Is it Cheaper to Rent an RV or Stay in Hotels on a Road Trip?

Many people wonder if it is cheaper to rent an RV than using a car with hotel stays.

This breakdown examines the costs in three cases.

In each, renting an RV beats using a car and hotels for a family of four. The analysis shows a $149.57 saving.

This is for a trip from Seattle to Yellowstone in an RV versus a car and hotels.

Likewise, you can save $408.60 when traveling from Chicago to Yellowstone or save $532.18 when traveling from Atlanta to Yellowstone.

The cost difference may not very big between the options of driving your car vs renting an RV. However, the memories you make in an RV will likely be better.

Read below to see the full cost breakdown of how I made these calculations. The full data tables used in this cost analysis are provided at the end of this article.

Benefits of Traveling by RV

Driving across the USA to see world-famous sights such as the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yosemite Park, Key West, and other national treasures is an experience many families seek.

Seeing these sights while driving a spacious RV that lets you:

• Pack your bag only once (no unpacking and repacking for each hotel room)
• Cater your own meals (no expensive eating out and you can control options for picky eaters or anyone with food allergies)
• Use your own bathroom even while driving (so no yucky gas station bathrooms or waiting in line)
• Sleep in the same bed every night (without worrying about bed bugs)
• Bring the family pet (no expensive pet sitter fees and Fido can be in the family vacation photos!)
• Room to relax outdoors at the campsite

Plus there’s more room for the family to spread out while driving in the RV, so the chances of Mom or Dad having to say, “don’t make me pull this car over!” are far less than when driving in the family minivan.

Family Trip Cost Breakdown Scenario

In this cost breakdown scenario, I use a family of four traveling from three different cities. They all go to Yellowstone National Park and back home in July 2019.

I use Seattle, Chicago, and Atlanta as our starting points.

The costs assume the family will start in one of these cities. They will then drive to Yellowstone National Park for a four-day visit in the park. They will then drive back home to their original city.

All four scenarios use the same calculations to determine whether it is cheaper to rent an rv or stay in a hotel.

I expect each family to drive about 7-8 hours each day to get to Yellowstone and to return home. Their stopover destinations are based on driving about 7-8 hours each day.

Each family will rent a relatively new 2017 or 2018 model RV that they can drive, rather than tow with the family SUV.

The basics of the family trips are presented below.

Seattle to Yellowstone and Return to Seattle

• Distance driven: 1,478 miles round trip + 142 Grand Loop in Yellowstone = 1,620 miles
• Trip length: 8 days
• Overnight stops: Missoula, Montana on way to Yellowstone and on return home
• Time in Yellowstone: 4 full days
• Hotel/campground: 7 nights (2 nights on the road; 5 nights in Yellowstone)
• Seattle trip cost (see tables below for full cost breakdown):
  • By car/hotel: $3,495.60
  • By RV: $3,346.03 ($149.57 cheaper than car/hotel option)

Chicago to Yellowstone and Return to Chicago

• Distance driven: 2,902 miles round trip + 142 Grand Loop in Yellowstone = 3,044 miles
• Trip length: 10 days
• Overnight stops: Sioux City, Iowa and Belle Fourche, South Dakota on way to Yellowstone and return
• Time in Yellowstone: 4 full days
• Hotel/campground: 9 nights (4 nights on the road; 5 nights in Yellowstone)
• Chicago trip cost (see tables below for full cost breakdown):
  • By car/hotel: $4,771.52
  • By RV: $4,362.92 ($408.60 cheaper than car/hotel option)

Atlanta to Yellowstone and Return to Atlanta

• Distance driven: 9,980 miles round trip + 142 Grand Loop in Yellowstone = 4,122 miles
• Trip length: 12 days
• Overnight stops: St Louis, Missouri; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Cheyenne, Wyoming on way to Yellowstone and return
• Time in Yellowstone: 4 full days
• Hotel/campground: 11 nights (6 nights on the road; 5 nights in Yellowstone)
• Atlanta trip cost (see tables below for full cost breakdown):
  • By car/hotel: $5,914.76
  • By RV: $5,382.58 ($532.18 cheaper than car/hotel option)

Vehicle Costs

Personal Automobile

To estimate the cost of traveling in your personal car from the home location to Yellowstone National Park and back, I use the federal reimburseable mileage rate from the IRS for 2019.

This rate is based on miles driven. It takes into account the cost of gasoline, average cost of maintaining a car, average wear-and-tear on a car, and other factors.

In 2019, the IRS standard mileage rate is $0.58. This means that each mile you drive in your car costs you about $0.58, all things considered.

Multiplying this rate times the miles traveled for each family from a different city, we get the following costs for traveling to Yellowstone National Park and return in their personal vehicle:

• Seattle: 1,620 miles x $0.58/mile = $939.60
• Chicago: 3,044 miles x $0.58/mile = $1,765.52
• Atlanta: 4,122 mile x $0.58/mile = $2,390.76

RV Rental

I used RVshare and Outdoorsy to find RV rentals. Both are RV rental services like Airbnb in that individual RV owners rent their personal RVs to travelers.

Rather than having to go through a large company with a limited number of pickup and drop-off locations, RVshare and Outdoorsy has individual owners located all across the United States who are willing to rent their personal RVs to help offset the costs of ownership. There are likely many options to choose from where you live as well.

The RVs used in this analysis were hypothetically rented from local residents in each of the cities.

Another benefit for renters is that they have a much larger selection of RVs to choose from with RVShare and Outdoorsy, as compared to some of the more standardized RV units rented by companies such as Cruise America.

You can rent giant class A luxury motorhomes, down to custom one-of-a-kind campervans.

The prices among all of the different RV rental companies are generally similar, including with RVShare and Outdoorsy. Many owners also list their RVs on multiple RV rental websites, so you’ll probably find the same ones popping up on different rental websites.

All rentals with RV Share and Outdoorsy include full insurance and roadside assistance, so you’re fully covered should anything unfortunately go wrong.

Seattle RV Rental

For the Seattle RV rental for 7 nights, I budgeted a relatively new 2018 Winnebago Navion 24J model.

This rental features plenty of room for a family of four. It is a diesel class C RV with one slide out for extra space, a rear corner bathroom, and more. The diesel engine gets great gas mileage at an average of 16 mpg.

The RV can be instantly booked on the RVShare website. As seen below, the full rental cost for 7 days is $1,832.90, including all taxes, insurance, and fees.

This price includes 100 miles per night, with excess mileage at a cost of $0.35 per mile. We’re going to need an extra 1,095 miles to get to Yellowstone and back, at an extra cost of $438.00.

Factoring the price of diesel at an average of $3.10/gallon and traveling 1,620 miles at 16 mpg, we get an estimated fuel cost of $313.88.

Putting these three together, our RV rental will cost $1,832.90 + $438.00 + $313.88 = $2,584.78.

Chicago RV Rental

Next up we have our Chicago RV rental. For the Chicago family, I look to the Outdoorsy RV rental website.

For our scenario, the Chicago family will rent a 2017 Forest River Sunseeker Class C RV. The full listing is available here.

This fully loaded RV includes a queen bed private sleeping area, along with double bunks for the kids. It has two TVs and an indoor/outdoor sound system.

The kitchen comes fully equipped, along with all kitchenware, linens and pillows, towels, outdoor grill, outdoor chairs, and more.

A full 9 night rental costs $1,998.00 with all fees, insurance, etc., as seen below.

This price includes 100 miles per day. Our Chicago family is going to need 3,044 miles to get to Yellowstone and back, so they’ll need to purchase an extra 2,144 miles at a cost of $0.35/mile. This adds $750.40 to the rental cost.

This RV averages about 10 miles to the gallon. With gas costing about $2.26/gallon at the time of writing, it’s going to cost them $687.94 in fuel for the trip.

Combining these together, we get $1,998.00 + $750.40 + $687.94 = $3,436.34 for the RV rental and fuel cost for the trip from Chicago to Yellowstone and back home again.

Atlanta RV Rental

Lastly, we have the Atlanta RV rental for our calculations to see whether it is cheaper to rent an RV. In this case, the Atlanta family rents a 2017 Thor Vegas Class A motor coach.

Here is the full listing.

It comes with everything a family might need, along with a big front window for enjoying the view along the route.

An 11 day rental for this small Class A motorhome costs $2,451.74 which includes all taxes, fees, and insurance. The image below shows the price quote from Outdoorsy.

This rental cost includes 100 miles per day. The Atlanta family will need to purchase additional mileage, unless they want to make it a one-way trip.

This RV rental offers renters the ability to buy prepaid miles at a reduced rate of $0.30 ($30.00 for 100 miles). The family will need to buy 3,022 miles at a cost of $907.38.

This Thor motorhome gets about 10 miles to the gallon of gas. With fuel at $2.26/gallon, they can expect to pay $931.57 for their trip.

Bringing these three costs together, we get $2,451.74 + $907.38 + $931.57 = $4,290.69 for the 11 day rental of this RV and the drive back and forth from Atlanta to Yellowstone National Park.

Lodging

Our calculations to see whether it is cheaper to rent an RV include differences in how much lodging would cost for staying in a hotel versus staying in a rented RV.

Hotel Costs

Each of our families start in different cities and will pass through different parts of the country on their way to Yellowstone. The length of their trips also vary.

To account for regional cost differences, we use the federal per diem rates for hotels based on the exact town in which our family is expected to stay along their route to Yellowstone. 

The federally established reimbursement rates for hotels in particular areas are updated each year and are based on actual costs of traveling in different areas across the United States.

For example, the Atlanta family will spend a night in Lincoln, Nebraska on their journey to and from Yellowstone at a cost of $94/night, while the Seattle family will spend a night in Missoula, Montana at a cost of $146/night on their way to and from Yellowstone National Park.

While staying in West Yellowstone in Montana, I’ve used the federal per diem rate of $160 per night for a hotel room for all families in the analysis.

I assume each family will stay in one hotel room only. Some families would choose two hotel rooms, which would make the cost higher for those traveling by car.

Campground Costs

An average RV park or campground on the road will cost about $40 for a spot with full hookups. This will give you everything you need to spend a comfortable night in your RV with electricity, water, and sewer connections.

Costs may be higher or lower depending on where you stay, but $40 is a reasonable amount to budget for overnight stops along the highway when you’re traveling.

You can save money by parking overnight for free in places like Walmart or rest areas, but this cost analysis assumes you’ll be staying at a campground.

We typically don’t book campsites in advance when traveling as we don’t know exactly when we’ll want to stop. But some people prefer to have a concrete plan of where your next destination is.

Either way, finding a campground is easy and there are many that cater to overnight travelers who just want a place for the night.

There are many apps and websites to help you find campgrounds along your route, even while you’re traveling in the car.

Yellowstone National Park Camping

When staying in West Yellowstone while visiting Yellowstone National Park, I use Yellowstone Grizzly RV Parks & Cabins at an estimated rate of $68 per night during the high season based on their website.

It’s a popular campground with a playground and room for you to stretch your legs after a long day of driving around Yellowstone. There are plenty of other RV parks and campgrounds in the area that you can locate using the AllStays app.

(Check out these 12 campgrounds within Yellowstone National Park.)

In each example, the family of four drives from their home, drives the entire 142 mile Grand Loop in the Grand Canyon, and stays in the town of West Yellowstone in Montana. West Yellowstone is where most people stay when they visit Yellowstone, as it has many hotels, restaurants, and campgrounds and is the closest town with amenities near a park entrance.

Meal Costs

Next up in our calculations for whether it is cheaper to stay in a hotel or rent an RV, we look at meal costs.

Family Traveling by Car

For the family traveling by car, I used the federal per diem meal rate for each location. It averages about $58 per person per day, but I used the location specific rates which varied from $55 to $61/day per person. Since we’re traveling with two adults and two kids, I assume the kids won’t eat the full amount of an adult, so count the two kids as one person.

Hence, we budget for three people at the federal per diem rate for meals by geographic location.

Family Traveling by RV

The family of four traveling in the RV will be cooking for themselves in the RV. Most larger RVs have full kitchens, with refrigerators, cooktops, ovens, microwaves, and more. All the RVs used in this analysis come with complete kitchens.

I used another federal data source to determine the average amount a family of four spends on groceries.

The USDA’s Cost of Food at Home was used for the most expensive plan (i.e. liberal plan) for a family of four. It is budgeted at $298.60 per week for a family of two adults with one child aged 6-8 years old and a second child aged 9-11 years old.

That’s an average of $42.66 in groceries each day and is probably much more than most people spend in a week on groceries.

I used the most expensive option as groceries may cost more when on the road and you don’t have access to your usual familiar shopping spots.

Even while using the most expensive option in the food budget, the RV still comes out ahead in a head-to-head comparison against eating out while on the road.

Overall Summary of Calculations for Whether it is Cheaper to Rent an RV or Stay in Hotels

The results of this analysis show that not only is road-tripping by RV for a family of four economical, it’s actually less expensive than taking the family car when you factor in the true cost of driving your car and hotel and meal costs.

A similar analysis was done that compared the cost of RV ownership and vacations, which also found that RV owners save money on vacations, even when factoring in the cost of RV ownership.

The Seattle, Chicago, and Atlanta RV trip examples show what it would cost to rent an RV from a private owner on  RVshare or Outdoorsy. These services provide full insurance and roadside assistance, so you can spend time enjoying the trip.

So check out your rental options and start planning your RV trip!

Data Used for the RV Costs Analysis

In case you’d like to review the actual numbers used in this analysis, I’ve provided the details below for Seattle, Chicago, and Atlanta. Each city has two sets of tables: one for the cost of traveling in a personal car and the second for costs associated with traveling in an RV to Yellowstone.

Table 1: Seattle to Yellowstone by Car and Hotel and Return Cost

Table 2: Seattle to Yellowstone by RV and Return Cost

Table 3: Chicago to Yellowstone by Car and Hotel and Return Cost

Table 4: Chicago to Yellowstone by RV and Return Cost

Table 5: Atlanta to Yellowstone by Car and Hotel and Return Cost

Table 6: Atlanta to Yellowstone by RV and Return Cost

Final Thoughts on Whether it is Cheaper to Rent an RV

There are myriad factors that go into calculating whether it is cheaper to rent an RV or stay in hotels for a family road trip to a National Park.

Our calculations, based on 2019 data, find that it is cheaper to rent an RV. So if you’re wondering of the best approach for your road trip, you can use the examples here to do your own calculations.