What’s an epic drive like this cost? Here is our answer. This is truly every penny we spent from start to finish. (figures in USD)
28 countries, 59,734 miles, 525 days on the road, and 371 nights spent in the bus
| 1958 Volkswagen Panelvan (restored) | 13,600 | |||
| engine, transmission, brakes, safaris | 5,400 | |||
| camper kit build | 2,100 | |||
| sep 2007 | oct 2007 | nov 2007 | dec 2007 | |
| gas | 439.55 | 229.47 | 549.40 | 178.27 |
| vw expenses | 231.05 | 231.87 | 109.87 | 5.44 |
| camping | 31.00 | 0.00 | 164.22 | 154.18 |
| hotels/hostels | 579.08 | 151.70 | 579.50 | 0.00 |
| food | 262.15 | 285.88 | 622.04 | 557.17 |
| border fees | 6.00 | 0.00 | 75.91 | 0.00 |
| other | 172.50 | 496.03 | 559.04 | 518.99 |
| 1,721.33 | 1,394.95 | 2,659.98 | 1,414.05 | |
| jan 2008 | feb 2008 | jun 2008 | jul 2008 | |
| gas | 241.45 | 229.09 | 288.05 | 1,441.26 |
| vw expenses | 98.67 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 97.27 |
| camping | 340.00 | 294.55 | 124.22 | 264.28 |
| hotels/hostels | 108.55 | 127.27 | 0.00 | 143.19 |
| food | 610.50 | 552.78 | 384.87 | 1,249.38 |
| border fees | 0.00 | 0.00 | 198.00 | 0.00 |
| other | 359.20 | 292.64 | 492.80 | 315.80 |
| 1,758.37 | 1,496.33 | 1,487.94 | 3,511.18 | |
| Note: March-May in Oregon waiting for warmer weather to take off for Alaska | ||||
| aug 2008 | sep 2008 | oct 2008 | nov 2008 | |
| gas | 1,174.38 | 549.97 | 496.71 | 323.86 |
| vw expenses | 137.06 | 1,247.99 | 42.46 | 6.40 |
| camping | 206.85 | 144.94 | 336.02 | 100.67 |
| hotels/hostels | 153.83 | 0.00 | 170.34 | 499.23 |
| food | 761.78 | 434.24 | 712.59 | 777.36 |
| border fees | 0.00 | 0.00 | 110.59 | 124.81 |
| other | 1,818.39 | 449.03 | 477.42 | 250.13 |
| 4,252.29 | 2,826.17 | 2,346.13 | 2,082.46 | |
| dec 2008 | jan 2009 | feb 2009 | mar 2009 | |
| gas | 214.34 | 317.50 | 315.94 | 737.18 |
| vw expenses | 182.64 | 198.52 | 458.23 | 51.49 |
| camping | 168.73 | 103.48 | 107.55 | 210.49 |
| hotels/hostels | 540.61 | 477.44 | 444.34 | 197.25 |
| food | 820.86 | 628.56 | 466.92 | 724.29 |
| border fees | 37.56 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 23.24 |
| other | 2,956.85 | 309.33 | 495.21 | 288.45 |
| 4,921.59 | 2,035.83 | 2,288.19 | 2,232.39 | |
| Dec: shipping the bus from Panama City to Colombia totaling $2616: container and Panama port fees $1305, airfare for us $435, hotel ten nights $502, Colombia port fees $374 | ||||
| apr 2009 | may 2009 | jun 2009 | jul 2009 | |
| gas | 511.20 | 267.37 | 1,009.17 | 808.88 |
| vw expenses | 216.44 | 279.50 | 28.21 | 302.60 |
| camping | 124.16 | 131.43 | 602.72 | 662.14 |
| hotels/hostels | 430.96 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 953.19 |
| food | 642.33 | 277.77 | 1,098.66 | 1,047.93 |
| border fees | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10.86 | 0.00 |
| other | 5,611.57 | 553.78 | 571.45 | 4,272.85 |
| 7,536.66 | 1,509.85 | 3,321.07 | 8,047.59 | |
| Apr: cargo ship from Argentina to Germany totaling $4795: RORO bus shipment $932, cabin for two $3496, wire fee $67, Brazil visas $300 | ||||
| Jul: includes a side trip to Paris and flights to the U.S. | ||||
| Total $58,844. Twenty months, $2,942 per month. | ||||
6 Comments on “Cost to Drive the Americas”
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Were the “Other” cost expenses unrelated to your trip?
They are just expenses that didn’t fall under any other categories. Airplane tickets, shipping, new computer or camera, etc.. See the notes below the months.
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great site. just discovered.
may i ask who build you camper kid.
thanks
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