Ken recently read an article that left us shaking our heads. The topic was the high expense of RV’ing and how it really is not as affordable as people think. We started discussing it and decided on sharing the topic of Affordable RV Travel with our readers. This blog post is primarily directed to people who are traveling full-time in an RV or considering full-time living. However, if you are a vacation RV’er or weekend camper, keep reading. We can all use a little extra money in our pockets.
Ken and I try to keep our expenses equal to one Social Security check. We try. This ensures we are living below our means and we have enough tucked back for emergencies. Emergencies happen. Stress is minimized when you are prepared.
Pick Your RV Carefully
This is where you can lose money quickly and could be an entire blog post by itself, so do your homework. Ken and I decided to buy used because we were n0t sure we would like the RV life. The idea was that if not, then we wouldn’t have much invested when it was time to quit.
We narrowed our choices down to a few manufacturers and pursued them throughout the country. Our future rolling home was located in Corpus Christie, Texas. We flew there, decided to buy our Bigfooot, and arranged to return at a later date for her transport to Florida. These are the bare minimum suggestions we have.
Finding and Purchasing Your RV
- Thoroughly research the seller. Whether an individual or company, it is a good idea to find out who you are dealing with. Our first sale fell through because the seller unreasonably wanted us to travel cross country with all cash for the purchase.
- Have the RV inspected. If you are not RV savvy, (don’t worry, you will get there) there are businesses who will inspect the RV before you buy. Don’t be afraid to make your sale contingent on an inspection report. Camping World offers this service and we used them but don’t fall down the rabbit hole of getting them to do the repairs.
- Expect additional costs to repair items needing attention or updating.
- Choose a domicile state for tags, insurance, etc. Some are more friendly to RV’ers than others.
Getting on the Road
One of the first realizations we made after getting underway is that full-time RVing has the potential to get expensive. I looked at Ken one day and said “we have got to do something to get a handle on this. We can’t sustain this level of spending”. Our park costs were killing us. An average cost of $35.00 a night (good luck) equals $245.00 per week before the addition of taxes. Roughly $1000.00 per month. In addition, RV parks are tacking on additional charges for pets, extra people, resort fees, and other special add-on charges.
After some research, we decided to dip our toes into the waters of Thousand Trails membership with a zone pass. For about $550.00 per year in dues, plus $49.00 per region, we could camp in any Thousand Trails park for two weeks at a time. We then would have to leave for 1 week before returning back to a park in our zone. We could continue to go in and out for the entire year at no cost other than the costs for that one week out, and the initial dues and region costs. (This worked out to 35 weeks for the annual dues and region cost, and 17 weeks we had to pay elsewhere).
Eureka
We were hooked and found our secret to Affordable RV Travel. I know that Thousand Trails is not everyone’s cup of tea. But if, like us, you enjoy a more wooded setting (most Thousand Trail parks), good locations, activities, and almost FREE camping, then we feel some of the complaints can be overlooked. Ken and I have since upgraded our membership on the resale market at Campground Membership Outlet. This allows us to camp park-to-park for a three-week stay at a time, without leaving for the week out, albeit we do have to move to a different park at the end of the three-week stay.
Cost Breakdown Membership vs. A’la Carte
| $ 35.00 – Average per night x 140 – nights | $4900.00 – 140 Campground Chgs. – $2700.00 – TT Membership |
| $4900.00 – Total Campground Chgs. | $2200.00 – Savings |
In 3 months we paid back the cost of our membership and the more days you stay in Thousand Trails each year, the cheaper it gets. During our week out, before we upgraded, we discovered more ways to save.
More Ways to Save on Stays
Palouse Co. Fairgrounds 
Puyallup Fairgrounds 
Medera District Fair
- Fairgrounds and Expo Centers often have RV parks for a lower rate than commercial parks. They also can sometimes be free of taxes because they are government owned. This is helpful in high tax states. We have a list of favorites including beautiful, downtown Santa Barbara, California at their Earl Warren Showgrounds.
- Stay a week or month to get reduced rates. Staying just 1 or 2 nights is the most expensive way to travel. Most commercial parks give a price break for weekly and monthly stays.
- Hipcamp is a source for finding reduced cost camping. It works like Airbnb that anyone who has a space to rent, can. Be aware of any service fees before you book.
- National parks, state and county parks can be a real cost savings but are sometimes booked up well in advance and may have extremely small size limits.
- BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land is usually free but is probably boondocking. We don’t do this often because of our pets, Butter and Joey. With no services, there is no air conditioning for them.
- There are several apps and memberships that are free or can be purchased, at minimal annual cost, to get a free or reduced stay. Harvest Host, Passport America, Park Advisor and Good Sam are a few we keep on hand.
So Much to See
Here is the hard part. Just slow down. Literally and figuratively. There are times that you need to move quickly over many miles. Try to keep those long, fast moves to a minimum. It is not a race. If you do the math you will see the benefit of taking your time.
At 8 mpg and $2.19 per gallon (national average per AAA), it will cost approximately $1,000 to drive from Key West, Florida (southernmost point of the Continental US) to Cape Flattery, Washington (northwesternmost point of the Continental US), or a distance of approximately 3600 miles.
Budgeting
As you can see in the previous example, making a moving budget is imperative to keeping your costs under control. Keep your total monthly miles within the limits you set. We try to keep our moves to 1 per month, and only move approximately 250 to 300 miles. In this way, we keep our fuel costs under $100.00 monthly.
It is hard when first getting started. You want to race from one great place to another. If you are limited in time and have the finances, then certainly go for it. But if you slow down, you may find your Road to Bliss and enjoy more Affordable RV Travel.
I’m Here – Now What?
You finally get to your destination and you can’t wait to go see it all. If you just run out and do that, you could blow your whole week’s budget in one night. Here is where research and patience pays off.
Savings on Fun
- Drive to the local Chamber of Commerce or Visitor Center and get literature. What looks good or interesting to you? Did you see something really great while on your tour of the town? Next….
- Check Groupon or Living Social for any big ticket items that you might be interested in. It could be dining out or sightseeing tours, glass blowing classes or museums. These digital coupons can be huge savings.
- If you don’t already own one, buy a National Park Pass for $80.00 annually or if you are over 62, $80.00 for a lifetime pass. If you stay in one state long enough, it can be cost-effective to buy their annual pass as well.
- Dining out can be pricey so cook at home and use the local farmer’s markets for some of the best produce around. Pack picnics for your explorations. You can eat for a week on what one, nicer dining experience costs.
- Replace dining out with ice cream or coffee. It will be a fourth of the cost but you still get to enjoy the ambiance of main street, municipal gardens, or maybe a beautiful casino.
- Go online and look up free things to do in the area. It is amazing what is available. Museums, farm tours (with delicious tastings), flower festivals, winery tours, local events, historical and quirky sites. Atlas Obscura is a great place to find the zany and unusual.
- Go hiking, biking, canoeing, snorkeling or whatever you like and are capable of. This country offers loads of outdoor experiences for free. Alltrails is a great resource for finding great choices and options.
- Don’t go anywhere. Just enjoy the park you paid for. A campfire with s’mores, a float down a river, pool, or puzzles. Most campgrounds offer something both relaxing and enjoyable.
The Best RV Buy Ever
We started out with stars in our eyes just like most of you will too. Very quickly though my starry eyes turned demon red when it came time to do the laundry. Public laundromats are dirty no matter how clean they try to keep them. Some RV parks don’t even try. Washers can hold residue from sand to pet hair, and more. You get the idea. They cost anywhere from $1.50 to $3.00 per load and another $1.50 to $3.00 to get them dry.
So, $6.00 a load, a load you had to mix colors for a full tub, can easily cost $20.00 to $30.00 a week. Yikes!!! That adds up when you are penny pinching.
You are fortunate if you have an onboard wash and dryer and if you haven’t purchased your RV yet, may want to consider it as a necessary item. But, sigh, many of us don’t. Here is my solution.
The Della portable washing machine is lightweight and small enough to carry in our storage compartment. I use mine outdoors but it can be used inside the shower if necessary. This machine paid for itself in just 12 short weeks at an average $20.00 per week. I have been washing with it for close to 2 years now and it is still running like a champ. For me, it has been my best RV purchase ever.
Live Your Best Life
Ken and I feel like we are living our best life. We use the above strategies so that we are able to go more, see more, and do more. I hope we have given you the confidence to consider the RV lifestyle in spite of financial misgivings. There are ways to do anything you want. How badly do you want it?
Until next week…..
Always grateful. 👫
Tips and Links
- Camping World
- Thousand Trails – Get out and camp with $100 off a Thousand Trails Camping Pass. Purchase in the next two weeks to reel in this deal!
- Campground Membership Outlet
- Harvest Host
- Passport America
- Good Sam RV Club
- Park Advisor
- Groupon
- Living Social
- Atlas Obscura
- Alltrails
