RVs often represent a significant investment. Even a small tent trailer can run you around $5000 or so new. Unfortunately, many people only use them for occasional camping trips (average about 12 trips a year according to some reports) so they spend a lot of time sitting unused. That makes pre-owned (used) RVs especially good values for subsequent purchasers, but wouldn't it make sense to get as much use out of your investment as possible? With a little creativity you may find many ways to use your RV.
Our primary use for our motorhomes has been to support our dirt bike outings. With a family of 6 kids (4 boys and 2 girls with a 14 year difference in age between the oldest and youngest) it served as our base camp for our OHV rides. We spent just about every 3-day holiday weekend on one of these trips when the kids were growing up. These days I'm afraid our motorhome doesn't get nearly the use we would like to it. At one time making a living got in the way of living. Now that we are retired and on a fixed income, NOT making a living gets in the way of living. Can't seem to win either way!
A second major use was summer vacations to visit the kids' grandparents in another state. Even though motorhomes don't get great mileage, the savings in motel and restaurant costs plus the added convenience during travel and at our destination, more than offsets the fuel costs. When you measure the fuel in "passenger miles per gallon" like is often used for mass transit, transporting a family of 8 in a motorhome delivers a respectable 56 passenger miles per gallon! That sounds a whole lot better than the raw fuel economy of 7 miles per gallon. Even with just two people, that's 14 passenger miles per gallon. When you factor in the savings for meals and motels, motorhome travel really comes out ahead!
With six active children, we often had several soccer games to attend each weekend. We soon discovered our motorhome was perfect for transporting our small army and all their gear and provided us with a shelter and other useful facilities for resting, eating, and cleaning up between games or escaping unpleasant weather. Our on board first aid kit let us lend help dealing with many small injuries among their teammates as well as our own kids. Some of the soccer fields were located at schools that were locked on weekends so having our own sanitary facilities was also a boon.
On one occasion the limousine our kids ordered for a school dance failed to show up and we transported about half dozen kids to the dance in our motorhome. It was definitely an unusual mode of transportation for such an event, but it provided at least as much room for the kids as the limo would have and even better facilities for the more than 1 hour drive downtown to the venue for their dance. It also created some one-of-a-kind memories for everyone involved and we still get comments from our kids friends decades later.
Disaster Recovery Vehicle (DRV). I have touted the value in using your RV as a DRV in several places in this blog. We have used our DRV on more than one occasion. Having a well-stocked RV available during any kind of interruption of normal household services makes dealing with them a lot more convenient and can even literally be life-saving. Your RV can give a you a safe and comfortable place to stay should your home be damaged or if you should experience an extended power outage. If properly setup you are prepared to weather just about anything. That means having sufficient fuel in the tanks, proper clothing, food, and medical supplies. Your RV will provide shelter plus cooking and sanitation facilities and can serve as a temporary ER for you and your family and friends when access to normal medical services are restricted or non-existent.
A motorhome or other RV makes an excellent guest house for visitors. You can keep your visiting relatives close by but still give them (and you) a lot of privacy by setting them up in your RV. You may have to make special arrangements during winter months when you RV is winterized.
Another popular use for motorhomes is tailgate parties at sporting events. Be sure to check with the venue to make sure they will admit rigs the size of your and will allow tailgate parties before you show up and get turned away. RVs provide perfect facilities for your pre-game and post-game festivities.
Shopping trips? You probably wouldn't think of taking your motorhome on a shopping trip. Too many issues with traffic snarls and limited parking. But sometimes it might be just right. Not only does it have lots of space to put your purchases, it can provide you a comfortable place to recuperate between stores -- get a snack, catch a few Z's, freshen up. It may be especially well-suited for trip so remote factory outlet centers. Sometimes they cater to RVers, setting aside special parking for large rigs. It is always a good idea to scout out the destinations beforehand to make sure there will be appropriate space for your rig.
New Years Eve celebrations. I read of an enterprising owner who used his motorhome to transport his wife and some friends to New Years Eve outing at a nightclub about 90 minutes from their home. Knowing it would be a late night and drinking would be involved, he obtained permission to park on a vacant lot near the club so they had a safe and comfortable place within walking distance when the night's festivities ended and they were sometimes in no condition to drive home.
Taking a group out. Whenever you have more people than will fit in your family car or minivan, you might consider using your RV. However, not all the seating in an RV is rated for occupancy on the highway. Any approved seating should be equipped with seat belts. Passengers in other locations might present a safety hazard and, in case of an accident, you may face liability issues. You may also be subject to getting a citation and paying a fine if a law enforcement officer happens to notice your excess passengers for any reason.
A night out at home? Why not? You can eat dinner and spend the night in your RV right in your own driveway or backyard. Makes a kind of unique date night and if you still have kids at home may provide you more privacy than you usually get in the house. We once celebrated our wedding anniversary in our cab-over camper -- picked up a wonderful steak dinner at our favorite restaurant and enjoyed a delightfully intimate candle light dinner and pleasant evening in the camper.
Another option is to rent out your RV. You might be able to do it yourself but many people use professional rental agencies to handle renting their RVs. That is one way to help offset the cost of ownership. One such operation is outdoorsy.com. You can usually still reserve it for your own use whenever you want, but might actually turn it into a positive revenue stream when you are not using it. Sure beats just having it sit there and depreciate! There are, of course, some risks associated with renting it out and some inconveniences. You won't want to keep your personal belongings in it when renting it out and renters might do some unexpected damage and you should count on additional wear and tear. You will have to keep up with all scheduled maintenance and be prepared to make repairs as necessary to keep your RV in rentable and presentable condition. Popular, late model RVs are the best candidates for rentals but you might find a market for reasonably priced vintage units too especially if they are unique or particularly appealing.
Think outside the box. You'll probably come up with even more fun, interesting, and innovative ways to use your RV.
Be creative!
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