Most of your friends have joined this trend that is sweeping the nation by storm – the RV lifestyle. And you have caught the bug too. Especially after seeing their social media posts and hearing about their adventures. The only thing I can tell you right now is, go ahead and join the revolution. But, you will first have to investigate how much it will cost to start RVing.
How much does it cost, you ask? I wish I could give you a figure, but I can’t. In fact, no one can. This is because the RV lifestyle is unique to each individual, and because of that, each person has different RVing starting costs. But, there are RV basics that are fundamental to everyone, and these are the ones I will share with you as best I can.
Determining the Cost of Starting Rving
When it comes to finding out how much it will cost to start RVing, there are a few factors you will need to determine beforehand. Let’s take a look at those factors.
Image via Presto Finance
1. Define Your RVing Lifestyle
The RVing lifestyle means different things to different people. For some, it means living full time in an RV, for others, it’s just certain months of the year, or even days. Defining your RVing lifestyle will determine the kind of RV you will buy, and of course, the price range you will be looking at. It will also determine the accessories you will need in your RV (or not need), where you will park your RV (also determines cost), and your budget for utilities.
2. Determine Your Budget
RVing is a very interesting lifestyle. Anyone can start RVing, and that’s because you determine how much you are willing to spend on your RVing experience. This is why building a budget is important before buying (or renting) an RV. In your actual budget, you will have to decide how much money you will set aside for purchasing the RV, maintaining the RV (including fuel and servicing, and breakdowns), and many other expenses like feeding, park fees e.t.c.
Like I said, anyone can start RVing. Many people have started RVing by buying budget RVs or travel trailers for less than $5,000.00. And by budget, RV I don’t mean a run-down vehicle held together by duct tape and gum. $5,000.00 can get you quite a decent RV that will serve you well for a long time to come. Others start off with top of the range RVs that can run into hundreds of thousands because they have the financial power. So, determine your budget first and find out how much you are willing to spend on your Rving adventures.
3. Your Choice of Financing
The way you plan on financing your dream of RV living will also determine the cost to start RVing for you. It is very possible to save up for an RV and all that it entails, but, that will limit your choices as compared to someone who gets financed by the bank. Bank financing is too broad a subject to cover in one article, but to put it briefly, the terms of your contract will determine how much it costs you to start Rving. For example, the interest rates, deposit, and duration of the contract will all determine how much RVing will cost you per month, and ultimately, how much it will cost you overall as far as purchasing your RV is concerned.
4. Full Time Rving or Part Time
Another question you need to ask yourself in your quest to determine how much it will cost to start RVing is the question of whether you will be living in your RV full-time or part-time. There is a big difference on the expense side of someone going into RVing full-time vs someone RVing part-time.
If you decide to go RVing full-time, your initial start-up costs will probably be way higher than the person going into RVing part-time. This is because when going full-time, you will need to make your RV as comfortable as you possibly can because it is now your new home. This will mean investing in more accessories than you would in a weekend camper. The converse is also true. If you are RVing part-time, you don’t have to spend as much on your RV initially to bring up to your required standards, you can take your time as you won’t be living in it 24/7.
The Cost to Start RVing – It’s Up to You
As you well can see, RVing is unique to all of us, and so it costs us all differently. But you can generally work out how much it will cost you by taking into consideration the 4 factors outlined above. But no matter how much it will cost to start RVing, one thing is guaranteed – you will enjoy it.
Feature image via RVwest