

If you could travel in much better (using your definition) rig than what you currently have for the same amount of fuel use, wear and tear, same vehicle costs and nimbleness, would you want to do so? Or is there some belief that it would be inappropriate for you to RV at a high comfort (your definition) level? Or is there a belief that it would somehow be wrong or unfair or cheating to travel in a rig larger and more comfortable? 


If you could travel one or two steps up in standards (looking from your standards), would you want to do so? Or is there some belief that it would be inappropriate for you to travel at a higher standard? Or that it would be too excessive for you to travel at higher standard? Or is there a belief that it would somehow be wrong or unfair or cheating to travel with less hassle and with more comfort (looking from your comfort level)?

 

[debit.servus]

Welcoming responses.

 

[B and C]

A lot of questions there Debit.

It seems economics (money) comes into play here more so than other sites. Who doesn't want to get more for less? Any trip I take is necessary for me whether it be close or far. I have the traveling vehicle I want now. Never owned an econobox, never wanted one. Don't want to trade for bigger or smaller, gas mileage be da**ed. I travel as far as I want when I want (when I can get away from the DW and her dementia now). Nobody ever said to me that life is fair. You takes your knocks and hopefully get in a few good licks yourself. You only have you to look out for you because nobody else will.

 

[maki2]

Considering that a great deal of the world's population over the centuries have not traveled very much further than a few miles from their homes there is no  corroborative evidence that lack of travel is a cause mental illness. You are perhaps forgetting that the first true automobile was not invented until 1885 and that there are still many persons in the world who do not own automobiles and/or recreational vehicles. Leisure travel is an unobtainable luxury for many but the lack of it does not in itself create mental illness. But of course one can see where a mentally ill person might see it that way and feel that was the cause of it. Travel is a funny thing, it relieves stress in some but it creates stress in others. So a relief of stress might be taken as a sign that the stress was caused by not being able to travel. Our minds are indeed quirky things and work in mysterious ways.

 

[B and C]

Before the advent of info overload and easy travel, there generally wasn't a need or willingness to get out and about except for maybe the mountain men and their ilk.

With the advent of all the information about what is out there and easy modes of travel, it seems to be beckoning those old mountain men (and women) types and could be seen as a mental health problem if they are unable to do it. My $0.02 worth.

 

[John61CT]

I allocate $1 a mile for travel.

So a long trip in a short time is expensive.

If for a good reason, and I can currently afford that, no problem.

But just laying down the miles mindlessly is wasteful.

 

[B and C]

But just laying down the miles mindlessly is wasteful.

Isn't this lifestyle all about mindless travel?  There is no set itenary.  It is an adventure to be embraced.  Do I drive just to drive?  No and I don't know anybody that does.

There is a destination, even if it is "whats in this direction?".  It is a need to find out or a yearning.  I flit all over the place to see what "I" want to see now.  It all depends on what strikes my fancy at the time.  My mind kinda works like this, "I am tired of this place and want something different".  It is not wasteful to me but may be to others.

My schedules have gotten shorter the more my wife deteriorates though, so I am back into some destination driving.  I guess I am not going to be able to break this habit anytime soon as I have done it most of my life.

 

[Dingfelder]

Isn't this lifestyle all about mindless travel?  There is no set itenary.  

No, because there is no single lifestyle nor itinerary.  How it's all put together is a very individual thing.

The name of the forum, I think a lot of us sometimes forget, is made up of the words Cheap + RV + Living rather than Cheap + RV + Traveling.  Traveling is just one option, and even then is probably different for everyone.