It’s at all times an enormous query. In all probability one among our high questions. So we took the time to interrupt it down and calculate what does dwelling in an RV Full Time value. It needs to be famous that this was our bills for the 12 months. Many individuals ask if this can be a cheaper option to stay. I imagine it may be. Nonetheless, for our first 12 months, that was not the case.
Being sincere right here… It value much more in our first 12 months than we anticipated. And much more than we budgeted for. As we undergo among the classes, we are able to go over why this occurred.
Diesel
Proper now, on the time this text is being written, the typical value for a gallon of diesel is $5.32 within the USA. There have been locations it was cheaper. Actually locations it was dearer. And we did our touring over the course of 2022, not simply at the moment. However for the needs of this text, let’s use $5.32. We drive about 250 miles per journey day. We wish to drive not more than as soon as per week. When towing we common 9 miles per gallon. Then about 1 extra tank (30 gallons) for exploring the week that we’re in that location
250 miles divided by 9 miles per gallon equals 27.8 gallons for journey. One other 30 gallons for exploring. We’re at nearly 58 gallons of diesel at $5.32 a gallon. Complete is $308.56 per week. Or $16,045.12 per 12 months.
Once we budgeted and deliberate for this journey, diesel was about $2.20 nation extensive. Disgrace on us for not recalculating the price range. However we had been anticipating about $6,635.20 with the identical quantity of journey. We most likely may have reduce down the gas value if we’d stayed locations longer. However we wished to see extra issues!
Campground Prices
Campground prices have had a mean of $42 per evening. Lowest being free stays whereas boondocking or moochdocking. Highest has been $125 per evening in New Orleans. There value was price it with 8′ excessive concrete partitions topped with razor wire, gated entry, and safety on obligation 24/7. However extraordinarily pricey. Fortunately we had been solely there for 4 nights.
Once more, poor planning, or unrealistic expectations… We anticipated doing extra boondocking. It needs to be famous, we didn’t do poorly, which helped. Over the course of 2022 we camped without cost 105 days. I don’t even wish to think about what the associated fee would have been if we had solely stayed in campgrounds.
three hundred and sixty five days in a 12 months minus 105 nights free equals 260. 260 days instances $42 per evening equals $10,920
Propane
Now we have 2 – 40 lb. tanks for the RV and 1 – 25 lb. tank for out of doors cooking. Hotter months we solely needed to fill 1 of the 40 lb. tanks per thirty days. And the smaller 25 lb. tank twice a month. Now that we’re stationary within the winter, in NJ, we’re averaging 1 – 40 lb. tank each 10 days because of the warmth operating. Propane is 3.40 p/gal common. The 40 lb. tank maintain 9.4 gallons. And the 25 lb tank holds 4.6 gallons. We aren’t utilizing the 25 lb. tank now, as neither of us desires to face exterior to cook dinner. Plus cooking contained in the camper helps to warmth it up! Fortunately, we had been in heat climate from February via October. And solely within the chilly for January, November, and now December.
Hotter months we used 18.6 gallons (90 lbs.) of propane per thirty days. That complete is $63.24. Colder months we used 28.2 gallons (120 lbs.) of propane. Complete there may be $95.88. Three months of chilly was $288. And 9 months of heat was $570. Grand complete of $858 for the 12 months.
Being within the chilly was by no means actually a part of the plan. And similar to the worth of diesel, propane has gone up too. In 2020 the typical was $1.98. Total although the price of the propane isn’t what has broke the price range.
RV Full Time Price of Gasoline
We use a photo voltaic system which fees the batteries sufficient to final about 10 hours in a single day when boondocking. Nonetheless, we nonetheless require the usage of a generator if we would like the AC unit on. And for about 2 hours within the morning earlier than the photo voltaic panels actually begin charging. And that’s when boondocking in truthful climate with optimum solar publicity.
There have been loads of instances that the generator runs for 12 hours through the day as a result of we’re in a wooded space. We’re averaging about 3 gallons of gasoline per 11 hours of run time. The typical value of gasoline is $3.91 per gallon. This isn’t a every day expense, however like I stated earlier than, we did boondock for 105 days this 12 months. The generator has 803 hours of run time on it. It was bought new for the camper.
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As a result of or little gasoline can is 3 gallons. Let’s take the 803 and divide by 11. That’s 73 instances we stuffed the gasoline can. $3.91 time 3 gallons is $11.73 per gasoline fill. $11.73 instances 73 is $856.29 for the 12 months.
Groceries
That is an expense whether or not you reside in an RV or not. Nonetheless, when factoring in your price range, it isn’t one thing you wish to neglect about both. Once we first hit the street, we had been wanting to do All Of The Issues. Together with consuming out a LOT. This introduced our grocery value down slightly bit. However considerably elevated our leisure bills. Since reigning that in fairly a bit. Our common grocery prices are $250 per week. This contains all cleansing merchandise, toiletries, home items, and precise meals for the two of us, plus Lagertha.
$250 per week instances 52 weeks. That’s $13,000 for a 12 months to eat and clear your self and your RV.
Leisure
Like I simply stated, this has been one thing that we now have needed to reign in. We don’t have limitless funds. Plus when dwelling the Full Time RV Life, it’s good to frequently remind your self that YOU CAN ALWAYS COME BACK!! And… THIS ISN’T A PERMINENT VACATION. So do a couple of issues on this journey, and plan to come back again to the world once more and do a couple of extra issues.
We had been severely uncontrolled after we began off. Our leisure bills had been exceeding $500 per week between stopping at bars, consuming out, after which doing museum excursions, airboat rides, snorkeling, the Kentucky Derby, and the rest we wished to do. Now, that price range is beneath $100 per week. We had about 3 months at that ridiculous $500 per week value.
12 weeks at $500 is $6,000. 40 weeks at $100 is $4,000. Plus $5,000 for our tickets to the Kentucky Derby. Complete spent on leisure for 2022 is $15,000. This was simply dumb. Like actually dumb… You Solely Reside As soon as Although, proper????
RV Full Time Price of Laundry
What an ever fluctuating expense! We’ve paid as little as $1 per load to clean. And as a lot as $4 per wash. Nonetheless, we common $8 to clean the whole lot. And about $6 to dry the whole lot. We do laundry as soon as per week.
$14 instances 52 weeks within the 12 months is $728 complete for 1 12 months of laundry.
That is one thing that we actually forgot to even plan for. We had a washer and a dryer in our home. We knew we weren’t going to have one within the RV. But it surely was nonetheless ignored when planning our price range. Possibly we thought we’d use a scrub board down by the river. I don’t know.
Incidentals and Repairs
Fortunately Doug can actually repair something. And if he doesn’t know find out how to repair it, he’s fast to leap on YouTube to observe a video and be taught. I’m not gifted with the ability of mechanics. I’ll cook dinner you a 5 star meal with depraved taste combos. However fixing issues will not be actually in my wheelhouse.
The leaf spring on the truck was our costliest restore at $1000 for the elements and Doug doing the work with the assistance of our Boondockers Welcome Hosts store in Illinois. However we’ve had numerous slide cables break, a leaking fridge, an unbalanced worn tire, poor electrical connections, and several other different minor issues.
Complete repairs and incidental prices have far exceeded our expectations at $5000 for the 12 months. And that was with out the price of labor.
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We factored in about $1500 in yearly restore value. For many, this can be a low quantity. However we knew that Doug could be doing any and all work, so we wouldn’t have labor prices. Form of blew that price range, and none of it was controllable.
Time To Tally RV Full Time Price
We’re at present stationary. This has negated the price of gasoline. And has diminished our bills in diesel, campgrounds, leisure, and optimistically repairs. If we had been boondocking, we may cut back the campground expense. However we’re stationary, so the month-to-month charge is decrease than the typical nightly charge.
Diesel – $16,045.12
Campgrounds – $10,920
Propane – $858
Gasoline – $856.29
Groceries – $13,000
Leisure – $15,000
Laundry – $728
Incidentals and Repairs – $5,000
Grand Complete of – – – $62,407.41
The place did we go unsuitable? Leisure for starters! By no means ought to we now have ever spent that a lot cash on entertaining ourselves. Sure! We had been taking this time to take pleasure in life whereas we’re nonetheless younger and ready. And we’ve actually checked off a couple of bucket checklist objects, just like the Kentucky Derby. However we had no enterprise dropping $15,000 over the course of the 12 months. We additionally didn’t modify the price range for the rise in gas value. Diesel is the large one. The propane and gasoline costs, though excessive, usually are not what broke us.
The necessity to set up a price range when beginning this life-style is the upmost significance. However much more vital than establishing a price range is STICKING TO THE BUDGET! We’re at present stationary and recouping among the cash we’ve over spent. Hopefully studying this may allow you to in getting ready your price range and studying by our errors to stay to it whenever you tackle this epic journey your self.
