How much money can you save as a full-time RVer: Our Story

Living in an RV full-time can be cost-effective for those looking to save money on rent or mortgage payments. With fewer bills to worry about and the ability to stay at affordable campsites, you can significantly reduce your living expenses.

First, the amount of money you will spend and save as a full-time RVer, we believe, is based on three critical things. Secondly, this is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, but it was what worked best for our family situation.

a few things to consider when it comes to how much you’ll save as a full-time Rver.

1 . Are you still renting or paying on a mortgage?

My husband and I met before we were married, and we both were paying rent on our housing. Going full-time allowed us to say goodbye to the monthly cost of renting and all the other bills that go with it.

2. Did you pay cash or finance your RV/tow vehicle, etc?

We paid cash for our first RV, and a year later, we saved enough for a truck. How did we do that specifically? 

We paid $8700 for our first RV: it wasn't ideal, but it helped us get to where we are now, debt-free and in a bigger rig. We used the money we saved on high rent costs, sold one of our cars, and bought a used truck with low mileage. 

We lived in a smaller, used 24 ft RV for over two years. This was a sacrifice (lack of space) and a bummer since we couldn't start on the road immediately, but it was so worth it in the end. 

3. Do you have an RV Campground membership?

We paid only $500 monthly for a full hook-up at a lakefront RV Park. 

Tip: Most RV parks offer long-term or annual leases at a discounted price. When we finally got on the road, we purchased an RV campground membership from Thousand Trails, and that saved us a ton of money at various campgrounds around the U.S., where we could stay up to 14 days at a time in our rig with our membership. 

We purchased the Camping Pass and added it to the trails collection for under $900 for the year. A lot of info goes into Thousand Trails memberships, so I suggest researching the options, but we highly recommend getting a membership if you're going to be full-time and do a lot of traveling. 

To see more detailed information about the discounted campground memberships we use, click HERE

We've been all in RV life since 2018, and today, we are still traveling full-time, debt-free with our rig and tow vehicle. 

We know we can travel and have more experiences with the money we're saving, making this lifestyle so appealing.