RV Trip Cost Calculator

How RV trip costs are calculated

An RV trip has a few big costs and several small ones. Fuel is the first big line, found by dividing trip miles by miles per gallon and multiplying by the fuel price. Campgrounds are the second, found by multiplying nightly rates by nights. Then come propane for the stove, heater and fridge, tolls, food and small fees for dumping tanks or doing laundry. The calculator adds them all and shows totals per day. Change one box at a time, such as mileage or nights, to see which choice moves the total the most before you commit to a route. Keep your real fuel receipts from past trips, because they give a truer mpg than the number on a spec sheet.

Here is a worked example with the defaults. A 1,200-mile trip at 9 mpg uses about 133 gallons, which is about $500 at $3.75. Seven nights at $50 cost $350. Propane at about $3.50 a night is about $25. Tolls, dump fees and laundry add $70. Food for the group at $90 a day over eight days is $720. The total is $1,665, about $208 per day.

Mileage is the input most worth testing. RVs often get far fewer miles per gallon than cars, and towing, headwinds and hills lower it more. Try a pessimistic mpg as well as an optimistic one to see the range. The propane cost is an editable example, since use depends on weather, appliances and how often you cook. Campground prices swing widely between public, private and resort parks, and full hook-up sites cost more.

To decide whether an RV fits your plans at all, run the trip through the RV rent vs buy calculator and compare it with the camping vs hotel cost calculator. For a tent trip, the camping trip cost calculator is simpler. If you are still choosing a rig, the RV rental finder narrows the options.

Where these numbers come from

The formulas and default values in this calculator are based on:

• Arithmetic from your inputs (miles / mpg x fuel price, nights x campground rate, propane gallons x price). Note: fuel, campground, propane and food prices are editable examples
• no price page was opened in this build

This is a planning estimate, not medical, legal or immigration advice. Fees, allowances, limits and entry rules change, so confirm the figures with your airline, cruise line, customs agency or the official government source before you book or travel, and follow their rules if they differ from this page.