Vanlife Expenses: The Hidden Costs of Owning a Camper Van

If you’re thinking of setting out on the open road in a camper van with the hopes of a rent-free life and minimal expenses, you may be in for a rude awakening. Van life can offer a lower cost of living if you’re mindful about it, but in many cases, different charges add up more than you might think.

Now, the obvious cost is the van itself, so we’re not going to touch on that here (if you’re curious about that part of the budget, we have a whole post about van costs too). Before you head out on your adventure, be sure to budget for these extra costs.

The unavoidable van expenses

While there are many optional extra expenses you can get to make living in a van more comfortable, there are a handful of nonnegotiable costs.

Registration

Just like with cars, vans and RVs require a yearly vehicle registration with your state. This helps cover the cost of road maintenance and taxes. The actual cost of registration depends on your state and the type of van or RV, but it could be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over $1,000 per year. Plus, with buying a van, be sure to account for sales tax on the purchase!

Insurance

Again, this is pretty similar to any car you’d be driving on the roads. The exact monthly price depends on where you register the vehicle, which insurance you choose, your driving records, and the value of your van. That being said, if you’ll be in the van full-time, you may be able to get a special full-timer deal.

If you need coverage built specifically for vanlifers, check out Roamly, our trusted insurance affiliate partner. They specialize in RV and camper van insurance—covering everything from weekend getaways to full-time travel.

Pro tip: if you’re going full-time in the van, most policies will have an “emergency expense” option—I highly recommend paying for the highest amount available here. If things go awry and your vehicle needs to be in the shop for several weeks, that emergency expense fund will help cover the cost of housing and a rental car during that time.

Repairs and maintenance

The question isn’t “if” your van will have issues, it’s “when.” Your home is essentially going through a bunch of earthquakes every time you drive it—things are going to loosen, break, or fall apart. Of course, good van builds will be designed to hold up to that amount of jiggling and wear, but nothing’s indestructible. This could be as simple as buying a socket wrench to tighten some bolts on the electrical system every so often, or it could be a ceiling leak that leads to widespread mold.

Even if everything runs as it should, you’ll still have to pay for regular oil changes and tune ups like you would for any vehicle.

Storage

If you’re not planning to live in your camper full-time, you’ll still have to put it somewhere while you aren’t using it. If you have a big driveway, maybe that’s no problem, but if not, you could be looking at a few hundred dollars per month to keep it safe (depending on where you store it).

Loan payments

Unless you paid for your van in full, chances are you probably have a loan for that luxurious build. You’ll want to factor in those monthly payments.

The expenses of being on the road

Aside from the actual vehicle expenses, traveling isn’t cheap. Yes, there are definitely ways to be frugal and keep costs down, but there’s really no way around it: life costs money.

Gas

The more you move around, the more you’ll have to spend on gas. Unfortunately, RVs and campervans don’t get the best gas mileage. For a high-roof, fully built-out van, I wouldn’t expect to get much higher than maybe 18 mpg on average.

Campsites

Yes, you can absolutely get away with finding free campsites and parking spots in a lot of situations, but there are places where that won’t be possible or, honestly, you may just not want to. Paying for a campsite or RV park can often be more comfortable, safe, and reliable. That being said, paying for a campsite or RV park every night at $20-120 per night can add up quickly if you’re not careful. Sometimes you can get good discounts for week-long or month-long stays to reduce that cost.

Eating out

Even if your camper has a good kitchen setup, there’s a good chance you won’t want to cook all the time. Dishes pile up quickly in a van and honestly, who wants to cook after a long drive? Suddenly, that yummy sushi place, Chipotle, or Hawaiian BBQ is looking a whole lot more tempting. Plus, when you’re exploring a new city or town, it makes sense that you’ll want to check out the local culinary scene.

Showers, water, and dump stations

You may not be paying for utilities in a house or apartment, but you still have to deal with hygiene and water somehow. If you’re smart about it, you may be able to find free water fill-ups and dump stations, but unless your van has a built-in shower, chances are you’re going to be looking for other shower spots. A national gym membership like Planet Fitness, 24-Hour Fitness, or Anytime Fitness can cover a lot of places, but not everywhere. You might end up paying for showers at truck stops or campsites.

Pro tip: local recreation centers and pools can be a great bang for your buck to get a workout and a shower, plus you’re supporting the local economy.

Internet

If you don’t plan to use much data, you might be able to get by with library and coffee shop wifi. However, chances are you’ll want to pay for a separate hotspot or satellite internet like Starlink.

A typical monthly cost in total

So, realistically, how much should you expect to budget for full-time van life or a short-term van trip? Well, it really depends on how frugal you want to be, but you could be looking at a monthly budget of anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000.

Can vanlife still be affordable?

Short answer? YES.

Realistic answer? That depends on you—if you’re one who likes fine dining, clean showers, and nice things, it’s maybe not as affordable as you’d expect. But if saving an extra $0.05 cents per gallon at the gas station gives you a thrill and you prefer quiet evenings on dispersed campsites with home-cooked meals, then you can absolutely have an affordable van life experience.

Not sure which is your style yet? Give it a try for a week or two first with a rental. You might think you’ll be able to keep to a low-cost budget, only to discover a new addiction to gas station Nerds Gummy Clusters and RV parks with hot tubs.