Whats the Average Cost of a Class a RV?
The average cost of a class A RV will vary widely due to the amount of options and the level of luxury that you are looking for but you can expect to pay on the low end around $40,000 and and the high end just under $200,000. These are just the average numbers of course because ultimately you could end up spending as much as you want to. Some Luxury options have cost RV owners millions. In fact, the most expensive Class a currently available, the Marchi Mobile EleMMent Palazzo will set you back a cool $3,000,000.
Class A Overview
Type: Class A
Price Range: $60,000 – $500,000
Size: 21 Feet – 40+ feet
Sleeps: Up to 6
Description: For full-time living, you can’t go wrong by choosing a Class A. These fully featured Motorhomes typically offer all the amenities (albeit modified versions) of a fixed home with the added benefit of going pretty much anywhere with a road. The total breadth of the features will largely be determined by the length of the RV. The longer the vehicle, the more that you the manufacturers will be able to pack into it.
Cost Modifying Considerations
Pretty much all Class A’s are going to be equipped with slide outs. These slideout’s will add a few feet of width to wherever they are. That may not seem like a lot of space when you only thinking of a single slideout; the great thing about Class As is that you will get several of them (The upper limit typically being five). This will add to the cost of t
Diesel Pushers vs Gas Hogs
There is an obvious disadvantage to driving your houses along the open roads wherever you happen to live. Gas mileage is atrocious, and there isn’t a whole lot that you can do about it at the moment. After all, 10’s of thousands of pounds hauled hundreds to thousands of miles will require a lot of energy …That said, making the decision between gas and diesel will be the biggest factor in your fuel costs. Diesel provides a rough 10% additional power which will potentially add up quickly. Diesel engines also last a lot longer than gas engines because they are built to withstand the stronger forces of the diesel fuel. The MPG and the considerable increase in durability make the diesel engines more desirable, and desirable things cost more.
Okay, here is the combined average costs of Class A RVs currently being sold for each of the years of 2000 and above.
Year | (All Sizes) Average Price on The Market | (Up to 30 Feet) Average Price | (31 Feet and Above) Average Price |
2018 and Newer | $174,178 | $92,596 | $192,444 |
2017 | $144,903 | $80,328 | $168,455 |
2016 | $135,378 | $71,975 | $155,831 |
2015 | $135,060 | $66,451 | $149,173 |
2014 | $129,877 | $63,305 | $144,156 |
2013 | $125,620 | $60,941 | $142,028 |
2012 | $112,814 | $65,440 | $126,747 |
2011 | $109,909 | $57,234 | $117,287 |
2010 | $109,487 | $54,021 | $119,525 |
2009 | $109,925 | $42,714 | $149,209 |
2008 | $108,974 | $50,429 | $109,548 |
2007 | $103,029 | $53,038 | $105,695 |
2006 | $82,173 | $34,468 | $82,917 |
2005 | $76,808 | $30683 | $81,689 |
2004 | $63,204 | $26,945 | $67,167 |
2003 | $51,169 | $26,083 | $53,582 |
2002 | $49,883 | $23,449 | $54,547 |
2001 | $43,914 | $19,709 | $47,644 |
2000 | $36,507 | $19,579 | $39,296 |
More Costs Considerations
One of the big mistakes that new RV owners make is the additional costs that it takes to operate an RV. This certainly needs to be factored into your decision making, especially if you are considering the class A at the top of the RV chain.
Maintenance
Depending on the quality of your RV and the common problems associated with the brand you purchase, on average you will end up paying more for maintenance. This is something that you should take into consideration and automatically set a side a set budget for expected maintenance issues.
Gas
We already went over this a little bit in terms of diesel vs gas but understand that the weight of a Class A is much higher and it has a large tank so you will be paying more in gas when compared to something like a Class B. A way to think about this is to consider a class A to be compared to a Semi-truck and a Class B to be comparable to a truck.
Insurance
You are driving an expensive vehicle so expect your monthly insurance rate and premiums to be much higher. See our post on RV insurance costs.
Depreciation
Although this is really more of a loss than a costs it can be considered one and the same. I would recommend taking a look at our guide on what you can expect in terms of yearly depreciation for a Class A RV.
Buy a Used Class A RV
My personal recommendation due to the depreciation numbers is to always buy a used RV. My thoughts are that you know what your getting, its already been tested on the road and you don’t have to stomach an immediate loss in value.
Final Thoughts on Class A RV Costs
Class A RVs can be an amazing option when choosing your RV. They offer a better style of RV living and they can certainly be a great option for the full-time RVer. You have a wide range of which to choose from so its best to take your time when selecting your Class A RV. Just be sure to factor in the additional yearly cost on top of the sticker price so that you can properly estimate the needed budget.
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