Recreational vehicle ownership levels have dipped slightly since a pandemic-driven peak in 2021, when more Americans than ever owned an RV. Still, an estimated 8.1 million American households – including many servicemembers, veterans, and retirees – own some type of RV, and one-third of those owners are on their first vehicle.

RVers are going on more trips, covering longer distances, than in past years, and more families are getting into the act. While this lifestyle has its allure, it’s best to do some research before purchasing one of these vehicles.

Air Force retiree Julie Chickery, who owns the RV blog Chickery’s Travels and lived full-time in an RV for six years, says that the one thing she wished she had known about “RV Life” before she started is how much maintenance is required.

“RVs, whether new or used, drivable or towable, require constant upkeep,” Chickery said, “and it can be very difficult to schedule it in a timely manner. We learned how to do much of it ourselves and try to utilize mobile RV repair technicians if something arises when we are traveling. However, once when we were full-time RVers, we had to move into a hotel for two weeks during a particularly tricky repair job.”

There are also some important financial considerations when living or traveling in an RV. Aside from the cost of the vehicle itself, you’ll need to budget for parking, maintenance, and what Chickery calls “entertainment costs” – everything from park entrance fees to tour tickets at various stops.

“We’ve paid $35 a night at a state park and splurged as much as $200 a night for a waterfront site at a beach resort,” Chickery said.

And even if you do your own RV repairs, you’ll still need to pay for parts. When they were full-time RV travelers, Chickery and her husband typically spent up to $2,000 per year on maintenance costs.

Take a Test Drive

“I think the first thing that anyone contemplating an RV purchase should do is to rent one,” Chickery said.

“Several military installations rent a range of RV types, typically towables, but some have small motorhomes. If you are considering a towable trailer, but don’t have a truck yet, you can even rent a stationary travel trailer at several military bases.”

Chickery recommended starting with a stay at a campground on a military installation, or at a full-service RV resort “so that you don’t have as much work to do on your first few trips.”