By Cheri Sicard
RVing can be expensive, but in the video below from the Happily Ever Hanks, winner of one of our Reader’s Choice awards for 2024’s best RV YouTube channel, you can discover ten surefire ways to save money on the road.
If you are not familiar with this channel helmed by a couple of traveling nurses who live full time in their RV debt-free, it’s terrific. It’s that last part that’s important here. Unlike a lot of young couples mired in debt, these two live a life of freedom, both financial and otherwise, as they travel from job to job while enjoying the country.
I know the video label touts eight tips, but I actually counted 10 when I watched. And many of them can be combined for even more savings. Get details of how in the video.
Happily Ever Hanks’ top 10 tips to save money on the road
#1 Good Sam Club: The Hanks say the savings they’ve received through the Good Sam Club have been HUGE! Not only can you save on campgrounds, but you can also save on fuel at participating truck stops.
#2 Boondockers Welcome: For a yearly reasonable membership fee, you get access to 1000s of places you can stay for free on private properties, usually owned by other RVers. You’ll meet nice people and have great places to stay all over the country. How long you can stay varies from host to host. Some even have electrical and/or water available for a nominal charge. They also touch on Boondockers Welcome’s sister company, Harvest Hosts, which is not quite as thrifty but still an awesome deal.
#3 Slow your roll: Take your time and explore the areas you travel to. The less time on the road, the lower your expenses. Even if you opt to stay in RV parks, you can often save money with a weekly or even monthly rate. So slow down, relax, and take plenty of time to explore before moving on.
#4 Credit cards: No, the Hanks are not saying you should rack up debt, but you can manage expenses plus get some great perks by using the right credit card, so it pays to shop around. They give more tips on what to look for in the video. But you can even get credit cards that give you cash back. If you put food, fuel, campgrounds, and other expenses on the card (and pay it off each month), that can add up to substantial savings.
#5 AllStays Pro: The Hanks have been using this program for years and they love that it helps them save the most money during trip planning when they need to pick RV parks to stay at. They love this website because it lets you filter search results in so many ways. Be sure to watch the video as the Hanks share their secret tips for using the AllStays website to find RV parking with free electrical hookups! While the Pro version costs about $30 a year, the couple says it has saved them hundreds of dollars.
#6 Be smart where you park: These are tips that the Hanks use to get the best price at any given campground and how to save money while choosing the best yet most economical site. Watch the video for details on how to do it.
#7 TSD fuel card: This one saves you money on, you guessed it, fuel. This one only applies to diesel rigs, but if you drive a diesel, you could be saving!
#8 Thrive on the drive: If you are heading to a touristy area—for instance, Yellowstone National Park—know that everything close to there is going to be more expensive, including essentials like fuel and food. So fill up and go shopping before you reach the RV high-rent districts and you’ll save money. Likewise, don’t be afraid to book an RV park that is a half hour or so away from the main attraction. You’ll be amazed at how much you can save.
#9 Invest in equipment you’ll use frequently: The Hanks enjoy standup paddle boarding. They discovered for the price of renting paddleboards four times, they could buy themselves brand-new paddleboards. If you have an activity you like, buying might make more sense than renting.
#10 Reason for the season: You can save money by “going against the grain.” In other words, if everyone is heading to Florida in the winter, that may not be the best time to visit, from a financial perspective. If you visit just after peak season ends, you’ll save a bundle.
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Thank you, Cheri! Lots of excellent suggestions here; thank you! Safe travels! 🙂
Regarding credit cards… a lot of businesses (at least in Texas) are adding a surcharge for credit/debit card use. In a number of instances the amount of the surcharge negates any cash back or other credit card advantage. Of course when you reserve online, you are pretty much required to pre-pay via credit card.
There are also a number of loyalty programs popping up that allow the business to directly tap your checking account (ACH automated clearing house). This is NOT the same as paying with a debit card, which still uses the credit card networks to facilitate the transaction.
I know businesses do that, but it is against their merchants account agreements to do so. And while some do, most do not.
They use Good Sam, but not Passport America, for campground discounts. GS gives only 10% discounts and charges RV park owners a ridiculous amount to be “inspected” and listed. Passport America gives 50% discounts, but doesn’t “rate” their RV parks, so it is a better deal for both renters and owners. BTW, we dropped Good Sam before Covid after Lemonis did away with the GS Travel Planner, magazine, and local chapters. Couldn’t pay us to go back to GS or CW.
We use the FREE Campendium and Campground Reviews websites to do the same campground research and planning that the Hanks do with Allstays Pro. Using those and PA, we averaged <$30/night for 6 weeks during Dec-Jan.in AZ & NM.
I have Passport America, it’s good because it is cheap and you only need to use it once or twice for it to pay for itself. That said, I rarely use it as it is so limited in parks and those parks usually have severe limitations on when you can use it. So while it is not a bad thing to have in your arsenal, you can hardly count on Passport America. Good Sam Parks are everywhere and the discounts are available all the time. Why not have both?