Most people think the big expense is over after purchasing their first RV or fifth wheel. But after we bought our Grand Design Momentum 328M, we realized there were a TON of items we were unaware we needed in order to operate and live on the rig that ended up adding up to some major mula. The expenses continued to build once we got the rig mobile. Travel and parked are two very different “rig ready”. If we had attended an RV course, or opted to learn pretty much anything about operating an RV before we bought one, we probably would have been in a better situation, but being the complete newbies we were, we honestly had no idea all that was needed.

So today we’re talking to you about the real costs after buying an RV or fifth wheel, exactly what items we needed (that we hadn’t thought of), what we bought to make our fifth wheel comfortable to live on & organized, and what we needed to make it mobile. Hope you enjoy!

That’s a long list isn’t it…. Here is an itemized list of the real costs of buying an RV or Fifth Wheel.

Extra items needed to Live in the RV

• 50 amp Electric Cord/30 amp Electric Cord – $130.00 (We paid more because we bought it at La Mesa RV $165.00)
• Camco Lead Free 50′ Drinking Water Hose – $26.00 (We paid more because we bought it at La Mesa RV $45.00)
• 25′ Sewer Hose – $32.00
• Camco Wheel Chock (at least 2, 4 is best) – $5 per Chock, We Spent $24.00
• Camco Leveling Blocks – $27.00
• Scott Rapid Dissolve Toilet Paper (4 rolls) – $6.50
• Tool Set (Holesaw, Electric Drill, Multi-Tool, Caulk) – Price Varies Depending on What You Have, We Spent about $60.00

Total: $359.50

Extra Items Needed To Make an rv Mobile

• B & W Companion 5th Wheel Hitch – $819.00
• Fifth Wheel Lube Plate – $12.00
• Bottle Jack / Jumper Cables – $60.00
• WeBoost 4G Cell Booster – $500.00
• Verizon MiFi Jetpack – $85.00
• Non Slip Shelf Liners – $7.00
• Fabric Organizers (8 compartments) – $11.00 (set of 2)

Total: $1,490 (Your cost will be less if you have a Class A, Class C, or Class B Motorhome without a Tow Package)

Items we wanted to Make it our own

• Splendide Vented Washer/Dryer – $1,155.00
• Dryer Vent Kit – $32.00
• Composting Toilet – $960.00
• Organizing Bins (for Fruit, Jackets, Keys) – $40.00
• Shoe Storage around bed – $40.00 (2)
• Heavy Duty Command Strips (for hanging pictures) – $32.00
• Command Strip Hooks (for towels, jewelry, etc.) – $40.00
• Utensil & Knife Organizer (Bed Bath & Beyond) – $49.00
• Simple Human, Slim Fit Recycling & Trash Can – $160.00

Total: $2,508

Grand Total: $4,358.00

I know it may seem like a lot, we were really surprised at the grand total as well. We hope this post helps shine some light on some of the real costs after you buy your RV or Fifth Wheel so you can better prepare or save (unlike us)! *Remember these are our costs, it could be more or less for you depending on your RV, how you want it to be organized, feel, or want/need to achieve that goal, but for us the real costs after buying an RV or fifth wheel were huge!

We’ll continue to add more posts in the about the other items we ended up purchasing for our RV, show you around on an RV tour, and the reason why we installed a composting toilet on our rig. I’d love to hear if you had a similar experience and what the real cost after buying an RV or fifth wheel was for you.