RV Ownership – Pros and Cons

My husband and I delved into the world of RV ownership this spring. We owned a popup camper before, but never a full-on RV. Naturally, this got me to thinking about the pros and cons of RV ownership. I thought I’d share a few! 🙂

Check out my post What to Consider When Buying an RV if you’re thinking about it.

PROS OF RV OWNERSHIP

IT’S ALL MINE!

• 

  Camping with friends

  BATHROOM: RV ownership means you ALWAYS have a bathroom nearby! Don’t you love how I led with that one? It has come in handy when we needed to use one and didn’t want to go to a gas station! 🙂

• BEDROOM: RV ownership means ALWAYS have a bed nearby…this comes in handy on long trips because all you need is a WalMart parking lot, rest stop (double check state laws) or an RV campground and don’t really want to spend the money for a hotel!
• YOUR FUNKY JUNK: The bed you sleep in is YOURS and no one else’s. You don’t have to worry about bedbugs or anyone else’s nasty habits and whether or not the hotel cleaned it. If it’s not clean, it’s your funk that’s in there…clean it or ignore it!

SAVE MONEY – TRAVEL MORE

• SAVE MONEY ON FOOD: RV ownership means there’s no need to eat out! Meals can be as fancy as you want them, or low key. You can save a TON of money just by eating in!
• 

  Camping less than an hour from home!

  SAVE ON ACCOMMODATIONS: Campgrounds are usually CHEAP! Most state parks in Arkansas are around $20/night. We’ve gone to destination cities like Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores, Alabama…they were a little more expensive at around $50/night, but THE VIEWS!!! Where else can you pay $50/night and wake up to walks on the beach from the comfort of your own space? RV ownership affords you this luxury.

• BOONDOCKING: (AKA FREE dry camping)! A lot of RVs are made so that you can carry in everything you need and “live off the land.” No need to have sewer and water hookups as long as you plan ahead and fill up your water tank, charge your battery, and bring enough groceries. You can camp ANYWHERE (as long as it’s legal…I’m guessing Area 51 won’t let you in!). You could also use your camper as a base camp for hiking into a remote location by boondocking.

EASE OF USE

• BRING IT ALL!: More STUFF fits in a camper! Ok girls, you know this is true! I like the outdoors, but I can bring my hairdryer, makeup, dress up clothes in case we go out, and even heels if I want a pretty decoration! Camper camping is WAY different than tent camping…I always pack SUPER light for tent camping…like how many times can I wear a shirt before it’s considered inappropriate? Because of our newly acquired RV ownership, I bring everything under the sun now!
• PACKING/UNPACKING: This is one of the best things about RV ownership as you only need to take perishable items out of the camper when you’re done camping. We leave several outfits (including shoes, undergarments, and PJs) and towels in our camper. We also leave non-perishable food items (sealed bags of chips, mason jars of coffee, sugar, etc.) and toiletries in the camper. Sometimes we wake up and decide that we will go camping that evening. Keeping the camper “packed” makes this possible.
• GET OUTTA TOWN: It’s easier to get out of town since the camper stays packed and ready. We can decide on a moment’s notice to go camping and have it hooked up in a matter of minutes…LITERALLY! As long as there’s a grocery store on the way, we’re good to go!

CREATURE COMFORTS OF RV OWNERSHIP

• 

  Us at the eclipse “campsite”

  HVAC: Heating and air…OBVIOUS pros of RV ownership! I don’t spend much time above the Mason-Dixon line. I’m not sure how important this is to you, but here in the south, AC is an absolute MUST! Heating is pretty necessary, too…but you can normally bundle up and stay warm enough down here.

• COMFORT: You have the comforts of home, away from home. I know I’ve said this in other ways, but there’s just something about that “home is where the heart is” feeling you get in an RV!
• CHANGE OF SCENERY: There is so much cool and funny stuff in the world…why not see as much as possible? One of the best things about RV ownership is that you can go somewhere different every weekend!
• VERSATILITY: You can get into an overbooked location if you know a local! We were able to go see the eclipse this year even though Nashville was WAY overbooked for the weekend. No hotels, no campsites (tent or otherwise), nothing…nowhere to stay! My cousin had some property, so we pulled our camper there and enjoyed a nice, quiet place to watch the eclipse because of our RV ownership (…and the generous cousin!).
• MEETING PEOPLE: Making new friends, or getting reacquainted with old friends is one of my favorite benefits of RV ownership. We’ve been camping a lot with some old friends that distance and busy-ness have kept us apart. We’ve also made new friends in our various locations. I recently found an acquaintance I had in high school while camping. THAT WAS WEIRD but SUPER COOL!
• SO. MUCH. FUN!!! All your non-camping friends think you’re living the high life, but you’re really just chillin’ and getting away. Both my husband and I relax better when camping because we are not at home where our worries live. It just seems so peaceful to sit around in our camp chairs and listen to the birds sing and bugs chirp!

CONS OF RV OWNERSHIP

COSTS OF RV OWNERSHIP

• COSTS: I HATE spending unnecessary money!!! Well, that’s not entirely true, but I do want to have fun when I spend it! RV ownership feels so expensive and luxurious…and we have a cheap one! The funny thing is, our brand new RV is costing us less each year than our entire 12-day vacation to Puerto Rico last fall!
• SETUP COSTS: I used to work at The Container Store. There are just some organizational things you will need to set up your camper. There are also tools and equipment you will need for your camper. Heaven forbid you to get to your campsite and don’t have a sewer hose! Not cool!!!
• MAINTENANCE COSTS: I don’t know this because of this particular camper yet, but our last one…it was a doosey! You have to stay on top of the “honey-do” list with campers because if you don’t fix it quickly (whatever IT is). Problems tend to multiply when not properly handled.
• ADDED FUEL COSTS: Again, RV ownership is LOTS of fun, but this is an extra cost you HAVE to factor. Your vehicle will not get the same gas mileage with one of these bad boys behind it. My gas mileage is cut in half…LITERALLY…when pulling the camper!
• STORAGE: Where will you store your RV when it’s not in use? The neighbors don’t seem to mind our RV being beside our house (I’m not really worried if they do…it’s our property!), but I know some people store them on a storage lot. That’s an added cost of RV ownership to consider.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• CHORES AT HOME: Your “honey-do” list at home NEVER gets done (exaggeration here, but things just don’t get done as quickly when you’re not home). I have to be honest here, out of the roughly 12 weeks of summer, we were gone almost 3 whole weeks, and a total of 8 weekends, most of which were at least 3 day weekends. We’ve GOT to figure this thing out because we’re still trying to remodel the bathrooms!
• CHORES IN THE CAMPER: One of the downsides of RV ownership is you have to make your own bed and wash your own dishes. I don’t mind this because I do it at home anyway, but it’s not a hotel room…no room service here.
• PARKING THE CAMPER: Oh my goodness!!! Parking this thing is insane! There is a learning curve, for sure. If you want the camper to go one direction, you have to turn the wheel in the opposite direction! My husband is getting the hang of it, but I’m scared to death to try! *Think…broken rain gutters on the house…not joking! We slip ours in between our house and our neighbor’s…NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK!!! (*Update…we HAVE gotten better at this…it just takes time*)
• COMING BACK TO REALITY: Alas, at some point you have to go back home! This is the worst part of RV ownership, but you’ve gotta go back to work to make more CAMPING MONEY!

Us leaving Gulf Shores!

This is by no means an exhaustive list on the pros and cons of RV ownership. It’s just what we’ve found to be true in our camping experience both now and previously. Would you add to this list? Leave a comment down below!

If you found this article useful, please pin it! 🙂