Average Price of RV's

The first thing I found after I decided to purchase a recreational vehicle was that there were so many different types of RVs. I felt a little overwhelmed, and I wondered where I should begin. I spent eight months reading every book I could get my hands on, and I spent endless hours on the Internet and visiting RV shows and dealerships, just to educate myself about the basics.

The first thing I wanted to know was how much it would cost me. Not just the recreational vehicle itself, but also all the other costs, such as financing, insurance, and upkeep. So let’s start with the biggest expense, the RV itself. What can you expect to pay?

Recreational vehicles come in many different types, sizes, and price ranges. Some are very basic, starting around $5,000, and they provide just the basic sleeping arrangements and cooking facilities. On the other end of the spectrum, there are $1,000,000+ luxury land yachts on wheels.

With all the different choices, anyone can afford to own an RV; with the extremely flexible financing options that are available, there is an RV to fit every budget. Prices can vary greatly from class to class and even within classes.

Travel trailers are the cheapest option, ranging in price from a low of $9,000 to a high of about $70,000, followed by Fifth Wheels, which are slightly more. Class C motorhomes start at a low end of about $45,000 and go up to $100,000, while Class As can run as low as $50,000 up to more than $900,000 for custom “highliner” coaches. Chapter 3 gives you much more specific information about the prices, benefits, and disadvantages of each class.

I have included some statistics (below) of average “low,” “medium,” and “high” prices for various classes of recreational vehicles to give you an idea of what you are looking at spending.

Class	Low	Medium	High
Class A Gas & Diesel	$50,000	$130,483	$900,000
Class C	$42,000	$56,474	$121,000
Fifth Wheel	$12,000	$25,838	$98,000
Trailer	$9,000	$15,336	$76,000

Class	Low	Medium	High
Class A Gas & Diesel	$48,000	$81,400	$300,000
Class C	$39,000	$48,500	$67,000
Fifth Wheel	$12,000	$23,200	$97,000
Trailer	$9,500	$14,300	$63,000

Class	Low	Medium	High
Class A Gas & Diesel	$50,000	$117,500	$500,000
Class C	$45,000	$56,770	$75,000
Fifth Wheel	$12,800	$23,790	$97,000
Trailer	$9,500	$14,700	$63,000

Class	Low	Medium	High
Class A Gas & Diesel	$50,000	N/A	$400,000
Class C	$59,000	N/A	$120,000
Fifth Wheel	$12,000	N/A	$100,000+
Trailer	$9,000	N/A	$75,000

Remember, if you decide to buy a used RV, you can expect to pay up to 30% less for a current model and even less for an older model. Buying a quality used model at a cheaper price is a good way for families to edge into the RV market without putting out their entire savings.

The benefits of RV travel are innumerable, which is the reason why there are over nine million RVs on the roads today, with the number of RV owners growing exponentially every year.

The number one benefit of RV ownership is freedom. When you travel by RV, you enjoy an independence that is not feasible using commercial travel. You can create your own schedule, day-by-day, and you can go where you want to go when you want to go there. You travel at your own pace.

Togetherness is another advantage. Spending time with the family is frequently cited as a highly valued advantage to RV ownership. Memories are created as the family enjoys quality time exploring new places, sitting around the campfire, or playing board games while chugging down the road.

Money saved on lifestyle or vacationing is another advantage to RV ownership. According to vacation cost-comparison studies by PKF Consulting, an internationally-known hospitality consulting and research firm, RV vacations are more affordable than traveling by automobiles, commercial airlines, or cruise ships. Even after factoring in the costs of RV ownership and fuel, a family of four can expect to spend up to 70 percent less when traveling by RV (depending on what type RV you buy) than when traveling by other means.

The cost of going by RV is 9 to 42 percent lower than traveling by car, staying in hotels, and eating in restaurants, which is the least expensive of the non-RV travel options analyzed.

No matter which type and model of RV you own, your vacations will be substantially cheaper than any other vacation choice, even after factoring in the costs of your RV, which means you can save money and have more funds available for future and more frequent travel.

Average Prices of RV Classes