RV Travel Expenses versus Stick and Bricks. It's The Money

❤️About This Episode::
We detail our 2023 RV Travel Expenses versus our cost to just live in our former home. #rvlife #rv #rvliving #rvtravel
👫ABOUT US
We are Ken and Pam Smith, aka TheRoadSMITHS. We are empty nesters from Texas who sold our Texas home in 2021, bought an Alliance 310RL fifth wheel and are traveling North America with our faithful Aussie, named Meka. Join us as we experience the beauty, build new friendships with the people we meet, and show you not only the Epic locations but the “hidden gems” that North America has to offer.
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[@campinwiththeconfers]

Good comparison! This was helpful, thanks for sharing! Safe travels! - Mike and Shelley

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thanks guys!!

[@To.Be.Determined]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

You are welcome. Lots of money either way!!

[@RVAmerica]

That property tax was crazy. We have often said that it's not really a lot cheaper to live in an RV than a home. It's just a better lifestyle. 😊 Lynn and Danny

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Yes it was...no state income tax while working was awesome but the prop taxes were a huge thing then when I retires. Agree on the lifestyle!

[@sherriweber7105]

Ken I hope you had a great Father’s Day!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thank you!!

[@sherriweber7105]

@@TheRoadSMITHS You’re welcome!

[@airstreamer]

We are so thankful for the breakdowns on this video. As we have not quite been doing this a year yet, it has been a huge learning curve. Great information and helpful as we go forward. -Michelle

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thanks....its an eye opener when you look a the numbers for sure.

[@rventures1021]

The fuel is so much more on the west coast. We are in the midwest, it's almost half the cost! We think the beauty of Oregon and Washington are worth it. Great vlog guys!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Fuel costs out west can really put a dent in a budget!! Thanks so much!! 😊

[@bromadiclifeadventures1470]

Awesome channel! Thank you for sharing!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! 😊

[@sherriweber7105]

I missed you guys! Glad you’re back. Hope everything is fine. Watching your video now.

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thanks Sherri...all good here..we were just taking a break form video bit getting this "little rv" ready for the road.

[@sherriweber7105]

@@TheRoadSMITHS Oh ok! Thank you for letting me know! Have you been watching Dustin and Leslie on Rv Unplugged? I’m rooting for them. They are the red team.

[@ChasingOurSunshine]

Joel had done a spreadsheet of the total costs of having our house and retiring keeping the house and then cost of full-time RVing. It was cheaper to keep the house, however, wouldn't be traveling anywhere! Your taxes were insane!! We were made about $3900 our last year of our house!! Great video & safe travels!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Yes the property taxes are big there......heck...our middle daughter and her husband were paying $8K on their first "starter" house.

[@garychristison763]

Thank you for sharing your numbers. Property taxes on our Texas house are about 1% of its market value, so I figure if it appreciates by at least that much a year, I can somewhat justify the cost. We're on a small lake front lot, so that helps keep down the yard maintenance and lake neighbors are understanding if you are slow mowing the yard. Enjoyed hearing the cost breakdown and especially liked seeing the route you took during the year. I'm always visualizing future trips. Not only did your property taxes fund a good education for your kids, you also helped fund a really nice football stadium.

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thank you...and yes the stadium is really nice. :-). Our youngest was in the same grade as Kyler Murray and his run of 3 consecutive Texas State Championships. But yes the stadium is a bit over the top. Our tax rate was higher since the house was apprasied at about $650K...so a bit higher %. I wish it was 1%.. Once you get out of the metro than yes, more realistic. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@nana-l5v6s]

Excellent video. Analysis is not apples-to-apples: to make it so, you have to compare travel expenses of full-timing in an RV and how much you would spend in similar travel while living in traditional home, i.e. airfare, hotels, car rentals, etc etc. Lastly, most people will have mortgage interest / insurance since they'll have a mortgage, so that's added to sticks-n-brick living

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Agreed...so in essence it made our savings even more. But there are may variables in that analysis...how much does one travel and where while still living in home etc etc. Thats why we thought just look at the operational expense areas.Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@justramblinaround]

Ken and Pam these videos are always so great to see it is a subject we talk.about often. We think having a home base is important but we also debate if we should juat sell the home or rent it out. It is so nice to see this breakdown because we are always guessing that sometimes we may save and some times spend more. I am sure the adventure and experiences are priceless Nd I would say expense wise you for sure made a great decision but that quality time together is priceless and you by far came out ahead!! ❤ Great video to share with others! Well done! Oh the property taxes and the insurance was a shocker for sure! Now I am thinking we should keep ours. 😊

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Yes Texas benefit no state income tax while working but the burbs have high property taxes. On the insurance, in 22 years we had to have 3 roofs ( due to hail), an EF1 Tornado that took down trees and landscape and a slab leak with ensuing mold....so that being said....I think we may have broken even...or close to that.

[@robmcneill2967]

Interesting...I have been doing a cost analysis with as many figures as i can get...this will help Its kinda funny....Im the penny pincher & wendy is in accounting....it leads to some good debate...lol. The 2 things that really hurt us are....1st the exchange rate...2nd...health insurance over there. Otherwise we would be close to breaking even....extended boondocking is our goal. Finding a park big enough for the HDT & trailer that fits the budget is gonna take some practise. Thanks for sharing your experience it truly does help folks like us. Cheers 😊

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

It has to make financial sense for sure. For us it did.

[@AmpedtoGlamp]

Very informative. Love the sticks and bricks comparison, Thanks for sharing

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thanks. It’s how we justified this lifestyle.

[@LoCleTXRV]

Thanks for sharing. So how is living in the Lance compared to the Alliance? Maybe a video on the changes you have made while trailing in downsized mode.

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thats a great suggested topic...thanks... Traveling in the Lance it different for sure. We have always said that everything about RVing is a compromise. While its much smaller...its comfortable enough, forces us to be outside more weather permitting. much more nimble, we get better fuel economy and gets into spots we could not with the 5ver.

[@N2it4Now]

Hey guys, thanks for sharing some personal info and the insights. $14K for property taxes!! Geeezzz, did you guys' live next door to Mark Cuban! 😁😁 Rock on RoadSmiths!!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Haha...no and no telling what his are. Texas city suburbs have great schools but once are kids were out...it was hard to keep paying those. Our house was over 4,200 sq feet on just about an acre.

[@markreynolds9570]

Wow. 14k for property tax, 600 a month for insurance. Thats insane. And I owned a house on Cape Cod. I guess because theres no income tax.

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Yes. The burbs of Dallas/ Houston/Austin/San Antonio have high prop taxes since it’s growing so fast and the schools and amenities are good. The insurance is due to the weather. Had 3 roofs in 22 years due to hail storms. Also had a slab leak so in essence I think we recovered most of what we spent on premiums.

[@markreynolds9570]

@@TheRoadSMITHS i.e. "The Golden Triangle"

[@travelingcatphotos]

It really does depend on what your sticks & bricks life cost you. We live in one of the most expensive area in the US so it will cost us about half to live full time in our RV. If I were to do a cost analysis comparison I would include: Rent/mortgage vs RV loan payment and campground fees, Home ins. vs RV(and truck) insurance, gas/electric vs fuel/propane, internet/phone vs on the road service providers, Average "vacation" costs vs on the road entertainment. I wouldn't add food into that last cost or at all since it can change drastically per family unit. I also wouldn't include maintenance. As you pointed out, one year in your home cost a whole pile of money due to repairs and I'm sure it's the same in an RV...maybe a whole lotta little costs that pile up along with the occasional big fee like new tires. But you did prove that just having taxes/insurance on your home was still more expensive than living full time in your RV. Imagine those who are paying a mortgage too! It's different for all people but we can't wait till we are able to go full time!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

You can definitely get into analysis paralysis with costs. Since some costs are a given...food, health insurance etc we thought those to be a wash. One of the other savings is that we don't but as many clothes since we can only carry so much. So not sure of the exact savings...but we know we are not spending as much. Good luck going full time.

[@RVWagginTails]

Yikes on the property taxes! Sheesh! Great video. This will give Tina something to reference. Hope to see you guys on the road.

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thanks...yes the property taxes were huge..bur great schools and great amenities in the area we lived in. Just gadl to be out from under that.

[@grayfox9911]

Interesting figures. Thanks for that!!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Thanks. Still makes sense to mostly fulltime.

[@sherriweber7105]

Great video! Thank you for the tips and being informative of the expenses over the year! How is the Lance going so far to camp in?

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Traveling in the Lance it different for sure. We have always said that everything about RVing is a compromise. While its much smaller...its comfortable enough, forces us to be outside more weather permitting. much more nimble, we get better fuel economy and gets into spots we could not with the 5ver.

[@sherriweber7105]

@@TheRoadSMITHS Right I hear you on that! I think it’s cute. I love small things.

[@daydreamer0923]

Thank you. 👋🙂

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

You are welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@thisisouradventure]

It will be very interesting to see how your lifestyle will change in the smaller rig like eating out and boondocking!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

I know. Think we will eat out a bit more and by out I might mean outside. Haha.

[@MO-vx3br]

You didn’t add annual truck and trailer(s) registrations and insurance costs. You added property taxes on the sticks and bricks. I just think it should be a clear picture comparison.

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Truck registration is a wash since we we would own a truck anyway. The insurance on the RV is pretty nominal since it’s a towable. About $50 a month. That’s difference would get eaten up pretty quickly with a plumber or electrician if we needed one and we did need a plumber numerous times.

[@WaywardWaggs]

Your property tax gave me a heart attack! Our property tax in Alabama was $650/year 😂. Can't wait to see how your expenses look in the class C compared to the 5th wheel though.Great insight- thanks for sharing!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

I know. Insane. We had a pretty big house on an acre. The schools are very good and the towns amenities were very good. BUT that was one of the driving forces for us to sell and travel.

[@N2it4Now]

Class C???? Hmmmm ;)

[@WaywardWaggs]

@@N2it4Now lol, I meant travel trailer! 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@aChangeOfSceneryRV]

Do you find you're more active and healthier as travelers or about the same.

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Great question. Its different. When we had our sticks and bricks we walked often and went to the gym. On the road we workout with resistance bands and hike often. Just 2 day ago we did a 4 mile round trip hike with 1,000 foot elevation gain in the first 2 miles...and the starting elevation was 10,200 and the finishing elevation up to the lake was 11,200. It was a butt kicker for sure.

[@mhawrysko]

I really enjoyed this video, thank you for sharing your expense experience! Just curious, what tires did you go with on your 310? I am starting to research for our '21 to replace next season for age more than mileage. What did you put on your tow vehicle too? Hope to see you guys on the road sometime! We are doing a Badlands, Tetons, Idaho, Glacier loop starting in mid-August (from Northeast Ohio). Safe travels!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

We put Saluns on the Alliance. They were ob sale and the endurances we way too expensive. On the Truck...just put the Michelin LTs on that were same as the OEM. We will be in the Tetons in Sept with the little rig.Thanks for watching.

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

We hope to meet you on the road sometime!

[@mhawrysko]

@@TheRoadSMITHS Yes, we do too! We plan on the Rally in Elkhart next year. It would be our first Rally. Usually when we camp we try to find desolate places with minimal people :-) so the Rally will so be out of our element a bit lol. Our tire guy here recommended the Hercules H901ST @$190.99 ea installed. I think we wil try those. Michelin LTX for truck next season. I think you made excellent choices. We pull out Aug 14, will be at the Wall overlooking the badlands a night on the way, then Gros Ventre for a couple of nights, then on to Idaho and Glacier. We can't wait to go. We are in a seasonal site so we get to use our 310 every weekend at least, but we long for the road lol. 😀

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

You will love Glacier...its magical!!

[@mhawrysko]

@@TheRoadSMITHS We were there in September of 2020 and it was smoked out from the Cali Wild Fires and it was still beautiful. We hope to have some clear skies and giant bear claws from Polebridge Mercantile 😀