hitting the road and getting started with RV living is exciting I remember when we got our
first RV I just wanted to go outside to where it was parked and just sit in it
and then while sitting in it I would begin to just dream of all of the places that we would
go and see in places that would take us or even just thinking about how fun it would be
to head out for the weekend RV life has been one of the best things that happened to our
family but it also comes with a price tag so if you're considering jumping into RV living
you're going to want to watch this video to the end to be able to understand some
of the Hidden costs that can and will creep up with RV living and travel so stay tuned
my name is charity and along with my husband Ben our dog our two cats we've been traveling the us
in our RV for five years now and we have learned a ton along the way so we created this channel
to share not only our experiences but also some of our fails RV tips tricks storage organization
hacks fun places to visit things to do and some of the best food along the way so if any of that
sounds like something you're interested make sure you hit that subscribe button to be notified when
we release a new video every week now as I mentioned we try to share all aspects of RV
life including the fails and the downsides and we've realized that there are some hidden costs
that people do not talk about often and for sure you're not going to see that van lifer you follow
on Instagram posting about any of these things because well we're just going to discuss the
things that not everybody wants to discuss because it doesn't portray the picture-perfect life
now don't get me wrong RV living is amazing but it has upsides and downsides and this channel
well we're not going to be superficial we're going to share realities including all of it
up and down and I've got a helpful hint towards the end on a great way we found
to save on some costs so you're going to want to be sure to stick around for some of those
now the first hitting cost that most people who jump into RV living don't always think
about are maintenance and repairs now just like any vehicle RVs require regular maintenance and
repairs to keep them running smoothly now this can include things like oil changes
and transmission services for drivable RVs and wheel bearing packing or brake pad replacement
for travel trailers and fifth wheels tires also need to be replaced from time to time on all RVs
now because RVs are larger and more complex than just your standard vehicle or trailer repairs and
maintenance are going to cost you quite a bit more and if you have a diesel pusher motorhome
like we do be ready to spend some big bucks which you can take it in for service we've learned that
number two cost is insurance now RV Insurance can be a cost a lot of people don't always think about
and depending upon how often you use your RV what type of RV you have in other factors such
as business use the cost of insurance and what type of coverage that you're going to need can
vary greatly now you may also need additional coverage if your RV is your primary residence
did want to let you know that we have limited edition experiences
over things shirts available just for the summer of 2023 you have to get your
orders in by April the 13th there'll be a link in the description below they'll
arrive at the beginning of may just in time for summer back to the video
hidden cost number three is storage now RVs are obviously too big to fit in most people's
driveways and not to mention many HOAs prohibit parking and RV in the neighborhood which means
you're going to need to find a place to store your RV when you're not using it now storage fees can
add up quickly especially if you live in an area where storage is in high demand and if you want
to have covered parking or indoor storage for your RV be ready to Shell out even more
hidden cost number four is fuel now RVs are not known
for their fuel efficiency so you can expect to spend significantly more on fuel and if
you're towing an RV with a truck be prepared to see a dip in that fuel economy while you're
towing additionally driving an RV or Towing an RV can be more stressful than when you're
just driving a car which means you're going to probably take more breaks and these stops tend
to start racking up costs like miscellaneous snacks or fast food and convenience items
cost number five Campground fees unless you're planning on boondocking only you are going to
need to pay for campsites from time to time or RV parks now some RV parks can be quite expensive
especially if they offer amenities like swimming pools and laundry facilities or restaurants one
way we found to keep these costs down and here's an Insider tip is by using places like state parks
or campsites found on recreation.gov however one thing with a lot of these campsites is they do
book up fairly quickly so what if you want to go camping say this weekend but all the sites at the
State Park are booked up well we've had this happen to us several times and this is where
you can set up a sold out search in a service called RV and RV will automatically book that
Campground for you when a cancellation happens even while you sleep RV is an online travel agency
for rvers and campers and we've been using RV for close to a year now and we have used the sold out
search feature a ton to secure campsites we've had amazing success with securing last minute
reservations or reservations for extremely popular destinations that book up and since we love to
share about products and services we use and love ourselves we have partnered with RV for a 10
discount for our viewers now this is an exclusive discount you're not going to find anywhere else
so be sure to visit gratefulglamper.com forward slash RV also put the link in the description
below we've learned RV's really our best shot to get the spot when it comes to State Parks
Now hidden cost number six is mobile internet why many rving campgrounds offer free Wi-Fi
these services are spotty and unreliable and we found this out the hard way and our very
first few weeks on the road you will need to invest in your own internet service to
stay connected on the road the same goes if you want to have TV service be prepared to
pay for satellite TV service if you want to stay entertained on the road that way
now number seven is laundry not a lot of people think about this some RVs come with a washer
and dryer that but the majority do not this means you're going to need to use laundry facilities at
campgrounds or laundry mats which can be expensive and time consuming so start saving those quarters
now overall why RV ownership can be a great way to explore the country and enjoy the outdoors it's
important to consider all of the Hidden costs before purchasing an RV and then hitting the
road have you seen RV unplugged Ben and I had a chance to be contestants on the very first season
one of RV unplugged watch along as we compete against other rvers to win the grand prize of 10
000 it was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of our RV life yet
and we know that you're going to love watching along and seeing who's going to win check it out
on YouTube at RV unplugged there'll be a link in the description below where you can get started in
watching all the episodes for season one I'm gonna put a video right up here about our personal costs
when it came to RV living last year I think some of what this cost us might actually surprise you
if we don't see you out on the road or around the campground we'll see you in the next video