I sold my house and moved into an RV full time. Our RV is a used 2021 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS fifth wheel — and six months later, we’re still on the road and loving it. The decision felt huge at the time, but the numbers don’t lie: we’ve cut our monthly living expenses nearly in half while gaining freedom we never had before. Here’s the exact average budget from six months of real receipts — no fluff, no hidden costs, just the truth about what full-time RV life costs a family of four (plus one dog).
Our 6-Month Average Monthly Costs
That’s $2,103/month for a family of four (two adults, two kids, one dog) — compared to our old Denver house budget of $4,200+ (mortgage, utilities, property tax, commuting). We’re saving $2,097 every month, or $12,582 in six months — enough to pay cash for solar upgrades and still bank thousands.
How Our Costs Evolved Over the 6 Months
- Months 1–2 (Jan–Feb): Average $2,600 — we paid for more campgrounds while learning routes and boondocking spots. Rookie mistake: over-planning paid sites.
- Months 3–4 (Mar–Apr): Dropped to $1,900 — mastered Harvest Hosts and BLM land. One $600 slide repair spiked maintenance.
- Months 5–6 (May–Jun): Steady $1,800 — summer boondocking in cooler mountains kept propane low.
Biggest surprise: groceries stayed identical to house life. We thought we’d eat out more, but the RV kitchen is actually easier for quick meals.
Unexpected Expenses (The Real Talk)
- One-Time Hits: $1,200 lithium battery upgrade (month 3) — already paid back in free camping.
- Repairs: $600 slide motor (month 4), $300 new tires after a sidewall blowout.
- Health: Vet visit for the dog ($250) after a cactus encounter — covered partly by Roamly pet injury rider.
- Comfort: $400 for a better mattress topper — stock RV mattresses are brutal.
The Non-Financial Wins After 6 Months
- Kids are thriving with homeschool on picnic tables.
- We’ve seen places we only dreamed of: desert sunsets in Quartzsite, pine forests in Flagstaff, beaches in California.
- Work-life balance improved — no commute, more family time.
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Selling the house felt scary, but six months in, we have zero regrets.
Six months into full-time RV life, the biggest surprise isn’t the money we’re saving — it’s how much richer our days feel.We’ve watched sunrises over the red rocks of Sedona from our bedroom window, grilled dinner beside a quiet lake in northern Arizona, and fallen asleep to complete silence under star-filled skies that city lights used to hide. The kids have learned more from real-world adventures — geology in the desert, wildlife in national forests — than they ever did in a classroom. Our dog goes on three walks a day instead of quick backyard breaks, and we’re all moving more, eating better, and stressing less…