RVs are moving home on wheels with essential utilities, i.e., enough voltage for necessary appliances, a water hose, and a sewage tank. Hence, for most people, the reason to own an RV is travel. However, wouldn’t it be nice if you could use your RV on your land as well?
You might want to turn it into a temporary guest room or an office. But how would you do that? Consider installing RV hookups on your land. Of course, this process won’t be cheap, and it might cost you a hefty amount. However, this investment is worth the money.
In this article, we will help you understand how to install your RV hookups and mention the estimated costs. But before we move further, you might want to know why do you need RV hookups?
So, how much does it cost to install RV Hookups? Expect to pay around $350 for a DIY install and $2,000 – $3,000 for a professional. The biggest cost comes from installing a septic tank, so if you can do without that or already have one, then your costs will come down dramatically. Read on for an exact breakdown.
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Why Install RV Hookups?
Many picnic spots have already installed RV hookups for water, electricity, and sewerage. One can attain advantages from that, but this will cost you more. The longer you stay at the campsite, the more expensive it will become for you. So, it is time for you to roll up your sleeves and buckle up yourself for some real task!
You can keep your RV near or beside your home to make it a secondary living space or as a workplace, a place for your friends to stay, a business meeting room, and much more. Without necessities, your idea can not work efficiently and become a trouble for you.
So, it is essential to integrate some utilities to your RV for a complete home-like living.
These utilities include an electricity hookup for continuous power supply, a water hookup for direct water supply, and a sewage hookup for dumping sewage directly. Let us take a look at how you can install these hookups with an estimated cost for each.
These hookups can be directly attached to your home if you plan to install your RV close to your home. Suppose you have intended to store RV at some distance.
In that case, you might need permission from the local authorities to get a connection there. These connection charges will not cost you much, but it will take to get you a permit.
Once you get the permit, your job starts here. Firstly, locate the specific sites where you want to install the hookups. Make a rough estimate of the operational costs for these hookups installation and spare some money for them.
Of course, the installation requires budgeting before jumping into the pool. Below are some suggestions that might help you if you are interested in storing an RV.
Build a Concrete Parking Pad
Initially, you are required to build a concrete bed for your RV. This concrete bed will help your RV rest on a smooth surface without damaging the ground. Parking your RV on the ground may seem alright at first, but the tires will still submerge into the ground sooner or later.
The concrete pad should be big enough to cover your rig.
One can also use gravel to park RV in the ground. Before choosing a place to park your RV, look for any wires passing over the RV. Avoid parking your RV under the electricity cable, as this will induce electric current over the metallic part of RV.
Design a parking pad 4 feet wider and 4 feet longer to leave a sitting place for you. If you are using gravel, then use at least a 6 inches thick layer above the ground. This thickness can vary depending on the weight of your RV. A more massive RV needs a more adhesive gravel pad.
It is essential to use a filter cloth under the gravel. It will keep the dirt from eroding the parking pad. If not used, this will eventually destroy the gravel pad’s balance, and your RV will no longer be leveled. At this point, keep some of your concrete bags spare to use in installation hookups.
Estimated Cost
In this case, the cost depends on the size of the concrete pad and the RV weight. $100 to $300 for 8 x 12 pad and $600 to $1800 for a 24 x 24 pad. A weighted RV will require a thicker layer of the concrete pad, and hence the cost rises more.
Install a Water Supply Hookup
The next step is to install the water supply hookup. Before installation, keep in mind the spot on the right side of the RV.
You do not need to attach long pipes, as this will take unnecessary space in the area. Use approximately 4 feet allowance height for hookups, as this will be the most suitable position relative to your RV.
Dig a 30 inches deep and 8 inches wide hole for installation of the water hookup. Fill the sides with the spare left-over concrete mixture from the concrete pad. This will secure the hookup in position and give strength to the poll. Make sure you install these hookups at the driver’s side of the RV.
The foremost step in water hookup installation is to dig a trench from the primary water source to the RV parking site. If the RV is parked right next to your home, it will not be tough.
But if it is located at some distance, then you will surely need to hire the laborer. Make sure you hire an expert to check the area for previously installed water or gas pipes.
If you live in harsh climates, you need to cover the pipes with suitable insulation to protect water from overheating or freezing. This will undoubtedly add extra expenses to your budget, but this would be a one-time investment, and it’s worth it! Later attach the pipe to the post with clamps and fill the trench with concrete.
Cheers to you for getting the labor-intensive job done! This step is the biggest and the most time taking one.
Estimated Cost
This installation is the cheapest one with an overall budget of ~$50, including digging and pipes.
Install an Electric Hookup
Now the next step is more straightforward in terms of labor but requires some expertise. You should calculate first about the required amperes your RV will need. Most RVs have 30-amp or 50-amp amperage counts.
It is essential to read the RV manual before connecting it to the power supply. It is best if you hire an electrician for this job to avoid any power outage or damage.
Make sure to add compatible electrical components during electric hookup installation. Use proper insulation around wires and secure them by placing them out of reach of children.
Avoid using long cables to prevent tripping over as they form clusters. This procedure requires expert handling for safety purposes. It is not the job of a joe!
If you are planning to avail of internet services in RV, this is the stage where you can ask the electrician to connect cable and telephone lines along with the power lines to the RV.
Make sure to make a list of requirements and do proper homework before installing hookups. Secure the electric wiring with appropriate safety jackets to keep them unaffected from the climatic changes.
Estimated cost
The overall cost for electrical hookup installation is approximately $1200, including components purchasing and electrician fees.
Install a Sewage Hookup
This process is the simplest one among the rest. It is as simple as to put the sewage pipe from your RV to the local sewerage hole in the ground. You only need to buy a longer sewerage pipe. But it is considered illegal in some areas to dump the sewage pipe anywhere.
In this case, you will need permission from the local jurisdiction to avoid any fines later. If your house is nearby, the problem is entirely solved as you will only need to connect the sewerage pipe from your RV to your house sewage tank. This will not cost you much, and you don’t need labor in this case.
Another option is to dig out the ground for a septic tank. The RV hooks up to this septic tank for disposing grey and black water from your RV. This requires an additional pumping machine to attach with the septic tank to pump out the waste.
A sewerage pipe is a 4-inch wide pipe attached from the RV to the septic tank. Hire an official contractor for installing the septic tank. The contractor will add chemicals in the tank to avoid pungent smell entering your RV.
This is the last possible option due to its expensive and demanding nature. Installing an RV dedicated septic tank is a tough task but the last resort.
Estimated cost
Installing an RV dedicated septic tank is expensive and will cost you around $2000 to $3000. It will cost less than $100 if you have already installed a septic tank in your backyard.
Final Words
You know your RV is your life-time investment. Hence, no matter how much you spend on making it the best-ever motorhome, it will always return the favor in more significant ways. Some of the processes, as mentioned earlier, might sound complicated and expensive, but they sure are worthy.
However, before you start working on any of these ways, take precautionary actions first as it’s not a kid’s play to install an RV hookup.