It’s at all times a giant query. In all probability one in every of our high questions. So we took the time to interrupt it down and calculate what dwelling in our RV Full Time Value.
It ought to be famous that this was our bills for the yr. Many individuals ask if this can be a cheaper method to stay. I consider it may be. Nonetheless, for our first yr, that was not the case.
Simply being sincere right here… It value much more in our first yr 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 common 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 immediately.
However, for the needs of this text, let’s use $5.32. We drive about 250 miles per journey day. We prefer to drive not more than as soon as every 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 yr.
After we budgeted and deliberate for this journey, diesel was about $2.20 nation huge. Disgrace on us for not recalculating the finances. However we had been anticipating about $6,635.20 with the identical quantity of journey. We in all probability might have reduce down the gas value if we’d stayed locations longer. However we needed to see extra issues!
Campground Prices
Campground prices have had a median of $42 per evening. Lowest being free stays whereas boondocking or moochdocking. Highest has been $125 per evening in New Orleans. Their value was value it with 8′ excessive concrete partitions topped with razor wire, gated entry, and safety on responsibility 24/7. However extraordinarily expensive. Fortunately we had been solely there for 4 nights.
Once more, poor planning, or unrealistic expectations… We anticipated doing extra boondocking. It ought to be famous, we didn’t do poorly, which helped. Over the course of 2022 we camped without spending a dime 105 days. I don’t even wish to think about what the price would have been if we had solely stayed in campgrounds.
three hundred and sixty five days in a yr, minus 105 nights free equals 260. 260 days occasions $42 per evening equals $10,920
Propane
Now we have 2 – 40 lb. tanks for the RV and 1 – 25 lb. tank for outside cooking. Hotter months we solely needed to fill 1 of the 40 lb. tanks monthly. 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 needs to face outdoors to cook dinner. Plus cooking contained in the camper helps to warmth it up! Fortunately, we had been in heat climate from February by means of October. And solely within the chilly for January, November, and now December.
Hotter months we used 18.6 gallons (90 lbs.) of propane monthly. 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 yr.
Being within the chilly was by no means actually a part of the plan. And identical to the value of diesel, propane has gone up too. In 2020 the common was $1.98. General although the price of the propane isn’t what has broke the finances.
RV Full Time Value of Gasoline
We use a photo voltaic system which expenses 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 wish 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 occasions that the generator runs for 12 hours throughout 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 common 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 yr. The generator has 803 hours of run time on it. It was bought new for the camper.
As a result of or little gasoline can is 3 gallons. Let’s take the 803 and divide by 11. That’s 73 occasions we stuffed the gasoline can. $3.91 time 3 gallons is $11.73 per gasoline fill. $11.73 occasions 73 is $856.29 for the yr.
Groceries
That is an expense whether or not you reside in an RV or not. Nonetheless, when factoring in your finances, it isn’t one thing you wish to neglect about both. After we first hit the street, we had been desirous to do All Of The Issues. Together with consuming out a LOT. This introduced our grocery value down a bit 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 goods, and precise meals for the two of us, plus Lagertha.
$250 per week occasions 52 weeks. That’s $13,000 for a yr 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 worthwhile to frequently remind your self that YOU CAN ALWAYS COME BACK!! And… THIS ISN’T A PERMINENT VACATION. So do a number of issues on this journey, and plan to return again to the world once more and do a number 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 needed to do. Now, that finances is under $100 per week. We had about 3 months at that ridiculous $500 every 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 Stay As soon as Although, proper????
RV Full Time Value 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 every week.
$14 occasions 52 weeks within the yr is $728 complete for 1 yr of laundry.
That is one thing that we truthfully 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. However it was nonetheless neglected when planning our finances. 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 the way to repair it, he’s fast to leap on YouTube to observe a video and study. I’m not gifted with the talent of mechanics. I’ll cook dinner you a 5 star meal with depraved taste combos. However fixing issues shouldn’t be actually in my wheelhouse.
The leaf spring on the truck was our costliest restore at $1000 for the components 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 a number of other different minor issues.
Complete repairs and incidental prices have far exceeded our expectations at $5000 for the yr. And that was with out the price of labor.
We factored in about $1500 in yearly restore value. For many, this can be a low quantity. However we knew that Doug can be doing any and all work, so we wouldn’t have labor prices. Type of blew that finances, and none of it was controllable.
Time To Tally RV Full Time Value
We’re presently stationary. This has negated the price of gasoline. And has lowered our bills in diesel, campgrounds, leisure, and optimistically repairs. If we had been boondocking, we might scale back the campground expense. However we’re stationary, so the month-to-month price is decrease than the common nightly price.
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 improper? 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 get pleasure from life whereas we’re nonetheless younger and ready. And we’ve actually checked off a number of bucket record objects, just like the Kentucky Derby.
We had no enterprise dropping $15,000 over the course of the yr. We additionally didn’t modify the finances for the rise in gas value. Diesel is the massive one. The propane and gasoline costs, though excessive, are usually not what broke us.
The necessity to set up a finances when beginning this way of life is the upmost significance. However much more necessary than establishing a finances is STICKING TO THE BUDGET! We’re presently stationary and recouping among the cash we’ve over spent. Hopefully studying it will make it easier to in making ready your finances and studying by our errors to stay to it whenever you tackle this epic journey your self.
