Most people assume the expensive part of RV living is the RV itself. It’s not. The real financial shock hits when you try to live on your own land. I’ve worked with dozens of landowners across the U.S., and the same pattern repeats: someone buys cheap rural land thinking they’ll “just park an RV”… then discovers they’re $15,000-$50,000 deep before they can legally and comfortably stay there. This guide breaks down the actual RV living costs involved in preparing land in 2026