Budget
Consolidated annual travel budget: fuel, event tickets, dog boarding, and maintenance allocation for a 9–11 month road season.
Synthesized: Sep 24, 2026 · Vehicle: 2014 E350 bus, 5.4L, 10–12 mpg, ~400–480 mi range, 225k mi · Travelers: 1 adult + 1 dog. This is the consolidated money file. Ticket/site/event prices live in the source files below; this file rolls them into annual totals and adds the two missing line items — fuel and vehicle maintenance. Every number is a range; [VERIFY] each before booking (prices drift; research frozen Sep 2026).
Annual Budget Snapshot (one full road year, e.g., 2027)
| Line | Low | High | Source / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel | $2,600 | $4,800 | 8,000–10,000 mi/yr @ 10–12 mpg × $3.80–5.60/gal state mix (see Fuel §below) |
| Vehicle maintenance | $2,500 | $5,000 | vehicular/maintenance.md (running costs + repair reserve on 225k-mi rig) |
| Tickets (events) | $1,700 | $3,800 | BRC ≈ $1,690+VP · Saguaro Man ~$150–225 ×2 · EDC only if flagged · 420 fests small · see Tickets § |
| Camping/sites | $800 | $2,000 | Boondock-default; hookups as weather insurance, 6 marquee rec.gov reserves (see Camping §) |
| Dog boarding (no-dog events) | $0 | $900 | Reno kennel for BRC week is the annual big-ticket item (~$500–800); occasional Vegas/Tucson (see Boarding §) |
| Parks passes | $80 | $330 | America the Beautiful $80 (resident) / $250 (non-resident); state-park extras (see Fees §) |
| Food/living | $7,000 | $10,000 | 1 adult, ~$40–55/day all-in [VERIFY with their own number] — excluded from event budgets below |
| Propane | $400 | $700 | winter heating + cooking; refill cadence per boondocking.md |
| Misc/contingency | $1,000 | $2,500 | reservations rec.gov $8×6, dump fees ~$15×, laundry, propane, STOVETOP etc. |
| TOTAL (excl. food) | ~$7,400 | ~$14,000 | Tags: fuel+maintenance+tickets+camping+boarding+passes+propane+contingency |
| TOTAL (incl. food) | ~$19,400 | ~$32,000 | The realistic full “living on the road” year |
Interpretation: the ◆ driver is fuel + maintenance (≈ $5–10k/yr combined) — bigger than tickets. The whole scheme (boondock-default, hookups-as-insurance) exists to keep camping cheap so fuel+maintenance stay the dominant line. A low-mileage, event-light year lands ~$20k/yr; BRC + EDC + Wasteland + a CA coast swing + monthly-RV-park summer pushes toward $30k+.
1. Fuel
Method: annual miles ÷ mpg × $/gal. State pump prices (overview.md, Sep 2026): AZ $4.50–4.75 < NM $4.05–4.50 < CO $4.20–4.40 < NV $4.95–5.20 < CA $5.80–6.20.
| Scenario | Miles/yr | MPG | $/gal blend | Annual fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event-light road year (Quartzsite + CO + regional only) | 8,000 | 12 | $4.40 | ~$2,600 |
| Typical full year (Phx→Quartzsite→Tucson→Saguaro→EDC→CO→BRC→Wasteland→home) | 10,000 | 11 | $4.60 | ~$4,200 |
| Heavy year (all flagships + monthly RV park + CA coast + Lost Lands swing) | 12,000 | 10 | $5.00 | $6,000 |
Rules that bind the number:
- Budget on the 10,000-mi/11-mpg/~$4.60 = ~$4,200/yr midpoint. Re-derive after the first full season (Phase 5 calibration, overview.md).
- Never US-6 Ely→Tonopah 168-mi no-fuel (routes.md); top off cheap states (AZ/NM) before CA/NV; enter/exit CA full.
- 8–10 mi past half-tank = decide; quarter = committed (overview.md §Key decisions).
- Jerry can (5 gal) carried per routes.md; ~$20–28/refill cost counted in fuel line.
2. Vehicle Maintenance
Full schedule + open-work list: vehicular/maintenance.md (new; this is the file calendar.md already pointed to for the Sep post-BRC service).
- Running costs (oil/fluids/filters/brakes/tires): ~$1,200–2,200/yr
- Repair reserve (timing chain, trans, alternator, AC — big items WILL hit 225k mi): ~$1,500–3,000/yr
- Allocation: $2,500–5,000/yr. Non-negotiable — draw before fun.
- First-year priority if 225k-mi history is unknown: baseline refresh — trans flush + cooling + belt/tensioner + full brake inspection (≈ $1,000–2,500 one-time, already inside the reserve range). [VERIFY items in maintenance.md]
2b. Future build-out (gated one-time, NOT in annual totals)
| Item | Cost | Gate / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-behind enclosed 5×8 trailer (trike + DF1100T gen + fuel live on trailer, not bus) | Used $1,500–3,000 + reg/insurance ~$100–300/yr + lock kit ~$100 | Gated on Phase 0 verify: hitch class/rating stamp (receiver exists), 7-pin/wiring, door-jamb GCWR/tow rating, CAT-scale re-weigh w/ load — see event-gear/ARCHITECTURE.md §Storage, vehicular/weight-capacity.md, overview.md Phase 1. Tongue ~160–255 lb. We do NOT own this yet — planned, not bought. |
| Hitch-rack fallback (trike-only trips) | ~$500–900 | Only if trailer deferred; 200–250 lb-class rack |
Discipline: no trailer/rack money until Phase 0 numbers are real (door sticker + scale). Same rule as event-gear ARCHITECTURE Phase 0.
3. Tickets (events)
| Event | Ticket per person | Camping/park fee | Dogs | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saguaro Man (Apr, AZ — dog event) | Early Bird $150 ✕2 → General $185 → Gate $225 | $0 (camp on playa) | +$25/dog, max 2, ~55-cap | events.md / events-western.md · DOG TIX SOLD OUT 2024+2026 — buy at drop |
| Burning Man (Aug–Sep) | GA $550–3,000+ (2026 tiers; pick $675–775 ✕2 ≈ $1,350–1,550) | Vehicle Pass ~$165 | Board Reno | calendar.md §BRC budget ≈ $3,000–3,200 all-in incl. fuel+shit-kit |
| EDC Las Vegas (May, only if flagged) | GA $399.99 ✕2 ≈ $800 | Camp EDC 4-night $796 (dry) / $1,593 (power) | Board Vegas | events-flagship.md §1 · conversion-bus gray zone — email first |
| HESTIVAL (Apr–May, Hotchkiss CO — dog event) | Day-pass/limited ~$35–70 [VERIFY] | Camping included | ✅ dogs in | events.md §burn-style |
| 420 Fest Tucson (Apr) | GA $25–40 ✕2 / VIP $75 | — day trip | ⬇ no dogs | events.md §420 |
| 420 State Fair, Vegas (Apr) | GA $15 / VIP $99 | — day trip | ⬇ no dogs | events.md §420 · day-trip only |
| Mile High 420 (Denver) | GA $25–34 ✕2 / VIP $185–200 | — | ⬇ no dogs | events.md §420 · standalone spring-CO only |
| Consumption lounges (optional) | Free entry (Cirrus) or pay-per-product; Tetra $10–20 passes | — | ⬇ no dogs | events.md §Consumption lounges · budget ~$50/night if added |
| Wasteland (Sep–Oct, if flagged) | ~$345–405 ✕2 ≈ ~$741 all-in | $0 (ticket covers RV) | ❌ service only | events-flagship.md §5 · cheapest/best bus fit |
| Gem & Jam (Feb, Tucson) | [VERIFY] | — | ⬇ board | events.md / calendar.md Feb |
Typical ticket spend: BRC ($1,550) + Saguaro ($300) + small 420 ($50) ≈ $1,900/yr at the core; +$800 EDC + $741 Wasteland if flagged-off → ~$3,500–3,800.
Key: purchase at first drop (Saguaro Early Bird ≤Dec 31; BRC VP+2GA one Main-Sale purchase). Booking timeline: events-flagship.md §Booking + calendar.md §Alarm.
4. Camping / Sites
Model: boondock by default; buy hookups as insurance. (overview.md §Executive Summary.)
- Free dispersed (BLM/USFS, 14-day limit) — $0 base; ≈ 60–70% of nights.
- LTVAs: La Posa Quartzsite $180/season (Sep 15–Apr 15); CA Pilot Knob $180.
- Federal CG: Mather $30, Moraine (RMNP) $38–51?, Mesa Verde Morefield $38–51, Furnace Creek winter-res, Great Sand Dunes/Piñon Flats $20 — the 6 marquee rec.gov reserves.
- State parks: Lost Dutchman $50/night, Lake Mead Boulder Beach $20, Valley of Fire $25+$10 hookup, Anza-Borrego var.
- Private/RV parks (weather insurance): $32–60/night typ; monthly: $325 (AZ winter) → $1,140–1,650 (CO Canyon View), $2,000 (CO Riverdance summer).
- Rec.gov fees: $8/res + $10/cancel + first-night forfeit — counted in contingency.
Annual camping line: ~$800–2,000 (hookups for heat/AC-critical nights, the 6 marquee parks, LTVA(s), and any monthly-park month).
5. Dog Boarding (no-dog events)
| Window | Where | ~Cost/wk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRC week (Aug–Sep) | Reno or Fernley | $500–800 [VERIFY local] | calendar.md §Dog-home-base · book 6+ mo out |
| EDC weekend (May) | Vegas kennel | $250–400 | calendar.md May |
| Mid-April burns (if SNRG/CBE picked instead of Saguaro) | Phoenix | $150–300 | calendar.md April note |
Annual: $0 (Saguaro-only April) → $800–900 (BRC + EDC). BRC is the fixed annual cost.
6. Parks Passes & Fees
- America the Beautiful $80 (US resident) / $250 (non-resident tier Jan 1 2026) — covers ~2,000 federal sites, does NOT discount CG reservations.
- CA campfire permit — free.
- CO annual state-park: $75 decal (if doing many); NV day-use var.
- Dump stations: free–$25 (budget $15 ✕ ~2/mo when boondocking).
Notes / Tags
- Driver line items: fuel + maintenance = $5,000–10,000/yr ≈ 40–60% of total.
- Geo-pricing: maximize fuel in AZ/NM, minimize CA/NV; CA entry/exit full (overview.md).
- Every number is OSRM-mileage-driven (calendar.md §Drive Leg tables) or source-file-priced. Re-derive after first full season (overview.md Phase 5).
Cross-file
overview.md§Pricing reality + §Architecture #6 (money architecture)calendar.md§Drive Leg table + §BRC budget + alarm calendarevents-flagship.md/events.md/events-western.md— ticket + parking feesvehicular/maintenance.md— the maintenance line detail + service schedulecamping.md/boondocking.md/policies.md— site costs, LTVA, dump fees