Electric Wagon for RV Camping: Worth It, or Just Get a Golf Cart?

If you’ve ever stayed at a larger RV resort, then you know the layout. The camp store is a half-click walk away; the firewood stacks are heavy, and hauling a fully loaded cooler, beach chairs, toys, and an excited toddler down to the beach is a pulled muscle in the making.

In our full NAVEE E-Wagon 4X Review, we put this 3000W machine through 155 km of rugged country roads and gnarly ditches. But we wanted to know how it changes day-to-day camp life. So, we brought it to the RV park to see if it’s a genuine luxury upgrade or just overkill. And we finally answered the question every camp neighbour asks: do you need a golf cart, or will this do?

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The Chore Killer: Firewood, Ice, and Comfort Station Runs

In an RV park, chores are inevitable. That means asking the resort office to borrow a metal cart to haul, or testing your balancing skills by not dropping three bundles of firewood in your arms, to save the time it would take to borrow the cart, haul the wood, and return it to the office. RVing with kids also means multiple trips to the laundry, and yes, the dreaded garbage runs.

How It Handled a Month of Camp Chores

We stayed at an Ontario RV resort for a month; the firewood and ice were half a click up a hilly gravelled road, and the laundry facility/showers were half a click in the opposite direction. We threw a Chilly Moose cooler, bags of ice, and heavy firewood into the 183L bed without the aluminum frame even flinching. The cool thing about the electric wagon cart is that you can ride it back or tow it using the smart tow feature. The towing mode lets the wagon roll effortlessly beside us down gravelled, even grassy roads. It makes camp chores feel less taxing and a lot more fun. Funny how the kids are the first to volunteer ONLY if they can use the wagon!

Battery Life During Typical Camp Use

In the summer, we used the electric wagon throughout the day for camp chores and zipping around; one charge got us through the entire day. Once you start taking on steep climbs and hauling heavy weights (this includes you), the battery lasts a few hours on cold autumn days. If your kids take over the wagon, they will ride it until the battery drains completely, leaving you to stare at it for the next 4.5 hours for a full charge – now it’s your turn.

At the RV park, we charged the wagon’s battery via an extension cord plugged directly into our trailer. 

Storing and Folding It at Camp

During our stay at the RV resort, we didn’t bother collapsing the wagon because it was being used daily for chores and entertaining the kids. Since the wagon isn’t fully waterproof, only water-resistant, we’d fold it up and put it away on rainy days. If you’re a seasonal RVer, you can store the wagon in your shed. Speaking of rain, the wagon drives through mud and small puddles, but don’t use it in heavy rain – it’s not rated for that. We’ve had the wagon for almost two months, driving over every terrain imaginable, and it’s covered in mud. Admittedly, it still looks good, just desperately in need of some TLC. A light pressure washing gets it looking as good as new.

When moving between campsites, fold it up and throw it in the RV – it weighs 72.25 lbs.

Getting to the Beach and Boat Launch

RVs are great, but once you park them, you lose your mobile vehicle. If the beach or boat launch is on the other side of the property, you’re stuck walking or befriending a camper with a golf cart to give you and your gear a lift. This is where a beach wagon makes all the difference.

What It’s Like to Actually Ride an Electric Wagon Cart With a Seat

The electric wagon goes from useful camp tool to pure entertainment. Sitting on the integrated bench and driving down the resort’s roads at 18 km/h is an absolute blast. It’ll make you smile ear to ear and giggle like a toddler! We’ve driven the adult ride-on (move over kiddos, the adults finally have one too!) over rugged Canadian Shield terrain, mulch, and grass. To get to the beach at the RV Resort we stayed at, we rode the wagon down a steep, gravelled hill and drove right onto the soft sand, stopping short of the shore. It drives well on soft sand, but does better on compacted sand. Tackling a steep decline is unnerving at first; you’re not sure what the wagon will do – rest assured, it does auto-brake – so you’re never reaching speeds over 19 km/h. On this particular steep hill, it had us going downhill at 9 km/h.

Camp Mobility for Seniors and Guests Who Can’t Walk Far

My mom, a short senior, sat on the bench and drove it to the docks. She found the motorized camping wagon incredibly responsive and easy to operate. It double-functions as mobility help for elderly campers and those who struggle with long resort walks. If you’re someone whose hands numb easily, you’ll be thrilled to know the cart has cruise control, which comes in handy on straighter roads – giving those precious hands a break from constant throttling. 

Another neat safety feature is that the heavy-duty electric wagon automatically throttles down (slows down) when towing or riding down hills. Then there’s the speed limiter, which my kids are begging me to find out if it’s removable – haha, not a chance, kiddos!!! Honestly, I’m curious too – the electric wagon’s top speed is 18 to 19 km/h.

These two safety features alone are what seniors and parents will appreciate the most. As for the kids, not so much!

The Electric Cart Turns Heads and Stops Camp Traffic

Just a heads up – you can’t be shy riding an electric wagon at an RV park. To be honest, I’m the shy one; the kids and hubby had no problems riding all around the park, up and down streets, and down the local country roads. During our test, our park neighbours stared at us in disbelief and envy; people cut across traffic to ask for specs, and a park officer literally stopped park traffic to take a closer look.

At night, the small front LED lights up the dark campground paths beautifully, giving it a complete “Transformer” vibe that kids and neighbours absolutely love!

Electric Wagon vs Golf Cart at an RV Park

When you first start RVing, you think, I’m fine; it’s a good excuse to tone those muscles. Do this a dozen times a day, and by the end of the day that golf cart and electric wagon start to look real good! Not that I’m discouraging you from walking, but rather to help with the hauling. 

A camp neighbour has a golf cart and has been kind enough to give us rides or help haul the loads of heavy firewood back to camp. It’s fast, reliable, and very roomy. But it’s also big, expensive, needs a trailer to move, and counts as one of your allowable vehicles on your site. On the other hand, the electric wagon is smaller, not obtrusive when parked at the beach, lets you sneak onto trails, the enclosed bed keeps things from bouncing out, and folds away neatly – saving you on storage fees.

Here is a direct cost and feature comparison of a motorized camping wagon vs a standard RV park golf cart.

	ELECTRIC WAGON	GOLF CART
Price	$2,099 CAD ($1,699 US) less 20% with our code (applies to discounted price too)	$5,000 – $22,000 CAD  ($3,600 – $16,000 US) new; roughly $3,000 – $6,000 used
Seats	1 rider on the bench	2 – 6 passengers
Cargo	183L enclosed bed	Open rear bed on most models
Top Speed	18 – 19 km/h	25 – 40 km/h
Moving It	Folds to 72 lbs, fits in the RV	Needs a trailer
At Your Site	Parks anywhere, no fees	Counts as an allowable vehicle; storage fees may apply
Weather	Water-resistant, not rainproof	Mostly weatherproof, roof optional

Our neighbour just bought a $1,500 golf cart – it’s old, looks good, but has no roof. A reliable mid-range golf cart runs roughly $3,500 – $8,000 CAD / $2,500 – $6,000 US.

If the math makes sense for your camp setup, you can use code BUSHLIFE20 to get 20% off the NAVEE 4X here.

Are Electric Wagons Allowed at Campgrounds?

Since electric wagons are new, I can’t speak to all campgrounds, as regulations haven’t caught up with these yet. Provincial park rules name ATVs, snowmobiles and dirt bikes – e-anything isn’t mentioned. The private resort we stayed at banned under-16 riders, but that’s coming from kids riding e-bikes without helmets, and management lumped everything electric under one umbrella. So right now it’s resort by resort, and it’s worth asking before you arrive.

Is It Worth It for RV Camping?

If you only go camping once a year, you don’t need this. But if you are a seasonal RVer, cottage owner, or frequent camper who routinely hauls heavy gear across massive properties, the NAVEE 4X easily earns its keep. It replaces a golf cart rental, saves your back and knees, and adds a ton of fun to camp life. I’ve had offers on mine, but i’m not parting with it any time soon!

Exclusive Deal for BushLife Readers

If you’re ready to upgrade your camp setup, NAVEE is giving our community an exclusive discount. Use code BUSHLIFE20 at checkout to save 20% off the E-Wagon 4X, or use BUSHLIFE15 for 15% off sitewide.

👉 What do you think of the electric wagon cart? Is it something you would use?

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