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Cheap RV Living – Ways to Save Money On the Road
If you’re wondering what the costs of RV life will be, I can tell you it is definitely cheaper than owning a home and living a traditional life. The costs of home ownership not only include the mortgage payment and property taxes, there are also the upkeep and maintenance costs. Add in a lawn mower, gas for the mower, fertilizers and weed control, a snowblower if you live in one of the northern or midwest states, roof repair and maintenance, septic or private well if you have them, painting, and so on. RVs still need care and maintenance, but you can keep your costs to a minimum by keeping up on preventive maintenance. For help with creating a budget and a list of RV costs, see our Budget page.
Save on your RV purchase
One thing I have learned from others’ experiences is to not buy a brand new RV. Just like a new car purchase, the value of an RV decreases significantly as soon as you drive it off the lot. And the warranties on brand new RVs may not be very extensive. Most are for a period of 1 – 3 years, usually are limited to a structural warranty and may not cover systems like your heating and cooling systems or appliances. You will also need to return to an authorized dealership for warranty issues, so if you are traveling far from a manufacturer dealer, you will need to drive to an authorized location. Definitely check warranty information and make sure you fully understand it if you will be purchasing a new RV. I fully recommend buying used, and getting an extended warranty through a service like Good Sam. You can save quite a lot by taking time to look at used RVs. Also look outside of your area, as some states have lower prices on RVs. When you find the RV you want, always negotiate the pricing. There is usually some room for the dealer to sell at a lower price, so make sure to try. NOTE that some campgrounds have rules about the age of RVs they allow when staying for a month or longer, so if you will be staying put for a month or more at a time ensure that the RV you choose is not older than 15 years, unless you will be staying on public lands rather than private campgrounds.
Stay Longer
Weekly or monthly stays at a private campground will save you money. When staying for a week, most campgrounds will give you the 7th night for free. Save even more – quite a bit at some places – by staying for at least a month.
Ask for Discounts
Most private campgrounds have discounts for out-of-season stays, military discounts and even senior discounts. Just make sure to ask when booking and see what they can do for you. Avoid staying during holidays or events and peak times when rates are higher.
Get a Club Membership
Good Sam. Save 10% on more than 2,400 campgrounds around the country. A Good Sam membership also gives you a discount on gas at Pilot Flying J stations, a 25% discount on their mail forwarding service, discounts on merchandise at Camping World and Gander Outdoors, emergency towing and roadside assistance services, and other discounts. We have used Good Sam at many campgrounds, and the towing service when our tow vehicle broke down in Nevada. Our truck AND RV had to be towed 30 miles and it did not cost us anything.
Join Good Sam Today! Discounts, Tips, Tools & Much More!
Harvest Hosts. An annual membership to Harvest Hosts will allow you to stay for FREE overnight at wineries, distilleries, breweries, golf courses (with an additional fee), and other participating businesses. I love this option as an alternative to staying in a parking lot overnight. We have stayed at many beautiful sites and enjoyed each one thoroughly. In return for staying for free, make sure to purchase a bottle of wine or play a round of golf.
Passport America. Membership to this club will save you 50% at over 1,800 campgrounds. I have seen some reviews that some of their campground options may not be the best options, or may not be available during peak seasons. We do not have this membership, so I cannot provide a personal review.
Escapees RV Club. This club has 18 Escapees parks across the country, and get 15% – 50% discounts at over 800 RV parks. They also have mail forwarding service, a job exchange, roadside assistance and a very large community of RVers.
Boondockers Welcome. A membership to Boondockers Welcome allows you to stay 1-3 nights for free on the private property of host members. There are over 2,600 hosts worldwide. Most hosts are in the U.S. and Canada, but there are a few in Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. If you can sign up to be a host, then membership is half price. They encourage you to become a host, even if you only have room for a camper van.
Thousand Trails. Pay one annual fee of $599 and camp for free at 190 different campgrounds. Thousand Trails has campgrounds in 24 states plus British Columbia. Get 100+ more campground options with an additional annual fee of $299.
National Park Service Senior Pass. If you are 62 or over, get free admission to national parks for yourself and your passengers by purchasing a pass for a one-time fee of $80 plus a $10 processing fee. The pass also gives you up to 50% discounts on camping and other activities. There is also an annual pass for a cost of $20. If you purchase the annual pass for four consecutive years, you can upgrade to the lifetime pass for free.
Park for Free Overnight
While en route to a new destination, park for free overnight at truck stops, Walmarts, Kmarts and other big box stores, casinos. Always ask first, as not all of the locations will allow it. Remember that when parking overnight, do not use your slide outs or grills or otherwise appear to be camping. Try to make a purchase while staying.
Camp on Public Lands
Free or cheap camping is available on Bureau of Land Management, Army Corp of Engineers, National Forests, Fish & Wildlife Service, and Wildlife Management Areas lands. See our page on “Free and Cheap Camping”.
Volunteer or Work Camp
Help out on public lands in exchange for a free campsite, and sometimes wages as well. Find opportunities at Volunteer.gov. Examples of volunteer opportunities are Campground Hosts, Visitor Center Hosts, and General Maintenance. Search by location, date, difficulty level, amenities and job type.
Buy Used (Resale)
Always try to find resale stores for clothing or gear, or check Craigslist and Ebay before purchasing new. We have found camping gear at rummage sales as well!
Entertainment
Let nature be your main source of entertainment! This is the point of permanent camping anyway – get out and enjoy the walking trails, bike trails, lakes and rivers. Watching a movie is also a cheap option for a rainy day. Board games and lawn games kept us busy when stranded in Nevada for 12 days! (Just to be clear, I beat Greg many times at lawn darts).
Buy Food Daily
Instead of “stocking up”, walk or bike to the local market every day or two and purchase just what you need. That way you won’t end up wasting food that spoils after sitting around in the fridge too long.
Learn DIY RV Repairs
By learning at least the basics, you can save quite a bit of money on maintenance and repairs. Greg took some free classes through Burlington Camper, where we bought our RV. There are also tons of resources online. One of our favorites is Do It Yourself RV. doiityourselfrv.com. They have terrific guides and videos and a great newsletter.
Share you money-saving tips with us!