Living On the Open Road
Have you ever thought someday you’ll rent a recreational vehicle and live on the road for a few months? If so, you are like many other working adults who dream of the itinerant lifestyle, wide-open highways, and daily adventures. From the comfort of an RV (recreational vehicle), it’s possible to tour vast geographic areas, entire continents in fact, in comfort, safety, and style. What does it take to make such a daydream come true? First, you have to find time in your life’s calendar to spend time away from work, unless you’re lucky enough to have a 100 percent online job. Most people don’t, so the expense of RVing is usually the number one concern that must be addressed. If you want to live a life in motion for a week, a month, or a summer, here are a few suggestions for making it happen.
Make the Time
You need to have plenty of free time to plan a major road trip of any kind. One reason RV excursions are so popular among recently retired people is they have the time. Working adults, however, sometimes spend summers or entire months in a rec vehicle on targeted trips to visit relatives, famous sites, or national parks. Regardless, take time to plan every phase of your journey, from renting or buying a vehicle, to hitting the highway and making dozens of stops for rest and entertainment.
Deal with Financing First
Long road trips come with their own unique set of expenses. Even if you own a recreational vehicle and don’t need to rent one, fuel, food, and accessories can run into the thousands of dollars for a cross-country expedition. First-timers are usually shocked at the total cost of gasoline. That’s because large vehicles don’t get good mileage, and you’ll be using a lot of it if you’re on the road for weeks at a time. The most effective way of covering all the associated expenses of renting an RV, gassing it up, paying for food, and taking care of incidentals is to take out a personal loan as soon as you decide to become a road warrior. Borrowing means you can pay in advance for vehicle rental and not worry about finances while you explore the country.
Fuel, Electricity, Park Rental, and Generators
When you’re not in a park, you’ll be on the highway consuming fuel and relying on your vehicle’s generator for electricity. Fortunately, even the smaller units include high-capacity generators as part of the purchase price. Of course, capacity and device brands vary from model to model but expect to get anywhere from 10 to 100 hours of power from a built-in generator and about 17 miles per gallon for fuel efficiency on long drives. The largest single expense travelers face is gasoline and food. Depending on the per-gallon cost of fuel during your trips and the kinds of meals you prefer, it’s possible to save by using a fuel card, not using the vehicle’s air conditioner, and avoiding eating at restaurants. Rental spaces at RV parks run about $50 per day, depending on where you stop. You can get major discounts by booking rental space in advance online.
