How to Keep Your RV Vacation Costs Down

The economy is on the rebound, now's the time to dust off the RV, pack up the family for a road trip and save some money.

Wait a minute... after what's happened financially across this country in the past few years, how could a vacation in an RV possibly be considered a money saving experience? Just the cost of moving your motorhome or trailer to your destination will be considerable because averaging 10 MPG isn't exactly cheap.

Yes, your largest expense will be fuel. But what if that is the only hit your normal day to day living expenses experience, then how do things measure up?

Normal day to day living means you buy groceries, to feed the family. Odds are you drive to work, shuttle kids back and forth, and even make discretionary excursions in your vehicle that wouldn't be considered essential. Add in the Saturday Matinee at the local theater and an occasional dinner out and there is very little difference between what life at home and life on a road trip will cost you.

The key to keeping your travel expenses in check is to take advantage of freebies and low cost services that are available to you by tailoring your route to include them.

When you go shopping at Walmart have you noticed the usual handful of RVs parked away from the crowd of vehicles? They're spending the night in the Walmart parking lot for FREE. Oh sure it's not luxury accommodations, but you're just passing through. Why would you want to pay to park for say 12 hrs at a campground with a swimming pool or lake when you're leaving when the sun comes up? You have the advantage of a lighted, safe place to park and a ready supply of groceries at reasonable prices.

The nice thing about Walmart is they're everywhere. Planning a travel route that takes you past one when it's time to park for the night is a simple matter of picking up a road atlas at Walmart. It will list all the store locations in the country making it a simple matter to make sure you're always within 50 miles of a store.

Of course not all of your needs will be satisfied sitting at Walmart. Taking a nice hot shower with unlimited water is something most RVs can't supply, especially when on the road where their water supply is limited and waste water is something to contend with.

While laying out your travel route be sure to mark down the location of large truck stop chains. Most truck stops like Flying J and Travel Centers of America roll out the welcome mat for RVers. They're your oasis on the interstate where you can empty your waste tanks, refill your fresh water tanks, and spend the night... All For Free!

Most truck stops have a separate parking area for RVs which gets you away from the majority of the noise created by the trucking business. Some also have mechanics on duty. That can be a life saver if your experiencing problems with your RV. For the most part they can only help with the drive train issues because they don't normally deal with issues like plumbing or appliances.

Oh, and about that long hot shower, truck stops can fix you up for just a few dollars. Most have nice clean bathrooms that are both private and secure.

Using mapping software like Microsoft Streets and Trips you can chart your course. This gives you a nice printout where you can mark both Walmart and truck stop locations. This summer our trip to the Black Hills will include many interesting sights and activities found along the way.

The money we save by RVing On The Cheap will allow us to make the most of the 2,000 miles we plan on driving.