Full time rver here. There are two of us, and we've never spent more than $200 a month on groceries. We rarely eat out, and never go over $100 pr month. We moochdock 5 months of the year in Florida, and travel around the state. We pay $300 a month for power, water, and changing out tanks. The rest of the year we travel the country and always boondock, or use our veteran's passes for state and national parks. Gas is pricey, but with a 30ft class C, towing a Nissan Frontier, we average about $500 pr month when traveling. We try to stay for a week everywhere we go, which cuts the cost way down. We do have a Harvest Host membership, but only use it on our way to other places. We also have 6 solar panels and plenty of lithium batteries, so power is rarely an issue. We us Starlink and several phone plans for our internet. We take it slow and enjoy our travels. The costs per month are never over $2900, with winters being cheaper. Its a HUGE change from the nearly $3600 we averaged in a sticks and bricks. Another important thing to have is extra insuance for repairs and such. It cuts the costs in half. I wouldn't give up the nomadic life for anything. Its improved my mental and physical health, as well as my wife's. We've been doing it for 3 yrs, and can't imagine any other way of living. Have fun out there, and learn to keep a budget and stick to it.
Gawd, the way you guys tag team this whole life together and the way you look at each and how hard you work is vibrantly apparent. I’m just so inspired by you and I love you so much, from the bottom to the top I love it all. Keep going!!!
@Dani McMahon Maybe connect with someone similar. Don't have t on share a rig just meet up in some places. I know I get lonely too. And more fun to visit places with a friend. I tend to do southwest US but flexible. Who knows??
I'm impressed by how well you get along with one another. I'm not sure that my husband and my relationship would last being together 24-7 in a small house for a year! I really enjoy your videos, keep having fun and sharing.❤
Comon you guys eat like kings and Queens! The restaurants you guys have gone to are top shelf, as are the drinks. Not many people could afford your lifestyle. You must have some great investments.
Puleeze keep sharing your Joyful selves with US! It is SO refreshing to see two people so very much in Love and happy together. This world needs all of that it can get! Thank all 4 of You😻😻💞💯♾️!
Thanks for the realistic costs and the fun presentation. For those who own their home or condo with no mortgage, it is actually far cheaper to live in sticks and bricks (unless it is high value and high property tax). My gasoline cost is maybe $60 to $70 per month as everything is close by, coupled to low housing cost, I will not be moving into an RV or van as it is way more costly.😢 You have the benefit of seeing this wonderful country and that is a priceless experience.
You can't imagine how much you've been an inspiration for my wife and I to even start dreaming on doing the same throughout Europe and then US in the next 3 years. We can't thank you enough for all kinds of tips you have been putting together in your videos. Keep up this great work! Hugs from Brazil!
Great job. Just finalizing what we are going to buy; it’s between a Newmar and Tiffin. Called my insurance company yesterday and that bill alone is ~4200 a year!! Was not expecting that. Add indoor storage for ~450 a month so it’s not in the elements and I’m almost at 1K monthly already! Whew. This video allows me to think of some items I may have forgotten. Definitely have to do my homework and think of all the “potential” expenses. Thank you.
I have been on the road in my now 4th Box truck build, and this will be my 6th year living a nomadic life. Allow me to be fair, when I saw your video I knew instantly you two where newbies. I built all four of my trucks solo. I had a minimum of 2400 Whr of Solar plus an additional little vertical shaft wind turbine I would put up when i was parked. I always stayed in a location for at least 2 weeks, the weekly rates are far in away better than nightly. My current rig has 55 Gal of fresh, and 35 gray water, I don't have a black tank. Electric everything with enough battery to run my rig for a week straight, and thats summer or winter. I don't think I spend more than $175 a month on food, and I top off my water with either a rain catch I have on my truck (I have a five stage filtration system installed) or I drop a hose into a creek or river to top off. So water is free for me, as is electricity obviously. My biggest expense is diesel, but even that I keep down below $8k a year as I make my own bio-diesel and mix half/half with standard diesel. Folks its all about proper planning, and figuring out the lifestyle you want. Van-lifers/Nomads aren't wealthy people. We are simple folk who have come to enjoy to simple pleasures in life. Staying at RV parks is a utter waste of time I see way too many newbie's doing. Last September I celebrated my 6th year on the road, and I live on what would be considered well below the poverty line in this country. And I have to tell you, I still save tons of money every year. So you folks are plainly doing it wrong I am sorry. If you want to do RV parks and the like then yes it will be expensive. I focus my adventures out west never traveling further east than the Mississippi river, but also heading into Canada and into Alaska regularly. I have logged about 530,000 miles in my four trucks and I aim to push past 1 million miles some time in 2026 or maybe 2027. So if you find yourselves out in Montana, or down south in New Mexico and you spot a off white 26 foot old refer truck with a Livery that says "The Open Road is My Home" on the drivers side door, then stop by and visit. I will be happy to help you all out with better planning. Same goes for any other nomad out there. I will have a pot of coffee and likely a donut ready and waiting....
Thank you so much Dee! We are glad that you have joined us and can’t wait to share more adventures with you! Yes, we tried to be transparent on our RV living costs! Thanks again!
I love y’all so much! My husband and I are thinking of RVing full time. We are buying a motor coach now! I’ve been binge watching your channel the last few days! Thank you for so much wonderful information! ❤
It should be mentioned that the "real cost" only applies if someone RV's the same way you do. A lot of people full time and don't travel all over. They might travel twice a year from South to North and back. That dramatically changes the cost. Also, a lot of people use things like Thousand Trails where their camping costs total about $600 a year for their annual dues. Others boondock much of the year, so they have very little park fees. Just saying, even your park fees is still tiny compared to the cost of renting even a 2 bedroom apartment, let alone a house.
Thanks Brian. We did mention about cost differences if you stayed put longer or other options to reduce the cost significantly. Our experiences and travel to 30 states in a year would serve more as an outline for others. There are costs we mentioned that would apply to every RVer such as gas prices, increase prices in campgrounds ( daily, weekly, and monthly) harder to find campground spots due to an substantial increase in RVers on the road over the last few years. Costs of repairs ( service and parts) ect. Depending on the rig you have would also weigh heavily in costs. Thanks again.
@@LetsTurnItUpWorld That's why living in a camper or a well equipped van is also an option. That would also substantially cut one's costs. Van is a last option of course if they are in serious money trouble.... Also like others have mentioned, "Thousand Trails" is a cheap way to camp as well.......and gas prices would be substantially lower since you wouldn't be moving all over the place. Everything you said is valid, but more for a high end RVer......with lots of income...
My monthly mortgage at 2% int rate, 10k taxes and home repairs annual is nowhere near that high...i am also putting in a 20k Heating unit and even then it is nowhere near 50k...traveling is expensive plus the depreciation on your vehicle. RV life is nice for a year or two but not sustainable for full time imo.
@@sew_gal7340 that's why people who make it work full time are often in fixed up vans/campers, much cheaper than RVs.. For those who just want super cheap living. Just move to the Philippines. I have a friend who lives very comfortably there on only social security income. Rent is SUPER Cheap.
@@down-the-rabbit-hole I once flew to the Philippines at night and literally there was no lights at all in the whole country except for manila...i was so shocked when they said we were flying above the country. It is also severely under developed, and the healthcare is awful. And yes i know the people are wonderful
The Cost for the year definitely wasn’t bad, especially for everything you guys got out of it. About 3200 a month and was able to travel and see different parts of the world is a win! Some people pay that on rent and utilities alone. Great job!!!
It is true. It is still cost effective living and traveling at the same time. A 5day Yellowstone vacation for 2 will cost you between 2k to 3k and a limited fun and adventure.. 🎉
The wife and I have been following you guys and we admire you guys for what you do on a full time basis. We hope to run across you guys one day in the future while we are out traveling too. Stay safe!!
You two are such a cute couple. An absolute joy to watch. I am disabled so I have to live vicariously through others. It is a joy to spend time with the two of you💕
Thank you CK! We sure do appreciate that! By the way be sure to follow our newsletter for up-to-date info on where we are, tips, latest video releases, new merch, and more plus the occasional funny photo of us. 😂 www.turnitupworld.com/newsletter
It’s always interesting for me as an Australian to see how other travellers in other countries get on, we aren’t able to park in car parks, eg Walmart?, although there are free camping around the country. Fuel here is one of the biggest cost for us as well, a couple of months ago we were paying $2:70 per LITRE ( average) , we don’t eat out very much but agree food prices have gone up considerably. Australia has had some awful flooding this year and that’s had an impact on food prices lately. We often stay at show grounds which are cheaper than caravan parks ( camp grounds). Many thanks for the video
I absolutely LOVE your channel. I find myself looking for your videos every night, instead of watching TV. I don't have the courage to take on life in an RV, but I get the best vicarious experiences just following you guys on your travels. God bless you on all your journeys, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Much love! 😊
love this episode; im an SUV camper and spend a 1k monthly by comparison each of you's spends $1,984 monthly, the take away here is you guys do much more fun things over all and eat much much better. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO thanks for sharing
Hi you guys! Great video. I thought of another set of costs that are not exactly RV related, but are monthly costs for anyone traveling with pets. The kitties! You have vet costs, kitty liter, and their food. It isn’t a whole lot, but when you are doing monthly expenses, that will be added in. Vehicle registration too. Beach passes, if you got them etc. Little things add up. The gasoline though is out of sight in some places, well, most places. Food is slowly getting to be as expensive as gasoline. We are doing Hello Fresh 4 times/week and find it is more economical than cooking. It is not cheap to be in an RV. We were in our coach going from Missouri to TX. Do not go south (you might be able to in your Rig) but we had a diesel, class A going from north to south, in Arkansas. There is no guard rail on that road, and it is straight down. It is a two lane road going through the mountains of Arkansas. I was a wreck by the time we got off of that road. The views were pretty, but not worth the utter terror. I watched the right side of the road and my husband watched his line. There were plenty of vehicles on the road though, which actually made it worse. Sometimes the line on the right side of the road had a cliff starting at the line, so any mistake would be deadly. I can’t imagine that road in the dark. It was horrendous. So avoid that road and it is the only road to travel on North to south, coming out of the Ozarks of Missouri.
I’m thinking about getting rid of all my other subscriptions. You guys flow. And keep up the impromptu. You’re so easy to watch and quite informative. Dave, I think Tonya‘s got you beat when exposing the technical, goes into machine mode. I am 65 years old, rather set in my ways. But the ways you two do it, glad you quit your day jobs. Love ya.
Glad you enjoy the episodes. We appreciate that. RV Life in itself is a way of life and we enjoy sharing our version of what it's like out there. Thanks for joining us on these adventures. We have some great episodes coming up. Again, thank you for watching and Happy New Year! By the way be sure to follow our newsletter for up-to-date info on where we are, tips, latest video releases, new merch, and more plus the occasional funny photo of us. 😂 www.turnitupworld.com/newsletter
Wow, I always get the impression from Van Life videos (my new addiction) that people are choosing this life to spend less and be free from monthly rent or mortgage fees. That's what most appealed to me beyond just the freedom to travel. However, you are showing me that you're paying out more than I earn yearly--certainly more than it costs monthly to live in and work from my studio apartment year round. I guess that's the major difference between Van Life versus RV Life? Anyway, the unsuspected blessing from enjoying these type videos (car, van or RV related full time living), is that I've gained a perspective shift. I have stopped bemoaning how small my studio is while constantly longing to get to a place where I can at least afford to have an enclosed bedroom and separated kitchen space. I've gotten to "meet" many different people who are HAPPILY living full time in much smaller spaces and routinely making do without amenities like bathrooms. Life is indeed a series of tradeoffs where one has to determine what is most important to them and perhaps live with less to enjoy their passion. While I would not want to be a single woman "stealthing" on a daily basis while relying on public bathroom facilities, nor would I feel safe boondock camping areas, I do love the idea of taking a year off to travel the country in a well fitted RV meeting people and visiting places I wouldn't normally experience. What a blessing. I thank all of you for inviting me along. ❤
It is good to watch real people videos on this life style. I van lived for 2 yrs and vans are cheaper because you can stealth but stay in the cities close to society and police. You can't stealth in anything larger. I did boondock a lot. I was OK with that if you do it with others. Otherwise sitting out in the dessert by yourself day after day- boring. But I tried not to spend anything on parking, camp sites. $900 a month just to park is huge to me. I love to cook so didn't eat out much. Still, doing this life style is not as cheap as YT channels show. The rig maintenance, insurance and gas, going to parks (they all charge now), laundry and water. It adds up quick. Add dog food, emergency vets if needed, and any rig brake downs or accidents, fridge breaks, and your year gets hella expensive. People really need 6 months of emergency funds before you start. Can't tell you how many people I left in my rear view mirrors who had no $$ to fall back on what they hit a bump.
I would seriously buy a plot of land, add sewer and water pump and build a tiny house on wheels ....it would be the best of both worlds. You can park there forever if you wanted
Here I am, a homebody, zero plans to probably ever buy an RV even for trips, watching til the end because 1) I’m super curious about what FT RV life would be like, and 2) you two are adorable 😊 Very honest, interesting video. P.S. Your monthly campsite fees were more than my mortgage! I did NOT see that coming!
Love you guys and your EKKO and somehow you just dropped onto our RUclips video suggestions home page for the first time! Subscribed! We're much more commenters than creators but we do RV 5 months a year. We love this video because it gives us a comparison for us to go by. Your $37k number is better for us to compare to. Wow - is all we can say to your nightly RV rates. We use Thousand Trails for $800/year and they aren't all pretty, but they keep our costs way down. Your gas costs were good! Our annualized fuel costs for Sprinter-based RV and car = $7,000! Food & Insurance Costs and most everything else are fine, too! Propane use seems high, and we are toll averse. With the two of us, we are just under $30k total but we've been RVing since 1995 and are less tourists.
Welcome aboard!! Thanks so much for your great comment and feedback! It’s helpful to us as well. We agree that our nightly RV rates were much too high! We stayed in some expensive RV parks outside national parks - like Yellowstone. We are considering Thousand Trails - would you recommend it?
@@LetsTurnItUpWorld Ironically, we were based in Las Vegas (Russell & Rainbow) until 2018 when we moved to Florida east coast so we could winter at home. Prior to that we would go to Quartzsite for the winter and stay in Las Vegas for spring and fall. God Bless!
Thanks for sharing the true cost to rv. I thought that maintenance of your set up was the only cost after ownership; if just boon docking. That is way too expensive. Hope you two enjoyed yourself!!! You could have went to a remote town all year long and rented a house for that price. Not saying your decision was bad. I want to get into a rv to save money and explore.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m planning on going solo next year and I’m 51. I’m learning a lot from your videos and I appreciate it a whole bunch. God bless you and safe travels ❤
Back in June 2016, my wife and I rented our Oregon home out to live in our Manila, Philippines, condo full time. Our goal was to save money to purchase a new Class B or Class C RV with no or little financing. Fast forward almost seven years. We are almost there! Almost seven years have passed, and we are now in a position to purchase our dream RV. It is kind of scary! We are leaning towards either the Winnebago Navion or the Winnebao Ekko. Your video and the monthly budget have put our minds at ease. We are in our mid-50s and have no desire to work or blog. Your $4,000.00 a month budget is very reasonable, and we have the confidence we can make it work. Thank you.
Well I just want to mention some thing if you own a home you have property taxes of probably 3000+ you have homeowners policies of insurance probably 1500+ so you also have higher utilities to the tune of May be 800+ a month so you have to consider if you’re full timing you’re not paying these other fees even if your home is paid off you have them so consider that as well.
Wow you guys really had fun this past year. Which leads me to say that you were really on a year-long vacation as opposed to daily living. If you added up the cost to have made the same trip sans the RV, like hotels, eating out etc I'm sure the total would have at least doubled. The wifi cost is for your on the road business & would have been deductible or better yet the business income offsetting expenses. To me sounds like a great price for your years' adventure. Yahoo.
Just found your channel and I must say this was a really informational video! I'm planning to hit the road - at least part-time - in 2023 and have been working on my budget for 2023. Thank you for helping me flesh that out a bit more. Safe and happy travels to you!
Nice breakdown of expenses 🥁 I thought , It was expensive to run around in Desert Snow . Though so worth it .See you on NYE in chat on your other channel TIUW 😃
Thank you for your honest review. RVing is not CHEAP. It can be moderate, but as you mentioned: fuel, campgrounds, and gear/upgrades take their toll. We enjoy you all, and your fun interactions. Keep it up!
Ouch! 😮 You two did so much, and saw so much, that I think the cost may have been well worth it. To borrow from the Eva Rose York poem, "I shall not pass this way again". Who knows, but maybe you will? You two were definitely 'happy campers' which I admire. When you were speaking about buying accessories for Desert Snow, it reminded me of the 1954 movie 'The Long, Long Trailer' starring Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. If you haven't seen it before, I would recommend doing so. It is a funny look at a couple who buy a trailer, and their adventures 😄
That was very interesting. I don’t RV but I think my annual expenses for the things I spend on are about the same. Next year your overall should come down.
I truly enjoy your videos and your humor! I remember your ‘newbie’ to RV’ing videos when you first bought Desert Snow. You’ve come a long way! Literally!! 😊 Food is a (doubled) expense regardless if you’re on the road or in a fixed brick and mortar. Cheers and happy travels!
Thanks Dana! Yes, we have come a long way. We will never forget our trip out to buy our EKKO - even before we named him Desert Snow lol. It was a great first RV road trip back from Iowa to Las Vegas as well!
Thanks Lisa, we will do our best to bring costs down! The $9,000 included our major mods for a Quigley lift, better suspension, better tires etc. True RV maintenance was about $600.
Out on the road with an RV was one of my life-long dreams but it won't happen because of those costs. That's one reason I love your channel so much, I can live out my dreams through you guys! Thank you for being such a cute and adorable couple! 🥰😎💖
You can always get a small camper if you still want to pursue it.. Hell I know people on social security that are actually doing quite well, although many of them live out of well equipped vans....and it's a good idea to have a few thousand saved ahead of time in case you run into an early repair that you need to make.
@@Scorpio45Libra It's always possible to do it part time w/ a second hand mid sized van that can be fashioned w/ no build supplies. Lots of videos on that. Then you adventure for a week or so at a time and really keep costs down.
Their costs are quite high, considering they live in a van. It isn't always that expensive, if you stay in one place for longer periods, and stick to a strict budget. Rv Life is often cheaper than traditional homes, and far more fun. Yes, there are always unexpected costs that come up, but it can be done much cheaper.
I might have missed it , but does this total include the RV payment ? Or maybe you own it outright. I am not sure if you have said before . Thanks , this was super helpful information ❤
RV life isn’t solely for cost reduction ♥️ If you have kids think of all they are learning they can’t learn any other way ☺️ Think of it as an investment 🥰
What you spent for the year, I'm sure seems like a lot for some but that includes incredible adventures and experiences. While I go to work every day in order to make about 50k a year that does not include, incredible adventures and experiences. I'd say you guys are living the life. Kuddo's!
You are wise to travel while you are young! I am 65 y/o and glad that I traveled extensively when I was younger because due to health issues I cannot bounce around the country/world anymore. Stay safe and God bless!
Can I ask what you guys do for a living? I could never begin to do what you do, traveling all over the country, on my fixed income. Just to let you know: I watch both your channels, because I usually visit Las Vegas once a year. It’s good to know where the locals go, instead of all the tourist traps-especially on the Strip. So keep on truckin’-both in Vegas and beyond!!!
Love you guys! But you should keep reminding people that your budget is for the higher end user. Not the average expenses for most people living on the road.
WOW@ groceries. Our grocery bill (two adults) really did decrease by half when we started shopping at Aldi. At MOST, groceries are about $250/month, but they’re usually under $200/month. That’s eating at home 4-5 nights a week. Now I’m just hopping I’m always near one on the road.
This was very informative & Gave me an indication of what to look forward to when I go out there on my adventures. I’m hoping to get my Ram Promaster this yr & do a van conversion. I didn’t know about America The Beautiful & Harvest Host. Thank you for putting that information out there & for all your content. You’re my favorite RV couple on RUclips! God bless both you & I’m voting for you!!! ❤
Hi First let me say I really enjoy your channel you guys are so inspirational you’re always happy and you seem so genuine. The other thing that I want to say is my first of all I’m never done what you guys are doing but if I were to do it then I would take advantage of the airports I sort of travel between Dallas Fort Worth and Atlanta and do they have the cheap parking spot right can stay in your car overnight in a secure environment walk inside the airport use the restroom amenities plug-in to the Internet and just blend in with travelers for those day you need to stealth park.
Thank you for watching. it's definitely a template to folks that may consider traveling as often as we did the first year. We wanted to see as much as we could. That clearly comes with some costs. Thank you!
Which do you think is less expensive? Getting an RV or a trailer/5th wheel? I am leaning towards an RV because if we want to get on the road and one of us wants to sleep we can still sleep. If we have a trailer/5th wheel we can't do that. Plus with the dogs we would have to get them up in the truck with us too. I was thinking it would be cheaper in the long run for a trailer/5th wheel, but I am not sure. Also, do you tow your car with you everywhere? I am looking at retiring soon and my husband and I REALLY want out of California and want to explore and we feel this would be the best way to do it. I am so loving your videos. Thank you for taking the time to do them for all to see. 🥰
Thank you for the well detailed and comprehensive breakdown of your daily/monthly/yearly expenses! I'm not out there burning the highways yet, but seeing you guys how you go about your traveling is very educational and inspiring for me. Will be joining forces soon ..😎
I love looking at you guys,you are so comfortable and loving with each other. You are totally in sync with what the other is doing and totally in 💕 love. Keep up the good work,love you guys so much.
Thank you Hedy! We appreciate that. Glad you enjoyed the video and Happy New Year! By the way be sure to follow our newsletter for up-to-date info on where we are, tips, latest video releases, new merch, and more plus the occasional funny photo of us. 😂 www.turnitupworld.com/newsletter
You two are a Great Team, and so Organized!! I used to be together, but not so much in my 5th Wheel. I live in a RV Park right off a lake. I got lazy thinking I was Retired, and I'm not. Lol In other words sometimes I don't keep everything going like a machine. I have slowed down. I used to clean, clean, clean. Now I just clean!!!!!👍
Great job documenting. Good to see you having fun !!! I created a spreadsheet that budgets for many other things that are not quite annual cost but can be split to annual expenditure. For example cell phones last few years but cost a fair bit. Same for laptops and camera gear etc. another option is include it as and when it happens.
Being from New England Hartford Connecticut when you mention tolls you can almost go broke going from one place to Another. 1st time watching your adventure it's like a dream and fun and being a military background myself a brat and a wife moving was one of the factors that concern me when military life was all over I'm adjusted to breaking camp and going some place so you still have that liberty but fun doing it because it's an adventure now. I love your adventure and I love the way you mesh together as a team, The other half of each other is wonderful. I love your adventure God's speed will be a part of it.
It enjoy your videos. We had success staying connect WiFi by adding cellar extender which cost us 500 for me to install antenna then use phone as hot spot which with antenna makes a difference. We can pull a strong enough signal to stream tv and laptop. Unlimited data plan usually work most times as long as there is a signal to get
camping for a year now spent average 175 dollars a day. Thats health insurance gas food and fun. $64,000 a year. Truck and camper are paid for so no bills there, if someone spends under 2 grand, they are not traveling a lot and not doing much. gas can be 100 to 120 a week
in australia to do your laundry weekly, one machine could cost you $14 a pop.. it would be more for 2 loads, then the dryer could cost you the same.. per month you could be looking at a lot of $$$$... camp grounds are quite expensive here too... and to go into some places as a entry fee, could cost about $50 for 2 people.. depending what you will see and where you are. theres many lookouts are free.. petrol is horrendous here.. it cost me nearly $150 to fill our car let alone a van... eek... I think when we actually get on the road, id like to stay at a place for about a month or 2 depending on the area... we would love to go to farms and help out for planting or picking fruit... we are just in the planning stages... it was very nice to meet you both... im a newbie follower... ✨🌸💞🙏
What about Passport America which is another option? It's not a perfect system but you save 50% at various campgrounds. They have their own app, but the only issue I have with them is each place is different in what they offer like the amount of days the pass is good for, only certain months sometimes are eligible and the price for camping on the app maybe different then what you are quoted when you call for a reservation. Overall we do use Passport America and have been satisfied most the time. Also we use Thousand Trails which has been significant savings. We can go many months not having to pay any Campground fees. These suggestions won't probably interest you though if you don't care for community camping.
Love you guys. I've been watching you since before "C" love your Vegas videos and the RV vids are so fun and eye-opening!! My dream is to cross the country in an RV.❤ Love the drone shots and the quality and time we can tell is put into your videos!!! Thank You!!
Hi Tanya & Dave, thank you for a fun adventure this year fun to tag along! Watching this vlog makes a whole lotta sense this is not for me becoming an RV roadie with those type of expenses. Safe travels 💜💜💜💜💜🌜
This is such a great video! Not only are you guys fun and entertaining to listen to, but the organisation of the data *chefs kiss* thank you so much for putting this together!!
Will you ever take the camper to florida,other southern states? The kitty must be enjoying,as could not imagine camping,going on adventures without my dog! Would love to see you 2 go repelling in the sierras,etc with a team leader,it's cool when you get to do it while you can.wish I still could.treasure your health!!
Love your Buc-ee flag. We're FTers who like to boondock most of the time in a 36ft, 8mpg gas MH. We pull a 30+ mpg toad. This reduces the number of miles we drive our MH annually. We often travel coast to coast, putting about 7-8,000 miles on our MH and about 9-10,000 miles on our toad annually. Last year we wintered over at Quartzsite and the surrounding LTVA's. A season pass there is only $180 for all winter (for 7 months or less than $1 a day) which includes free dump, water and trash disposal. Of course, there's no electricity in the desert, so you'll need solar. We're wintering over in Los Indios, TX this year at a FHU RV park that's only $170/mo. + about $75/mo. for electricity if you stay for 6 months. The best part of staying here is the near perfect shirt sleeve weather all winter. Rarely does the temp drop where you need a light jacket. You guys might want to consider a high MPG toad, - if your little MH can pull one, as this will reduce your fuel cost. We use our toad to store our heavy tools and to go on water and grocery runs which saves carrying capacity and miles on our MH too. We use the FMCA MiFi plan. It used to be only $50 a month for unlimited access through T-Mobile, but now it costs $65 a month for 25 Mbps unlimited access through AT&T. They can throttle you on busy towers after your first 75GB/mo. (which is about a week for us), but they only do it when needed, and only as much as needed. For example, there are many RVers now in the TX RGV wintering over, so our speed today is slowed to 22 Mbps. I've seen it as low as 12 Mbps (but only at peak times) but at least they don't slow you to dial-up speeds like T-Mobile sometimes did. We stream HULU and Netflix and stream RUclips videos all day with no buffering on the TV. Certain websites like Facebook might buffer their videos, but that's the website's issues, not an AT&T connectivity issue. The only negative is that it comes with a cheap Moxee MiFi device with no antenna ports. We're thinking of buying a Netgear Nighthawk hotspot so we can use our antenna for better tower access in remote areas.
Thanks Chip! We're huge fans of Buc-ees. We travel with two cats so we like to boondock but when we get into hot areas we like to be able to plug up for the fur babies and run the A/C and when we're away from the RV. Thanks for the breakdown and tips. Greatly appreciated. Happy New Year by the way! By the way be sure to follow our newsletter for up-to-date info on where we are, tips, latest video releases, new merch, and more plus the occasional funny photo of us. 😂 www.turnitupworld.com/newsletter
What if you buy land and park on it. Then you still live in the RV but have a place to park for a year. A year on the road and a year parked in one place. I've thought about doing that, simply living in a 5th wheel on land. I honestly love waking up outside or in a vehicle so the idea of having an RV vs house is appealing but because you can't drive forever I often wonder the struggle and cost to simply park on land you own and stay a year. Maybe you guys can do that when done traveling?
You guys should come out to the Smokies and do some camping. Vogel State Park has camping areas. It's really nice in the summer as there is so much more to do during that time. Cherokee N.C. Bryson City N.C. Pigeon Forge Tennessee, Gatlinburg Tennessee, Rugby Tennessee, Helen Georgia, Dahlonega Georgia, Hiawassee Georgia, Blairsville and Blue Ridge Georgia. There is so much to see and do throughout these areas.
Now you guys did a great job on the breakdowns of RV living in starting with a minivan but it was still good to hear about cost I do want a class c RV one day
I have Starlink here at our house. I love it… One day I hope to get a RV to travel and see our beautiful country USA. I watch and learn, through your RUclips channel. Thank you both!
Interesting to compare your costs to what I am projecting for full time in my minivan. Im on just social security, and food costs have gone so high that I will be limited on mileage and my ability to use campgrounds. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing the country!
Honestly, spending $600 a month on food, and $800 a month on stays can all be avoided if you do your research and stick to a budget. I know lots of people who are on SSI, and are easily able to afford this rv lifestyle, compared to a traditional home or apt. You'll LOVE IT if you know how to be careful with your money. Have fun out there!
Full time rver here. There are two of us, and we've never spent more than $200 a month on groceries. We rarely eat out, and never go over $100 pr month. We moochdock 5 months of the year in Florida, and travel around the state. We pay $300 a month for power, water, and changing out tanks. The rest of the year we travel the country and always boondock, or use our veteran's passes for state and national parks. Gas is pricey, but with a 30ft class C, towing a Nissan Frontier, we average about $500 pr month when traveling. We try to stay for a week everywhere we go, which cuts the cost way down. We do have a Harvest Host membership, but only use it on our way to other places. We also have 6 solar panels and plenty of lithium batteries, so power is rarely an issue. We us Starlink and several phone plans for our internet. We take it slow and enjoy our travels. The costs per month are never over $2900, with winters being cheaper. Its a HUGE change from the nearly $3600 we averaged in a sticks and bricks. Another important thing to have is extra insuance for repairs and such. It cuts the costs in half. I wouldn't give up the nomadic life for anything. Its improved my mental and physical health, as well as my wife's. We've been doing it for 3 yrs, and can't imagine any other way of living. Have fun out there, and learn to keep a budget and stick to it.
$100 a month on food 2 here an spend 800 a month what are you eating for 100 a month??
@@Brianne-kr4ks was thinking the same XD
Thanks, this was helpful.
100 per person per month? In the US? Unless you're eating from soup kitchens and garbage cans I'm calling bullshit.
Gawd, the way you guys tag team this whole life together and the way you look at each and how hard you work is vibrantly apparent. I’m just so inspired by you and I love you so much, from the bottom to the top I love it all. Keep going!!!
Thanks! We really appreciate your kind words and are humbled that we inspire you! We are excited to share more of our adventures with you!
Exactly,so envious!
That’s what I was trying to say! Spot on!
I can tell you to love each other thats what it takes to rv
@Dani McMahon Maybe connect with someone similar. Don't have t on share a rig just meet up in some places. I know I get lonely too. And more fun to visit places with a friend. I tend to do southwest US but flexible. Who knows??
I'm impressed by how well you get along with one another. I'm not sure that my husband and my relationship would last being together 24-7 in a small house for a year! I really enjoy your videos, keep having fun and sharing.❤
Just found your channel. Have to tell you that you both are amazing. It's nice to see couples who still have fun and enjoy each other's company.
Comon you guys eat like kings and Queens! The restaurants you guys have gone to are top shelf, as are the drinks. Not many people could afford your lifestyle. You must have some great investments.
When I'm depressed, I watch your channel. Always makes me happy.
Puleeze keep sharing your Joyful selves with US! It is SO refreshing to see two people so very much in Love and happy together. This world needs all of that it can get! Thank all 4 of You😻😻💞💯♾️!
Thanks for the realistic costs and the fun presentation. For those who own their home or condo with no mortgage, it is actually far cheaper to live in sticks and bricks (unless it is high value and high property tax). My gasoline cost is maybe $60 to $70 per month as everything is close by, coupled to low housing cost, I will not be moving into an RV or van as it is way more costly.😢
You have the benefit of seeing this wonderful country and that is a priceless experience.
That's why for some who want a bit of this life, just doing it part time w/ a low cost converted van or a cheap camper is best.
You can't imagine how much you've been an inspiration for my wife and I to even start dreaming on doing the same throughout Europe and then US in the next 3 years. We can't thank you enough for all kinds of tips you have been putting together in your videos. Keep up this great work! Hugs from Brazil!
Did you say $11,000 just for camping a year? $8,300 for food. Wow!
Great job. Just finalizing what we are going to buy; it’s between a Newmar and Tiffin. Called my insurance company yesterday and that bill alone is ~4200 a year!! Was not expecting that. Add indoor storage for ~450 a month so it’s not in the elements and I’m almost at 1K monthly already! Whew. This video allows me to think of some items I may have forgotten. Definitely have to do my homework and think of all the “potential” expenses. Thank you.
Thanks Edward! Wow, those both sound like amazing rigs!! We are glad that you found our video helpful as you think about RV living costs!
I have been on the road in my now 4th Box truck build, and this will be my 6th year living a nomadic life. Allow me to be fair, when I saw your video I knew instantly you two where newbies. I built all four of my trucks solo. I had a minimum of 2400 Whr of Solar plus an additional little vertical shaft wind turbine I would put up when i was parked. I always stayed in a location for at least 2 weeks, the weekly rates are far in away better than nightly. My current rig has 55 Gal of fresh, and 35 gray water, I don't have a black tank. Electric everything with enough battery to run my rig for a week straight, and thats summer or winter.
I don't think I spend more than $175 a month on food, and I top off my water with either a rain catch I have on my truck (I have a five stage filtration system installed) or I drop a hose into a creek or river to top off. So water is free for me, as is electricity obviously. My biggest expense is diesel, but even that I keep down below $8k a year as I make my own bio-diesel and mix half/half with standard diesel. Folks its all about proper planning, and figuring out the lifestyle you want. Van-lifers/Nomads aren't wealthy people. We are simple folk who have come to enjoy to simple pleasures in life. Staying at RV parks is a utter waste of time I see way too many newbie's doing. Last September I celebrated my 6th year on the road, and I live on what would be considered well below the poverty line in this country. And I have to tell you, I still save tons of money every year. So you folks are plainly doing it wrong I am sorry.
If you want to do RV parks and the like then yes it will be expensive. I focus my adventures out west never traveling further east than the Mississippi river, but also heading into Canada and into Alaska regularly. I have logged about 530,000 miles in my four trucks and I aim to push past 1 million miles some time in 2026 or maybe 2027. So if you find yourselves out in Montana, or down south in New Mexico and you spot a off white 26 foot old refer truck with a Livery that says "The Open Road is My Home" on the drivers side door, then stop by and visit. I will be happy to help you all out with better planning. Same goes for any other nomad out there. I will have a pot of coffee and likely a donut ready and waiting....
So happy to find your channel! I really appreciate the transparency of costs.
Thank you so much Dee! We are glad that you have joined us and can’t wait to share more adventures with you! Yes, we tried to be transparent on our RV living costs! Thanks again!
I love y’all so much! My husband and I are thinking of RVing full time. We are buying a motor coach now! I’ve been binge watching your channel the last few days! Thank you for so much wonderful information! ❤
You’re welcome Melissa! We are glad that your and your husband discovered our channel. Do you know yet what motor coach you are going to buy?
hybred eltric rv
It should be mentioned that the "real cost" only applies if someone RV's the same way you do. A lot of people full time and don't travel all over. They might travel twice a year from South to North and back. That dramatically changes the cost. Also, a lot of people use things like Thousand Trails where their camping costs total about $600 a year for their annual dues. Others boondock much of the year, so they have very little park fees. Just saying, even your park fees is still tiny compared to the cost of renting even a 2 bedroom apartment, let alone a house.
Thanks Brian. We did mention about cost differences if you stayed put longer or other options to reduce the cost significantly. Our experiences and travel to 30 states in a year would serve more as an outline for others. There are costs we mentioned that would apply to every RVer such as gas prices, increase prices in campgrounds ( daily, weekly, and monthly) harder to find campground spots due to an substantial increase in RVers on the road over the last few years. Costs of repairs ( service and parts) ect. Depending on the rig you have would also weigh heavily in costs. Thanks again.
@@LetsTurnItUpWorld That's why living in a camper or a well equipped van is also an option. That would also substantially cut one's costs. Van is a last option of course if they are in serious money trouble.... Also like others have mentioned, "Thousand Trails" is a cheap way to camp as well.......and gas prices would be substantially lower since you wouldn't be moving all over the place. Everything you said is valid, but more for a high end RVer......with lots of income...
My monthly mortgage at 2% int rate, 10k taxes and home repairs annual is nowhere near that high...i am also putting in a 20k Heating unit and even then it is nowhere near 50k...traveling is expensive plus the depreciation on your vehicle. RV life is nice for a year or two but not sustainable for full time imo.
@@sew_gal7340 that's why people who make it work full time are often in fixed up vans/campers, much cheaper than RVs..
For those who just want super cheap living. Just move to the Philippines. I have a friend who lives very comfortably there on only social security income. Rent is SUPER Cheap.
@@down-the-rabbit-hole I once flew to the Philippines at night and literally there was no lights at all in the whole country except for manila...i was so shocked when they said we were flying above the country. It is also severely under developed, and the healthcare is awful. And yes i know the people are wonderful
The Cost for the year definitely wasn’t bad, especially for everything you guys got out of it. About 3200 a month and was able to travel and see different parts of the world is a win! Some people pay that on rent and utilities alone. Great job!!!
and one can cut that cost substantially if they lived in a small camper or well equipped van...., which is probably what I will do.
@@down-the-rabbit-hole yes go for it! Wishing you success!!!
It is true. It is still cost effective living and traveling at the same time.
A 5day Yellowstone vacation for 2 will cost you between 2k to 3k and a limited fun and adventure.. 🎉
Yes, our 2x2 Los Angeles apartment is going up to $3,250 this July...we're looking to RV life now!
@@palomamagpie wishing you and your family much success, hope you all find the perfect RV.
The wife and I have been following you guys and we admire you guys for what you do on a full time basis. We hope to run across you guys one day in the future while we are out traveling too. Stay safe!!
You two are such a cute couple. An absolute joy to watch. I am disabled so I have to live vicariously through others. It is a joy to spend time with the two of you💕
Ok that total sounded bloody expensive, HOWEVER, I see it as low cost vacationing alongside home life so it’s actually a win win!
Great video. 🤩
Thanks Tee, yes, the totals sounds expensive to us as well! Our goal is to bring our RV living costs down in 2023!
Pure joy watching these two. Always entertaining, informative and love the adventures ❤
Thank you CK! We sure do appreciate that! By the way be sure to follow our newsletter for up-to-date info on where we are, tips, latest video releases, new merch, and more plus the occasional funny photo of us. 😂 www.turnitupworld.com/newsletter
Love you guys. You are living my dream life.
It’s always interesting for me as an Australian to see how other travellers in other countries get on, we aren’t able to park in car parks, eg Walmart?, although there are free camping around the country. Fuel here is one of the biggest cost for us as well, a couple of months ago we were paying $2:70 per LITRE ( average) , we don’t eat out very much but agree food prices have gone up considerably. Australia has had some awful flooding this year and that’s had an impact on food prices lately. We often stay at show grounds which are cheaper than caravan parks ( camp grounds). Many thanks for the video
I absolutely LOVE your channel. I find myself looking for your videos every night, instead of watching TV. I don't have the courage to take on life in an RV, but I get the best vicarious experiences just following you guys on your travels. God bless you on all your journeys, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Much love! 😊
love this episode; im an SUV camper and spend a 1k monthly by comparison each of you's spends $1,984 monthly, the take away here is you guys do much more fun things over all and eat much much better. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO thanks for sharing
They actually said they spent not quite 12,000$a year for parking somewhere broken down to 975$per month.
Hi you guys! Great video. I thought of another set of costs that are not exactly RV related, but are monthly costs for anyone traveling with pets. The kitties! You have vet costs, kitty liter, and their food. It isn’t a whole lot, but when you are doing monthly expenses, that will be added in. Vehicle registration too. Beach passes, if you got them etc. Little things add up. The gasoline though is out of sight in some places, well, most places. Food is slowly getting to be as expensive as gasoline. We are doing Hello Fresh 4 times/week and find it is more economical than cooking. It is not cheap to be in an RV. We were in our coach going from Missouri to TX. Do not go south (you might be able to in your Rig) but we had a diesel, class A going from north to south, in Arkansas. There is no guard rail on that road, and it is straight down. It is a two lane road going through the mountains of Arkansas. I was a wreck by the time we got off of that road. The views were pretty, but not worth the utter terror. I watched the right side of the road and my husband watched his line. There were plenty of vehicles on the road though, which actually made it worse. Sometimes the line on the right side of the road had a cliff starting at the line, so any mistake would be deadly. I can’t imagine that road in the dark. It was horrendous. So avoid that road and it is the only road to travel on North to south, coming out of the Ozarks of Missouri.
No monthly utility bills, water, electricity, etc.
You two are living a good life!
I wish you well!
I’m thinking about getting rid of all my other subscriptions. You guys flow. And keep up the impromptu. You’re so easy to watch and quite informative. Dave, I think Tonya‘s got you beat when exposing the technical, goes into machine mode. I am 65 years old, rather set in my ways. But the ways you two do it, glad you quit your day jobs. Love ya.
Glad you enjoy the episodes. We appreciate that. RV Life in itself is a way of life and we enjoy sharing our version of what it's like out there. Thanks for joining us on these adventures. We have some great episodes coming up. Again, thank you for watching and Happy New Year! By the way be sure to follow our newsletter for up-to-date info on where we are, tips, latest video releases, new merch, and more plus the occasional funny photo of us. 😂 www.turnitupworld.com/newsletter
You are so gorgeous. The love you have for each other is there on screen, showing your love to us. So beautiful.
The cost is not bad at all!! You guys are amazing, and I’m proud of you!!
Chief cost less hybrid eltric vatery powrr less gas djsel. Fuke cost
It's not bad if you have income coming while you travel😂
This was a very informative video and there is no question I will definitely vote for you guys you guys are rock stars as far as I’m concerned❤️❤️🐈⬛🐈
So glad you enjoyed the video. We wanted to be as helpful as possible. Yay vote for us please. Woohoo! Always a pleasure seeing your comments! 🥰♥️
Voting. For Two Lovebirds
You two did an awesome job for your first year! Now that all those initial expenses are taken care of...you can enjoy. Can't wait to see more!
I'm so grateful to have found your channel!
You know $700 something is cheaper than a mortgage or rent if you want to look at it that way😊
Y'all are so great to watch❤
Wow, I always get the impression from Van Life videos (my new addiction) that people are choosing this life to spend less and be free from monthly rent or mortgage fees. That's what most appealed to me beyond just the freedom to travel. However, you are showing me that you're paying out more than I earn yearly--certainly more than it costs monthly to live in and work from my studio apartment year round. I guess that's the major difference between Van Life versus RV Life? Anyway, the unsuspected blessing from enjoying these type videos (car, van or RV related full time living), is that I've gained a perspective shift. I have stopped bemoaning how small my studio is while constantly longing to get to a place where I can at least afford to have an enclosed bedroom and separated kitchen space. I've gotten to "meet" many different people who are HAPPILY living full time in much smaller spaces and routinely making do without amenities like bathrooms. Life is indeed a series of tradeoffs where one has to determine what is most important to them and perhaps live with less to enjoy their passion. While I would not want to be a single woman "stealthing" on a daily basis while relying on public bathroom facilities, nor would I feel safe boondock camping areas, I do love the idea of taking a year off to travel the country in a well fitted RV meeting people and visiting places I wouldn't normally experience. What a blessing. I thank all of you for inviting me along. ❤
It is good to watch real people videos on this life style. I van lived for 2 yrs and vans are cheaper because you can stealth but stay in the cities close to society and police. You can't stealth in anything larger. I did boondock a lot. I was OK with that if you do it with others. Otherwise sitting out in the dessert by yourself day after day- boring. But I tried not to spend anything on parking, camp sites. $900 a month just to park is huge to me. I love to cook so didn't eat out much. Still, doing this life style is not as cheap as YT channels show. The rig maintenance, insurance and gas, going to parks (they all charge now), laundry and water. It adds up quick. Add dog food, emergency vets if needed, and any rig brake downs or accidents, fridge breaks, and your year gets hella expensive. People really need 6 months of emergency funds before you start. Can't tell you how many people I left in my rear view mirrors who had no $$ to fall back on what they hit a bump.
@@janasher4940 Would you do it all over again?
I would seriously buy a plot of land, add sewer and water pump and build a tiny house on wheels ....it would be the best of both worlds. You can park there forever if you wanted
Here I am, a homebody, zero plans to probably ever buy an RV even for trips, watching til the end because 1) I’m super curious about what FT RV life would be like, and 2) you two are adorable 😊 Very honest, interesting video. P.S. Your monthly campsite fees were more than my mortgage! I did NOT see that coming!
This was the best RV video I've seen. I APPRECIATE the honesty about the cost.
Love you guys and your EKKO and somehow you just dropped onto our RUclips video suggestions home page for the first time! Subscribed! We're much more commenters than creators but we do RV 5 months a year. We love this video because it gives us a comparison for us to go by. Your $37k number is better for us to compare to. Wow - is all we can say to your nightly RV rates. We use Thousand Trails for $800/year and they aren't all pretty, but they keep our costs way down. Your gas costs were good! Our annualized fuel costs for Sprinter-based RV and car = $7,000! Food & Insurance Costs and most everything else are fine, too! Propane use seems high, and we are toll averse. With the two of us, we are just under $30k total but we've been RVing since 1995 and are less tourists.
Welcome aboard!! Thanks so much for your great comment and feedback! It’s helpful to us as well. We agree that our nightly RV rates were much too high! We stayed in some expensive RV parks outside national parks - like Yellowstone. We are considering Thousand Trails - would you recommend it?
@@LetsTurnItUpWorld Ironically, we were based in Las Vegas (Russell & Rainbow) until 2018 when we moved to Florida east coast so we could winter at home. Prior to that we would go to Quartzsite for the winter and stay in Las Vegas for spring and fall. God Bless!
You kids have so much fun together and enjoy and learn so much on the road. Thanks for sharing.
I am always interested in cost rundowns. Really good video. Loved the clips of trip highlights.
Thanks for sharing, good info. I’m curious what you didn’t include the cost of the RV? At least the monthly payments.
Thanks for sharing the true cost to rv. I thought that maintenance of your set up was the only cost after ownership; if just boon docking. That is way too expensive. Hope you two enjoyed yourself!!! You could have went to a remote town all year long and rented a house for that price. Not saying your decision was bad. I want to get into a rv to save money and explore.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m planning on going solo next year and I’m 51. I’m learning a lot from your videos and I appreciate it a whole bunch. God bless you and safe travels ❤
Back in June 2016, my wife and I rented our Oregon home out to live in our Manila, Philippines, condo full time. Our goal was to save money to purchase a new Class B or Class C RV with no or little financing. Fast forward almost seven years. We are almost there! Almost seven years have passed, and we are now in a position to purchase our dream RV. It is kind of scary! We are leaning towards either the Winnebago Navion or the Winnebao Ekko. Your video and the monthly budget have put our minds at ease. We are in our mid-50s and have no desire to work or blog. Your $4,000.00 a month budget is very reasonable, and we have the confidence we can make it work. Thank you.
Well I just want to mention some thing if you own a home you have property taxes of probably 3000+ you have homeowners policies of insurance probably 1500+ so you also have higher utilities to the tune of May be 800+ a month so you have to consider if you’re full timing you’re not paying these other fees even if your home is paid off you have them so consider that as well.
I love the way you both interact with each other. So lovely and balanced. Good luck in all you do❤️
Wow you guys really had fun this past year. Which leads me to say that you were really on a year-long vacation as opposed to daily living. If you added up the cost to have made the same trip sans the RV, like hotels, eating out etc I'm sure the total would have at least doubled. The wifi cost is for your on the road business & would have been deductible or better yet the business income offsetting expenses. To me sounds like a great price for your years' adventure. Yahoo.
We were traveling with our camper and in 8 months only paid $10.00 and $30.00 at 2 campsites the whole 8 months
Just found your channel and I must say this was a really informational video! I'm planning to hit the road - at least part-time - in 2023 and have been working on my budget for 2023. Thank you for helping me flesh that out a bit more. Safe and happy travels to you!
Nice breakdown of expenses 🥁 I thought , It was expensive to run around in Desert Snow . Though so worth it .See you on NYE in chat on your other channel TIUW 😃
This was an awesome video and thank you for glossing down on the budget area. God bless and protect you guys always
Thank you Ada, we are glad that you enjoyed the video! We thought it would helpful to share our full time RV living costs as we start 2023!
Have you all heard of the cat window? It's a metal collapsible window seat. The cats can sit "outside". Just gives them more room and fresh air. ❣️
Thank you for your honest review. RVing is not CHEAP. It can be moderate, but as you mentioned: fuel, campgrounds, and gear/upgrades take their toll. We enjoy you all, and your fun interactions. Keep it up!
Ouch! 😮 You two did so much, and saw so much, that I think the cost may have been well worth it. To borrow from the Eva Rose York poem, "I shall not pass this way again". Who knows, but maybe you will? You two were definitely 'happy campers' which I admire. When you were speaking about buying accessories for Desert Snow, it reminded me of the 1954 movie 'The Long, Long Trailer' starring Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. If you haven't seen it before, I would recommend doing so. It is a funny look at a couple who buy a trailer, and their adventures 😄
Thanks for your great comment Mike! Sounds as though we really need to check out The Long Long Trailer! And, yes, we probably are happy campers!
@@LetsTurnItUpWorld It's a classic, and when you see their rig and what they use to haul it, it will blow your mind.
I also camphost for five months,so Five months,Free rent plus $250 p/week...(20 hrs perweek)AND....I,74 solo female....Wahoo!!
Wahoo is right! We are impressed Carol!
That was very interesting. I don’t RV but I think my annual expenses for the things I spend on are about the same. Next year your overall should come down.
I truly enjoy your videos and your humor! I remember your ‘newbie’ to RV’ing videos when you first bought Desert Snow. You’ve come a long way! Literally!! 😊 Food is a (doubled) expense regardless if you’re on the road or in a fixed brick and mortar. Cheers and happy travels!
Thanks Dana! Yes, we have come a long way. We will never forget our trip out to buy our EKKO - even before we named him Desert Snow lol. It was a great first RV road trip back from Iowa to Las Vegas as well!
Nice breakdown of expenses.
Don’t expect costs to go down. They wont. Over $9k for maintenance seems crazy high.
Thanks Lisa, we will do our best to bring costs down! The $9,000 included our major mods for a Quigley lift, better suspension, better tires etc. True RV maintenance was about $600.
wr8ng
What about health costs? Insurance, visits, vision or dental?
Hair cuts?
Firewood, ice?
Out on the road with an RV was one of my life-long dreams but it won't happen because of those costs. That's one reason I love your channel so much, I can live out my dreams through you guys! Thank you for being such a cute and adorable couple! 🥰😎💖
You can always get a small camper if you still want to pursue it.. Hell I know people on social security that are actually doing quite well, although many of them live out of well equipped vans....and it's a good idea to have a few thousand saved ahead of time in case you run into an early repair that you need to make.
@@down-the-rabbit-hole I do think about it all the time. Ty for your reply! 🙂
@@Scorpio45Libra It's always possible to do it part time w/ a second hand mid sized van that can be fashioned w/ no build supplies. Lots of videos on that. Then you adventure for a week or so at a time and really keep costs down.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 That is good sound advice, Thank you!
Their costs are quite high, considering they live in a van. It isn't always that expensive, if you stay in one place for longer periods, and stick to a strict budget. Rv Life is often cheaper than traditional homes, and far more fun. Yes, there are always unexpected costs that come up, but it can be done much cheaper.
I might have missed it , but does this total include the RV payment ? Or maybe you own it outright. I am not sure if you have said before .
Thanks , this was super helpful information ❤
I’m pretty sure they bought it but don’t quote me.
I guessed it at $50,000 as you were tallying up everything, just about right!
RV life isn’t solely for cost reduction ♥️
If you have kids think of all they are learning they can’t learn any other way ☺️
Think of it as an investment 🥰
Great points! Thanks for sharing!
What you spent for the year, I'm sure seems like a lot for some but that includes incredible adventures and experiences. While I go to work every day in order to make about 50k a year that does not include, incredible adventures and experiences. I'd say you guys are living the life. Kuddo's!
You are wise to travel while you are young! I am 65 y/o and glad that I traveled extensively when I was younger because due to health issues I cannot bounce around the country/world anymore. Stay safe and God bless!
Can I ask what you guys do for a living? I could never begin to do what you do, traveling all over the country, on my fixed income.
Just to let you know: I watch both your channels, because I usually visit Las Vegas once a year. It’s good to know where the locals go, instead of all the tourist traps-especially on the Strip.
So keep on truckin’-both in Vegas and beyond!!!
Love you guys! But you should keep reminding people that your budget is for the higher end user. Not the average expenses for most people living on the road.
Thanks for straight-shooting HONESTY.
WOW@ groceries. Our grocery bill (two adults) really did decrease by half when we started shopping at Aldi. At MOST, groceries are about $250/month, but they’re usually under $200/month. That’s eating at home 4-5 nights a week. Now I’m just hopping I’m always near one on the road.
This was very informative & Gave me an indication of what to look forward to when I go out there on my adventures. I’m hoping to get my Ram Promaster this yr & do a van conversion. I didn’t know about America The Beautiful & Harvest Host. Thank you for putting that information out there & for all your content. You’re my favorite RV couple on RUclips! God bless both you & I’m voting for you!!! ❤
Amen 🙏🏽
Hi First let me say I really enjoy your channel you guys are so inspirational you’re always happy and you seem so genuine. The other thing that I want to say is my first of all I’m never done what you guys are doing but if I were to do it then I would take advantage of the airports I sort of travel between Dallas Fort Worth and Atlanta and do they have the cheap parking spot right can stay in your car overnight in a secure environment walk inside the airport use the restroom amenities plug-in to the Internet and just blend in with travelers for those day you need to stealth park.
First !!! Happy New Year Tanya & Dave. 🥂
Thanks Monique! Happy New Year!
Your cost of living, considering how much traveling you’re doing, seems quite reasonable. Well done.
Thank you for watching. it's definitely a template to folks that may consider traveling as often as we did the first year. We wanted to see as much as we could. That clearly comes with some costs. Thank you!
Which do you think is less expensive? Getting an RV or a trailer/5th wheel? I am leaning towards an RV because if we want to get on the road and one of us wants to sleep we can still sleep. If we have a trailer/5th wheel we can't do that. Plus with the dogs we would have to get them up in the truck with us too. I was thinking it would be cheaper in the long run for a trailer/5th wheel, but I am not sure.
Also, do you tow your car with you everywhere?
I am looking at retiring soon and my husband and I REALLY want out of California and want to explore and we feel this would be the best way to do it. I am so loving your videos. Thank you for taking the time to do them for all to see. 🥰
Love your channel. I was wondering, not to be nosey but on your budget does that include a monthly payment for your RV? (if you have one)
Thank you for the well detailed and comprehensive breakdown of your daily/monthly/yearly expenses! I'm not out there burning the highways yet, but seeing you guys how you go about your traveling is very educational and inspiring for me. Will be joining forces soon ..😎
I love looking at you guys,you are so comfortable and loving with each other.
You are totally in sync with what the other is doing and totally in 💕 love.
Keep up the good work,love you guys so much.
Thank you Hedy! We appreciate that. Glad you enjoyed the video and Happy New Year! By the way be sure to follow our newsletter for up-to-date info on where we are, tips, latest video releases, new merch, and more plus the occasional funny photo of us. 😂 www.turnitupworld.com/newsletter
You two are a Great Team, and so Organized!! I used to be together, but not so much in my 5th Wheel. I live in a RV Park right off a lake. I got lazy thinking I was Retired, and I'm not. Lol In other words sometimes I don't keep everything going like a machine. I have slowed down. I used to clean, clean, clean. Now I just clean!!!!!👍
Great job documenting. Good to see you having fun !!!
I created a spreadsheet that budgets for many other things that are not quite annual cost but can be split to annual expenditure. For example cell phones last few years but cost a fair bit. Same for laptops and camera gear etc. another option is include it as and when it happens.
Didn't see a cost for Medical/Dental Insurance and other Medical costs. For many people that is significant
You guys are awesome! You are truly living your lives! I'm just beginning my journey!
Being from New England Hartford Connecticut when you mention tolls you can almost go broke going from one place to Another. 1st time watching your adventure it's like a dream and fun and being a military background myself a brat and a wife moving was one of the factors that concern me when military life was all over I'm adjusted to breaking camp and going some place so you still have that liberty but fun doing it because it's an adventure now. I love your adventure and I love the way you mesh together as a team, The other half of each other is wonderful. I love your adventure God's speed will be a part of it.
Oh....in 2021...did sugar beet harvest in ND...25 days work,Free ,super nice campgrounds,elec,showers,laundry....made about $5,000...not too shabby
Thanks Carol! Sounds as though you truly know how to live very inexpensively! We may need to learn some cost savings tips from you!
Anytime
It enjoy your videos. We had success staying connect WiFi by adding cellar extender which cost us 500 for me to install antenna then use phone as hot spot which with antenna makes a difference. We can pull a strong enough signal to stream tv and laptop. Unlimited data plan usually work most times as long as there is a signal to get
camping for a year now spent average 175 dollars a day. Thats health insurance gas food and fun. $64,000 a year. Truck and camper are paid for so no bills there, if someone spends under 2 grand, they are not traveling a lot and not doing much. gas can be 100 to 120 a week
in australia to do your laundry weekly, one machine could cost you $14 a pop.. it would be more for 2 loads, then the dryer could cost you the same..
per month you could be looking at a lot of $$$$...
camp grounds are quite expensive here too... and to go into some places as a entry fee, could cost about $50 for 2 people.. depending what you will see and where you are. theres many lookouts are free..
petrol is horrendous here.. it cost me nearly $150 to fill our car let alone a van... eek... I think when we actually get on the road, id like to stay at a place for about a month or 2 depending on the area... we would love to go to farms and help out for planting or picking fruit... we are just in the planning stages...
it was very nice to meet you both... im a newbie follower... ✨🌸💞🙏
What about Passport America which is another option? It's not a perfect system but you save 50% at various campgrounds. They have their own app, but the only issue I have with them is each place is different in what they offer like the amount of days the pass is good for, only certain months sometimes are eligible and the price for camping on the app maybe different then what you are quoted when you call for a reservation. Overall we do use Passport America and have been satisfied most the time. Also we use Thousand Trails which has been significant savings. We can go many months not having to pay any Campground fees. These suggestions won't probably interest you though if you don't care for community camping.
Love you guys. I've been watching you since before "C" love your Vegas videos and the RV vids are so fun and eye-opening!! My dream is to cross the country in an RV.❤ Love the drone shots and the quality and time we can tell is put into your videos!!! Thank You!!
Use Upside to help with gas costs. It finds the cheapest gas prices and gives you a credit for each gallon.
Hi Tanya & Dave, thank you for a fun adventure this year fun to tag along! Watching this vlog makes a whole lotta sense this is not for me becoming an RV roadie with those type of expenses. Safe travels 💜💜💜💜💜🌜
Glad to hear about the pricing and costs related to RV traveling….
This is such a great video! Not only are you guys fun and entertaining to listen to, but the organisation of the data *chefs kiss* thank you so much for putting this together!!
Will you ever take the camper to florida,other southern states? The kitty must be enjoying,as could not imagine camping,going on adventures without my dog! Would love to see you 2 go repelling in the sierras,etc with a team leader,it's cool when you get to do it while you can.wish I still could.treasure your health!!
You guys are so much fun! Thank you ❤
Love your Buc-ee flag. We're FTers who like to boondock most of the time in a 36ft, 8mpg gas MH. We pull a 30+ mpg toad. This reduces the number of miles we drive our MH annually. We often travel coast to coast, putting about 7-8,000 miles on our MH and about 9-10,000 miles on our toad annually. Last year we wintered over at Quartzsite and the surrounding LTVA's. A season pass there is only $180 for all winter (for 7 months or less than $1 a day) which includes free dump, water and trash disposal. Of course, there's no electricity in the desert, so you'll need solar. We're wintering over in Los Indios, TX this year at a FHU RV park that's only $170/mo. + about $75/mo. for electricity if you stay for 6 months. The best part of staying here is the near perfect shirt sleeve weather all winter. Rarely does the temp drop where you need a light jacket. You guys might want to consider a high MPG toad, - if your little MH can pull one, as this will reduce your fuel cost. We use our toad to store our heavy tools and to go on water and grocery runs which saves carrying capacity and miles on our MH too.
We use the FMCA MiFi plan. It used to be only $50 a month for unlimited access through T-Mobile, but now it costs $65 a month for 25 Mbps unlimited access through AT&T. They can throttle you on busy towers after your first 75GB/mo. (which is about a week for us), but they only do it when needed, and only as much as needed. For example, there are many RVers now in the TX RGV wintering over, so our speed today is slowed to 22 Mbps. I've seen it as low as 12 Mbps (but only at peak times) but at least they don't slow you to dial-up speeds like T-Mobile sometimes did. We stream HULU and Netflix and stream RUclips videos all day with no buffering on the TV. Certain websites like Facebook might buffer their videos, but that's the website's issues, not an AT&T connectivity issue. The only negative is that it comes with a cheap Moxee MiFi device with no antenna ports. We're thinking of buying a Netgear Nighthawk hotspot so we can use our antenna for better tower access in remote areas.
Thanks Chip! We're huge fans of Buc-ees. We travel with two cats so we like to boondock but when we get into hot areas we like to be able to plug up for the fur babies and run the A/C and when we're away from the RV. Thanks for the breakdown and tips. Greatly appreciated. Happy New Year by the way! By the way be sure to follow our newsletter for up-to-date info on where we are, tips, latest video releases, new merch, and more plus the occasional funny photo of us. 😂 www.turnitupworld.com/newsletter
What if you buy land and park on it. Then you still live in the RV but have a place to park for a year. A year on the road and a year parked in one place. I've thought about doing that, simply living in a 5th wheel on land.
I honestly love waking up outside or in a vehicle so the idea of having an RV vs house is appealing but because you can't drive forever I often wonder the struggle and cost to simply park on land you own and stay a year.
Maybe you guys can do that when done traveling?
You guys should come out to the Smokies and do some camping. Vogel State Park has camping areas. It's really nice in the summer as there is so much more to do during that time. Cherokee N.C. Bryson City N.C. Pigeon Forge Tennessee, Gatlinburg Tennessee, Rugby Tennessee, Helen Georgia, Dahlonega Georgia, Hiawassee Georgia, Blairsville and Blue Ridge Georgia. There is so much to see and do throughout these areas.
Now you guys did a great job on the breakdowns of RV living in starting with a minivan but it was still good to hear about cost I do want a class c RV one day
Hybride. Mini van
Thank you, Tanya & Dave! This was the info I needed tonight, for the place that I'm at in my journey. Blessed be. 💖
Damn way more than my house monthly expenses and I have a mortgage utilities feeding 3 people. So only the rich can live the RV life style. Got it.
I have Starlink here at our house. I love it… One day I hope to get a RV to travel and see our beautiful country USA. I watch and learn, through your RUclips channel. Thank you both!
Interesting to compare your costs to what I am projecting for full time in my minivan. Im on just social security, and food costs have gone so high that I will be limited on mileage and my ability to use campgrounds. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing the country!
Honestly, spending $600 a month on food, and $800 a month on stays can all be avoided if you do your research and stick to a budget. I know lots of people who are on SSI, and are easily able to afford this rv lifestyle, compared to a traditional home or apt. You'll LOVE IT if you know how to be careful with your money. Have fun out there!