If you are like anyone else who loves driving an RV around the country during vacation, you know how important it is to plan out your budget well ahead of time. If you don’t, the expenses you can incur for only one week on the road can be eye-opening. Should you be in the planning stages for your next week-long RV excursion, here are some typical expenses you’re likely to encounter.
Campground Fees
While it’s fun to drive your RV around during the day, it’s time to stay at a campground once darkness falls. But as you know, campground fees can vary depending on where you are in the U.S. and how fancy a campground you select. For example, some state parks may charge less than $15 per night, while some high-end RV parks may run you $150 per night. To plan your budget, decide how many nights you’ll be camping and multiply it by your average cost.
Gas Expenses
For people who are new to RV vacations, the amount of money they spend on gas is often a budget-breaker. To make sure you don’t fall into this category, figure out your average miles per gallon while towing, which will give you an accurate estimate. For example, if you get 10 miles to the gallon and figure you’ll be traveling about 2,000 miles, budgeting at least $600 for gas is a safe way to go.
Food
If there is one expense that won’t bust your budget during an RV vacation, it’s your food bill. Since you can bring much of your food with you, your food bill won’t be much if any more than it usually is when you are home. However, since you’ll probably want to eat out at least a couple of times, budgeting about $200 for dining out over the course of a week is a good idea.
Entertainment
Finally, you’ll want to set aside some money for various types of entertainment and activities while on your RV vacation. Whether you plan on attending a show or concert, play 18 holes at a beautiful golf course, or perhaps try your hand at bungee jumping or a day of whitewater rafting, budgeting about $250 for these activities will often be enough for you and your family.
Emergencies
Though we always hope emergencies don’t happen, budgeting for them can help make financial stress a lot less if an emergency happens. For example, you may want to put some money aside for towing. Towing is a common emergency when it comes to RVing and you want to be prepared for it if it happens. Additionally, you may want to put money aside for a new tire or extra engine oil, just in case.
Now that you know how much money you’ll need for your one-week RV trip, you can start planning where you want to eat, which campground you prefer, and decide which fun activities you want to participate in during your vacation.