Coast to Coast Camper Van Trip: Our Cross-Country U.S. Travel Expenses Revealed
May 27, 2025
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Total cost to travel the U.S. in a camper van
In 2021, I embarked on my first unforgettable journey in my first ever camper van trip across the United States. I started the journey in Florida and ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada, traveling through breathtaking landscapes, visiting iconic sites and exploring some of the country’s most stunning national parks. Many adventures were experienced at the Silos at Magnolia Market, viewing the dunes at White Sands National Park, seeing the ancient dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park, descending the caves at Mammoth Cave National Park, and standing at the top of Mount Evans in Colorado.
This blog post will break down the full cost of this month-long journey, from gas and accommodations to food, activity fees, and more. You will get to see a realistic picture of what it takes to hit the road and explore the U.S. in a camper van. I too learned from this journey and the importance of budgeting and planning ahead.
Places we visited on our 2021 journey across the United States
Our 2021 camper van journey led us from Florida to Nevada and multiple places in between before heading back to Florida. Here is each location we stopped at and the cost to visit.
Texas Rangers MLB game - $190.40 ($20 parking fee included)
Magnolia at the Silos - Free to visit, food and merchandise for a fee
Harp Design Co - Free to visit. This location is permanently closed.
South Padre Island to explore and camp - FREE with National Park Pass
White Sands National Park -Free with National Park pass
Out of Africa Wildlife Park - $284.75, entrance fees and interaction with the sloth
Devil’s bridge - FREE
Slide Rock State Park - $30 for parking
The Narrows at Zion National Park - FREE with National Park pass
Horseshoe Bend - $10 for parking
Mesa Verde National Park - FREE with National Park pass
Mount Evans peak (now known as Mount Blue Sky) - Free to enter after 6:30pm
Iowa to visit family
Willow River State Park - $16, but Free for us because my parent paid for the entrance fee
St louis Union Station - Free to visit, food and attractions for a fee
City Museum in St Louis, Missouri - $125
Mammoth Cave National Park - FREE with National Park pass
Nashville - Free to visit, food additional fee
Nashville Farmers Market - FREE to visit, food and souvenirs additional fees
Top Adventurous Things to do in Arizona with Kids
Entrance and activities fees
The National Parks were FREE for us to visit because we have an America the Beautiful National Park pass. Pick up your annual national park pass for $80, or you can purchase one in person at any National Park.
Total entrance fees and activity cost $715.15
Campervan maintenance prior to travel
This was our first trip across the US in our campervan, and I had bought the van prior to us traveling so there wasn’t any maintenance needed. However, it did require me to completely build this empty commercial van into a campervan. Here are a few blog posts that describe this process.
From Cargo to Comfort: Finding a Ram ProMaster to Convert to a Campervan
Road Trip Ready: Must Have Essential Items for Your Campervan
Total miles traveled
We traveled from Florida to Nevada and back. We traveled through 16 states and drove 7,962 miles.
Total gas usage
While traveling I use the Upside app almost every time I get gas which allows me to get cash back with each purchase. Not every gas station participates with Upside so you can use the map in the app to find the nearest gas station that participates. Each time you purchase gas you get a percentage back from 1% to 15% per gallon. The cash back amount slowly adds up and then you can either cash out or get a gift certificate to certain vendors from Target, Walmart, Starbucks, AMC Theatres, Cabela’s, Cold Stone Creamery, Domino’s, Lowe’s, IHOP, Panera Bread, Red Robin and more!
Sign up NOW and use my Invite code to get started XJZTTH
Generator use
We use our WEN generator as we travel to charge our camper batteries. This generator requires gas to run.
Total cost for gas was $1,384
Groceries
We eat most of our meals in our camper van to save money, but we do splurge occasionally by going out to eat along the way. I purchase many of our food items prior to our trip but I do have to stock up on fruits, breads, or protein as we travel. Places we shopped for groceries were Walmart, Target, City Market, and Trader Joes. See below for total eating out cost.
Total cost of groceries was $461.05
Overnight boondocking
Port Aransas - $12 for camping on the beach in Texas
Padre Island National Island - FREE with national park pass. Beach camping
New River, Arizona -FREE. This is where I saw my first ever Saguro cactus.
Sunset Reef Campground - FREE. A newer campground with several amenities (no electricity)
Kolab Terrace Road - Utah, FREE
Marshall Pass San Isabel National Forest - Colorado, FREE
Beall Wood State Park - Illinois, FREE
Total cost for 7 overnight boondocking $12
Check out my blog post that lists FREE camping locations across the US or check out this blog post on our Beachfront Camping in Texas
Other overnight stays
Hollywood Casino parking lot - Bay Saint Louis, LA, FREE
Midway Park campground Waco Tx - $56 for two nights
City of Rocks State Park camping for two nights - $28
Hotel Hampton Inn Phoenix - $223
GreenTree Inn Sedona - $299
KOA Las Vegas - $65
Homewood Suites - $128
Mesa Verde National Park Morefield campground $19 with Access Pass
Best Western - $136
Mammoth Cave National Park campground $12.50 with Access Pass
Stay with family 6 days - Free
Total cost for hotels $786
Total cost for campgrounds $189.50
Total for 18 nights $987.50
If you travel in the summer and want to avoid camping in the heat, you can use booking.com or VRBO to find your next accommodation.
Parking fees
Parking at the Texas Rangers MLB game - $20 (fee included in activities cost)
Parking at MGM Grand in Las Vegas $15
Parking in St Louis, Missouri - $3
Total parking fees cost $18
Laundry fees
laundry $15 - I cannot recall where this was located but it was between Texas and New Mexico
Total laundry cost $15
Misc fees
When we first took our camper van on a road trip, we also took a cooler, so we stopped for ice along the way.
gas station ice and misc snacks - $28
gas station ice and misc snacks - $9
ice at KOA - $6
gas station ice and misc snacks - $26
gas station ice - $4
Walgreens - $12
Total misc fees $85
Oil Change During Travel
We have used the same place to change our oil in Las Vegas both times during our month-long travels. At this location you get to stay in your van while they change your oil. They offer different discounts so just ask what you might qualify for.
Jiffy Lube = $110
Eating out during our travels
Texas Rangers MLB - $65
Bubba Gump - $29
Domino’s pizza at the hotel - $50
Freddy’s - $27
MGM Grand buffet - $178
Rainforest Cafe - $82
Magnolia Table - $88.69
Alabama Sweet Tea - $18
Silos Baking Co - $12
Napoli Pizza - FREE, parents paid for this meal
City Museum - $60
Chili’s - $77
Mussel and Burger restaurant - $78
Hard Rock Cafe - $116
Starbucks - $26, $35
Total cost to eat out $941.69
Souvenirs
I can’t travel anywhere without picking up a local t-shirt or Christmas ornament or other things I think I cannot live without. I spent way too much on souvenirs this trip.
Total cost for souvenirs was $880.82
Camping must-haves
Total cost of our 27-day trip was $5,598.21
Final thoughts
As you enjoy learning about this trip, please remember that prices change, location safety and cleanliness can change over time and weather can change the environment in which you enjoy an area. Do your research before you embark on a month-long journey.
After going over this list, I realized that I spent way too much money on eating out and souvenirs our first camper van trip. The second month-long trip we took in 2022 I did much better and did not spend as much money on those items. Although our total cost our second year was similar, we also traveled farther. When I was writing all of these details, I was ashamed of how much we spent. It was just such an exciting time as we headed out on our first camper van journey. I would definitely do another month-long trip but would be more mindful of our spending.
As our journey came to an end, we walked away with some unforgettable memories, and I learned a few lessons along the way. While I had the freedom to enjoy the open road and travel to wherever I wanted, our expenses ended up being higher than I anticipated and with unexpected hotel stays when the heat in the van was unbearable, I splurged more than I should have. Despite these extra expenses, I was able to prepare better for my next month-long trip and created a better budget next time. I also learned to navigate the heat better and plan around the best places to camp with the least intense heat which save us a lot of money. I cannot wait to create more memories on my next camper van journey!
Check out our 2022 camper van journey: Total Cost to Travel Across the US in a Campervan for 29 days
Enjoy the journey,
Meet the author: Jennifer
I am a girl who loves to travel and enjoys sharing expert family travel advice. I am a content creator and influencer on Instagram with years of travel experience and provide readers with advice, tips, and details on adventurous travel. You can find me dreaming up our next epic vacation or outside exploring natural landscapes. I am a fearless roadtripper who isn’t afraid to explore new and off the path adventures. Pic: Hiking The Narrows at Zion National Park.
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