First I want to go over a few key points on why I want to do this monthly RV cost review.
- I have not found any Full-Time RV living cost breakdowns
- Keep me accountable
- Track my true RV costs
- Show others it might be an option to not only accelerate their FIRE journey but also build a more intentional lifestyle.
True Costs
- RV Payment $0
- Paid the RV off
- Truck Payment $0
- Paid the truck off
- RV Insurance Payment $0
- Paid for 12 months in November 2023 $287.
- RV Registration $0
- Truck Registration $105
- Paid for 2 years
- Campground Site $926
- Includes water, electricity, sewage, WiFi, pool, dog park, and a small gym
- RV Internet $60
- Propane $0
- Gas $0
- Misc $0
Monthly Total – $1,091
2024 (Starting from April) Total – $2,152
You can find a list of all the RV gear we love here. Let’s not forget our list of RV maintenance supplies here.
RV Lifestyle Thoughts
Another month down and this lifestyle is still proving to be very affordable and might I even say cheap. I started to tackle more small projects on the RV this month. I had a water leak when I was in Key West that I fixed but never buttoned up the walls as I wanted to make sure it was fixed. So I did that which was easy but I feel working on the RV can be a challenge. The materials used in RVs are cheap and you can make things worse when trying to fix something because of this.
I still need to do something with the slideout floor. Not sure If I will take it to an RV tech and have them replace the wood floor then I can do some style of vinyl flooring for it or if I will just try another DIY project on the floor.
Many of you know I have been wanting to find a “home base” so to speak. Somewhere I can live 6 months a year and be free to travel the other 6 months a year if I desire. My thoughts on this have been to find some land and build a homestead-style property with animals. But the more I think about it and research it the more I think this is a bad idea. Well, at least the animal side as I would have to find staff that could take care of those animals when I travel. With say a dog or a cat that can be as easy as dropping them off with a long-term place that can take care of them when you are away. But for a homestead-style property where I would want some chickens, goats, maybe a donkey, and a few dogs I would have to find someone that could come to my place or even stay there full-time. I love the idea of that but the practical side of that is not all that practical.
Because of that, I am now considering just making my RV my home base. I’m lucky that my spot in AL allows long-term stay so I could live in this same spot for years and they want people to stay a long time. Most RV parks I have been to discourage this style of stay. At $926 a month it’s not incredibly cheap yet I think that cost would be less than a house and land or even a small apartment somewhere. But if I choose this route I have wondered if should I buy a bigger RV as it would be nice to have more room especially if I am not planning on moving the RV anymore. I have found some nice setups for around $30K that would fit the build for a bigger more homely feel. Plus with this avenue, I would not even need to upgrade the truck and in fact, I could splurge and buy a fun vehicle if I am staying long-term in the area.
First world FIRE problems I guess lol.
Just another month in the RV adventure life.
In case you missed it here is last month’s breakdown. Keep on the journey and path!