Is Renting a Campervan Actually Cheaper Than Hotels: Our 10-Day PNW Campervan Cost Breakdown
When planning a bucket-list family road trip through the Pacific Northwest, there’s one big question on every families mind: “What does a family roadtrip in a campervan cost, and are we better off just booking hotels and a rental car?”
On paper, a campervan rental daily rate looks higher than a standard rental car. But don’t forget that a campervan combines your transportation and your lodging into a single expense, while drastically cutting down how much you spend eating out three times a day as a family.
To answer this question once and for all, I pulled the receipts from our 10-day campervan road trip through Washington and Oregon and compared them line-by-line against what we would have spent booking standard family hotels, a rental SUV, and eating at restaurants for the exact same route.
Here is the full breakdown of exactly what we spent as a family of five:
What a 10 Day PNW Roadtrip in a Campervan cost:
| Expense Category | Campervan Cost (Actual) | Traditional Hotel + SUV Route (Estimated) |
| Vehicle Rental | $2,834.55 (Campervan) | $950.00 (Standard Full-Size SUV) |
| Lodging / Campsites | $364 (9 nights at campgrounds) | $2,790.00 (9 nights @ avg $310/night) |
| Gasoline | $417.48 (19 mpg average) | $290.00 (estimated 25 mpg) |
| Groceries | $380.00 (Van meals & snacks) | $120.00 (Snacks + some breakfast & lunch items) |
| Dining Out | $150.00 (1 meal out + ice cream stops) | $1,500.00 (estimated $150/day) |
| TOTAL TRIP COST | $4,146.03 | $5,530.00 |
Break Down Our Actual Campervan Spending:
Here is where every dollar went for our 10-day campervan trip:
- Campervan Rental ($2,834.55): This covered our custom-converted 5-person campervan rented from Outdoorsy for the entire 10-day journey. It includes the daily rate, insurance coverage, and mandatory cleaning/prep fees.
- Gas ($417.48): Campervans are heavier than standard sedans, so fuel is a real factor. We logged around 1,200 miles across high-altitude mountain passes and winding coastal highways, getting around 18 mpg.
- Campsites ($364.00): We stayed at a mix of state park campgrounds (like Fort Steven’s in Oregon) and national park sites (like Sul Duc in Olympic National Park). Campsite fees ranged between $25$ and $85 per night, depending on the kind of campsite we had. We also boondocked one night, which was free.
- Groceries ($380.00): We did one major stock-up haul after landing in Portland plus a quick mid-trip top-off for fruit and milk halfway through. We ate every breakfast and lunch, plus cooked 90% of our dinners in our van. This was a huge savings for our family of 5!
- Dining Out ($150.00): Because we cooked 90% of our meals using the van’s kitchenette, we only ate out 1 night, plus of course several ice cream stops along the route!
What the Standard “Hotel + Rental SUV” Route Would Have Cost
To make this a true apples-to-apples comparison, I priced out booking the exact same 10-day itinerary during peak summer season (when accommodation prices are at their highest in popular hubs like Cannon Beach and Olympic National Park):
- Lodging ($2,790.00): Finding a hotel room that comfortably sleeps a family of five near prime PNW national parks or beach towns in mid-summer averages $310+ per night. Multiplied over 9 nights, hotel costs quickly surpass the price of renting the campervan itself!
- Dining Out ($1,500.00): When you don’t have a kitchen on wheels, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at restaurants for a family of 5 runs easily $150 per day—even sticking to casual spots.
- Car Rental ($950.00): Renting a full-size SUV out of Portland International Airport (PDX) with room for 5 passengers and luggage during peak season runs around $95 per day.
The Verdict: Did We Save Money?
Surprisingly, yes! Taking the campervan actually saved our family nearly $1,500 on this trip.
While I was booking this trip, the initial upfront cost of the campervan felt high, and I thought that there was no way going this route would save us money over the more traditional hotel + rental car route.
But because of the high cost of peak season lodging in the area, along with the savings from cooking in our van versus eating out, we actually saved quite a bit of money.
- Lodging Savings: Campsite fees ($364) vs. Hotel rooms ($2,790) saved us over $2,400 alone.
- Food Savings: Preparing simple van meals kept our total food bill around $500 for 10 days, compared to the estimated $1,600+ spent by mostly eating out at restaurants.
If you’re looking to take a bucket-list family trip and are curious if renting a campervan is actually cost effective, I am here to tell you it is!
Note that this value can differ greatly depending on season and location.
Ready to Plan Your PNW Campervan Trip?
- Read our full day-by-day guide: 10-Day Washington & Oregon Road Trip Itinerary
- Read about the reality of a 10 day campervan trip as a family of 5: What It’s Really Like Taking a Campervan Trip in the PNW
- Get our favorite easy recipes: 10 Easy RV & Campervan Meals for Busy Families
- Don’t miss the essential packing list: 10 Must Bring Items for Your Families Next Campervan or RV Trip
