Unless you’re living in your RV full time, you need a secure way to store your RV when not in use. If you keep your RV at home or on your property you’re going to need an RV gate to keep it safe and out of view. We’ve put together some great RV gate ideas and some RV gate plans for you to consider when storing your RV at home.
What Is An RV Gate?
An RV gate is simply a gate installed on a fence that opens wide enough to fit an RV through.
This gate can be installed as part of your existing fence on your property or as an entirely new fence system especially for your RV.
How Wide Does An RV Gate Need To Be?
Most 12 foot gates will be more than wide enough to accommodate most RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes.
The average width of an RV is 8’6”, so anything wider than that would be acceptable.
You’ll need to account for specifics in your setup like twists, turns, and inclines in your driveway and RV parking space as that may require a wider gate.
Be sure to measure the width of your motorhome before going through the process of purchasing and installing an RV gate!
Why Should You Get An RV Gate?
The primary reason for an RV gate would be to keep your secure and reduce the chance of damage, vandalism, or theft.
Additionally, you may have guidelines where you live that require the RV to be kept “out of sight” from the street, and an RV gate will go a long way in achieving that result.
Finally, RV gates are an easy way to beautify your home’s exterior and add curb appeal.
RV Gate Ideas
All-Wood RV Gates
This is going to be the easiest and cheapest option, especially if you’re doing the job yourself.
The nice thing about going this route is that you have plenty of control over what type of wood, the stain / finishing color, as well as the height of your RV gate.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/160792649188211906/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/466685580129426648/Wood & Iron RV Gates
RV gates that combine the use of wood and iron will give you more privacy and keep your cost down compared to going with an iron RV gate, and also tend to cost a bit less since you’re supporting less overall weight and the craftsmanship is simpler.
Factors like what type of wood and any finishing elements like hand-carved details or special stains and protectants will increase your project’s cost.
Decorative Straight-Top RV Gate
You can combine wood and metal with a decorative metal top for an affordable RV gate that looks really classy.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/80290805844089924/The wood slats provide privacy where you need it and the locking deadbolt keeps people out.
Arched-Top RV Gate
Using an arched top with an optional metal decorative band at the top provides extra elegance while still keeping the wood intact for needed privacy.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/462604192953465247/Rolling RV Gate
You can use a rolling RV gate on wheels (or go high-level with a motorized one) to avoid the hassle of swinging your extra-wide RV gate doors out when moving your rig through.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/7177680636475638/Iron RV Gates & Wrought Iron RV Gates
When working with iron and wrought iron, you can go as fancy or utilitarian as you’d like.
RV gates can have decorative elements like scrolled tops, curving lines, or even hand-cut plate designs.
Going with a full-on iron gate increases the weight, so you’ll need to consider heavy and sturdy posts to hang the gate doors from.
Here’s an example of a decorative wrought iron RV gate:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/570127634085350575/And here’s a simplistic iron RV gate:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/128071183139419774/RV Gate With Man Door
What’s more convenient than having your own separate person entry on your RV gate?
Getting an RV gate with man door installed will make this a reality for you.
Expect to pay extra because you’re essentially installing two separate gates (the rv gate and the separate “door”).
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/my-driveway-wooden-gate-railroad-spike-door-pull-metal-framing–308637380722177320/Automatic Bi-Folding Gate
This is a top-of-the-line example and will set you back a pretty penny, but WOW do these RV gates look great.
They also skip the need for you to get out and manually open the gate yourself while still avoiding the installation trouble of having a track for the gate doors.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/830773462512082128/Cheap RV Gate Ideas
Perhaps all of the above options aren’t within your budget, or maybe you’re looking for something that skips style and really just focuses on securing your RV.
Here are a few options to consider:
- Chain link fence RV gate
- Corral-style RV gates (aka steel tube gates)
- Reclaimed dumpster RV gates
- Scissor Gates
How Much Does An RV Gate Cost?
The average cost of an RV gate can range from $1,000 to $8,000 depending on the following factors:
- DIY vs hiring a professional (paying for labor)
- The gate material (wood is cheaper than iron, for example)
- Size of the gate (width and height)
- If you need to install oversized or additional posts
- Concrete pour for the posts or for an RV parking pad
- Extra hardware such as locks, handles, or deadbolts
- Additional features like rolling or motorized doors
- Intercom
- Additional entries next to the gate, such as a man door
RV Gate Plans
There are plenty of ways to DIY your own RV gate (or any gate with a 12’ opening or less for that matter).
Here’s a great tutorial from Paul’s Toolbox on how to build a 12’ RV gate that doesn’t sag:
There’s another video you should see from DIY Dan where he walks through the engineering of his metal and wood RV gate that will give you a good understanding of how to start this project:
RV Gate Kits
If you’re doing this project yourself, luckily there are some gate kits that can be purchased online or at your local hardware store that allow you to install everything pretty easily.
Adjust-A-Gate Steel Frame Gate Building Kit
The Adjust-A-Gate steel frame gate building kit is excellent for an RV gate because it comes with two gate door frames that can be up to 6’ high.
You can purchase 2 kits and Adjust-A-Gate’s UL301 drop rod kit for building a double gate that has an opening up to 12’ wide which is more than enough to fit any RV, camper, travel trailer, or motorhome!
They’re easy to install (no cutting required) and you can even use them to repair existing gates.
They have a patented truss cable system that keeps your gate from sagging or dragging and you can use them with wood or composite 3-rail fences.
RV Gate Ideas: Wrapping Things Up
We hope we’ve given you some great examples of RV gate ideas and what you can expect from your RV gate cost.
What option did you pick, how much did it cost, and how did the installation go? Let us know in the comments below.
If you’re the DIY type, check out our other guides to common RV repairs while you’re here:
- Our guide on RV toilet foot pedal repair
- How to fix an RV toilet not holding water
- Resolving an RV air conditioner freeze up
- Preparing your rig for an RV one night freeze
- How much is an RV roof reseal cost
- How to use Dawn dish soap in RV black tanks to remove blockages & odors
- What to do if your travel trailer wheels are off ground after leveling
