Renting an RV was far more expensive than I thought it would be. Here are 15 costs to consider before you book.

Sophie-Claire HoellerAug 28, 2020, 22:34 IST

Me and my unmade bed.Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

I rented an RV for the first time and found it was a lot more expensive than I thought it would be.
I spent almost $2,000 for gas, tolls, and the RV rental, driving over 1,000 miles from New York to Maine and back.
My friend and I spent an additional $369 on campsites during the five-day trip.
The RV rental company also charged us for mileage, insurance, and generator use.
While fees like these are mostly standard, first-time RV renters may not have thought about them before.

RV travel doesn't usually conjure images of luxury and glamour. For the most part, it's associated with budget travel.

However, after recently spending five days driving almost 1,100 miles from New York to Maine and back, I was shocked to find that road tripping in a rented RV can really add up.

Over the course of our trip, my friend and I spent almost $2,000 on the RV rental, gas, and tolls alone. But those weren't the only costs we accrued.

Here are 15 costs we came across that you should consider before you embark on an RV trip of your own.

The RV itself cost $225 a night. Four nights added up to $900.

This 20-foot Class C RV was the smallest one we could rent from Cruise America. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

The cost of mileage quickly added up.

Rental companies often charge extra for every mile you drive in your rented RV. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

There's a fee for using the generator.

The generator allowed us to use the lights and outlets when not hooked up to electricity. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

There's also a mandatory "supplemental liability" insurance fee.

As first-time RV drivers, we were not going to skimp on insurance. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

If you don't want to schlep cookware and bedding, you can rent kits, but they cost extra.

Surprisingly, most of the things in the kitchen kit were brand new. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

We faced a state-mandated daily New Jersey surcharge on rentals.

Some states, like New Jersey, where the RV rental office was located, require extra surcharges for rental vehicles. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

There was a $7 "environmental fee."

We had a beautiful oceanfront campsite on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

If you don't return the RV with fully emptied tanks, you'll face a dump fee.

Dumping the sewage tanks was easier than I had expected. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

You could have to pay a late fee if you don't return your RV on time.

Cruise America in New Jersey requires RVs to be returned by 11 a.m. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

You'll probably have to put down an upfront deposit.

I got my deposit back, but it's a lot upfront. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

RVs, especially older models, will guzzle gas.

Cruise America charges $5.50 per gallon, so it behooves you to get gas before returning the RV. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

A lot of the amenities inside RVs run on propane, which you may have to refill at some point.

We made stovetop mac and cheese one night. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Our campsites, which were quite nice and near popular tourist spots like Portland and Acadia National Park, cost between $60 and $110 a night.

You'll always pay extra for a view anywhere. Sophie-Claire Hoeller

Tolls are more expensive for larger vehicles and certain RVs.

There were many tolls to pass through. Rebecca Harrington/Business Insider

You'll probably have to buy a few things you forgot to pack.

We needed fresh water for drinking and cooking. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

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