Many people turn to full time RVing as a way to save money. Unfortunately, not everyone knows what to factor into their budget to ensure they actually do save money. One aspect of RVing many people don’t know to account for? An RV repair cost budget.
Sadly, most RVs are not made to be lived in. This means they need repairs on a fairly regular basis, something we learned the hard way after being on the road for a few months.
The good news? There are a few ways you can reduce your RV repair cost budget. In this article, I’ll tell you my favorite tips for doing just that.
Follow a Maintenance Schedule
First, it helps to do whatever you can to ensure you don’t have to make any repairs at all. Make it a part of your travel day routine to always check on things like seals, tires, batteries, and fluid levels so you catch problems early before they can become bigger issues.
You’ll also want to proactively stay on top of preventative maintenance such as oil changes, brake checks, and inspections in order to avoid more costly repairs down the line. (Again, something we learned the hard way.)
Not sure when to do preventative maintenance? Consult your RV owners’ manual, which should give you a schedule. You can put this schedule into your phone calendar in order to receive reminders so nothing gets forgotten.
Understand Your Warranty and/or Insurance
Of course, something is bound to break eventually, even if you follow the most rigid maintenance schedule. When this happens, the least expensive way to get something in your RV fixed is to have somebody else pay for it. This is where your RV warranty and/or insurance comes into play.
Some repairs may be covered by one of both of these things. Before you pay to fix anything yourself, check to see what’s covered by both your RV warranty and your insurance to avoid unnecessary out-of-pocket costs.
Do It Yourself
If you don’t have a warranty or insurance, or if a repair is not covered by these things, you will need to consider other options. The next cheapest way to get something fixed on your RV? Do it yourself.
This might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but really, most RV repairs are pretty straightforward. Things like changing fuses, tightening screws, patching roof leaks, or replacing light bulbs are pretty self-explanatory, and you can find tutorials for more in-depth projects on YouTube or sites like iRV2 and even Reddit.
I’ve been able to fix almost every issue we’ve had crop up by using free online tutorials with absolutely no prior experience, so I can attest that it is actually possible for someone with no repair skills to tackle a good number of RV projects on their own.
Buy Parts Yourself
You can save a good amount of money by 1) buying the parts for the repair yourself and 2) knowing where to shop for parts. Mechanics often mark parts up without letting you know, so even if somebody else is doing the job, buying the parts yourself is a good call.
Start by looking online. Often, even OEM parts are less expensive online than they are at the dealership. That said, you can usually save even more by purchasing aftermarket parts from sites like eTrailer or Amazon. If you need something super budget-friendly, consider heading to an RV salvage yard to purchase certain parts.
Build a Repair Fund
One of the best choices we ever made as RVers was to build up a good, solid repair fund. We set some money aside each month to add to this fund, so that whenever big, costly repairs crop up, we’re prepared to pay for them. If your current income won’t allow for this, consider finding an extra gig or two purely to grow your repair fund—and remember, even $50–$100 a month makes a huge difference!
Join an RV Club
There are some jobs that you truly won’t be able to tackle yourself. If your warranty or insurance won’t cover these repairs, there are some RV clubs that might help with costs a little bit.
Memberships like Good Sam, Escapees, Fulltime Families, or FMCA can get you discounts on parts, labor, and campgrounds. Some of these clubs also offer roadside assistance and mobile tech support. On top of that, Fulltime Families (along with one or two others) offers an excellent community of like-minded individuals who tend to be helpful when it comes to RV repairs.
There’s also Wanderlust Waypoints, a series of campgrounds across the country that offer tools and workshops for those working on their rigs. They also encourage campers to help one another, something that can be extremely helpful. The company seems to be focused on skoolies in particular, but would likely welcome all types of rigs.
Use Mobile RV Technicians
If you need to turn to professional help, I also recommend hiring a mobile RV tech whenever possible rather than taking your rig to a shop or dealership.
Mobile techs are often cheaper than bigger shops because their overhead is a lot lower. On top of that, they are much more convenient, as they can do the work wherever you happen to be staying, meaning you don’t have to move the RV. Often, you don’t even have to find another place to stay while work is being done. Finally, I appreciate that mobile techs tend to work a lot faster than dealerships.
Just make sure to check reviews and rates before you have anyone come do the work!
As you can see, there are tons of great ways to reduce your RV repair cost budget so you can enjoy the travel lifestyle while still keeping expenses low. Which tips will you put to work first?