We just celebrated our third year as RV nomads. It has been a fantastic adventure; we still wake up and pinch ourselves. But like everything in life, it’s not free! Thankfully, you can decide how much or how little it is to live in an RV.
Do you want to experience everything that comes your way, or would you rather boondock on free land for 6 months of the year? The choice is yours, and that choice will determine your living costs. We are sharing our RV costs to give you a starting point for your RV budget.
Year 3 FULL TIME RV Costs
We choose adventure
We buy the tickets, take the train ride, rent the pontoon boat, or do whatever! We are on this journey to experience all we can while we can! We did not choose to RV to save money. We are RVing to create new memories and enjoy life. This blog won’t teach you how to live off $500 a month.
Our budget this year is completely different from the last two years. In our first year, we were rookies and had to learn to navigate campgrounds that fit our camping style while keeping us on budget. Learning to plan an RV trip does take practice, but after a while, it gets really easy. Using a tool like RV Trip Planner will help you with the learning curve.
When we hit the road, our campground budget was an average of $40 a night. In our second year, we figured a few things out and dropped the budget to an average of $30 a night. It wasn’t hard for us to stay well under budget. This year, I think we might be over that!
COVID jacked up our plans (and everyone else’s) and impacted our overall cost in a big way. We sat in more expensive private campgrounds and visited state parks and county parks less often. Want to know what we spent? Keep on reading, and we share it all!
ONE YEAR RV LIVING COSTS: VARY PER RVER
As mentioned in our videos, living costs vary significantly from RVer to RVer. There are many reasons for the vast difference in expenses. Below are just a few things that can vary from RVer to RVer and will impact costs.
Type of RV
Size of Family
RV Living Style
Preferred Type of Camping
Camp Hosting
Frequency of Boondocking
Income
Debt
How Long You Stay in Each Location
And so much more!
What did yearS 1 and 2 cost us?
Our First Year Full Time.
Our Second Year Full Time
A full cost breakdown, including every ticket and dollar spent during our second year, can be found here: One Year Full Time Living Costs: Expensive?
Don’t make our mistakes! Find out what we learned Our First Year Full Time. It might save you a few headaches along the way.
ONE YEAR RV LIVING COSTS: NOT INCLUDED
We do not include groceries, cell phones, eating out, clothing, RV depreciation, streaming platforms, gym memberships, medical insurance, etc., in our cost breakdown. Our costs in those categories will not help you create your RV budget because they vary significantly from RVer to RVer.
Use your current costs in those categories to estimate your spending on the road. Most of the categories will remain the same. Besides, how much I spent at a local brewpub won't help when you make your dining out budget.
MILES DRIVEN DURING YEAR 3
ONE YEAR RV LIVING COSTS: BREAKDOWN
ACTIVITIES
Rock Mill Adventure Side by Side Rental
Our activities included tickets, admission fees, and any other costs associated with fun activities. However, they did not include food or drinks.
Year $1459.39
Monthly Average $121.61
Tickets
Rock Mill Adventure Side by Side Rentals, Custer, SD $369.36
Rushmore Tramway Adventures (Zipline & Alpine Slide), Keystone, SD $236
Rock City Lookout Mountain, Lookout Mountain, GA $43.90
Gaylord Opryland Christmas Movie, Nashville, TN $72.10
Sebastian Inlet Marina, Vero Beach, FL $23.61
Night Kayaking Tour, FL $95
Lake Lure Boat Tour, Lake Lure, NC $36
Biltmore Estates, Ashville, NC, $151.94
National Navy UDT Seal Museum, FT Pierce, FL $65.25
Kennedy Space Center, Merrit Island, FL $121.98
Beachside Grand Prix Go-Karts, Cocoa Beach, FL $61.98
The Brew Bus (Brewery Tours), Tampa, FL $46.59
River Venture Tours (Swim with the Manatees) Homosassa, FL $135.68
*Ticket prices are total cost, not the cost for each ticket.
Rock Mill Adventures Side by Side Rentals
Night Kayaking and Kennedy Space Center
Sevastian Inlet Marina
FUEL
Our fuel cost does not include fuel for our tow car. We started saving huge on our fuel costs once we signed up for the TSD RV Fuel Savings Card. If you use diesel, you need this savings card! It is free to join and only costs 10% of your fuel savings. So, in other words, it will cost you nothing!
Buffalo Bill State Park, Cody, WY
Diesel Year $3115.90
Monthly Average $259.65
DEF Year $99.14
Monthly Average $8.26
PROPANE
Our propane costs include onboard propane only. We use propane for the stove, heater, and water heater if boondocking. It does not include propane for the portable tank we use for grilling and our firepit. I am sorry to say we did not keep adequate records to add it to our costs.
Year $142.98
Monthly Average $11.92
TOLLS
We do not always avoid tolls. Sometimes, paying the toll is cheaper than using the fuel to avoid it. You can use apps like Toll Calculator to see what it will cost before you hit the toll road.
Cocoa Beach, FL
Year $48.25
Monthly Average $4.02
PARKING
This category includes any fees we paid for metros, commuter rails, parking, subways, or any other way of getting around an area while exploring.
Year $22
Rivercenter Parking Garage San Antonio, TX $12
Rapid City Parking, Rapid City, SD $1
Camden Parking Garage, Charleston, NC $5
Majestic Parking Garage, Charleston, NC $4
INTERNET
These days, everyone uses the internet. Most of us stream YouTube, watch movies, watch regular TV, check email, and bank online, so connectivity is necessary. Because of all the videos we upload, we need a reliable, fast internet plan. And we all know campground wifi is hardly ever reliable.
Last year, we made the jump to Mobile Must Have’s Ultimate Warrier Bundle and their data plan, which allows up to 500 GB. It has been fantastic! And it’s worth every penny.
Yearly $1200
Monthly Average $120 (We did not have wifi for May and June)
You can learn more about our internet in the video below. If you decide to go with Mobile Must Have, use our code to save 5% on your hardware purchase: youmerv2021. BTW, you can’t use their internet plan if you don't buy their hardware. It’s a supply and demand issue they are hoping to improve.
RV INSURANCE
Insurance is another item in the budget whose overall cost will be determined by many factors. Some of those include the age of the RV, the type of RV, the insurance company, full-time or part-time status, zip code, and personal driving record. Your insurance costs may be much less or more than ours.
Year $2267 (paid annually to reduce costs)
Monthly Average: $188.91
RV MAINTENANCE
Our RV maintenance costs have been much less each year than expected. But again, this will vary from rig to rig. Remember to keep up on your maintenance to save money in the long run.
Want to stay up to date on your RV’s maintenance but not sure where to start? We have a free maintenance spreadsheet that will help you get started. You can adjust the schedule to fit your specific needs.
Okefenokee Swamp Boat Tour, Stephen C Foster State Park
Year $2,874.56
Monthly Average $239.55
Tiffin Service Center $442.56
Bay Diesel (Chassie Maintenance) $1,524.60
Generator Maintenance (Phil) $37.71
RV Holding Tank Professional Flush $200
Drivers Side window shade replacement $107.91
Replace broken shower head $12
Dometic toilet seat replacement $114.74
RV Truck Wash $0
Drivers Side replacement window shade $107.91
AC Blower Wheel Replacement X2 $58.85
Misc costs (water filters, gloves, etc.): $505.22
Our Third trip to Tiffin for repairs and maintenance.
Our second trip to Tiffin to repair a leak in our kitchen sink drain.
What our Chassis maintenance cost our first year.
Tiffin factory tour and first year maintenance cost.
RV UPGRADES
This year, we decided to ditch our cheap, worn-out carpet. It was too cheap for full-time living, but it is one of our best upgrades.
Year $3564.56
Monthly Average $297.05
New Carpet (Lowes) $611.09
New Laminate for the bedroom (Lowes) $174.60
Carpet & laminate installation $2,150
Custom stair mats $75
Water Softener $290.87
New Internet Antenna mounting $40
Bose Surround Sound (Outdoor TV) $199
Bose Mounting bar $24
RV MEMBERSHIPS
Kayaking Sebastian Inlet Marina, Vero Beach, FL
We have several RV memberships that we use all the time. We could not RV without them! And, of course, I would be lost without RV Life Pro’s RV Trip Wizard's trip-planning abilities.
Year $204.02
Monthly Average: $17.00
Boondockers Welcome $0 (Free with our affiliate partnership)
Save 15% with our affiliate code: YouMeRV
Harvest Host $76 (Golf Courses Added while leaving FL)
Save 15% with our affiliate code: YMRV
RV Life (RV Trip Wizard, RV GPS, & More) $41.57
Save 25% when you click the link
Plan to Eat $19.50 Meal planner (half price every December)
Escapees $47.45
Passport America $19.50
MAIL FORWARDING
Mail forwarding is still a necessity, even though most of our correspondence and banking are handled online.
Yearly $234.45
Monthly Average: $19.37
Annual Membership $97
5/4/21 $15
5/19/21 $20
1/26/21 $25
2/12/21 $30
3/15/21 $47.45
Bike Maintenance and Accessories
Yearly $2,410.27
Monthly Average $200.85
Bike Covers $49.99
Replacement LED towing lights for Jeep $24.33
Handlebar Extender $17.99
Rockbros Bike Rack Bags x2 $197.98
Smart Helmets (blue tooth) x2 $258
Helmet visors X2 13.90
Under Seat Saddle Bag $16.99
Bike Lock $26.96
Bike Light $39.98
Replacement bike Cover $26.98
Tire Pump $26.49
Thule Bike racks X2 $1688.68
Check out our Smart Helmet Review
Grilling
This year, we upgraded from our small Weber to a Blackstone.
Yearly $324.40
Monthly Average $27.03
Blackstone 22 in $206.56
Foldable Camp Table $84.99
Grill Cover $19.99
Blackstone Tools $12.86
ONE YEAR RV LIVING COSTS: CAMPING
Now, the moment you have been waiting for!! Our actual camping costs.
Overnights
10 nights
FREE
Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Rest Stop, Costco
BLM
8 nights
FREE
Badlands, Escalante National Conservation Area
Volunteering with A Year to Volunteer
13 nights
FREE (Hard Labor hahahaha)
We had an amazing time volunteering at Stephen C Foster State Park in Fargo, GA
Find out how you can volunteer with a Year to Volunteer here!
Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds
11 nights
Total $149
Nightly $13.55
5 nights
Paid Hosts $20 for electric
Nightly Average $4 (we did not pay a membership fee this year)
Save on your membership with the code: YouMeRV
Driveway surfing
33 nights
FREE
THANKS FRIENDS AND FAMILY!
8 nights
Nightly Average $8.88 (membership fee)
Save 15% with the code: YMRV
Military Campgrounds
50 nights
Total $1096
Nightly Average $21.92
Are you a military veteran? You might be eligible to use military campgrounds. Find out how in Veteran Access to Military Campgrounds.
National/State/County/City Parks
47 nights
Total $1159.31
Nightly Average $24.67
One of our favorite state parks is Letchworth State Park. Check out their 3 waterfalls in our video.
US Forestry Service
19 Nights
Total $123.00
Nightly Average $6.47
We saved 50% using our Access Pass. Find out more about the Access Pass and other ways to save on camping costs HERE!
Private Campgrounds
157 nights
Total $7,015.45
Nightly Average: $44.68
Fairgrounds
2 nights
Total $56
Nightly Average: $28
Passport America
2 Nights
Total $43.20
Nightly Average $31.35 (includes membership fee)
Total Camping costs
Year $9,775.46
Average Monthly $814.62 (twice last year’s average)
Average Nightly $26.78
Includes membership fees (Harvest Host, Passport America)
Boondocking at the Badlands, SD
Boondockers Welcome in Colorado
Harvest Host Clifton, Colorado
USFS Boondocking at the Grand Tetons
Medicine Lodge State Park
THOUSAND TRAILS
I know what some of you are thinking we could have saved money with a Thousand Trails membership. We looked into Thousand Trails but decided it was not right for us. Check out our blog post to see why we opted out of Thousand Trails.
BLM IS NOT FREE
When people think about BLM land or Water Management Land, they often envision living for absolutely nothing! But there are costs many people don't consider. They can sneak up on you if you plan for a zero budget!
Generator Fuel to Charge Batteries
Propane for cooking, hot water, and heat
Potable Water Fill
Black and Grey Tank Dump
Laundry Mat
ONE YEAR RV LIVING COSTS: TOTALS
Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, NE
Activities $1,459.39
Fuel $3115.90
Def $99.14
Propane $142.98
Tolls $48.25
Transportation/Parking $22
Rally $0
Internet: $1200
RV Insurance $2267
RV Maintenance $2,874.56
RV Upgrades $3564.56
RV Memberships $204.02
Mail Forwarding $234.45
Bikes $2,410.27
Grill $324.40
Camping $9775.46
TOTAL CAMPING COST: $27,742.32
monthly average: 2,311.86
Why the jump in costs from last year??
A big part of that jump in cost is the amount of time we stayed in private RV campgrounds due to COVID. We also splurged when Phil had surgery last year and stayed for a few months at a casita on a golf course!! Man, it was sweet! That was a whopping $1200 a month and worth every penny!
Our internet costs have also jumped significantly. We spend more on better internet now that I upload 4K videos. These are huge files. I needed faster speeds and extra data to make that happen.
The bike costs were very high, but we needed a rack strong enough to handle two 60-pound ebikes on the RV and the Jeep. The new helmets and bike rack bags were not necessary, but man, they have changed everything! Talking to Phil through the Bluetooth helmets is fantastic!
Tips to cut camping costs
There are many ways to cut your camping costs. See our top tips to cut camping costs HERE.
ONE YEAR RV LIVING COSTS: TRACKING
Happy 3 Year Nomadaversary!
Are you wondering how we tracked our living costs over the year? We used an Excel spreadsheet created by Christina from Our Epic Field Trip to track our camping costs. It is a great tracker that breaks down your daily costs with graphs. You can download a copy of the Camping Costs Spreadsheet for free!
Don't have Excel? No problem. Upload the spreadsheet to Google Sheets, and you can save and edit it from Google!
We tracked the rest of our expenses using Quicken. It is a budgeting program you can purchase online or at most major box stores. We have been using Quicken off and on for years. It is very easy to navigate.
what will you spend?
After you hit the road, you can figure out your camping style. Do you prefer private campgrounds with pools or boondocking on BLM? Do you like a balance of both?
GET MORE RV TRAVEL IDEAS, TIPS, UPDATES, DISCOUNTS, PERKS, AND MORE!
Every Saturday, Phil & Stacy publish the You, Me & the RV Newsletter, where they share weekly articles about all things RV and travel. Each week they scour the internet for articles that will inspire and inform you. They also share discounts, sales, and freebies! So don’t miss out! Sign up for the newsletter below.
THANKS FOR DROPPING BY!
Phil & Stacy
You, Me & the RV
Author: Stacy Farley, You Me & the RV, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2020
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