How Much Does It Really Cost to Live in a Motorhome for a Year?

As the global economy becomes more and more of an “everything is okay” meme , people are naturally looking for creative solutions to their money problems. In the past, economic downturns have bolstered ideas like the tiny house movement and the #VanLife subculture as people try to find more flexible and affordable alternatives to borrowing huge sums of money to live in a house like their parents did. Like, say, just living in a van .

As telecommuting is finally a permanent reality for many, life on the road is no longer just for retirees: a comfortable, mobile living space that can travel the country’s highways or stay relatively stationary, depending on your lifestyle and everyday mood. Motorhomes can be quite luxurious, but even basic models offer well-planned living spaces with kitchens, bathrooms, and other amenities.

But while you can most likely buy a motorhome for less than a traditional home, that doesn’t mean they actually offer a cheaper lifestyle. Gasoline prices, as you may have noticed, are sky-high, and even if they drop significantly, maintaining a huge motorhome will be expensive – and there are many other costs associated with a lifestyle on wheels that add up. fast. So is giving up on your dream home and buying a motorhome a smart financial move? Let’s estimate the cost of living in a motorhome over the course of a year.

Note. Since the price of gas and other non-negotiable commodities are constantly changing, consider this a rough estimate; Your actual cost of living in a motorhome will largely depend on three factors:

1. How mobile do you plan to be? If you don’t drive your RV often, gas may not be a significant part of your budget.

1. How fashionable are you? The fewer amenities you need to be happy, the cheaper it becomes to live in a motorhome.
2. How much space do you need? The size of the motorhome you live in affects your upfront and monthly costs.

Choosing a motorhome

First of all, you have to figure out which motorhome you will be living in. There are many options with a wide range of prices. A brand new Class A motorhome can cost you up to $500,000, while a used trailer can often be bought for as little as $3,000. If you are buying a semi-trailer or other trailer, you will also need a vehicle that is powerful enough to tow it. The average RV financing payment is between $250 and $450 per month . Your monthly cost will vary greatly depending on the interest rate and the amount you’re borrowing – it could be $0 if you’re buying with cash, or much higher than $450. For the sake of argument, let’s say the average payment is $350, which works out to about $4,200 per year.

Having a motorhome is one thing, but keeping it moving is quite another. Just like a car, your camper will need constant maintenance, including regular oil changes, and a fund for insurance against breakdowns and damage. Again, depending on the age of your motorhome and how well you do with mechanical repairs, your actual costs will vary, but you should probably start at around $300/month ($3,600/year) if you going to often roll your home on wheels. and a little less if he stays still for a long time. If you’re buying a new or used car from a dealer, you may have a warranty to help keep those costs down.

And like any home or vehicle, you’ll need insurance for your RV. The average cost of full – time insurance is about $ 1,500 per year .

Gas: not cheap

In the US, gasoline prices currently range from just over $4/gallon to just over $6/gallon for regular gasoline, and diesel fuel prices range from $5 to almost $7/gallon. Gas prices can vary greatly between states and even areas within states, so it’s worth using something like Gas Buddy to find the cheapest gas available – saving a few cents per gallon can really add up over time.

When buying a motorhome, choosing between diesel and conventional gas requires some thought. Typically, diesel fuel will be more expensive per gallon but will give you more mileage. On the other hand, a diesel pump can sometimes be harder to find, especially when you get to urban centers. For our purposes, let’s say gasoline will cost you about $5.50 a gallon.

The next thing to consider is the mileage of your RV and how much you intend to drive it. The basic equation is simple: distance divided by MPG times cost per gallon. Motorhomesdon’t do very well when it comes to fuel economy —large Class A motorhomes can only get 4 mpg, averaging around 6–8 mpg. Smaller Class C RVs are slightly better at 10-13 mpg. If you’re towing a trailer, it obviously depends on the truck and load; a good estimate is about 12 mpg. For our purposes, let’s average it all down to 9 mpg.

Finally, how far you drive your van each day is a matter of personal choice. It is recommended that you drive no more than 500 miles per day – and it is probably best to drive much less, ideally around 200-300 miles per day. And you shouldn’t drive for more than a few hours at a time. Of course, you can choose not to drive every day – you can settle in a parking lot for a few days, or you can have a semi-permanent campsite for a few weeks or months of the year. So let’s lower the daily driving estimate and say 200 miles per week. Using our equation, your gas bill would be about $500 per month, or $6,000 per year.

Propane

Another consideration is propane, which is used by most drilling rigs as fuel for cooking and heating. Propane prices vary like any other commodity, but typically range from $2 to $5 per gallon; Your usage will vary depending on how much time you spend on the road and not parked with connections. In mild weather, you can spend as little as $20 per month on propane, but if you’re wintering in a cold climate, you can spend $500. Let’s split the difference and estimate $250 a month for propane, or $3,000 a year.

Park fee

If you don’t have a Cannonball Run style plan to drive 24 hours a day, you’ll be parking your RV from time to time. When you do this, you will have a choice of areas that range from completely free to quite expensive:

• Free parking. There are many places in the country where you can park your rig for free at least for the evening, and often much longer. The Bureau of Land Management , for example, allows “dispersed camping” on its land for free for 14 days, and Walmart has a general policy of allowing RVs to be parked in its parking lots. Keep in mind that these options are known as dry camping or “boondoking” – you won’t have any connections or access to water, electricity, or other amenities. But they are free!
• State and national parks. For $10 to $100 a year, you can buy an annual pass to most state and national parks, which usually let you camp in your motorhome, as long as the campsites can accommodate the size of your setup. Overnight fees at the camp are quite low, ranging from $15 to $25 with water and electricity connections, and $10 to $15 without connection, with an average monthly expense of around $450 or $5,400 per year.
• Private campsites. Private campsites usually offer the most amenities, but everything comes at an additional cost. Places like Kampgrounds of America (KOA) and other private places offer electricity, water, landfills, cable TV, showers, and Wi-Fi, so they are very convenient. If you’re going to be on the move and paying a lot of daily camping fees, you’ll be renting an average of about $1,200 a month, or $14,400 a year. In many cases, you can lower this price by switching to monthly rent.

For the purposes of our evaluation, we will assume that you will be using both free and paid campsites. You will be spending about $7,000 a year on parking fees.

Tariff plans and internet

One cost that many people overlook is Internet access. When you’re on the road, this can become a very expensive proposition, and even if you’re staying at the campsite on a semi-permanent basis, they’re notorious for poor internet service. You can try an unlimited data plan on your phone and use it as an internet hotspot, which will cost you anywhere from $25 ($300/year) to $200/month ($2,400/year), depending on your carrier and how many lines. you need. But for many people, budget options will be insanely slow and offer a frustrating lack of coverage.

Another option is a satellite dish, which can provide both internet and TV, for a few hundred dollars upfront and around $100/month ($1,200/year) for a service like Dish .

Many campsites provide Wi-Fi as part of their fee, but it’s also usually what internet scientists call “terrible,” so you’ll want to have a back-up plantation to stay connected. Dividing the difference, let’s say you pay about $1,200 a year for internet and phone bills.

bottom line

So let’s count. Keeping in mind that we’ve made a lot of assumptions, guesswork, and estimates along the way, and your specific experience will vary greatly, you’re looking at roughly $26,500 a year to live in your motorhome, not counting things like you. . payment or cost of groceries, recreation, or other general living expenses. It could be a lot more, or even a lot less, depending on your lifestyle. After all, there is no right or wrong way to make an RV.

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