Travel calculator

RV Trip Cost Calculator

Estimate a trip using your route distance, fuel economy, fuel price, campground costs and other expenses. Change any input to see the total update instantly.

Fuel cost—
Campground cost—
Total trip cost—

Planning tip: use loaded, towing fuel economy—not solo highway MPG. Add a contingency amount for route changes, repairs and higher-than-expected fuel prices.

Cost per mile exposes expensive route choices

When fuel economy is low, adding several hundred miles can cost more than an extra campground night. For example, an RV averaging 8 MPG with $4 fuel costs about 50 cents per mile in fuel alone. A 300-mile detour would add roughly $150 before campground or toll costs.

Campground spending is highly controllable

Boondocking, public campgrounds, memberships and premium RV resorts produce very different nightly averages. Build a blended campground rate from the mix you expect rather than using a single national figure that may not resemble your route.

Use realistic fuel economy

Towing or motorhome MPG changes with speed, wind, elevation, trailer shape, weight and traffic. If you have past trip data, average several travel days. If you do not, use a conservative estimate and rerun the calculator at a worse MPG to understand the downside.

Include costs that do not look like “RV costs”

Tolls, parking, ferry fees, attraction parking, propane, dump fees and generator fuel can materially change a trip budget. Put expected extras in the miscellaneous field and keep a contingency reserve separate for repairs or route changes.

Compare alternate routes on total cost

A route with cheaper campgrounds can still cost more if it adds substantial mileage. Likewise, a slightly longer route may be worthwhile if it avoids expensive tolls or provides cheaper overnight stops. Run each scenario using the same assumptions before deciding.