yea for sure!! One of my dreams is to use a nice Sprinter camper to travel across the US... but the poor gas mileage, and the high cost may not be worthwhile compared to driving a more fuel efficient car and simply staying in hotels.
Problem with hotels is you have to plan much more carefully to find one to stay at, and may not always have availability when you need it. I've ran into such problems in the past in popular spots...so a Sprinter van allows me to rest most anywhere as needed.
It's probably true that staying in a hotel may is more cost effective. Especially when you consider that if you're staying in campgrounds, those can run $30 or more per night in some areas.
We do like to stay in campgrounds though, and a van is perfect for that. Our first van was a 1980 Chevy, retired from being an electrician's work rig. When my boyfriend brought it home, I was like, "Geez, what a heap, I don't know if I want to be seen in that!" It was kind of grungy, rattly, and had no AC. He put in some storage and a full-sized bed with a thick foam mattress. After the first night sleeping on that, I was sold! I never wanted to sleep in a tent again!
Another advantage of a van is you can stay overnight for free in rest stops, and sometimes other places as well. Plus, you can pull over anywhere, hop in the back, and make yourself some food or coffee. I also use it for lodging for retreats I go on a couple times a year, instead of sleeping in group quarters or in a tent.
I know vehicles are terrible "investments", but vans do seem to hold their value quite well. And we do like having a second vehicle.