Is RVing Still a Good Choice for 2026?

Since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, RVing has seen a massive boom in interest. However, is it still a good fit for 2026, particularly when you consider rising fuel costs?

According to data from RVshare, there remain plenty of good reasons to choose this mode of travel for your summer vacay (not least of which is avoiding those pesky TSA lines), as the rise in fuel costs probably aren’t as steep as you might think.

RVshare found the average RV renter drives around 326 miles during a vacation, and the average RV gets about 15 miles per gallon. As such, the RVer needs to buy just less than 22 gallons of gas to fuel excursions.

In 2025, the average cost of a gallon of gas in the United States was $3.10. Today, that’s increased by about $0.57 per gallon — meaning the total fuel cost you’ll pay for that 326-mile adventure is only going to be about $12.37 more than you would’ve paid last year.

“Even when gas prices rise, RV travel can still be one of the most budget-friendly ways to take a vacation,” Maddi Bourgerie, director of communications, RVshare. “At RVshare, the average nightly rental rate is around $210, and campsites can range from free on BLM land to about $100 per night at luxury RV resorts, allowing families to combine transportation and lodging while also saving money by cooking their own meals.”