What Type of RV is Best for You?

What Type of RV is Best for You? With so many different styles and manufacturers of RVs it’s so difficult for a first time RV buyer to choose!

What Type of RV is Best for You?

If you’re considering buying your first RV I want you to know just what your options are before committing to your purchase.

Some questions to ask yourself are:

Will I be living in it full time?

Am I traveling with family and/or pets.

Will I just be a weekend warrior or taking extended vacations?

Do I need office space to enable me to work remotely?

Do I like driving a big pickup truck?

Do I want to buy new or used?

What’s my budget?

Those answers will help you to determine what type of RV will work best for you. And since there are many, many different styles, I want to give you some information on each of them starting with the smallest and least expensive, all the way up to the largest and most expensive.

Pop-ups or Expandable Campers

Pop-ups or expandable campers are what you probably spent some of your childhood in, if you went camping with your family. The best way to describe these family friendly campers, is that they have canvas sides that extend or pop up from a hard base, to give you sleeping space. It keeps you from having to sleep in a tent on the ground. These are budget friendly, lightweight and easily towed with a normal family vehicle. There are also truck campers that fit on top of a pick up truck, eliminating the need for a tow hook up.

Teardrop Travel Trailers

This type of RV is easily recognized because it is actually teardrop shaped! These trailers are perfect for weekend travelers who want to have the basic amenities when they travel. In their purest form, teardrop RVs are no more than a bedroom on wheels. Of course there are larger floor plans can also have a bed, kitchen/dining area, and wet bath. Teardrop Travel Trailers utilize swivel toilets, folding sinks, convertible beds and more to cleverly make their small floor plan quite versatile and functional.

These small trailers have a cult following who love the Teardrop’s smart design and vintage look of these trailers. In fact, it’s not uncommon for Teardrop enthusiasts to decorate these tiny trailers in keeping with the vintage appearance.

Travel Trailers

Travel Trailers are quite popular. You have most likely seen lots of them on the highway or at campgrounds. This type of RV is towed by a hitch on the bumper of the tow vehicle or a frame hitch that extends from the front of the trailer. Ideal for any type of camper, Travel Trailers have lots of styles and floor plans to choose from. Weights can vary quite a bit on these trailers. Some weigh less than 4,000 pounds and others weigh in at over 10,000 pounds. This is the main factor as to what type of vehicle you can use to tow your Travel Trailer.

You can also find Travel Trailers that have multiple slide rooms that give you larger living quarters.

Travel Trailers are also easier to unhook and setup at an RV park than the next  type of RV – the Fifth Wheel. Like the other types listed above, you have the freedom of having a vehicle to go sightseeing, shopping and dining. Plus you have a complete home to return to wherever you travel.

Toy Hauler RV

Toy Haulers, which are also known as sport utility RVs, are built to accommodate all of your fun gear and outdoor toys. Imagine being able to take motorcycles, dirt bikes, golf carts, four wheelers, snowmobiles, kayaks, and so much more, with you wherever you travel. Toy Haulers are designed with a large cargo area or garage that have special heavy-duty doors that double as ramps for loading all of your fun gear.

Some people use the area to create a craft room or add bunk beds and utilize the area to accommodate more travel companions.

Toy Haulers are actually a sub-category of RVs. This type of unit is available in both towable and motorized RVs. Most of the toy hauler RVs that I’ve seen are Fifth Wheels. If you like to play hard when you travel, then a Toy Hauler is for you!

Fifth Wheel Camper

Fifth Wheels are the largest of the towable RVs. They need to be pulled by a large pickup truck utilizing a special Fifth Wheel hitch that’s located in the bed of the truck. Because of this special hitch, Fifth Wheels have a raised forward section where you’ll usually find the bedroom or living room. Fifth wheels are some of the most spacious RVs available. They are often longer and have more slide outs than other towables. Some floor plans have up to 7 slide outs, making them a great option for large families. You just need to be aware that, as with any towable RV, it’s critical that the towing vehicle is rated to handle the weight of the RV plus its contents.

Class B Motorhome

Class B Motorhomes are also known as  B-Vans or camper vans. Class B motorhomes are a great home on the road for the adventurous RVer. This type of RV is normally built on a van chassis and available with wither a gas or diesel engine. They drive like a standard automobile, so you can easily go from camping to big city adventures and everywhere in between. There are even som van campers that have off-road capability for exploring remote areas. Camper Vans usually measure between 20-25 feet in length. But don’t let the compact size fool you because manufacturers have cleverly designed the interiors to fit all the essentials you’ll need. Inside a Class B Motorhome you will find amenities such as swiveling toilets and fold-away sinks in the wet bath. Many of the sleeping spaces in Class Bs convert from seats to beds in minutes. This type of RV is very popular among solo travelers and couples.

Class C Motorhome

 

Class C Motorhomes are frequently smaller motorhomes and built on a truck chassis. As with other motorized coaches they’re available with gas and diesel engines. Class C RVs have a very distinctive  profile known as “cab over” that makes them easy to recognize. This common feature also provides an extra bed or storage space above the driver and passenger seats.

Many Class C motorhomes offer similar amenities to their Class A counterparts. The interiors will include things like kitchens, bathrooms, and slide outs, only on a smaller scale. An advantage of the Class C is that their shorter chassis also means they can go places where larger RVs won’t fit, like some national and state park campsites. Just like the others, there are numerous floor plans available. There are also now Super Cs, that are built on Freightliner chassis and are quite large and luxurious.

Class A Gas Motorhome

Class A gas motorhomes (just like their diesel counterparts) offer most of the comforts of home, that’s what makes Class As a popular choice for full-time or long-term RVers. In this category of RV you’ll often find residential style appliances from refrigerators and microwaves to washer and dryers, master bathrooms, high-quality electronics and designer furniture. Most Class As also have multiple slide  outs or full-length slide outs for added space. There are also plenty of storage compartments for personal belongings needed for extended travel. Both types of Class A motorhomes (gas and diesel) resemble a bus and are roughly 30 to 40 feet in length. And they also have a vertical front windshield with very large window

Class A Diesel Motorhome

Class A diesel motorhomes are also known as diesel pushers. These RVs are constructed on a specially designed motor vehicle chassis. The large diesel engine on this type of coach, is located in the rear, and it provides more torque compared to its gas-powered counterpart. The rear location of the engine also helps provide a quiet and smooth ride. The diesel engine essentially pushes the motorhome down the road or up mountain passes. Diesel motorhomes are the epitome of luxury RVs, which makes them great for long trips and cross-country adventures. In many instances, they are the perfect RV for the full time RVer. The diesel engine usually lasts longer and is more durable than the gas engine on other Class As but that makes them more expensive, too. You can figure that a Class A motorcoach with a diesel engine will cost you about $10,000 more than a gas coach.

To sum it up, there are many different types of RVs available these days. Now that you know the main differences between them, it should be easier for you to choose the right RV for you and your family.