- Paying RV park rates monthly can save you money. Photo via Shutterstock Standard License
The Best Way to Keep RV Campground Rent Costs Down
Full-time RV living comes with a huge number of benefits. One of the biggest benefits is the ability to move your entire home any time you see fit.
Many RVers choose to take advantage of this benefit on a regular basis, moving every week or two, or sometimes even every couple of days. This is great fun, of course, but it does also have its drawbacks, especially if you plan to live in your RV for more than a few months at a time.
Fortunately, there are other options. Our favorite option is to turn to monthly stays. There are several great reasons to choose paying RV park rates monthly, and we’re guessing you’ll appreciate at least a few of them.
Paying RV park rates monthly saves you money
A lot of people turn to RV living to save money. Unfortunately, even though an RV is much less expensive than a house, unless you’re using some kind of camping membership, staying only a few days at a time in any given place is going to get pricey quickly. Single-night campground fees and the gas costs to get from one place to another add up fast.
Paying RV park rates monthly is one way to negate these costs and keep RV living as inexpensive as possible. Because you won’t be moving as often, you’ll save money on gas for your RV, and monthly RV park rates come out to be much less per night than nightly campground fees.
Experience more places
Another great benefit of paying monthly RV park rates is that you get more time in each area you visit. This means you can fully experience all that those spots have to offer.
Sure, you’ll still stop in to see the major tourist attractions, but longer stays give you the opportunity to check out smaller local museums, stop in at local businesses, and even visit community libraries. You’ll have the chance to get a feel for what it might be like to actually live in each place you visit, something that might come in handy if you ever decide to settle down somewhere.
Know your way around
If you usually travel quickly, you already know how much energy goes into learning your way around town every time you move. Even something as simple as visiting the laundromat can be an adventure. While this does have its merits and can make running mundane errands a bit more interesting, it can also be tiresome after awhile, leaving frequent travelers longing for some consistency.
This is where monthly stays come into play. By paying RV park rates monthly, you stay put longer, meaning you really get to know the area and can put the GPS away for a while. You’ll no longer be completely lost when wandering to the grocery store, and day-to-day errands will feel easier.
Have access to a mailbox
Many parks that offer long-term stays also offer the types of amenities long-term residents might want. If you plan on paying RV park rates monthly, you might be able to take advantage of some of these amenities. A favorite amongst RVers? In-park mailboxes.
Transient RVers must get creative when it comes to getting mail:
- Many pay for mail-forwarding services.
- Receiving packages at campground offices isn’t uncommon (though it has gotten some RVers kicked out).
- Most travelers are familiar with getting general delivery mail at the local post office.
As you can see, getting mail when you’re on the go a lot can be a huge hassle. This makes the availability of in-park mailboxes for those who pay RV park rates monthly a huge benefit.
Become part of a community
The RV community as a whole is fantastic. Campers frequently help one another out with repairs or remodels, and waving as you pass another camper in an RV park or inviting a neighbor to sit around the fire is all very normal. It should come as no surprise that the sense of community in long-term RV parks is even stronger.
Leave when you like
Of course, even when paying RV park rates monthly, you still hold on to all of the other benefits that make living in an RV great. Your home still has wheels, and you can leave whenever you see fit and move on to another community.
Read more about full time RVing:
- The Biggest Full-Time RVing Money Challenges
- Three Steps To Make A Full-Time RVing Budget
- 3 Things That Shouldn’t Stop You From Full-Time RVing
Chelsea Gonzales is a full-time RVer, freelance writer, and roadschooling mama who loves sharing her expertise about RVing with kids, roadschooling, and full-time RVing. The entrepreneurial and free-spirited author is also artistic director of the Aistear Mobile Irish Dance Academy, and currently travels with her family in a 27-foot travel trailer. Chelsea’s informational articles about full-time RVing, raising children on the road, camping, and destination features appear on her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander. throughout the RV LIFE network, and in RV industry media outlets such as Outdoorsy, Coach-Net, and RV Share.
I’ve found that paying for a weekly rate is usually better. With a weekly rate, your electric is included. A large part of RV parks do not include electric in a monthly rate. Electric can run you as much as $150 a month depending on their rates and the size of your rig and usage. In this situation, the weekly rate breaks down the same as a monthly rate – sometimes even cheaper. Just something to consider when weighing all the stay options.
Is there a list somewhere of rv parks that offer monthly or yearly rates? Particularly interested in the East coast right now!
A phone call to those that look like you would want to stay. Most of the web sites will list monthly rates https://campgrounds.rvlife.com/
I love this idea! It makes so much sense to me and I think it would be a great way to save money on our next RV trip.
We just booked a three month stay at Port Aransas and saved with our military discount! This really helps during summer rates! We were only going to stay for two months, but we got bigger savings staying for three. We explained we had Dr appointments in the month at home before we go, she was nice enough to only charge us half the deposit in case we are delayed for any reason. Never hurts to ask. Also, when booking for monthly rates, be sure to ask if they honor club memberships like Good Sam, FMCA, or Escapees ☺️