RV Life

We spent almost eighteen months on the road, and it was a learning experience the entire time.

The monthly payment hides the total cost. Run the real numbers on a 15-year RV loan and depreciation, and financing looks a lot less manageable than it feels at signing.

New RVs commonly lose a quarter of their value in year one. We ran the five-year numbers, new versus used, and the gap is bigger than most families expect before they sign.

Not the cheapest. Not the newest you can afford. Here's the financial window we look for, five to ten years old, and why the years on either side cost you more than they save.

We've owned three different RV laundry setups in a year and a half. Here's the honest, category-by-category breakdown of what actually holds up full time and what we'd skip.