RV Ownership Cost Calculator (Depreciation, Loan, Insurance, Storage, Maintenance — Cost per Night vs Renting)

How it works

value retained ≈ 0.79 (trailer) / 0.78 (class C) / 0.75 (class A) after year 1, then × 0.92–0.925 per year · depreciation = price − value at end ÷ years · loan interest from the amortisation schedule over the holding period · annual = depreciation + interest + insurance + storage + maintenance (% of price) + registration · per night = annual ÷ nights used; break-even nights = annual ÷ rental rate

The purchase price is not the cost of an RV — the cost is what it loses in value each year plus what it takes to keep, insure, store and finance it, and that total lands on however many nights you actually camp. Depreciation is steep early (a fifth or more in the first year) and slows later, which is why lightly used rigs are the value buy and why long loans leave owners underwater. Dividing the annual figure by nights used gives a per-night cost that can be compared honestly with renting, and the break-even tells you how much you need to camp for ownership to make financial sense.

Worked example

A $45,000 new travel trailer kept 6 years and used 30 nights a year: it is worth about $23,400 at the end, so depreciation runs $3,600 a year; an 80% loan at 7.5% over 12 years ($380 a month) costs about $2,200 a year in interest and still leaves $22,000 owing against $23,400 of value. With $900 insurance, $1,080 storage, $900 maintenance and $350 registration the fixed cost is about $9,050 a year — $302 per night before fuel or campgrounds, versus $175 to rent; break-even is about 52 nights a year.

Frequently asked questions