RV Trip Cost Calculator (Fuel, Campgrounds, Propane, Tolls & Food — Per Day and Per Mile)
Budget an RV road trip: fuel from distance and your real towing or motorhome mpg, campground nights at a mix of full-hookup, state-park and free sites, propane, tolls, food and activities, with the cost per day and per mile and a comparison to flying and hotels for the same trip.
How it works
fuel = miles ÷ mpg × price · camping = Σ nights × nightly rate by site type · daily = (propane + food + activities [+ ownership allocation]) × nights · per day = total ÷ nights; per mile = total ÷ miles · alternative ≈ flights × people + hotel × nights + eating out
An RV trip has two kinds of cost: moving (fuel at towing mileage, which is brutal) and staying (campground nights, which range from free public land to resort prices), plus the daily living that comes with any trip. Laying them out shows what the vacation costs per day and per mile and which lever matters — usually fewer miles and cheaper nights. The comparison with flying and hotels is fair only when the RV's own ownership costs are included, so the calculator lets you add a per-day allocation from the ownership-cost calculator.
Worked example
A 12-night, 1,800-mile loop towing at 10 mpg: fuel $648, five resort nights ($325) plus five state-park nights ($160) and two free nights, $72 of propane and dump fees, $660 of food and $480 of activities — about $2,345, or $195 a day, $1.30 a mile and $1,173 per person for two. Flying and hotels for the same trip would run roughly $4,500, though adding $75 a day of RV ownership costs narrows the gap to about $1,250.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an RV trip cost per day?
Frugal couples boondocking and cooking manage $80–120 a day including fuel; typical mixed trips run $150–250; resort-heavy travel with restaurants $300+. Fuel and campground choice swing it most.
What mpg should I use?
Your real number from a fill-to-fill check while towing or driving the coach — brochure and unloaded figures are far higher. Half-ton trucks towing a travel trailer see 8–12 mpg, class C motorhomes 8–10, gas class A 6–8, diesel pushers 7–9, camper vans 15–18.
Is RVing cheaper than flying and hotels?
For families and long trips usually yes on trip costs alone, especially with public campgrounds; once depreciation, insurance, storage and maintenance are allocated to travel days, it is often a wash for people who travel only a couple of weeks a year. The calculator lets you include that allocation to compare honestly.
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Cost estimates from your inputs; prices vary by region and season.