RV Life: Keeping your RV Lifestyle AFFORDABLE

RV Life and RV Travel can be VERY economical – or very expensive – much of it is your choice!

Let’s face it, times are tough all over. Rising costs in many areas are tapping our savings. The choice to enter the RV Lifestyle, especially as a “full timer” is one that CAN be affordable. Honestly, the decisions YOU make, starting with what camper you purchase will determine the actual cost of YOUR RV Lifestyle.

Let’s take a look at what it costs to live in, MAINTAIN and repair your RV camper.

Camper Maintenance and Repairs – Anticipating Related Costs…

Ongoing maintenance and repairs are a fact of life with any RV camper, or really any dwelling. How much you will spend on maintenance and repairs on your RV depends upon two factors: how well it was constructed originally and how it has been cared for and maintained since it was new.

I am both a full time traveler and an RV Consultant. As a consultant, I work with my Concierge RV Buying Service clients to guide them towards well built campers that meet their needs and budget. I then “interview” (read: interrogate) the seller to learn how their camper was used and cared for. Based upon my findings and after conferring with my client, we may or may not make an offer. I then negotiate and stick with my client through (and frankly beyond) the closing.

My camper’s Repair and Maintenance Costs: (Let’s treat it as a case study)

I have lived in my Outdoors RV 5th wheel since late 2017. After 8+ years of full time RV living and travel, the major maintenance and repair items include:

• Replaced water pump (cost about $130. incl. labor) twice – once in 2021 and once in 2024. (These pumps are cheap and don’t last long, especially with full time use. Expect 2-4 years of service.)
• Replaced toilet ($330. incl labor.) It finally gave up after 8 years. This is on the high end of what I would expect in terms of “life span.” I did invest about $60. in restoring the water flow back in 2021 in the original toilet.
• Replaced roof in 2021 (drove under a tree with low hanging branches) – insurance covered it sans $500.) Note: A roof can normally be expected to last 15+ years IF it’s not damaged and IF you routinely check for cracking dicor.
• September 2025: restored the interior steps, sealed all caulking points ($200. after nearly 8 years; I have been doing this on my own previously, I hired a pro ’cause I wanted it done right!)
• Spray slide seals, dicor spots on the roof – done by me – about $30. in materials – check/treat annually
• Check and repack the bearings – done 3x, about every 2 years – about $200. each time
• New tires after 5 yrs. – about $1000. (mounted, balanced and installed) Note: I will not go longer than 5 years on trailer tires, 6 years on motorhome tires REGARDLESS of what the tread looks like.
• New (lead acid) batteries after 6 years – cost $400. (for 2) – here’s my post on what I purchased
• Replaced Propane/CO detector ($70.) after 6 years – typical life for this device
• Replaced smoke detector ($40.) after 6 years – typical life for this device

The total RV repair and maintenance costs amount to about $2900. over an eight year period since purchasing my ORV Glacier Peak fifth wheel trailer. This amounts to about $360. per year to keep my camper in the shape you see it is in HERE.

Your RV Maintenance and Repair figures will certainly vary!

Remember, my camper is a TOWABLE, so I’m not including maintenance and repairs on the vehicle towing it. As for my truck, I do regular 5000 mile services and it has required little else. What extra it has needed was covered by warranties. And… YES, I purchased an extended service contract on my 2022 DIESEL truck when it’s new warranty expired. That cost about $3800. for 6 years/125k miles. I purchased the Extended Service Contract from Ford in the Spring of 2025.

Additional potential expenses for your RV Camper

All “components” are subject to failure. Sometimes they last decades, sometimes they don’t. Components are mechanical devices that perform a task. These include (but are not limited to) your refrigerator, microwave, air conditioner, slide motor, landing gear, etc. Of all the components in a camper, the most likely to fail and require repair or replacement include:

• Refrigerator – ESPECIALLY if it is a gas absorption fridge. Here’s my report on these buggers.
• Air Conditioner – if it fails, with labor you’re just over $1000. some last decades, others don’t
• Microwave – CHEAP! Easily replaced
• Furnace – keep parts on hand – read this article
• Hot water heater – you can extend the life of it by replacing the anode AND cleaning it out (at least annually.) If it fails, you’re probably looking at upwards of $1000. including labor.

Extended Service Contracts – or not…

I used to recommend Extended Service Contracts (ESC.) I no longer recommend or advise these plans in MOST cases. The main reason is the change in RV fridges. Even if your RV comes with or has a gas absorption (propane/electric) fridge, if and WHEN it fails, you can replace it with a 12 volt compressor model. These are FAR less expensive, rendering the need for an “ESC” to “purely optional” and NOT highly recommended.

IF you do opt for an ESC, be certain to know what it covers AND the requirements for filing a claim! And… know that they are a GIANT profit center for any dealer selling it to you. (They’re literally laughing all the way to the bank!)

Travel and RV Camping Costs

This can vary greatly depending upon how you choose to RV camp and how often you travel with your camper. Running my F350 diesel truck costs me about $0.25/mile (current diesel price is $3.25/gallon.) When I’m towing my trailer, the towing cost is $0.50/mile. Simply multiply these figures by the number of miles you expect to tow to figure your travel costs WITH your camper. Motorhomes will be about the same as my cost with towing. The exceptions would be many Class B vans and Mercedes Sprinter Campers (like the Winnebago View.)

Focusing on RV Camping Expenses

Allow me to offer two examples that cite opposite ends of the cost spectrum:

On my way to the Silver Valley for this winter, I spent a week in St. Regis, Mt. at the Nugget RV Resort. Their fee? $400. (full hookup camping) for a week. This is the high end of what I have ever paid, but, there ARE locations and campgrounds that charge nearly double this figure! Just prior to my St. Regis stay, I stayed near Dillon, Mt. for $0. (dry camping on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land)

My point here is simple: IF you equip your camper with solar, a generator, inverter and adapt to the environment well, you can save LOTS of money by dry camping. The BLM, National Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian affairs and various state entities allow you to camp for very little ($20 per night or less) or nothing for relatively brief periods of time. In most cases, you must move on after 14-16 days.

Tip: Be sure to purchase an America The Beautiful Pass for LOTS of discounts including half price camping at all Federal camping sites. The Senior pass is $80. (lifetime) for those 62 and over.

Want/Need “Full Hookups” for part/all of the year?

My choice to stay at the Nugget in St. Regis was not simply because I had a spare $400. burning a hole in my pocket! I did so because the weather was turning and I decided that dry camping was not the best choice. That said, when you camp at a campground with full hookups, you CAN make more economical choices than I did for that week.

Staying on a monthly basis will save you serious money. The most I’ve ever paid for a monthly stay was an average of $36. per night (about $1100. monthly.) More typically monthly rates work out to be close to $20 per night. A couple of things to be aware of when staying monthly at an RV park:

• Typically no sales tax is charged – sales taxes are easily 10% or more for short term (less than monthly) stays as they are treated the same as staying at a hotel
• You are often (but not always) charged for your usage of electricity – know this in advance! Your electric and propane fees can vary wildly depending upon how much you heat (or air condition) your camper. Your furnace is typically propane and in very cold spots, you may want to rent a 120 gallon tank (from a local propane provider) and have it connected to your camper for long term use. Even with a large tank, my winter heating costs (electric plus propane) have exceeded $300. per month at times. This winter, my fees have been nearly $0. Why? It’s not that cold and electric is included. (Note: Electric rates also vary from state to state.)
• You may need to pass a background check and/or post a security deposit at some campgrounds. In some ways, its no different than renting an apartment.

Full Time RV’ing? Choosing State Residency

When I selected a state for residency, I had three criteria I was looking for:

• No state income tax
  • This limited my choices to 8 states.
• Low sales tax (or none) for vehicle purchases
• Simple residency requirements
• Reasonable vehicle registration fees

Most RV’ers have found Florida, Texas and South Dakota to be good states in which to establish residency. This explains why Americas Mailbox* and Escapees are based in at least one of these 3 states.

*Incidentally if you contact Americas Mailbox, please tell them Box 3847 sent you. I believe it gets both you and me a free meal certificate (good at restaurants across the nation.)

For me, I chose South Dakota. Why? South Dakota has a low (4%) sales tax for vehicle purchases, moderate vehicle registration rates (about $425. annually combined for my truck and trailer), and requires only a ONE NIGHT stay to become a resident!

A quick note about Montana… I wrote a report about Montana HERE.

Closing thoughts on maintaining an affordable RV Lifestyle budget

RV Life, especially full time RV life can be VERY affordable, especially if you purchase a well constructed camper. Remember, most aren’t, which is why my Concierge RV Buying Service exists!

As you search for campgrounds, do your homework! One of the “core tools” I use to locate and learn about campgrounds (of all types) is Allstays.

Keep spare parts on-hand. These include an extra water pump, parts for your furnace, and if you have a gas absorption fridge, have a thermistor and spare mother board.

Budget for and do the routine maintenance when its needed.

If there are any issues I’ve failed to address, please use the space below to comment, as well as feel free to ask questions. I read and respond to all. I would also invite you to sign up below for my free newsletter – you’ll be notified of new posts as they are released.

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