Even if traveling makes your life more rich, just the opposite can be said for your bank account. While RV trips are certainly cheaper in comparison to flying to exotic locations and staying in hotels, they are still rather costly. The good news, however, is that there are a variety of ways you can save money while traveling in an RV. Once you’ve found an RV to rent through a resource like Outdoorsy.com, you’ll be ready to put these money saving tips into action.
Here are the top strategies for saving money on your RV trip:
Travel During Shoulder Season
The first money saving tip is to travel during what is called ‘shoulder season.’ Shoulder season is simply the time of year where there are the fewest number of travelers or tourists but when the weather is still suitable for traveling. This means that prices are lower for just about everything. Plus, you’ll have less of a crowd when you arrive at your destination. So in that regard, it’s a win-win.
There are specifically two shoulder seasons in the year: April through early June and then September through October. Off season is during the winter, and peak season is during the summer. While you may experience a little rain during shoulder season, you shouldn’t have to deal with snow or incredibly cold weather or anything like that. Even if it’s not in the middle of summer, the lower cost of travel and fewer travelers definitely makes it worth it.
Take Your Time Shopping For Fuel
If there’s one expense that all RV owners and renters dread, it’s the cost of fuel, which can reach into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars in a single road trip. And even the smaller sized motorhomes are still hardly fuel efficient. This is why you should definitely take your time to shop for fuel on your motorhome trip versus stopping into the first gas station that you visit. Considering that some RVs can hold over a hundred and fifty gallons of fuel, a station that offers only one to two cents less a gallon for fuel will still save you a lot of money.
The most efficient way to shop for fuel will be with an app such as GasBuddy that will show you all the stations and their fuel prices in the surrounding area.
Join An RV Club
There are a large number of RV discount memberships and clubs that you can join, and joining these clubs will be well worth it to safe on money. Certain clubs or memberships will either grant you access or discounts to several RV parks across the country, RV insurance, emergency towing services, the ability to park at certain golf courses and resorts for free, or a combination of those things. Most of the clubs are also inexpensive and cost less than fifty dollars a year to join.
Who Says You Have To Stay At An RV Park?
Last but not least, who exactly says you must spend overnight at an RV park? RV parks can cost anywhere from $15 to $50 or so a night, with the more expensive parks usually having better space and superior amenities. That being said, staying at a park is most certainly not required for traveling in an RV. Instead, you can park at a private camping area, at the parking lot to a grocery store such as Wal-Mart, off the side of a road (where legal), and so on.
RV travelers call this ‘boondocking,’ and it’s certainly a more inexpensive way to travel. There are also certain RV camps as well that will allow you to park and stay for a period of time either for free or for a very cheap fee, so those options would certainly be worth exploring too. The one negative aspect of boondocking is you won’t have access to utilities and water, so be careful that you conserve what you have.
Saving Money On Your RV Trip
While an RV road trip is going to be costly no matter how you slice it, the tips you have learned in this article can still help you to save a significant amount of money. In the end, saving money on RV trips really comes down to the simple concept of being responsible for your finances and not spending money you don’t have.
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Christine Weis
March 29, 2018 at 8:42 pmGreat tips!!! I bet this is extremely helpful for those traveling RV style. Thanks for sharing!
Carmen Edelson
March 31, 2018 at 12:05 pmYou’re very welcome, Christine!
Taylor Reese
March 30, 2018 at 10:48 amI’ve never tried it, but this looks like a fun way to travel! Great tips.
xo
Taylor
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Carmen Edelson
March 31, 2018 at 12:07 pmYou have so much freedom traveling this way, that’s for sure!
Christie Moeller
March 30, 2018 at 11:07 amThis is amazing and perfect timing. we just finished restoring our vintage Airstream!
Carmen Edelson
March 31, 2018 at 12:07 pmOh how amazing! I hope you have some fantastic adventures.
Chi Mpundu
March 30, 2018 at 12:07 pmI’ve always wanted to take a cross country RV trip. Will definitely be using these tips when I finally plan it out!
Carmen Edelson
March 31, 2018 at 12:07 pmSo glad to hear that, thanks for reading 🙂
Melanie
April 2, 2018 at 2:47 pmSuch good tips! An RV trip is one of my dreams!
Carmen Edelson
April 4, 2018 at 1:37 amI hope that dream can become a reality, Melanie!
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April 9, 2018 at 2:23 amAmazing guide, Thanks for sharing this all valuable information with us. every traveler needs to read this article.
Carmen Edelson
April 11, 2018 at 9:39 amThanks, I am so glad you think so!
Steven on aFabulousTrip
April 9, 2018 at 4:43 amNever went on a RV trip (because I don’t know how people don’t kill each other at the end of the trip), but maybe someday I’ll give it a try with the right people !
Carmen Edelson
April 11, 2018 at 9:41 amHa, yes! You really need the right people 🙂
MyCamperFriend.com
April 20, 2018 at 1:15 amThx 4 sharing. Loved it.
Carmen Edelson
April 23, 2018 at 9:39 amI’m glad! Thanks for reading 🙂
Joyse Smith
April 30, 2018 at 2:52 amIts true that if you are more of a warm-weather traveler, use hurricane season as a traveler advantages. Locals, who may grow weary of crowds in peak season, have time to relax in shoulder season. For instance, an afternoon an early May is an ideal time to linger at an outdoor cafe in Rome and people- watch, before the summer tourists descend.
Carmen Edelson
April 30, 2018 at 2:12 pmYes, even March or April in Rome can be nice. I prefer shoulder season.
Jerry
May 17, 2018 at 1:16 amHi Carmen, appreciate the article. i am an RV’er and didn’t know about Outdoorsy website. Checked it out and didn’t realize there was a market to rent your RV. Not ready to rent my RV out now but good to know Outdoorsy offers this service.
Carmen Edelson
May 20, 2018 at 7:38 amSo glad I could introduce you to it!
Laura Himmer
August 13, 2018 at 10:27 amGreat, You can save money on RV trip by booking online. There are so many online stores available where you get the best deal on RV trip.
Carmen Edelson
August 14, 2018 at 2:29 pmYes absolutely! So many savings out there if you know where to look 🙂
Laurel Larsen
August 1, 2019 at 3:55 pmIt was interesting to learn that some RV clubs offer emergency towing services! My aunt recently bought an RV and was worried about what to do in a potential breakdown. I’ll be sure to let her know that there are towing services that are more than capable of helping her out.
Carmen Edelson
August 6, 2019 at 3:11 pmHappy to share, definitely let her know 🙂
Linda
October 15, 2019 at 5:27 amThank for your great idea
Carmen Edelson
November 21, 2019 at 3:15 pmHappy to share, Linda!
Zoe Campos
August 26, 2020 at 8:50 pmIt’s interesting to know that there’s a certain time of the year called “the shoulder season” where prices are generally low for tourists and campers. My boyfriend was able to purchase his dream RV last month and we’re really excited to go on our first trip soon. I’ll try to catch this season you mentioned and find a general RV park where we can spend our first-weekend trip.
Carmen Edelson
August 27, 2020 at 6:28 pmYes absolutely, timing is everything! Enjoy your RV adventures 🙂
Bazzi
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Carmen Edelson
August 10, 2021 at 3:36 pmI’m so glad to hear that!