Unless you’ve decided to live full-time in your RV, you’re going to have to store it at some point. Ideally, your RV will either be small enough to fit inside an enclosed garage or under a carport, but not everyone has access to that. In that case, you’ll have to rent space at a storage facility.
How much that will cost you can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, such as the size of your RV, what kind of storage facility you’ll be using, and what features are important to you. We’ll take a look at how much it costs to store an RV on average, though you should bear in mind that these are just estimates.
Several things influence how much it will cost to park your RV in storage.
One of the biggest factors in how much you will have to pay to store your RV is the size of the RV, which depends in large part on the class of RV that it is.
A Class A motorhome (which is built more like a bus, think of a tour bus for your favorite popular recording artist) can be as large as 45 feet long. A storage space large enough to house one can cost upwards of $185 per month. This size also may be necessary for some of the largest fifth-wheel trailers and travel trailers.
Class C motorhomes, which are typically between 20 and 35 feet long, can cost up to $180 a month to store, though storage generally isn’t as expensive as their bigger Class A counterparts.
The smallest type of motorized RVs is the Class B motorhome, commonly known as either campervans or conversion vans. This class can range from your VW van that can only fit a mattress behind the front seats to fully decked-out homes with amenities such as sinks, ovens, bathrooms, and Murphy beds. These can approach 25 feet long. Depending on the size of your van, this could cost between $100 and $180 to store.
Finally, there are the smaller travel trailers and pop-up campers. These rigs are a great option for short-term camping, they are relatively inexpensive, and can be towed behind most minivans and small SUVs. They are typically under 15 feet long, which should cost you around $90 each month, though Neighbor claims that you could pay as little as $50 per month with their small RV storage units.
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How much you pay each month for storage can be heavily impacted by what type of storage facility you are using.
One of the most common types, and least expensive, is an outdoor self-storage lot. In some cases, this is little more than a parking lot with a fence around it and a gate to get in. This option is not the best, but it should be fine for short-term storage, especially if you live in a pretty temperate area where the elements aren’t the biggest concern.
But if you want to store your RV outdoors long-term, you should look for a unit that at least has covered parking to protect from rain, hail, and the sun’s damaging rays. The added cost shouldn’t be huge, and the benefits can be great. It should also be fairly easy to find covered outdoor storage for even the largest motorhomes and trailers.
Indoor storage, on the other hand, can add a fair amount to the cost of storing your RV (up to $450 a month), but it comes with the peace of mind from knowing that your vehicle is protected from the elements as well as burglars, other owners who might hit your RV while parking their own in outdoor storage, and small critters. While this does add to the costs, you might find it well worth it to make sure that one of your most valuable possessions is safe and secure.
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With storage facilities specifically meant for RV and boat storage, you may have the option of luxury features in addition to storage. One of the simpler ones that may be very important is climate control. This can keep your RV in excellent condition, free from issues like moisture getting into the walls and delaminating them, water pipes freezing over and potentially bursting, or extreme heat melting some of the more fragile parts of the RV. Depending on your climate, this may be essential.
Other features are less necessary, though very nice, such as battery charging, sewage dumping, and even valet parking. If you’re looking to save money, these amenities can be ignored. However, if you want to make your RV storage experience as easy as possible, these can greatly improve the experience.
Certain features aren’t available at all storage units, so these may cost you a pretty penny if you want the added convenience.
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As with any service you pay for, you’ll likely have to pay some fees that conveniently don’t show up until you’re about to sign the agreement. These can include security deposits to make sure that’ll cover any damage you cause to the facilities and administrative fees.
The cost might also go up if you choose a shorter rental agreement instead of long-term contracts, with many facilities requiring a minimum rental period of three months. The best deals will likely be on annual agreements, since the last thing storage facilities want to do is look for a new renter after only one or two monthly payments.
At the end of the day, how much you pay for RV storage depends on the size of your RV, and what features you find necessary versus which ones you can live without.
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