It’s at all times a giant query. Most likely one in all our prime 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 12 months. Many individuals ask if this can be a inexpensive approach to reside. I imagine it may be. Nonetheless, for our first 12 months, that was not the case.
Simply being trustworthy right here… It price 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 worth for a gallon of diesel is $5.32 within the USA. There have been locations it was cheaper. Actually locations it was costlier. 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 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.
After we budgeted and deliberate for this journey, diesel was about $2.20 nation vast. Disgrace on us for not recalculating the funds. However we have been anticipating about $6,635.20 with the identical quantity of journey. We most likely may have reduce down the gas price if we’d stayed locations longer. However we wished to see extra issues!
Campground Prices
Campground prices have had a mean of $42 per night time. Lowest being free stays whereas boondocking or moochdocking. Highest has been $125 per night time in New Orleans. Their worth 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 have 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 free of charge 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 night time equals $10,920
Propane
We’ve 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 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 working. 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 prepare dinner. Plus cooking contained in the camper helps to warmth it up! Fortunately, we have been in heat climate from February by 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’s $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 identical 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 funds.
RV Full Time Value of Gasoline
We use a photo voltaic system which prices the batteries sufficient to final about 10 hours in a single day when boondocking. Nonetheless, we nonetheless require using 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 honest 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 fuel per 11 hours of run time. The common worth of gasoline is $3.91 per gallon. This isn’t a day by 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.
As a result of or little fuel can is 3 gallons. Let’s take the 803 and divide by 11. That’s 73 instances we stuffed the fuel can. $3.91 time 3 gallons is $11.73 per fuel 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 funds, it isn’t one thing you wish to overlook about both. After we first hit the highway, we have been desperate to do All Of The Issues. Together with consuming out a LOT. This introduced our grocery price 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 consists of 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 have now needed to reign in. We don’t have limitless funds. Plus when dwelling the Full Time RV Life, you should 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 have been significantly uncontrolled after we began off. Our leisure bills have been exceeding $500 per week between stopping at bars, consuming out, after which doing museum excursions, airboat rides, snorkeling, the Kentucky Derby, and anything we wished to do. Now, that funds is under $100 per week. We had about 3 months at that ridiculous $500 per week price.
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 scrub. And as a lot as $4 per wash. Nonetheless, we common $8 to scrub all the things. And about $6 to dry all the things. 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. Nevertheless it was nonetheless neglected when planning our funds. 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 methods to repair it, he’s fast to leap on YouTube to look at a video and study. I’m not gifted with the ability of mechanics. I’ll prepare dinner you a 5 star meal with depraved taste mixtures. However fixing issues isn’t 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 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.
We factored in about $1500 in yearly restore price. 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 funds, and none of it was controllable.
Time To Tally RV Full Time Value
We’re at present stationary. This has negated the price of gasoline. And has lowered our bills in diesel, campgrounds, leisure, and hopefully repairs. If we have been boondocking, we may scale back the campground expense. However we’re stationary, so the month-to-month price is decrease than the typical 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 fallacious? Leisure for starters! By no means ought to we have now ever spent that a lot cash on entertaining ourselves. Sure! We have been taking this time to get pleasure from life whereas we’re nonetheless younger and in a position. And we’ve actually checked off a couple of bucket listing gadgets, just like the Kentucky Derby.
We had no enterprise dropping $15,000 over the course of the 12 months. We additionally didn’t alter the funds for the rise in gas price. Diesel is the large one. The propane and gasoline costs, though excessive, aren’t what broke us.
The necessity to set up a funds when beginning this way of life is the upmost significance. However much more vital than establishing a funds is STICKING TO THE BUDGET! We’re at present stationary and recouping among the cash we’ve over spent. Hopefully studying this may enable you to in getting ready your funds and studying by our errors to stay to it once you tackle this epic journey your self.
