What is RV Trip Wizard? [2022 REVIEW]

By: Author The Drivin' & Vibin' Team

Posted on January 3, 2022

RV trip planning can feel overwhelming.

You’ll probably be traveling hundreds of miles across many state lines.

Figuring out where to stay and where to stop and how much your trip will cost can soon turn into a headache. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can bring the joy back to road tripping with RV Trip Wizard. 

What is RV Trip Wizard? 

RV Trip Wizard is an all-inclusive trip planning tool. The annual subscription service allows you to design fully customizable road trips down to the last detail. Unlike other RV trip planners, this one shows you all RV parks, not just campgrounds affiliated with a specific membership program. 

This unbiased inclusion means you can find the best and most affordable stops on your trip. If you have multiple memberships, you can rank them to find the best deals. RV Trip Wizard also shows you detailed information about all the campgrounds.

This includes cost, amenities, traveler ratings and tips, and more. 

The app also lets you search for and add overnight parking locations such as Walmart or other big box stores, Casinos, and rest stops. You’ll save money by free camping in areas you’re just passing through.  

Another useful feature is that you can add points of interest, gas station stops, and more for your entire trip.

how much does rv trip wizard cost

It Knows Your RV, And Routes Accordingly

Before you plan, you will enter information about your RV, including height, weight, length, gas mileage, etc. The app then uses this information to help you plan the safest and most efficient route.

You can avoid low clearance routes and steep grades with just the click of a button. 

The planning feature also shows you a driving radius so you know exactly how far you can travel in a single day. The information for your trip radius is based on details you enter in the preferences section.

No more hunting for RV parks only to discover they are too far or not far enough for your trip needs. You will save time with this slick feature. 

how much does rv trip wizard cost

One more feature worth mentioning is the cost estimator.

You can enter information regarding gas mileage and gas prices. The site then shows you a detailed estimate of what each leg of the trip will cost you.

It also includes the cost of your RV park stays, so you get an overall picture of what you can expect to spend. 

how much does rv trip wizard cost

What Does RV Trip Wizard Cost? 

RV Trip Wizard is extremely affordable at only $49/year for the membership. You can also try it before buying with their 1-week free trial and free demo. 

Included in this cost is access to the complete RV Life Pro Suite tools. This includes the RV Safe GPS app and Maintain My RV. 

how much does rv trip wizard cost

RV Trip Wizard User Review

RV Trip Wizard has received 4.9 stars from over 1,500 happy customers. Given all the hype, I tried it myself. It definitely lives up to all the great reviews. 

RV Trip Wizard is easy to use and extremely convenient, especially when planning a longer trip. If you aren’t tech-savvy, have no fear, they have a demo that walks you through every step of the process. 

Usually, planning a route for my RV trips is difficult and time-consuming. I end up wasting time looking up every individual RV park website. Not to mention trying to find a gas station that can accommodate our rig before we run out of gas while on the road. I no longer have these problems with RV Trip Wizard. 

The best part is that you can easily add points of interest to the trip. Adding these fun stops along the way can make a long-haul trip much more enjoyable. Plus, we don’t have to worry about missing out on anything along the way only to find out later how cool it would have been to stop. 

If you’re an RVer, you definitely need to add RV Trip Wizard to your trip planning arsenal. 

How to Use RV Trip Wizard

You can use RV Trip Wizard on almost any computer, tablet, or smartphone. With the interactive map, you can add points of interest to your trip and camping and gas station stops. 

Once you plan your trip, you can either print out detailed directions or send it to your GPS. The latter allows you to send your entire trip to Google Maps. This feature makes it easy to navigate on your smartphone. 

how much does rv trip wizard cost

RV Trip Wizard is Definitely Worth It

RV Trip Wizard is a dream come true for summer adventurers and full-timers alike. All the features it offers make the small annual fee well worth the cost. Not only will you save time and plan a better trip, but also you will probably save money by finding the best parks or free camping spots around.

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As a matter of fact, these free campsites are yours.  Every time you pay federal taxes, you’re contributing to these lands.

Become a FREE CAMPING INSIDER and join the 100,000 campers who love to score the best site! 

We’ll send you the 50 Best Free Campsites in the USA (one per state).  Access the list by submitting your email below:

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Are the maps downloadable or do you have to have internet service?

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This review sounds interesting! I would love to learn more about the features and benefits of RV Trip Wizard, so please share more details in your next post.

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Is RV Life Trip Wizard Worth the Money?

Rv life trip wizard is a planning tool specially designed for rvers. it’s helpful, but is rv life trip wizard worth the money yes here's why….

  • 1 RV Life Trip Wizard is a planning tool specially designed for RVers. It’s helpful, but is RV Life Trip Wizard worth the money? YES! Here's why…
  • 2 Why We Use RV LIFE Trip Wizard
  • 3.1 Trip Planning Made Easy
  • 3.2 Trustworthy Reviews
  • 3.3 RV-Safe GPS
  • 3.4 Maintenance and Fuel Economy Tracking
  • 4 How Much Does RV Life Pro Cost?
  • 5 When is RV LIFE Pro NOT Worth the Money?
  • 6 Look through more of our Resources and Partners

Whenever I answer questions like these, I usually present the information and let you decide whether or not it’s worth it. I’m going to give you a more direct answer this time and say that in most cases, RV Life Trip Wizard is well worth the money. 

The reason I say this with more confidence than ever before is that Trip Wizard is now bundled into a suite of tools called RV LIFE Pro . You now get 4-tools-in-1 for one very reasonable annual payment. 

There are a couple of situations where RV Life Pro wouldn’t be worth it for you, which I’m also going to explain in this article. First, let’s discuss the benefits that make it worth the money, and then we’ll close with the exceptions.

There are affiliate links in this post – and we tell you why in the next section!

If you buy something through our links, we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep our lights on so we can continue to provide helpful resources for RVers. Read our  full affiliate disclosure here.

Why We Use RV LIFE Trip Wizard

RV Life Trip Wizard

Jennifer and I have been living our dream of the RV Lifestyle since 2012. We’ve always embraced a serendipitous style of travel and used to hit the road with only paper maps and a vague destination in mind. Planning, in many ways, was more stressful for us and took a lot of the fun out of the process.

However, when we discovered RV LIFE Trip Wizard (formerly known as RV Trip Wizard), we were quickly sold on the planning features that actually helped us travel more serendipitously. That may seem counterintuitive at first, but you’ll understand as you continue to read how the tool actually helps us not need to rigidly plan far ahead.

It is, of course, great for planning ahead, too! It takes the stress out of planning, which has led us to plan more than ever before. But when we do, we always leave plenty of room in our plans for serendipity to work its magic.

That being said, it’s important to note that we (RV Lifestyle) partnered and became affiliates with RV LIFE after we realized how useful it was to us and fellow RVers. We've been affiliates them for years now! We know first-hand how helpful it can be and since we are partners, our RV Lifestyle community can use a special discount code when signing up for membership! All the details are at the bottom of this post.

Why RV LIFE Pro is Worth It

rv trip wizard

I know you started off asking if RV Trip Wizard is worth it, but the real question now is “Is RV LIFE Pro worth it?” The reason for the change is Trip Wizard is now bundled with 3 other tools under the RV LIFE Pro umbrella.

The four RV Life Pro tools make it easy for you to discover, plan, go, and share your RV trips. The 4-in-1 membership includes:

  • RV LIFE Trip Wizard
  • RV LIFE Campground Reviews
  • RV LIFE App (RV-Safe GPS)
  • RV LIFE Maintenance Tracker

Just to be clear, you get all four of these tools in one with an RV LIFE Pro membership for a very reasonable price. I think most users would agree the price is actually cheap considering the value it brings. We’ll talk price at the end but first I want to explain why it’s worth the tiny investment.

Trip Planning Made Easy

rv trip wizard

These tools are specifically designed for RVers. You can customize your settings accordingly, including inputting your RV’s size and weight. 

RV LIFE Trip Wizard plots safe routes based on your settings. For instance, it avoids any low clearances, steep grades, or weight limits based on your RV’s height and weight. It also only populates campgrounds that fit your settings.

It first shows you which campgrounds fit your criteria, and then it takes you to the next logical step: more info on the campground. Trip Wizard shows you more campground info with a click and works seamlessly with RV LIFE Campground Reviews. 

My favorite feature of Trip Wizard is the travel rings on the map that show where you will end up at the end of the driving day. This is the part that helps us serendipitously decide what to do on the go based on what happens to be nearby.

Trustworthy Reviews

RV LIFE Campground Reviews are from real RVers like you and me. Unfortunately, public reviews like Google and Yelp can’t always be trusted. In too many cases, the “reviewer” is actually the one being reviewed!

However, RV LIFE reviews are very trustworthy. Fellow users leave reviews with the pros and cons of their experiences. Plus, they often include images so you can see the recent state of the campground. No more relying on the edited images on campground websites that were taken who-knows-when. 

RV-Safe GPS

The newest edition to the RV LIFE sweet is a doozie: the RV LIFE app. RV LIFE is an easy-to-use GPS app, like Google Maps or Waze, but it’s specifically designed for RVs. 

It will only plot routes and show gas stations, etc. that are acceptable for your particular RV.

You can use the app on its own by searching or entering a destination. Or, best yet, you can link it to your RV LIFE Trip Wizard and pull any planned trips into the app. The app then plots your planned trip on the GPS.

You can easily adjust the trip as needed. You can add or remove destinations, search for and add points of interest, and much more.

Maintenance and Fuel Economy Tracking

rv trip wizard

To top it all off, RV LIFE Pro helps you keep track of your maintenance and fuel economy with RV LIFE Maintenance Tracker. Simple graphics in the tool’s dashboard and emails let you know what maintenance is coming up, quickly and easily.

You can also track expenses by category and maintenance costs to see how well your RV is performing. You can track it by trip, season, or even over the life of your RV.

Another big plus is its fuel economy tracking. You can see how much gas your rig is consuming based on terrain, towing load, or generator use. This information is really helpful to have when budgeting for your next trip.

How Much Does RV Life Pro Cost?

RV Life Pro only costs $59 per year if you purchase the annual membership ( less than $5 per month ). The annual membership also comes with a 7-day free trial. The monthly subscription is $19.99 per month and does not include a 7-day free trial. BUT NOTE the discount code below!

In all honesty, just one of these tools is easily worth $5 per month, let alone all four combined. That is why I don’t hesitate to say that RV LIFE Pro is worth the money for most RVers.

And this is important – if you want to enjoy using all the RV Life Pro tools just add this coupon code: RVLIFESTYLE which gives you 25% off the price! If you already use RV Life Pro – your cost is already low and locked in.

–> Note that discount codes must be entered on a computer – if you try to sign up with the mobile app, there is no place to put the coupon code. <–

When is RV LIFE Pro NOT Worth the Money?

Hopefully, by now, you realize why RV LIFE Pro is well worth the money in most cases. But, of course, there are a couple of cases when it’s not worth it. 

The first case is if you’re an anti-planner. If you’re a free-flying RVer that enjoys leaving everything up to chance, then these tools aren’t for you. (Although, even you could use the RV Maintenance Tracker and that’s worth $5 a month on its own.) 

Keep in mind, though, that I’m not huge on planning yet I still love and use these tools all the time. 

The other thing I’d say is not worth it is the monthly subscription. Well, let me rephrase that. The monthly subscription is absolutely worth the money, but you get a much better deal with the annual subscription.

If you know for a fact that you’re only going to plan and travel within two months, then the monthly subscription can save you a bit of money. But if you expect to use the RV Life tools for more than two months, then the annual membership is definitely the way to go. 

Look through more of our Resources and Partners

You can check out our Partners Page right here — RV Lifestyle Partners

For more great resources, check out Our Favorite RV Lifestyle Travel Books .

how much does rv trip wizard cost

Published on 2022-03-11

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

3 Responses to “Is RV Life Trip Wizard Worth the Money?”

how much does rv trip wizard cost

March 02, 2024at6:51 pm , Steve Pinkston said:

Just wondering how how accurate the directions are since it can’t even get me from my house to the street I live on. I routes me over two ridges and through a deep ravine (all through forest) to a subdivision 1 mile away. I will find out beginning next week with a trip to Florida but will be prepared to switch to the phone if anythings seems fishy.

how much does rv trip wizard cost

December 18, 2023at1:05 pm , J Dewey said:

No, it is not worth the money. Why would I follow the RV Life route of 500+ miles when I know an RV safe route of 233 miles exists? Are they in cahoots with the gas companies? This is stupid.

how much does rv trip wizard cost

February 05, 2023at3:49 pm , Scott Creech said:

When in route & following trip wizard route are you using cell data while it’s running. My truck has built in gps but not able to input size.

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how much does rv trip wizard cost

how much does rv trip wizard cost

RV Trip Wizard Magic Every RVer Needs to Know 

If you want to ensure a smooth RV road trip, RV Trip Wizard should be on your radar. This website is part of the RV Life suite of tools designed by RVers for RVers. 

Ready to say goodbye to sketchy routes from Google Maps? Or gas stations you could never fit your rig into? Read on to find out how you can do just that! 

What is RV Trip Wizard?

RV Trip Wizard a great tool for RVers who want to plan the perfect road trip. With it, you can find all of the best RV parks. It takes your RV membership into account when you are planning your route as well. This means if you have a Good Sam membership you can search for member campgrounds. Have a Thousand Trails membership? You can search for that too! It is even possible to customize features to make sure your experience is tailored specifically to your rig. You can do this by entering details regarding your RVs length and weight as well as if you need to avoid any specific tunnels due to having propane.

Plus, you can use RV Trip Wizard to look up overnight parking spots, gas stations, and points of interest near your route. This way you can be sure that you won’t miss out on any fun activities. It’s also great for budgeting purposes since it has a cost estimator that lets you fill in your RV’s gas mileage details to get an idea of how much your trip will end up costing.

This RV trip planner is a great tool for any RVer, whether you’re planning your first trip or your fiftieth. So if you want to make sure that your next big road trip goes off without a hitch, look no further than RV Trip Wizard!

how much does rv trip wizard cost

How Much Does RV Trip Wizard Cost?

The great news is that this amazing tool only costs $59 a year! And the even better news is that there’s a 7-day free trial. So you can check out all of the features before committing for an entire year.

For this price, you also get access to RV Life Maintenance, a one-stop shop for keeping your RV in tip-top shape. 

Why Should I Use RV Trip Wizard?

If you’re an RV enthusiast, then RV Trip Wizard is a great way to plan your journey and keep your family safe. With this program, you can avoid routes that are hazardous for RVs, saving you time and worry. Plus it’s super easy to use! It integrates with Google Maps and other GPS options to give you turn-by-turn directions. So, no more getting lost trying to find your destination – RV Trip Wizard has got you covered! So, if you’re looking for an easy and safe way to plan your RV trip, this is it.

Many RVers who use RV Trip Wizard also recommend cross checking the route with Google Maps prior to leaving. You can see if the route is the same and make sure you end up exactly where you want to be.

RV trip wizard can prevent ending up on roads like this-- Moki Dugway

Why RV Trip Wizard is Better than Google Maps?

Well, for starters, it takes into account your RV’s length, height, and weight restrictions – something Google Maps can’t do. This added information means you won’t end up on a road that isn’t suitable for your vehicle. Plus, RV Trip Wizard makes it easy to find all the amenities you’ll need while on the road. Everything from RV Parks, to gas stations, to attractions along the way. That saves you time scouring the web for all that info. And it’s even better because RV Trip Wizard will adjust your arrival time based on your RV’s speed – something Google Maps won’t do which could lead you to end up arriving much later than planned. Driving an RV in the dark can be more dangerous. Not to mention setting up your campsite in the dark is a real pain that also disrupts other RVers. So, if you’re planning an RV trip, I’d definitely recommend using RV Trip Wizard over Google Maps. It’s way more accurate and makes planning much easier!

Why RV Trip Wizard is Better than an RV GPS or Trucker GPS?

When compared to a traditional RV GPS or Trucker GPS, RV Trip Wizard proves itself as the better option. Not only is it more affordable than shelling out hundreds of dollars for an RV GPS and investing in regular updates, but it also offers features that go far beyond what these devices can do.

One of the key features that sets Trip Wizard apart is the campground filters. These allow you to easily narrow down your search for the perfect campsite, based on any criteria that are important to you. You can filter by RV length, pet friendly campsites, and more! So if you’re looking for a specific type of campground or location, RV Trip Wizard has got you covered.

RV LIFE Pro Banner

Using Campground Filters

When you’re planning an RV trip, this tool can be your best friend. The campground filters are particularly helpful when it comes to finding the best prices.

You can rank memberships through Good Sam, Passport America, Thousand Trails, Escapees, and dozens more so that you get the most bang for your buck. No memberships? Don’t sweat it. RV Trip Wizard shows parks regardless of affiliation, so you can find the best prices available.

The great thing is that all of this information is right at your fingertips. You don’t have to waste time researching or calling around—all the details are just a few clicks away.

Other RV Trip Wizard Features

This RV trip planner has so much to offer! Not only are there 57,000 points of interest and 20,000 campgrounds across the United States, but you can also customize your journey however you’d like. You can set a driving time and distance that works best for you—so no matter how long your trip is, you won’t have to worry about overdoing it and driving too far.

You can also easily see how far away each point of interest is from your destination or route, which makes planning much easier. And the best part? This trip planner is web-based, so you don’t have to download anything special—just open up your browser and you’re ready to go. If you want, you can even export the information to your favorite GPS app on your phone.

RV trip wizard makes sure you don't miss beautiful views like these snowcapped mountains behind our Class A RV

Reviews from Real Users

RV Trip Wizard has an average rating of 4.9/5 stars from voer 1,500 happy RVers. Personally, I find RV Trip Wizard to be easy to use, especailly if you watch the demo video first. It will walk you through everything you need to know to get started. This tool is also one of the most highly and often recommended trip planning tools in the Cool RV Stuff Facebook Group. Considering there are over half a million RVers in that group, you can rest easy knowing you’re choosing a solid and trusted product.

Here are a few quotes from RV Trip Wizard users from their testimonials page.

“My husband and I are full time RVers in a 45ft 5th wheel toy hauler. I use RV Trip Wizard to plan our route. It has made my trip planning so much easier since I can filter out campgrounds that cannot accommodate our trailer.” – Jana A.

“If you are worried about low bridges on your trip or where the best, low-cost parks are, worry no more because this App is absolutely the best RV trip planner out there. We’ve tried them all and this one smokes them all. “- Pat K.

A Bit More About Features 

RV Trip Wizard has tons of features. Here is just a bit more about some of the most useful ones. 

Area Attractions

Never miss an amazing sight that was just minutes from your drive again. With this route planning tool, you can easily view attractions on the map. With just a click of a button, you can learn more about places you might like to stop and add them to your route. 

Overnight Parking

Sometimes on a long drive you might not want to pay to stay at a campground when you’ll just be there one night. Joel and I often stay at rest areas or Walmart parking lots overnight. RV Trip Wizard makes it even easier to find places you can sleep overnight. No more hoping for the best only to see a “No overnight parking” sign posted when you arrive. 

Gas Stations

When you plan your gas stops in advance you don’t have to stress about running out of gas or being unable to get into the lot. Since you can enter your gas mileage it also makes it simple to know just how far you can go before a fill-up. 

Need a quick pit stop or an overnight snooze? RV Trip Wizard makes it easy to find rest areas all along your route. Sometimes getting out and stretching your legs is so necessary on long cross-country road trips. 

Dump Stations

RV Trip Wizard also shows dump stations. So if you are a boondocker , this tool can help you too. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Here are a few more questions you may have about RV Trip Wizard.

How Many Trips Can I Create?

If you have an RV Trip Wizard membership, you can make and plan as many trips as you want. Whether you’re dreaming or actively hitting the road, you won’t miss out on anything when using this tool.

Can I Only Travel to RV Parks?

No, you can enter any destination you would like and RV Trip Wizard will give you an RV safe route to get there.

Is There a Limit on How Many Stops I Can Plan?

No, you can plan unlimited stops with RV Trip Wizard.

Does RV Trip Wizard Work in Canada?

You betcha. Although not as extensive, RV Trip Wizard does include many Canadian RV parks as well.

Alternatives to RV Trip Wizard

Alternatives are out there, and The Dyrt Pro is one to consider. It’s a great choice for those looking for a more affordable option – it costs only $35.99 per year. However, it does not have all of the features that RV Trip Wizard offers. Still, if you’re just looking for basic trip planning and mapping capabilities, The Dyrt Pro can do the job. It’s a great choice for anyone who wants to explore the outdoors without breaking the bank!

If you’re looking for another alternative is, Togo RV might be a great option. It’s only $49.99 a year after a 7-day free trial, and it has all the features you need to plan your RV trip. With Togo RV, you can customize your navigation features for your RV. Plus, it includes over 15,000 campgrounds and RV parks so you’ll always have plenty of options no matter where you go. And if that wasn’t enough, it also has a cell coverage overlay from Campendium which is really helpful for those of us who work on the road. So if you’re looking for an alternative to RV Trip Wizard, give Togo RV a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Other Ways to Stay Safe on an RV Trip 

Staying safe while on your RV trip is just as important as having fun! There are a few simple things you can do to help ensure that your travels go smoothly.

First, it’s always a good idea to have safety equipment with you. This includes items such as fire extinguishers, first aid kits, flashlights, and tools. Having these items readily available can help you to be prepared for any potential emergency situation.

Next, it’s important to remember to travel at a safe speed . Not only will this reduce your chances of having an accident but it will also make sure that you don’t miss out on any of the sights along the way!

Finally, it’s best to try and arrive at your destination during the day whenever possible. This is especially true if you are planning on staying overnight in an unfamiliar area. Traveling in daylight will help you to be more aware of any potential dangers so that you can keep yourself, your family, and your RV safe.

By following these simple tips, and using an RV trip planner to plan a safe route, your journey can be a fun and safe experience. Enjoy the ride!

RV Trip Wizard Summary

Here is a quick summary. It is an RV trip planning tool that lets you pick an RV safe route, plan stops, find gas stations, and more. It costs $59/year which also includes access to Maintain My RV. Among RVers, this tool is a popular choice that most people are satisfied with.

how much does rv trip wizard cost

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Kathryn Mancewicz

Kathryn Mancewicz is an RV expert who has been a full time RVer since 2019. She has bylines for her RV related content on major publications including MSN, MSN Canada, and AOL. She has also been featured on Yahoo and quoted on KOA. Kathryn is also a regular RV content writer for Cheapism.

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RV Trip Wizard vs. Roadtrippers: What Planning Tool is Best?

Whether you live in your RV full-time or are an occasional weekend warrior, RV trip planning can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. It’s time-consuming and involves a lot of different logistics regarding finances, activities, and stops. Plus, researching an unfamiliar place — while fun — isn’t always straightforward and simple. 

That’s where RV and road trip planning tools come in. One of the biggest benefits of the RV lifestyle today is the availability of seemingly infinite apps, websites, and other resources that make the once-tedious task of road trip planning easier and even somewhat enjoyable. 

Two of the biggest names in this space are RV LIFE Trip Wizard and Roadtrippers, and it’s common for people to wonder which is best: RV Trip Wizard vs. Roadtrippers. We did the hard work, reviewing each in detail and then putting them through a head-to-head comparison. 

RV LIFE Trip Wizard Overview

$19.99 per month or $59.00 annually; 7-day free trial

Standout features

  • Customized information based on your specific RV
  • Advanced Driving Radius
  • Cost estimator

Commonly referred to as simply Trip Wizard, RV LIFE Trip Wizard bills itself as “the best RV trip planner.” The “RV” in that tagline is important — Trip Wizard isn’t a general road trip planning tool but one explicitly designed with RV campers in mind.  

Itinerary Planning

One of the most deservedly popular aspects of Trip Wizard is its level of personalization. Yes, it has all the requisite basic trip planning resources that many similar apps do, but Trip Wizard takes it a huge step forward and asks for specific information about your rig, such as its length, weight, height, fuel type, and even average gas mileage. 

Trip Wizard then uses this information to give you hyper-custom recommendations, like the most fuel-efficient routes and campsites to accommodate your vehicle length. The app also tells you where to get gas based on your average fuel economy, and the “RV Safe Routes” feature even allows you to remove low-clearance obstacles and steep grades from your route altogether. 

As you plan your trip, you can add stops for everything from gas stations to major points of interest and even quick grocery runs. This comprehensive trip planning gives you a realistic overview of how much time you’ll spend on the road (and off!). Plus, The Wiz cost estimator  calculates the approximate total of your stops, factoring in things like fuel and campground fees.

After you finalize your itinerary, you can save or print the complete directions or even send them directly to your device’s GPS app (like Google Maps). One thing to be aware of about Trip Wizard’s routing is that if you add waypoints after you’ve already finalized your itinerary, the app doesn’t always behave well. It sometimes moves the waypoints out of order, suggesting that you stop at one, then backtrack hundreds of miles to another. 

The only way to avoid this, it seems, is to delete all waypoints and then re-add them in order. It doesn’t always do this, so it may be a good idea to wait until your itinerary and stops are finalized before actually creating the route within Trip Wizard. Also, always preview the suggested route and pay careful attention to where GPS is taking you!

Another excellent feature of RV LIFE Trip Wizard is its display of campgrounds. Many road trip planners are affiliated with specific membership programs such as Good Sam and Passport America and will show you only their associated campgrounds. This is not the case with Trip Wizard! Here, you’ll see ALL RV parks and other campgrounds. Having said that, you can integrate your memberships into the app, and it will then highlight those affiliated campsites with a special notation. 

Trip Wizard also includes free parking areas like state rest areas, casinos, and Walmarts in search results. You can either add these to your route ahead of time or search nearby, which is especially helpful for those times when you just need a place to grab some shut-eye for a few hours but not a full-blown campground. 

Pro tip: it’s smart to save some of these free places to your itinerary for those “just-in-case” times when you have a long driving day but aren’t exactly sure where you’ll want to pull over. There’s nothing worse than being exhausted and having no idea how far you are from the closest safe stop!

Roadtrippers Overview

$29.99 annually; free version with limited features also available

  • An extremely robust itinerary planner, with thousands of unique stop ideas and numerous ways to customize them
  • The ability to easily toggle destinations on and off as needed
  • Offline maps (with the paid version)

At its core, Roadtrippers helps you plan the best route for your trip in terms of both time and cost, plus offers suggestions for unique attractions along the way. Roadtrippers is specifically known for connecting travelers with quirky, off-the-beaten-path sights and activities. 

Much like Trip Wizard, Roadtrippers calculates your distance and time between stops, as well as approximate fuel cost. It also allows you to easily add stops, called waypoints also like in Trip Wizard, along your route. 

One of the biggest things you’ll notice right off the bat when comparing RV Trip Wizard vs. Roadtrippers is that Roadtrippers has a free version, whereas Trip Wizard does not. The free version of Roadtrippers is so robust that many people appropriately refer to it as “freemium.”

Roadtrippers Paid vs. Free

Of course, there are a handful of differences between Roadtrippers’ free and paid versions. The two main ones, however, are that you get just seven waypoints per trip with the free version, but a whopping 150 in the premium version, and the ability to download offline maps when you have a paid subscription. 

Even in areas where you have absolutely no cell service, Roadtrippers premium allows you to download a map with turn-by-turn navigation directions. This is especially helpful in areas like national parks , which are notorious for having spotty cell coverage, but there’s a ton to explore. 

Those two features alone are, understandably, enough reason for many people to upgrade. However, if you tend to take shorter trips or keep stops to a minimum when you’re on the road, and you’re not particularly concerned with having access to your maps when you don’t have service, the free version of Roadtrippers will serve you very well. 

Let’s take a closer look at Roadtrippers’ itinerary planning capabilities. Whether you have the free or subscription version, one of its best features is the ability to toggle waypoints on and off and get automatic rerouting in live time. Better yet, Roadtrippers doesn’t delete a stop just because you toggled it off. 

For example, say the weather looks dicey later in the day, but if it’s clear, there’s a stop you’d like to check out. If an hour before conditions have turned worse, you can quickly toggle that stop off, but keep it in your itinerary so you may be able to hit it on your way home. Without missing a beat, Roadtrippers also reroutes you, calculating a new time and distance, if necessary. 

Another amazing thing about the Roadtrippers itinerary planner is its inclusion of unique, quirky, and off-the-beaten path stops. In addition to basics like restaurants, gas stations, and RV parks, Roadtrippers allows you to search for things like abandoned sites, filming locations, “World’s Largest…,” and “Offbeat Attractions.” You can even filter the results to see only those that are free or accommodate big rigs!

It’s also worth mentioning that the company behind Roadtrippers, Togo, also makes a few other wildly popular apps: Togo RV, Campendium, and RVillage. If you’re already a fan of any of them, this may be a selling point for you in the RV Trip Wizard vs Roadtrippers argument because Roadpass Pro bundles all four apps into one package for just $49.99 per year. There is no free version, but there is a 7-day free trial.

RV Trip Wizard vs. Roadtrippers: Which Is Better?

Both of these road trip planners offer robust suites of tools, and you’ll meet just as many people claiming that one is better than the other — and vice-versa. Ultimately, it comes down to deciding which one serves your personal needs better. With that in mind, here are some side-by-side differences when you’re looking at RV Trip Wizard vs Roadtrippers. 

  • Trip Wizard is $59 annually or $19.99 per month and does not have a free version, whereas Roadtrippers has both free and paid versions
  • Both apps include downloadable maps for offline use
  • RV Life Trip Wizard includes customized recommendations and routing based on your RV’s exact specifications, while this feature is only available in the paid version of Roadtrippers
  • Roadtrippers’ ability to toggle waypoints on and off is a much more intuitive route-planning feature than the way Trip Wizard behaves when adding a waypoint to a finalized itinerary
  • Trip Wizard’s Driving Radius feature is perhaps its biggest single selling point over Roadtrippers, as the latter simply doesn’t offer anything comparable

One final thing: Many people think Trip Wizard caters slightly more toward RVers, rather than general road trip planning. To that point, Trip Wizard has far more campground and RV park reviews, and you have to search through two layers of filters to find the “RV parks” option in Roadtrippers. Having said that, if you do a lot of road tripping without your RV, you may find that Roadtrippers is a better fit. 

Choosing the Right Road Trip Planning App

You really can’t go wrong with Roadtrippers or RV LIFE Trip Wizard, and both make great companions for a getaway in an RV rental . Choose any of our nearly 130 convenient rental locations and start planning your trip — it really is that easy!

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Full-time RV Travel Adventure

How to plan an RV trip to Alaska with RV Trip Wizard.

Easy Planning with RV Trip Wizard

In our group, traveling to and from Alaska, we chose to use RV Trip Wizard software because it has great features. Planning with RV Trip Wizard is easy. You can use RV Trip Wizard on any computing device, including your phone. And RV Trip Wizard software is powerful. The more information you include during your planning the more detail you can get out of RV Trip Wizard.

RV Trip Wizard works on all computers and tablets.

All of the planning for our RV trip to Alaska and multiple revisions were made using RV Trip Wizard RV route planning software. Each member of our group had their copy of the software and each time a change was made they could then send copies out to the different group members and then discuss the changes. The fact is that the RV Trip Wizard route planning software made planning our trip much easier than it would have been without it. I will discuss later how to use RV Trip Wizard and how you can use it to plan any RV trip. I will also tell you how to get a discount on RV Trip Wizard.

Who did the planning for our epic RV Trip to Alaska?

I am going to say right up front, that I didn’t do most of the planning for our trip to Alaska. I am also not an RV Trip Wizard expert. My friend Dave is the expert and I have put his video at the bottom of this post.

This photo is again from K'esugi Ken Campground viewpoint. It is a seperate photo but at the campground you loose some size perspective that you get with the normal picture taken from Denali Viewpoint South.

We have been on the road full-time for six years. During that time I have used multiple different route planning solutions. None of them equals the power of RV Trip Wizard. Here is a link to the home page of our blog. Our blog is dedicated to helping others by sharing things we know and learned while on the road. FoxRVTravel Full-time RV Travel Adventure

If you want to go directly to the list of all our articles here is a link. FoxRVTravel Search All Posts

I have companion articles that I am working on that are linked to this article. The first one is in this link How to Plan (and Take) an Epic RV Trip Across Canada to Alaska

How to plan an RV trip using RV Trip Wizard for first-time users.

After subscribing and entering the RV Trip Wizard program home page in the upper right corner enter the trip planning system by selecting the red “Go to Planner” button. If you haven’t already subscribed to RV Trip Wizard you will need a trial subscription to the program. If you only want to try RV Trip Wizard you can get a seven-day free trial . When subscribing to RV Trip Wizard, don’t forget to use the discount code ( TIGNER25 ) to get 25% off your subscription.

From the home page of RV Trip Wizard, in the upper right corner of the home page press the red “Go to Planner” button.

RV Trip Wizard opening the planning tool

The planning tool will open with a new set of buttons allowing you to open a new trip using the “Create Trip” button or “Open Trip” button for a trip already created. In the next picture, you can see that for this version of RV Trip Wizard, I already have one trip created the indication is the red #1. In my normal working copy of RV Trip Wizard, the number is much larger because all the revisions from our friends are included in the planning software.

RV Trip Wizard start a new trip

Select “Create Trip”, and this will open a new dialogue box so that you can give the trip a name, and start date (don’t worry if you are guessing you can always change these things later).

RV Trip Wizard Create a new trip dialogue box

This will open a dialog box that starts with “Choose your Starting Location” From here enter the start city, either from your location or type in a start city (I typed in Great Falls Montana), or choose a starting location from a map.

Choose a starting location

The next dialog box allows you to set “Trip Settings”. This includes “General Information”, “RV Information”, “Route and Driving preferences”, and “Expenses. I entered our RV Information for size and weight and selected “Avoid tolls” and “Avoid ferries” under Route and Driving. You can change these settings later as well.

Trip settings dialogue box

Start to plan an RV trip

Finishing the “Trip Settings” will open a map and visitation sequence on the next page. Here is where you can start planning your route. Before you start planning you might want to select the tool icon (it looks like a wrench) above the visitation sequence and explore the settings.

Great Falls Map and Visitation Sequence

To plan an RV trip I recommend first selecting a start location and then next adding an end location. Or you could plan an RV trip step by step without first identifying an end location. If you are making a round trip I would specify the furthest point you intend to travel as your end location. Then create a new second trip for your return route. By identifying both the start and end location this allows the Trip Wizard tool to supply you with a proposed route.

To enter a location in your route use the search box (top center) and type in the destination. When found, use the “add to trip” button to place the destination in the visitation sequence. When you are planning your route to Alaska I recommend using Tok Alaska as your end location. I also used Tok as the starting point for my RV trip through Alaska.

Add to Trip dialogue box

This next dialogue box will accomplish the same thing as the previous one except that I made the routing to a campground giving me additional options. Notice the number of nights setting. You can add nights to a stop in multiple ways.

Add to your trip dialogue box.

Map view from Great Falls to Tok including a green Driving Range Circle, more on that later.

Great Falls to Tok map

This visitation sequence (to the left of the map) will then calculate the miles from Great Falls to Tok Alaska.

Visitation sequence Great Falls to Tok

Using tools

One of the first things you might want to change would be miles to kilometers because nearly all of this route will be in Canada. This setting was selected under the “General” tab under “Trip Settings”. To change to kilometers at this point select the wrench icon and then “Trip Settings”. “Trip Settings” is the same “Trip Settings” that we encountered when first “Create Trip”

Trip tools found by selecting the wrench icon.

When planning an RV trip to a distant destination I recommend not selecting campgrounds until later in the process after you identify the cities you intend to travel through and stop at. This allows you to get a general idea of your route. You can always go back and add more detail to your trip.

The RV Trip Wizard driving radius circle

You may have noticed the green circle surrounding Tok on the map view. This is a straight-line distance circle. Based on the location that you have selected in the visitation sequence box. You can change this circle to a free-form smart circle by choosing the “Map Settings” button above and to the right of the map and selecting “Driving Radius”.

Basic line of sight Driving Radius Circle

You can turn “Driving Radius” off or select “Advanced Radius” which calculates driving times based on speed limits.

Advanced Radius based on Tok

Change the size of the driving radius in the “Map Settings” section. You can even create three different driving radius circles. Play with the driving radius to match the driving radius to your desires. Or, you may want to turn it off and on frequently while planning your route. All these options are under the “Trip Settings” and “Map Settings” dialogue box.

Three circle Advance Radius based on Great Falls

Adding a stop

At this point, we only have the beginning and the end of our route sequenced into Trip Wizard. To make the route planning tool useful, you are going to need to add (and remove) stops along the route. Adding a stop is nearly identical to the sequence we used to put Tok as the final destination. The only difference is that you will need to select a previous location (in our case Great Falls) to put Edmonton between Great Falls and Tok.

As a review, type Edmonton in the search box then after the dialogue box opens select “Add to Trip”.

Add new stop Edmonton to route.

Go ahead and add Whitehorse as another stop along your route between Edmonton and Tok. Don’t forget to add Whitehorse after your stop in Edmonton.

At this point, your visitation sequence should look like this.

Visitation sequence including Great Falls, Edmonton, Whitehorse and Tok.

You can re-order stops

The easiest way to re-order stops is in the visitation sequence. You can drag and drop by placing your cursor at the far left side of the stop in the visitation sequence and then drag the stop to a new position. The route on your map view will automatically change.

Planning an off-route detour

You don’t have to plan your RV trip using my method of selecting a starting point and an endpoint. Instead, you could plan it step by step without first identifying the destination. The advantage of using my method is that you will have a quick very direct (perhaps not the most direct) route to your destination. If you want you can use the RV Trip Wizard direct route it doesn’t mean that you can’t deviate from the direct route.

So far we have only added stops along our route between Great Falls and Tok. This might be a good time to introduce a detour to an off-route destination. We didn’t go to Dawson City on our trip but you would add Dawson City to your route the same way you added Whitehorse. This will redraw your route between Whitehorse and Tok to include Dawson City.

Including Dawson City in our route

There is a reason that this created an out-and-back route to Whitehorse. There is a ferry crossing across the Yukon River at Dawson City to go to Tok. At the very beginning of this tutorial, I selected avoid ferries. To get from Dawson City to Tok it involves a ferry. The only way to avoid the ferry is to return to Whitehorse. Since we are talking about crossing the Yukon River it might be closed in May as well. Make sure to anticipate these possibilities when planning your route.

Editing a stop

As you scroll over the location in the visitation sequence one of the three slideout buttons is shaped like a pencil. Select this slideout button and a dialogue box will appear where you can add all kinds of information to that stop. In the upper left corner of the dialogue box is an icon that looks like a padlock. Selecting this allows you to lock the location dates you have selected for this location. I recommend using this lock function when you have a reservation at a location so that the dates cannot be accidentally changed.

Function of the lock button on the edit stop dialogue box to select dates.

Stay the night

Locking the dates as in the edit stop function described above is only one way to change the dates. When you first add a stop to the visitation sequence one of the options will be to identify the number of nights you want to stay at that location. You can also change this in the “Edit Stop” dialogue box (upper right corner), add a number in the night text box, and press save. This will add nights to your visitation sequence.

Number of nights on the edit stop dialogue box.

As you add nights to your visitation sequence the arrival date will change at your destination. Unless of course, you locked your destination date. Then attempting to add nights to your visitation sequence can create an error that will need to be resolved.

Overlapping dates error

Deleting a stop

Changing or deleting a stop is just as easy as adding a stop. Scroll over the visitation sequence box this will bring a slideout box out to the right side of the stop that has three options. The trash can is for deleting the stop. The lock symbol means to lock the stop to the route and the pencil icon means to edit the stop. You can also delete the stop in the “Edit Stop” dialogue box.

Be careful with the lock button

I mentioned the lock button briefly before. If you can’t change the nights or delete the stop you may have the lock engaged.

Multiple routes

I recommend that you divide your routes into smaller sections. A really good way to do this is to create multiple routes in RV Trip Wizard. In our example, our first route is from Great Falls to Tok. Then starting in you could create a route from Tok to (as we did) going to Homer. A good third route would be from Homer back to Tok. One benefit of multiple routes is that you use the same roads going to and from places like Homer which require traveling both north and south on the same road. When this happens the map looks a little confused.

Revisiting the Trip Settings

I zipped right past the trip setting (twice) in this tutorial. Return to “Trip Settings” and explore how powerful RV Trip Wizard can be. In addition to avoiding locations too small for your RV, RV Trip Wizard can even alert you when your travel leg exceeds the available fuel in your RV. RV Trip Wizard is a very powerful tool.

Wait there’s more

How was that for an infomercial talk? When you subscribe to RV Life Pro you get RV Trip Wizard, RV Life Safe RV GPS, RV Life Maintenance, RV Life Master Class, and RV Life Campgrounds.

Video about RV trip planning

Dave Tigner has lots of helpful hints about RV trip planning and RV Trip Wizard in the following video which is part one of several videos he has on the subject.

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About our links

As you know, our blog income is zero – this allows us to be independent and just tell the truth.  We do not get income or commissions. No, we don’t make paid endorsements.  We don’t make recommendations but instead, we will tell you what we like (or dislike). The links are only provided as a quick reference to help our readers.

Special Deal on RV Trip Wizard: Even though I am not an affiliate of RV Life our friend Dave Tigner is affiliated with them. Dave is in the video included in this article. You might have even seen Dave at the Quartzite RV show presenting Trip Wizard at the RV Life booth. If you use the discount code ( TIGNER25 ) you will get 25% off the price of Trip Wizard and Dave will get a small commission on the purchase.

RV Life Trip Wizard make sure to use the discount code ( TIGNER25 ) for 25% off the price.

Tigner Adventures Website

Tigner Adventures YouTube Channel

FoxRVTravel Full-time RV Travel Adventure

FoxRVTravel How to Plan an RV Trip Across Canada to Alaska

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The Wayward Home

The Wayward Home

Can YOU Afford to Live in an RV? 10 Expenses You Might Not Think About

Posted: April 29, 2024 | Last updated: April 29, 2024

<p>When I told my friends and family that I wanted to live in a van, they immediately thought I had lost my mind. They wondered why I would sell most of my possessions to live in a compact space with my husband and dog. They worried I would find myself in dangerous situations and miss the comforts of a warm home. </p> <p>In reality, choosing van life over house life has been one of the best decisions I have made in my adult life. Here are the top reasons I did not follow the traditional path of purchasing a home and chose a life of adventure on the road instead.</p>

The appeal of full-time RV living is on the rise as more people look for ways to break free from the daily routine. Yet, transitioning to life on the road isn’t without its challenges.

If you’re thinking about adopting an RV lifestyle, a crucial question to consider is: How much does it cost to live in an RV?

You’re in the right place to find out! In our slideshow today, we’ll break down the costs associated with RV living to help you figure out the budget that works best for you.

Let’s jump right in!

<p>To help us calculate the costs, we enlisted an RV owner’s help. This RV owner lives in a 2021 Sunset Park RV <a href="https://rv.campingworld.com/product/sunset-park-rv/sun-lite">Sunlite Classic 18RD</a>. </p><p>Here are their average monthly costs:</p><ul> <li><strong>Vehicle Insurance:</strong> $188</li> <li><strong>Vehicle Payment:</strong> $500</li> <li><strong>RV Insurance:</strong> $100</li> <li><strong>RV Payment: </strong>$300</li> </ul><p><strong>Before any additional expenses, the Total Monthly RV cost is roughly $1,188</strong></p><p>Of course, your monthly baseline will differ depending on your choices regarding RV type and insurance provider. It’s also important to remember this is just the baseline. </p><p>You will incur additional costs, too. Let’s look at those next…</p>

1. How Much Does An RV Cost?

To help us calculate the costs, we enlisted an RV owner’s help. This RV owner lives in a 2021 Sunset Park RV Sunlite Classic 18RD . 

Here are their average monthly costs:

  • Vehicle Insurance: $188
  • Vehicle Payment: $500
  • RV Insurance: $100
  • RV Payment: $300

Before any additional expenses, the Total Monthly RV cost is roughly $1,188

Of course, your monthly baseline will differ depending on your choices regarding RV type and insurance provider. It’s also important to remember this is just the baseline. 

You will incur additional costs, too. Let’s look at those next…

<p>Now we’ll discuss all the additional costs you can expect after your RV-related expenses. Here’s a list of all the other things you need to factor in if you decide to live an RV lifestyle:</p><ul> <li><strong>Campsite Fees</strong></li> <li><strong>Gas</strong></li> <li><strong>Food</strong></li> <li><strong>Utilities</strong></li> <li><strong>Recreation</strong></li> <li><strong>RV Repairs and Maintenance</strong></li> <li><strong>Medical Insurance</strong></li> <li><strong>Miscellaneous</strong></li> </ul><p>Let’s take a deeper look into each factor!</p>

2. What Are The Additional Costs Of RV Life?

Now we’ll discuss all the additional costs you can expect after your RV-related expenses. Here’s a list of all the other things you need to factor in if you decide to live an RV lifestyle:

  • Campsite Fees
  • RV Repairs and Maintenance
  • Medical Insurance
  • Miscellaneous

Let’s take a deeper look into each factor!

<p>After purchasing your RV, you need to find somewhere to park it. Generally, camping fees are the most considerable additional cost of RV living.</p><p>The average cost to park at an RV campsite is $25 to $60 per night. However, luxury sites can cost up to $100. </p><p><strong>Therefore, the cost for RV site rental for a month is approximately $500 to $1,200.</strong></p><p>You can cut the costs, though! For example, investing in a portable generator will allow you to camp without a hookup. Alternatively, camping with friends can minimize costs.</p><p>This is what our RVer had to say about this:</p><p>“I’ve helped cousins with home renovations from San Diego to Tennessee in exchange for a free place to camp. Sometimes, they even offered a roomy shower or a night in a non-RV bed!”</p>

3. Camping Fees

After purchasing your RV, you need to find somewhere to park it. Generally, camping fees are the most considerable additional cost of RV living.

The average cost to park at an RV campsite is $25 to $60 per night. However, luxury sites can cost up to $100. 

Therefore, the cost for RV site rental for a month is approximately $500 to $1,200.

You can cut the costs, though! For example, investing in a portable generator will allow you to camp without a hookup. Alternatively, camping with friends can minimize costs.

This is what our RVer had to say about this:

“I’ve helped cousins with home renovations from San Diego to Tennessee in exchange for a free place to camp. Sometimes, they even offered a roomy shower or a night in a non-RV bed!”

<p>Your fuel expenses will vary. <strong>Your costs might range from almost nothing to thousands</strong>. The most significant factors to consider are how much you travel and gas prices in different locations.</p><p>Regarding gas, your best bet is to use GasBuddy to find affordable prices. You can also keep fuel expenses low if you keep your RV in one location.</p><p>Our expert RVer told us:</p><p>“I’d recommend overestimating how much you might spend on a road trip. When I plan long trips, I always round up to the nearest dollar when estimating fuel costs, primarily because they fluctuate so much from state to state.”</p>

Your fuel expenses will vary. Your costs might range from almost nothing to thousands . The most significant factors to consider are how much you travel and gas prices in different locations.

Regarding gas, your best bet is to use GasBuddy to find affordable prices. You can also keep fuel expenses low if you keep your RV in one location.

Our expert RVer told us:

“I’d recommend overestimating how much you might spend on a road trip. When I plan long trips, I always round up to the nearest dollar when estimating fuel costs, primarily because they fluctuate so much from state to state.”

<p><strong>Our expert RV owner sets a monthly budget of $300 to $400 for food and drink</strong>. However, your situation might be very different. </p><p>If you travel with a partner or children, you can expect your food budget to be bigger. On the other hand, if you travel alone, you might spend less. Of course, you need to consider your unique diet and eating habits.</p><p>You can also expect to spend more if you shop in smaller farmer’s markets and local stores instead of large-chain supermarkets.</p>

Our expert RV owner sets a monthly budget of $300 to $400 for food and drink . However, your situation might be very different. 

If you travel with a partner or children, you can expect your food budget to be bigger. On the other hand, if you travel alone, you might spend less. Of course, you need to consider your unique diet and eating habits.

You can also expect to spend more if you shop in smaller farmer’s markets and local stores instead of large-chain supermarkets.

<p>For car campers, the iOverlander app is an invaluable tool to locate safe and suitable places to stay overnight, beyond the usual rest areas and parking lots. This app provides a comprehensive database of camping spots, often with reviews and tips from other travelers. It helps you find locations that are welcoming to car campers, avoiding potentially unsafe spots. It can also guide you to scenic, off-the-beaten-path locations or convenient urban spots. </p>

6. Utilities

Potential utility costs for RVs include propane, internet, phone expenses, and full hookups at RV parks. It’s also worth noting that some RV parks may or may not include electricity.

Some RV parks charge for electricity based on how much you use, which is usually added after the rental fees. As expected, costs can vary massively. 

When we asked our anonymous RV owner how much he spends on utilities, he said:

“Adding everything up, I spend between $150 and $200 on utilities each month. Most of that is my phone plan and propane, as I tend to utilize free Internet at campsites or coffee shops as much as possible.”

<p>If you’re looking for a beast of a car to hit the road with, look no further than the Honda Element SUV. This quite stunning vehicle is a pleasure to drive, and comes with plenty of space.</p><p>One community member has been car camping in their Honda Element for the last two years, and he said, “It gets ok gas mileage but is roomy and nice to drive.”</p><p>Other readers agreed, some telling Reddit how they’ve converted their vehicle to make it even more suitable for car camping. To create more space, one user recommended removing the back seats.</p>

7. Recreation

Of course, you need to budget for fun activities as well. Your budget will depend on what you like to do. For example, one person might budget for outdoor activities such as kayaking and boating, while others might spend their money on tours and museum visits.

Our RVer usually allocates $150 to $300 a month for recreation . Depending on where they travel, this might change, but they also budget for more than they hope to spend, so there are no surprises. 

<p><strong>On average, RVers spend $100 to $200 monthly on general RV repairs and maintenance</strong>. </p><p>Having an emergency budget is also important in case something unexpected goes wrong. Take these words as a warning:</p><p>“Within the first six months of towing my single-axle trailer, I had both tires blowout on the interstate. Luckily, the blowouts didn’t cause any additional structural damage, and replacement tires for my small camper aren’t expensive. But it was still a cost I didn’t expect when leaving Texas in mid-July.”</p>

8. RV Repairs and Maintenance

On average, RVers spend $100 to $200 monthly on general RV repairs and maintenance . 

Having an emergency budget is also important in case something unexpected goes wrong. Take these words as a warning:

“Within the first six months of towing my single-axle trailer, I had both tires blowout on the interstate. Luckily, the blowouts didn’t cause any additional structural damage, and replacement tires for my small camper aren’t expensive. But it was still a cost I didn’t expect when leaving Texas in mid-July.”

<p>If you work for a company that provides insurance, you don’t need to factor medical insurance into your budget. However, if you aren’t so lucky, you’ll have to find a suitable plan for your needs and requirements.</p><p>Unfortunately, we can’t offer a specific budget for health insurance because it differs so much from individual to individual. However, you could read our <a href="https://www.thewaywardhome.com/health-insurance/">Health Insurance Guide For Full-Time RVers</a> for advice.</p>

9. Medical Insurance

If you work for a company that provides insurance, you don’t need to factor medical insurance into your budget. However, if you aren’t so lucky, you’ll have to find a suitable plan for your needs and requirements.

Unfortunately, we can’t offer a specific budget for health insurance because it differs so much from individual to individual. However, you could read our Health Insurance Guide For Full-Time RVers for advice.

<p>This suggestion might seem quite simple, but a quick reminder to pack a small tool kit could make a huge difference on truck camping trips. On Reddit, several truck campers pointed out that small repairs are common. </p><p>Packing at least the basics will help you solve most minor problems. A helpful tool kit might include screwdrivers, a spanner, pliers, and a utility knife.</p><p>When discussing this tip, one user wrote, “I’d keep a small toolkit and a collection of fasteners with you. I was always having to tighten or refasten something in that camper.”</p><p>Meanwhile, another camper told readers to pack some zip ties and a small leveler for leveling their camper.</p>

10. Miscellaneous

Adding more to your budget for unexpected costs is always a good idea. Adding approximately 10% to your expenses should be enough for any unforeseeable needs.

When we talk about unforeseeable needs, we refer to things like extra tools you need, souvenirs you want to buy, and additional camping supplies you might need to purchase.

<p>So, now we’ve been through all the additional costs, what is the total cost to live in an RV? Drum roll, please…</p><p><strong>After additional expenses, the total monthly cost of living in an RV is approximately $1,600 to $4,000.</strong></p><p>It may surprise some that the cost of RV living can be similar to leasing an apartment in some US cities. However, RV life does offer more flexibility for keeping your budget down.</p><p>Let’s also not forget how much freedom comes with RV life. You can move around the country whenever you like, and you’re never tied down to a lease agreement.</p>

11. What’s The Total Cost Of RV Life?

So, now we’ve been through all the additional costs, what is the total cost to live in an RV? Drum roll, please…

After additional expenses, the total monthly cost of living in an RV is approximately $1,600 to $4,000.

It may surprise some that the cost of RV living can be similar to leasing an apartment in some US cities. However, RV life does offer more flexibility for keeping your budget down.

Let’s also not forget how much freedom comes with RV life. You can move around the country whenever you like, and you’re never tied down to a lease agreement.

<p>To help you keep track of your budget while living in an RV, we’ve compiled a simple list of our 3 best tips. Here they are:</p><ul> <li><strong>Stick to your monthly budget</strong>. It sounds pretty simple, but many people don’t do this. Laying out everything so you know exactly how much you’ll spend helps you keep within your budget. It also lets you calculate how much you have to put towards other expenses. It also gives you a target to stay under, which can help encourage you to spend less.</li> <li><strong>Track your other expenses</strong>. There’s nothing worse than going to pay your taxes and realizing you haven’t saved enough throughout the year. Luckily, you can use this <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OnZWoCd67t1YhgDBdYhgPnRi18Z_KOyo1WkEIl4ziQs/edit#gid=0">Google Sheet</a> to track all your monthly costs so you know exactly where and when to cut back. </li> <li><strong>Stay away from takeout food</strong>. As delicious as takeout food is, it’s an absolute budget killer. Avoiding takeout food on a road trip can sometimes be difficult, but RVs have a kitchen for a reason. Cooking your own food is an easy way to keep food expenses down.</li> </ul>

12. Our Top 3 RV Budgeting Tips

To help you keep track of your budget while living in an RV, we’ve compiled a simple list of our 3 best tips. Here they are:

  • Stick to your monthly budget . It sounds pretty simple, but many people don’t do this. Laying out everything so you know exactly how much you’ll spend helps you keep within your budget. It also lets you calculate how much you have to put towards other expenses. It also gives you a target to stay under, which can help encourage you to spend less.
  • Track your other expenses . There’s nothing worse than going to pay your taxes and realizing you haven’t saved enough throughout the year. Luckily, you can use this Google Sheet to track all your monthly costs so you know exactly where and when to cut back. 
  • Stay away from takeout food . As delicious as takeout food is, it’s an absolute budget killer. Avoiding takeout food on a road trip can sometimes be difficult, but RVs have a kitchen for a reason. Cooking your own food is an easy way to keep food expenses down.

<p>This mobile office van setup in a <a href="https://www.thewaywardhome.com/sprinter-van-with-bathroom/">Mercedes Sprinter van </a>is versatile because it has space for working alone or coworking. The storage benches pull double-duty as seats and the table is large enough for two.</p><p>The footrest is a nice touch since most van benches and seats are quite tall and can cause discomfort when your legs dangle for long periods.</p><p>Pro tip: build a <a href="https://www.thewaywardhome.com/best-overland-storage-boxes/">storage box</a> or put a folding stool under the desk to keep comfortable.</p>

13. How Do You Make Money Living Out Of An RV?

Did you know you can live and work out of an RV? You can, and there are more possibilities than you can imagine!

Thanks to remote working opportunities, RV life is now possible for millions of Americans. There are thousands of companies offering remote working roles, and there are countless freelance and self-employed opportunities to make the most of.

Here are some of the best jobs you can do if you want to work remotely and follow an RV lifestyle:

  • Freelance writer
  • Photography
  • Campground host
  • Virtual Assistant
  • Travel Nursing

So, what do you think? Is the RV lifestyle perfect for you? Or are you going to stick with stationary life? The decision is all yours!

<p>Originally designed for off-road racers (and those supporting them), the Platform Camper from Go Fast Campers is arguably the lightest and cheapest truck camper you’ll find on the market today. It’s perfect for rugged adventurers and those seeking true solitude at off-grid destinations that many others wouldn’t even attempt to reach. </p><p>Like many of these cheap truck campers, you’ll have the freedom to customize your ideal unit with Go Fast Campers. That starts with choosing the standard 90” x 50” sleeping area or upgrading to the XL 90” x 56” area. It continues with options to include automotive front and rear windows, side tent doors, and more. </p>

8 Must-See Cheap Truck Campers for Thrifty Explorers

For those interested in getting into truck camping on a budget, starting your search with the best cheap truck campers is natural. I started my truck camping journey by installing a camper shell on a Tacoma and sleeping in the bed, but I couldn’t help but feel a little envy every time I passed a true truck camper on the road. 

  • Read More: 8 Must-See Truck Campers for Thrifty Explorers

<p>The Roadtrek Pivot Slumber is a camper van built on the Ram Promaster Chassis with a sleek interior look. The Duo Space bathroom has a pivoting wall that creates a shower room and keeps the rest of the bathroom dry. We love this clever idea!</p><p>The dining table hides a swivel extension, so you can make it bigger at meal times or when you need to work on the go. Handy.</p><p>The pop top means you can sleep four people in this luxury campervan. </p>

13 Gorgeous Luxury Campervans for Glamorous Travel

Are you looking to add some luxury to your outdoor adventures? We’ve rounded up the best luxury campervans we could find. There’s no reason to go off-roading without one of these beauties.

  • Read More: 13 Luxury Campervans for Elevated Van Life Adventures

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  • Best RV For Full-Time Living: How To Pick Your Perfect Rig
  • 19 Space-Saving RV Storage Ideas for your Camper Kitchen

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IMAGES

  1. RV LIFE Trip Wizard: The BEST Route Planning Tool

    how much does rv trip wizard cost

  2. Is RV Trip Wizard Still the Best RV Trip Planner in 2023?

    how much does rv trip wizard cost

  3. Best RV trip planner apps: Find the best route

    how much does rv trip wizard cost

  4. What is RV Trip Wizard? [2022 REVIEW]

    how much does rv trip wizard cost

  5. RV Trip Wizard Review (Plan an Epic Trip the Easy Way!)

    how much does rv trip wizard cost

  6. Is RV Life Trip Wizard Worth The Money?

    how much does rv trip wizard cost

VIDEO

  1. How to Plan an RV Trip Across America using RV Life Trip Wizard

  2. EWR

  3. RV LIFE & RV Trip Wizard 5 Extra Features for Trip Planning🚐

  4. Traveling RVers

  5. RV Trip Wizard Tutorial

  6. rv trip wizard reviews

COMMENTS

  1. What is RV Trip Wizard? [2022 REVIEW]

    RV Trip Wizard is an annual subscription service that helps you plan customizable road trips with RV parks, gas stations, points of interest and more. The cost is $49/year, but you can try it for free for a week or use the 1-week free trial.

  2. Is RV Life Trip Wizard Worth The Money?

    The monthly subscription is $19.99 per month and does not include a 7-day free trial. BUT NOTE the discount code below! In all honesty, just one of these tools is easily worth $5 per month, let alone all four combined. That is why I don't hesitate to say that RV LIFE Pro is worth the money for most RVers.

  3. RV Trip Wizard Reviewed (2024): The Good, Bad & Good-To-Know

    The RV Trip Wizard service is $49 per year. There is a 7-day free trial period, but you must sign up—and cancel before the seven days expire. full review. "RV Trip Wizard or RV life app is a trip planning resource to help you keep details and get organized to plan your future RV trips. You can plan your route.

  4. RV Trip Wizard Review (Plan an Epic Trip the Easy Way!)

    To top it off, RV Trip Wizard keeps track of your trip cost too! As a full time RVer, I have planned a lot of RV trips. Until now, I had not found a trip planner that really worked. Enter RV Trip Wizard - it does everything that I have been doing manually for years. And, it does it all in one place! RV Trip Wizard is definitely worth the $65 ...

  5. RV Trip Wizard: Our Secret Weapon For Trip Planning

    RV Life Pro has an annual cost of $59. However, you can save 25% off your membership, by using the code "GETAWAY25" during checkout! This includes access to the trip planning website and turn-by-turn RV GPS. That's only $3.06 a month with our exclusive discount. Save 25%.

  6. How to Use RV Trip Wizard to Plan an RV Road Trip

    RV Trip Wizard costs only $65/year. You can even test it out with a free 1-week trial before buying. Once you get started, we're sure you'll be hooked! Pro Tip: Use RV Trip Wizard to plan your route along the National Park to Park Highway. How to Use RV Trip Wizard: Getting Set Up

  7. RV LIFE Trip Wizard

    RV LIFE Trip Wizard is a web-based tool that helps you plan your RV trip with visual maps, campgrounds, gas stations, points of interest and more. You can customize your RV safe routes, estimate the cost of your trip, and compare different campgrounds and memberships. Try it for free for 7 days or start a free 7 day trial now.

  8. RV Trip Wizard Magic Every RVer Needs to Know

    RV Trip Wizard is a website that helps you plan your RV trip with ease. It costs $59 a year and offers features such as campground filters, gas station finder, and cost estimator. You can also use it with Google Maps and other GPS options. Learn more about how to use RV Trip Wizard and its benefits.

  9. RV Trip Wizard vs. Allstays: Which Is Better for RV Trip Planning?

    RV Trip Wizard does it all! It doesn't just route plan, show campground reviews, or help you find tourist activities. It's a convenient way to plan everything in one place. ... The Allstays Camp and RV app only costs $9.99 for lifetime use. Since most other trip planners charge a yearly fee, you can save a ton of money using Allstays.

  10. RV Trip Wizard vs The Dyrt: A Trip Planning Showdown

    The Dyrt charges a $35.99 yearly subscription and RV Trip Wizard charges $59 for their annual membership. However, if you use the code "GETAWAY25" during checkout, you can get 25% off the RV Trip Wizard annual membership, lowering it to only $36.75. However, remember that just because one costs less doesn't mean it's the best deal overall.

  11. RV Trip Wizard vs. Roadtrippers: What Planning Tool is Best?

    RV LIFE Trip Wizard Overview. $19.99 per month or $59.00 annually; 7-day free trial. Standout features. Customized information based on your specific RV. Advanced Driving Radius. Cost estimator. Commonly referred to as simply Trip Wizard, RV LIFE Trip Wizard bills itself as "the best RV trip planner.".

  12. User's Guide

    Users Guide. We've prepared an easy-to-follow section of our website that helps to explain many of the features of RV LIFE Trip Wizard. Click the button below to open our documentation in a new tab/window. RV Trip Planning made easy with unbiased data & best-in-class features. Save time, plan RV Safe Routes, and find great campgrounds. Try the ...

  13. RV Life Trip Wizard: Most Common Questions Answered

    What is Trip Wizard. RV Life Trip Wizard is an RV trip planning tool that makes trip planning fast and easy. I have been using it since we hit the road full-time in 2018. I can't imagine how I would stay organized without it. Below are some of the features it offers. 20,000+ campgrounds. 57,000+ points of interest. RV Safe routing.

  14. RV GPS App Now Included with RV Trip Wizard

    Download The RV GPS App, Now Included With RV LIFE Trip Wizard. If you aren't already signed up for RV LIFE Trip Wizard, visit the website for current pricing.Like and follow the RV LIFE Trip Wizard and RV LIFE Facebook pages. Check out the RV LIFE Trip Wizard thread on iRV2.The RV LIFE Trip Wizard YouTube channel has training videos and other information.

  15. What is the cost for RV LIFE Trip Wizard?

    The monthly subscription fee for RV LIFE Pro is $19.99/month, providing users with ongoing access to the complete suite of RV LIFE Pro tools and features. Unlike the annual subscription, the monthly subscription does not include a free trial period. RV LIFE Trip Wizard comes as a part of the RV LIFE Pro subscription, which includes other tools ...

  16. Easy Planning with RV Trip Wizard

    If you haven't already subscribed to RV Trip Wizard you will need a trial subscription to the program. If you only want to try RV Trip Wizard you can get a seven-day free trial. When subscribing to RV Trip Wizard, don't forget to use the discount code ( TIGNER25) to get 25% off your subscription.

  17. RV LIFE GPS App

    A GPS Designed by RVers, for RVers. Turn your phone into an RV Safe GPS. No more worrying about steep mountain passes, low clearances, bridge weight limits, or propane-restricted tunnels. Get RV Safe GPS directions custom tailored to the height & weight of your RV. Turn-by-turn navigation, including voice- and lane-guidance, work even when you ...

  18. Trip Wizard FAQ

    What is the cost for RV LIFE Trip Wizard? Can I record my reservation information in my trip plan? Why isn't the starting location where I am? How do I find Custom Stop, Street View, and Check for Fuel prices? ... Can I export from RV LIFE Trip Wizard to Google Maps? What do we do about updates? I am using a Mac. Why can't I scroll in the trip ...

  19. RV LIFE Pro

    RV LIFE Trip Wizard Planner : RV Trip Planning has never been easier. Save time, plan safe RV routes, and find great campgrounds all within our planner built just for RVers. RV LIFE Maintenance Tracker : A cloud-based service that works on your tablet, computer, and smartphone. It tracks upcoming maintenance dates and sends detailed reminders ...

  20. Getting Started

    Logging In To Trip Wizard. To start your journey with RV LIFE Trip Wizard: Go to the Trip Wizard website. Select " Member Login ". This is the screen you will see next: Enter the email address and password you used to sign up with RV LIFE and click " Log In". In case you have not set up an RV LIFE account yet, visit this page.

  21. Features

    Most RV Planner tools only show campgrounds and locations affiliated with their publisher. RV LIFE Trip Wizard has no restrictions and is built to work with how you like to travel. Don't fall victim to one affiliation and add time and cost to your trips. More about our Features →. Get a Free Demo of RV LIFE Trip Wizard in seconds!

  22. Can YOU Afford to Live in an RV? 10 Expenses You Might Not Think ...

    Generally, camping fees are the most considerable additional cost of RV living. The average cost to park at an RV campsite is $25 to $60 per night. However, luxury sites can cost up to $100 ...