What does it cost to RV? What to say

[Gary RV_Wizard]

A side note: If fulltiming, some of the costs are offset by the savings of not having a fixed home. I.e., the RV is your home and you had to live somewhere and at some cost. But if you also keep a fixed site home somewhere, even if only seasonal, then ALL the RV costs are extras.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Decent motels don't cost much more than what RV parks are charging now.

I think that too varies a lot. RV site prices have increased dramatically, but so have motels & hotels in many areas. The days of the $6 Motel 6 are long gone. I find it increasingly difficult to find a "decent motel" for under $100/night if anywhere near a small city or mid-size town. Eastern US seems higher than mid-west, but none are inexpensive anymore. Of course, if you shop around enough for either RV sites or motel rooms, you can probably find one at some given price point.

But once again, the definition of a "decent motel" is also very much personal lifestyle dependent.

 

[DonTom]

RV site prices have increased dramatically, but so have motels & hotels in many areas.

IOW, just the normal inflation rates on everything.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Kirk]

I look at it as "how much do I spend full timing? "

Like many others, I was asking that same question almost 30 years ago when we were contemplating retirement and fulltime RVing. At the time I was an avid reader of Motorhome Magazine and in it were columns written by my mentor, Gaylord Maxwell. Without question the column that he wrote on the subject was the very best answer that I have ever seen and it remains true to the day. How Much Does It Cost? So, how much does full-timing cost? My glib answer is: Whatever you've got. There is no specific amount that can be pinpointed as the right amount for full-timing or, for that matter, any mode of living. It's just fact of life that people live pretty much according to what their incomes will permit in terms of houses, vehicles and leisure-time activities..
When we began RV travels we bought a used pop-up and rarely spent a night where we had to pay. Later we bought a 36' class A and lived in it for our first 12 years of retirement, and we did things to keep the nightly cost down. Later we were back to part-time travel and we always stopped in RV parks with full hookups because our budget in each case was different. Today one can buy an RV used for under $10k or they can spend $2 million or more new. You can spend time in remote areas or you can spend your time at tourist attractions. Even today, the cost will be whatever you have to spend.

I find many of the motels are cheaper than the RV parks these days.

I have not found it that way. Our most recent RV trip was in the middle west and the RV sites were all in commercial parks and ranged from a low of $30 to as much as $55. Our most recent trip staying in motels the price ranged from $81 to 111, taxes included. Last fall we paid $120/night in the Seattle area for a motel room.

 

[LMHS]

How much does it cost to live in a house?

How much does it cost to own a car?

How much does it cost to own a dog?

How much does it cost to have kids?

How much does it cost to live fulltime in an RV?

How much cost to own an RV?

All these questions have the same answer. "It depends". I'll be willing to bet that none of us spend the same amount of money to buy, maintain and camp/live in our RVs.

 

[Ray-IN]

This is my reply;
RVing in a CL A DP MH is the most expensive, then super C MH;s then CL A gas MH, then CL B; then towables.
Actual living expenses are controlled by one's lifestyle. Some full-timers get by on <$2,000/mo. others live on $4,000/mo.

 

[Bearcatrp]

I try to lay it out in terms of what a RV costs include besides the monthly payment on the RV. Also tell them to NOT buy a new RV for their 1 one. There is no right or wrong answer. Explain the difference between a hotel vs camper. It can be inexpensive and also to expensive. I tell them it’s more of an investment than vacation. Come home from a vacation and it’s over. The investment is the reoccurring cost of ownership. Not much else I can tell unless they get into specifics between a tow behind, 5th wheel and a drivable RV.

 

[camperAL]

Greetings,

I agree with a number of the responses here. I can mainly tell someone what it costs for me. There are variables that can add cost or in some cases if you live a charmed life and watch what you spend, it can be pretty cost effective.

I know if you were to take a car trip and stay in a motel for the length of a several month long RV trip you can come out ahead in an RV based on pricing campgrounds to stay at. This assumes (ya I know) you will have an RV and maintain it for a decent amount of time. Also cost of RV &
what you sell it for.

With that said here are some of my figures for our last trip. We took an extra long trip of six months. A little over two times we are normally gone. We boondocked some and stayed at my sisters house (full hookups) for a total of 3 months. Here are my rough figures:

Six Month RV Trip Expenses

$2384 Fuel for trip (5840 miles)
$1761 CG Costs = Total Trip Cost $4145 - $691 per month

$22.69/ Day + 9.85 RV = $32.54/Day

If you add in my yearly maintenance = $38/Day

I estimate RV cost on what I paid for it, keeping it for about ten to twelve years. I also give a rough estimate of what I might sell it for after that. Best!

 

[Ray-IN]

When you include the cost of the RV, you must also include annual depreciation. You bought a depreciating asset.

 

[camperAL]

Hi Ray and all,

I figure as long as you don't sell the RV it's value is a constant, depreciation or not. At the time you sell the RV, that gives a solid number to calculate based on inflation and depreciation. I might be able to sell my RV (considering the shape and miles) for more with the inflation that has happened.

It's tricky trying to figure out all of this to get an exact true figure. I think where people might loose is buying new and then taking a larger loss for their RV. All this does effect prices and costs. Best!

 

[oldryder]

I like to do analysis so I created a spreadsheet to compare annual cost for RVing for vacation vs. driving a car and staying at moderately priced hotels. Lots and lots of variables and you can't put a number on campfires and the pleasure of meeting other campers so I didn't try. The RV saves you money on meals and lodging while costing you in fuel expense, insurance, and maintenance. In my comparison of direct expenses the annual cost reached a break even with hotels at 4 or 5 weeks per year of use. This was assuming a 30' gasser motorhome or a travel trailer pulled by a tow vehicle you already owned. I did not try to include a depreciation cost for the RV. Higher cost RV makes the number of weeks to break even longer or much longer. An interesting alternative was to travel by car and sometimes take advantage of the campgrounds that have cabin rentals although the quality of the cabins is a real crapshoot.