I have no experience with RVing. How much would it cost to travel perpetually with an RV? I mean both the initial outlays (buying the RV, gear, etc.) and monthly costs (gas, RV park costs, park fees). Would it be possible to permanently travel by RV on less than $1000/mo. for a couple?
And, no, I'm not thinking of doing this--not now. I'm more curious of the price differential in nomadic vs. homesteading ERE than anything else.
How much would permanent RV travel cost?
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George the original one
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These guys spent $33k last year doing it, but they also have income that is not location dependent. http://www.technomadia.com/the-finances ... afford-it/
Some previous discussion that may interest you here:
viewtopic.php?t=932
and here:
viewtopic.php?t=1367
There's a few others as well, but those should get you started.
viewtopic.php?t=932
and here:
viewtopic.php?t=1367
There's a few others as well, but those should get you started.
Depends on a lot. How often and far do you move? Fuel prices? What size vehicle? What amenities do you need in a campground or would you be happy doing the Walmart parking lot thing?
We have a friend who has lived in a van on a street overlook the beach in La Jolla for 20 years. You wouldn't know it if you met him. He knows most of the residents who love him. He knows the police who leave him alone. Zero costs other than vehicle registration.
A forty foot motorhome can cost upwards of $1m. Prices of used RVs have come down significantly since the economic downturn. RV fees can be the same as a mid-priced hotel in big cities or very little in rural areas.
Personally I like smaller campers and want to convert a Ford Transit Connect into an RV. Something like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gno2rtY4m20
Yes, $1K a month is doable for a frugal couple.
I'm not sure how much they're spending but this couple with five kids has been on the road since 2007.
http://www.discovershareinspire.com/2013/
We have a friend who has lived in a van on a street overlook the beach in La Jolla for 20 years. You wouldn't know it if you met him. He knows most of the residents who love him. He knows the police who leave him alone. Zero costs other than vehicle registration.
A forty foot motorhome can cost upwards of $1m. Prices of used RVs have come down significantly since the economic downturn. RV fees can be the same as a mid-priced hotel in big cities or very little in rural areas.
Personally I like smaller campers and want to convert a Ford Transit Connect into an RV. Something like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gno2rtY4m20
Yes, $1K a month is doable for a frugal couple.
I'm not sure how much they're spending but this couple with five kids has been on the road since 2007.
http://www.discovershareinspire.com/2013/
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jacob
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That depends a lot on the size of the RV (depreciation costs), how much you can fix yourself, how often you move (gas costs), and where you stay (obviously overnight camping at $30-50/day is more expensive than monthly fees at $200-$600, which is more expensive that boondocking or walmart at $0).
Most RVs fall in the $10-$200k range. $10k for a used 25' which I would highly recommend for ease of driving and maintaining---it's possible that it may take a few years of learning (the hard way) that bigger is not better (Hello DW!) as well as a lot less convenient. $200k for a 40' diesel pusher. An RV probably lasts about 20-30 years. It's rare to see anything older.
In short, it's a bit like sailing ... a couple can sail the Caribbean for $10k/year or they can do it for $10k/fortnight. It all depends on the "style", the amount of gadgets (bigger issue with boats than RVs), how much they're motoring, and how much they have to pay other people because they can't DIY.
Check out http://cheaprvliving.com
Most RVs fall in the $10-$200k range. $10k for a used 25' which I would highly recommend for ease of driving and maintaining---it's possible that it may take a few years of learning (the hard way) that bigger is not better (Hello DW!) as well as a lot less convenient. $200k for a 40' diesel pusher. An RV probably lasts about 20-30 years. It's rare to see anything older.
In short, it's a bit like sailing ... a couple can sail the Caribbean for $10k/year or they can do it for $10k/fortnight. It all depends on the "style", the amount of gadgets (bigger issue with boats than RVs), how much they're motoring, and how much they have to pay other people because they can't DIY.
Check out http://cheaprvliving.com
Glenn at tosimplify.net spends around $11,000 per year (not counting the cost of his RV). He's building a VW conversion now and that should reduce his gas cost significantly.
I think it depends a lot on:
1 - What type of vehicle you use (hot much it costs)
2 - How much you drive (how much gas you buy)
Then there are other things such as whether you pay to park (you don't really ever have to), and how much you spend on food/entertainment/etc.
I think it depends a lot on:
1 - What type of vehicle you use (hot much it costs)
2 - How much you drive (how much gas you buy)
Then there are other things such as whether you pay to park (you don't really ever have to), and how much you spend on food/entertainment/etc.
You would have to put your renaissance skills to work, but this couple spent $8,150 on a very nice bus that serves them well after putting in some very realistic TLC. http://www.technomadia.com/2011/06/intr ... ntage-bus/
It's all available on their blog, but if memory serves me correctly after some routine maintenance upkeep they spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $23-24,000 for a very nice home on wheels.
A very nice Bluebird Wanderlodge albeit it old and out of style, can be had for somewhere in the range of $19,000 - $30,000 if you shop around.
It's all available on their blog, but if memory serves me correctly after some routine maintenance upkeep they spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $23-24,000 for a very nice home on wheels.
A very nice Bluebird Wanderlodge albeit it old and out of style, can be had for somewhere in the range of $19,000 - $30,000 if you shop around.
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secretwealth
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When I was a kid (1995-2000) I did a significant amount of traveling in a van. Basically we pulled out the back two rows of seats, and my father built a small wooden platform, and then we stapled carpeting to it (storage underneath, flat sleeping surface above). This allowed sleeping in the back of the van without worrying about setting up a tent. It also allowed for inconspicuous boondocking.
Typically we'd sleep in rest areas ($0 for 1 night/2 weeks), camp spots with no hookups (~$10-15 for 6 nights/week), and hotels ($55 for 1 night/2 weeks). So, on average maybe $15-20/night, which comes out to $450-600/month rent. Transport fees are highly variable.
I'm planning on doing more camping this way later on this year, and will report on the costs when I begin.
Typically we'd sleep in rest areas ($0 for 1 night/2 weeks), camp spots with no hookups (~$10-15 for 6 nights/week), and hotels ($55 for 1 night/2 weeks). So, on average maybe $15-20/night, which comes out to $450-600/month rent. Transport fees are highly variable.
I'm planning on doing more camping this way later on this year, and will report on the costs when I begin.
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jacob
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nomadic vs. homesteading...
Then that would be vehicle depreciation/travel costs minus diminished DIY potential vs RE taxes.
In principle you could RV without the RV by housesitting and couchsurfing. That just leaves travel costs which could also be diminished by hitchhiking.
As for RE taxes, you could be the caretaker.
$0 is the lower limit. I think for equal skill, homesteading is cheaper at a very high skill level. But RVing is cheaper at a low skill level.
Then that would be vehicle depreciation/travel costs minus diminished DIY potential vs RE taxes.
In principle you could RV without the RV by housesitting and couchsurfing. That just leaves travel costs which could also be diminished by hitchhiking.
As for RE taxes, you could be the caretaker.
$0 is the lower limit. I think for equal skill, homesteading is cheaper at a very high skill level. But RVing is cheaper at a low skill level.
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secretwealth
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aptruncata
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