There are two main categories of recreational vehicles (RV’s); motorized and towable. Motorized RV’s include Class A, Class B, and Class C motorhomes, along with truck campers.
CLASS A MOTORHOME
Class A motorhomes are the king of RV’s and are the most expensive. They can easily cost more than a house and can be very luxurious. I dream about owning one someday, but not right now. I’d have to sell my house to buy one and there’s no way all my stuff would fit in a Class A motorhome! But it doesn’t stop me from touring the inside of them at every camper show I attend.
Favorite Class A motorhome at a show earlier this year had all-leather seating, granite kitchen countertops, cherry cabinets, a lighted cherry hutch in the living area, a king size bed in the bedroom, a built-in tv, hardwood floors and an awesome navigation system that my husband nearly drooled on. It was a beautiful motorhome. It came with a beautiful price tag
too. The “show special” price was nearly $300,000.
Most class A motorhomes today have at least one slideout to give you more interior room while you are camping.
Some disadvantages of Class A motorhomes? To me the biggest disadvantage is the same as the biggest advantage – that it’s a self-contained unit. When you’re at your destination and you need to drive to the store for a few supplies you can’t unhook the camper and drive to the store. You have the take the entire camper with you. It can be a problem maneuvering it in some parking lots and in congested traffic areas. To deal with this problem, many people tow a vehicle behind their class A motorhome.
CLASS B MOTORHOME
Class B motorhomes are typically called camper vans or conversion vans. They are small compact units that usually sleep two or three people, sometimes a few more.
Camper vans came into their own in the 1960’s and 1970’s when people put bedding and other essentials in their vans so they could have a mobile lifestyle (you can still see some of the “retro” VW vans on the road – what my parents called “hippie” vans and what thought were very cool). Companies then started to crop up to offer professional van conversion services.
Today’s camper vans look a lot like a normal van except they usually have a bubble top to accommodate being able to walk around the van more easily. A drop floor may also be installed in order to gain even more vertical area so you’re not bumping your head on the ceiling. The back seating areas are removed and in their place are typically a bed (often a convertible that doubles as a couch), a small kitchen, a small bathroom area and some storage areas.
Because a Class B motorhome for sale is van-sized, it’s easier to maneuver and drive where needed. It also makes them versatile since they can be used as both a camper and an additional family vehicle if you want. They fit in most garages and fit in regular parking spots. Their gas mileage isn’t bad either, somewhere between 13 & 20 miles per gallon depending on the size, weight, engine, and your driving habits.
CLASS C MOTORHOME
As a general rule, Class C motorhome are smaller than Class A motorhomes but larger than Class B motorhomes. Does that seem confusing? It kind of is. But the easiest way to identify a Class C motorhome is that they almost always have the bed over the top of the cab of the vehicle, although there’s not always a bed in some of the new motorhomes. Sometimes it’s used for storage or for an entertainment center.
Class C motorhomes are almost as easy to maneuver through traffic and camping areas as Class B motorhomes. Larger Class C motorhomes can tow a small vehicle if desired.
TRUCK CAMPER
A truck camper is the most economical choice for a motorized camper but it is also the smallest, although you might be surprised at how much function is packed into a small unit that fits on the back of a pickup truck.
Unlike Class A, B, and C motorhomes, you usually cannot get to the living area of the truck camper from the cab of the truck. Access is usually at the back of unit.
One of the attractive features of a truck camper for sale is that it can be removed from the truck when you’re not camping so the truck can be used for regular driving and hauling.
It’s unusual for the camper and the truck to be sold together. Usually people already have the truck and then find a camper to fit it.
