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My wife had me looking at new RV trailers today.  We've often discussed going full-time.  This got me to thinking (wondering), could the RV and travel expenses be deducted or amortized over a period of years?  Is anyone else doing this?

PS:  I could travel from event to event with assignments from several publications.  That should make it business, shouldn't it?

Worked away on contract in the uk and lived in a caravan.  Was allowed to charge myself a rent for use, but not the actual purchase amounts.
May be completely different over there

  The key to this question is two-fold. First, an accountant can tell you the rules. Secondly, the IRS wants proof. Save all your paperwork, logs mileage, etc. I can tell you that if you have a permanent residence, aside from the RV, you can probably make a good case for deducting a large part of the expenses. If you don't, you will have to separate living expenses and job expenses. The test is you can only deduct expenses that are fully a part of your job costs. That's why there is a checkbox on the IRS form asking if you deducted any part of your house for business.( AKA- the "audit me" checkbox).
  If you are not incorporated, I would look into doing that, and having the corporation own the RV. As a sole proprietor, you can quickly get into the radar, but as a corporation, you are small potatoes.
  There was a photographer here in CT years ago who did this, and it was quite successful for him- but this was before microstock. I don't know if the numbers would add up today.
  In my experience, in an audit situation, there will be a lot of pressure put on you to "split the difference" on expenses, even if the expenses are legitimate. That's why you need a good accountant to structure the return to be as bullet proof as possible, and then stand your ground. Otherwise, they'll just keep coming back for more. As long as you can show a direct connection from job to the RV, it's a business expense. If you are using the RV as your only home, it's a problem. You have to look at it from the point of view of the IRS agent looking at the return. He/she will start with the assumption that you are trying to get away with deducting living expenses, and you will be audited. Also, if this doesn't generate a profit, that's a red flag. Avoid red flags at all costs!

 
  It doesn't matter how you make the income. It's just a case of being able to prove that the RV is a necessary business expense that enables you to do your job. Just another piece of equipment. For instance, if your assignments are time sensitive, the post processing is done in the RV and sent from there.
  Incorporation is not as bad as it might seem. You get a lot more leeway on what is a business expense. There are more forms to fill out, and a few more taxes, but for anyone making money, it's not a big deal. I incorporated after 20 years as a sole proprietor, during which time I was audited almost continuously. Now that I'm a corporation, I just file a w-2 and that's it. The corporation's job is to make the money and pay me a salary. The key is the accountant. Talk to more than one, even if you have been using the same accountant for years- that was my mistake.