Some Typical Costs To Expect And How We’ve Managed Them

Every RV owner has to make the right decision for themselves. There are so many options, prices, sizes and kinds. You have to look at your own finances, and do what works for you best. If you do purchase used, I highly suggest using an inspector to make sure you know everything about your RV. 

We purchased our RV in 2016. We paid for it in full. Leaving completely debt free was our goal we worked hard to do. 

We kept track of all our expenses in 2019, for the whole year. You can see all our expenses, and the money we brought in. We shared it all on our website. As stated previously, your bills are your bills. They will follow you. There is no one answer for how much RV life costs. What are your needs and wants? Will you boondock, or stay in resorts? Do you eat out or cook at home? Do you travel fast or slow? Did you come into RV life with credit card bills, car payments, and RV payments? Do you have pets? Do you have solar on your RV? Or will you need to pay for gas to run a generator? These are all things that need to be really figured out before you even plan any further.

For instance, for every travel day, we spend $100 on fuel. So if we travel every single day, that adds up. So we travel very slow. In 2018 we spent $48 on camping fees for the whole year. Yes, the whole year! Just because so many people told us we couldn’t boondock in a big rig, our goal was to do it for a year and spend less than $100. And we did! Currently, we are planning to travel from PA to FL and it’s going to take us 3 months to get there. There is so much to see in between and traveling slow means 2 things. We get to enjoy the sights and stay within budget. 

We Are Always On The Move

We have made 3 loops around the USA so far. We love to find the hidden gems and take the roads less traveled. We are always asked where our favorite places have been and our answer is always “wherever we are at that moment”. We are really positive people and enjoy every place we’ve been to. 

We aren’t on vacation. We just live. We travel. We stay however long we want to (1 day. 3 months.) and then move on to the next place we want to explore. We are kind of spontaneous and have been known to have 3 months planned out and start heading west. Then over a 15-minute dinner conversation, we change it all up and go east. It’s fun!

Some Challenging Aspects Of RV Life

To be honest, it’s a state of mind. We have had some really stressful things happen, and that is when both of us are at our best. We speak a little quieter, we are thankful for what we have and we get it fixed, or handle it. Life is still life. Things break, we all have bad days, but it’s how you handle it and how you come out on the other end that makes or breaks it. 

COVID Hasn’t Changed Much For Us

We personally don’t use shared facilities. Not because of COVID but because we prefer to use what we have in our RV. We have our own shower and our toilet, just like we did in our sticks and bricks home. In the places we have stayed during COVID, most have been closed. Our advice, just wash your hands and keep yourself clean. 

Advice For New Full-Time RVers

I can only provide advice as a full-time RVer’s. I think people who travel on weekends and for vacations (we used to as well) are in a totally different place. They pack the RV, and they unpack the RV. For full-time living just don’t expect this to be a vacation. We don’t sit outside at a campfire every night drinking wine and playing the guitar. Ha Ha! We are just living our normal life. It just happens to be in an RV. RV life is not cheaper or easier than living in a standard home. It is, however, much more rewarding and fulfilling if you have the right attitude and are flexible. Being flexible is one of the most important things. Flat tires happen. Rain happens. Getting bad fuel in your gas tank happens. Road closures happen. Family members get sick and re-routes happen. Ask us how we know all this! Ha! We also think every full-time RVer should have some sort of mechanical skills to fix small things.

Planning a road trip soon? Here are other road trip stories worth checking out!

• Everything You Need To Know About Vanlife In The United States: Full Breakdown By @TheVantasticLife

• This Couple Has Been Road Tripping Australia For The Last 6 Months With Plans To Lap The Whole Country

• Medha Did 10 Days On The Ring Road In A Campervan And Shares Everything You Need To Know To Have A Successful Trip!

• Everything You Need To Know About Road Tripping South Island In A Campervan: Full Breakdown By @Voyageinstyle_

• Together Kevin & Laura Are VeganRV! And They’ve Been Traveling Around North America In Their Winnebago For Over 4 Years