Are RV Carports Worth It Or Just A Waste Of Money? (Explained!)

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Are RV Carports Worth It?

Unless you are into full time RVing, you need to park your RV in a safe place, when you are not on the road. You could build an RV Garage, an Enclosed RV Carport, install a Canopy Carport or just use an RV cover. So which option is the best and are RV carports worth it?

RV Carports are cheaper than RV garages but they are not worth the money spent on them. The RV carport will bring down your home value as it looks completely out of place next to your beautiful home. 

Your Homeowners Association or the local zoning office may not even approve an RV carport on the grounds of maintaining the visual consistency of the neighborhood.

You are probably not a penny pinching kind of a person if you can invest in a decent RV. RVs can cost anywhere between $100-300K. You probably own a home that has a market value of around a million USD or more.

Should you not be building a nice RV garage for your RV, rather than settling for RV carports which have little worth? How much money would you really save?

Not much I say! And you are sure to lose a lot more in your home valuation. An RV carport is certainly not worth it.

On the other hand, an RV Garage will add value to your home. Chances are that the RV garage will add 20%-50%, over & above its cost, to the value of your home. 

Buy a beautiful RV garage plan that can include space for your RV, your cars and even a studio apartment if you wish. Use a design and materials such that the RV garage enhances the aesthetic appeal of your lovely home. An RV Garage with Living Quarters can improve your financial and mental well-being.

RV Garage vs RV Carport vs RV Cover

You do not have to take my statement that RV Carports are not worth it. Instead let me take you through a comparison of an RV Garage, an Enclosed RV Carport, a Canopy RV Carport and an RV Cover.

RV Garage: is made using the same materials that are used to make a standard car garage or even your house, namely lumber, concrete, drywall, etc. The garage is immovable and may or may not be attached to the main house.

Enclosed RV Carport: is also referred to as a garage (a sales pitch) or sold as a prefab barn. While not as robust and aesthetically appealing as a garage, it does offer pretty decent protection from the elements.

Canopy RV Carport: is a light roof over a sturdy yet light frame. The frame is typically steel. The roof can be metal but is usually polyethylene or polyester. The structure is portable and can be set up on a concrete slab or even on your driveway.

RV Cover: is the cheapest and the worst option. If not secured properly, the cover flaps in the wind and may damage the paint on your RV. It can also trap moisture and cause rusting. 

RV Garage, Carport, Cover: How Do They Score on Aesthetics?

I believe that aesthetics is an extremely important factor to consider when you are debating between an RV Garage or RV Carport. Here is my take (scores are on a 5 point scale):

RV Garage: can be as aesthetically pleasing as you want it to be. It all depends on the design, location, materials used, etc. Since it is custom built you have full control on the looks (subject to building permits, of course!). 

Enclosed RV Carport: as a stand alone prefab barn in a rural area can look pretty decent. It will actually blend in very well with the surroundings. I would not recommend putting an Enclosed RV Carport on the same lot as your house. You may not get the permit to begin with, but worse it will pull down your home value.

Canopy RV Carport: has no aesthetic appeal whatsoever. The only saving grace is that it is easy to dispose of, if you decide to put your house on the market.

RV Cover: has no aesthetic appeal whatsoever. Fortunately, it has no impact on the valuation of your house.

RV Garage, Carport, Cover: What About Protecting Your RV?

The primary purpose of an RV Garage, Carport or Cover is to protect your expensive RV from the elements. The RV should be protected from:

• Water & moisture from high humidity, rain, snow and ice, that can cause rusting
• UV radiation & heat from sunlight which can make the paint fade and flexible parts become brittle
• Physical damage from falling trees or branches, hailstorms, etc.
• Thieves and vandals

RV Garage: offers the maximum possible protection from all the above natural and man made causes. 

Enclosed RV Carport: if made from metal frame and metal sheets will offer almost the same protection as a garage.

Canopy RV Carport: will protect from rain, snow, ice and UV radiation to a fair degree. However, it will offer no protection against windstorms, hailstorms, high humidity, thieves & vandals.

RV Cover: will protect from rain, snow, ice and UV radiation to a fair degree. If it is of good quality material and has been secured properly it will also protect against windstorms, hailstorms, thieves & vandals. 

So, an RV Cover, in my opinion, is a better option than a Canopy RV Carport, when it comes to protecting your RV.

RV Garage, Carport, Cover: How Durable is Each?

The durability of an investment is an important factor to consider. A cheaper but less durable option, is at best a short term solution. 

RV Garage: that is well made, using quality materials, will last a lifetime and more, just like your house.

Enclosed RV Carport: that is in essence a prefab barn will easily last 20-30 years. It will of course require regular annual maintenance and repainting every few years.

Even a lower quality Enclosed RV Carport made from a kit should be good for 10-20 years.

Canopy RV Carport: are not going to last too long. Maybe a few years at best. Chances are that they will not survive a major storm.

RV Cover: may survive a few years at best. They tend to tear easily. Even a small tear will let moisture in. Moisture is of course detrimental to your RV as some parts may rust.

RV Garage, Carport, Cover: How Much Do They Cost?

The price range between the various options is very large. But then each option delivers a totally different value. The cost really depends on how big is your RV, the size of your RV Garage, Carport or Cover and the level of protection & durability that you are looking for. The cost will also go up, if you are looking for additional features. 

RV Garage: that is well built, can cost anywhere between $36,000 and $140,000 according to Home Advisor. 

Enclosed RV Carport: will cost between $15,000 – $30,000, just for the steel structure. The total build cost will be higher once you add cost of delivery, concrete slab and construction. (Source: Buildings Guide)

You can check out Old Glory Metal Barn 36x35x13 from Big Buildings Direct which starts at $20,160.00

Canopy RV Carport: can be ordered from Amazon. Depending on the size and the material they can cost between $2,000 – $6,000 for very basic models. For example you can check out the price of Arrow 14′ x 38′ x 14′ 29-Gauge Metal RV Carport, for an idea, by clicking the link.

RV Cover: can also be ordered from Amazon. The price is a function of the size and the material used. Expect to pay between $200 – $300. For example you can check out the price of Fonzier Heavy Duty 6 Layers Top Class C RV Cover for an idea, by clicking the link.

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and useful.