There's no greater freedom than hitting the road with an RV, knowing the entire country is ready to be explored. For many, they've been working toward this moment for many years, and the RV is a hard-earned luxury. That's why it's important to get the right RV for all of your road trip plans so you can feel right at home in any RV park.
There are many types of RVs and options that come along with them. Consider the activities you plan on doing with your RV and the distances you wish to travel. You may want more or fewer amenities, or you may want a towable RV instead of a motorized model.
If you're planning to spend a lot of time in your RV, a more spacious model might be the best choice. If you're planning to use your RV mostly at RV campgrounds for short trips, you may not be spending much time indoors at all, so a smaller model would work well.
Benefits of RV Life
RVs offer a multitude of benefits that can't be found by hopping on a plane and renting a hotel room. Some of these benefits include:
- Only unpacking once
- Having your own space
- Cheaper accommodation prices at RV parks and RV campgrounds
- Ability to cook meals in the RV
- Portability and versatility
- Can be equipped with solar panels for generating own electricity, eliminating the need for electrical hook-ups
Models
While many people think of a recreational vehicle as a drivable motor home, there are several classes and styles which fall under the RV umbrella. These include:
- Motorized RVs in Class A, B, and C models
- Towable RVs, such as fifth-wheel trailers, travel trailers, and sport utility trailers
If you don't own a truck that can haul a large trailer or camper, the motorized RV is the right choice, and you can tow your car with it. This way, you can leave your RV at the RV park and explore the area while using a fuel-efficient vehicle. Others have found themselves happier with parking their RV at the RV campground and using their big, comfortable truck to explore rough terrain.
Your choice between a motorized or towable RV really comes down to which model will work best for your own plans and adventures.
Motorized RVs
Motorized RVs come in three classes: A, B, and C. Motorized RVs are handy because they can tow your car and bicycles, and they usually have all of your necessary amenities under one roof.
Class A RVs are the luxury RVs. They have all of the fixings of home: a kitchen, master suite, bathroom, and living area. They can accommodate sleeping arrangements for up to 10 people, on average, and they are between 21 and 45 feet in length. Some of them even have laundry on-board. The 2019 Jayco Embark features three floor plans and an awning that comes out from the side of the RV to provide shade for when you're enjoying the outdoors.
Class B RVs are much smaller and usually look more like conversion vans than an RV. They are limited in the amount of space they have to offer, but, for those who don't want to deal with the trickiness driving of a large Class A motorhome, it's a fair trade-off. Class B RVs come with a small kitchen area and a small "wet bath," which combines a shower, toilet, and sink into one space that is all water-friendly. There is usually a queen-sized bed which can be separated from the dining area or a part of a dinette-conversion piece.
Class C RVs are the happy medium between the A and B models. They are smaller than a Class A model, but larger than a Class B. They offer more living and sleeping space, a larger bathroom, and more storage than the Class B, yet, they are easier to maneuver and cheaper to maintain than a Class A. You can also tow a small car with a Class C. The 2020 Seneca Class C motorhome by Jayco features five floor plans to choose from, including one with an outside entertainment center, and another with 1.5 bathrooms.
Towable RVs
Travel trailers, fifth-wheel trailers, and sport utility trailers are a great choice if you already have a large truck to tow them or plan to purchase one as part of your vacation plans. A benefit of many of the towable RVs is their pop-out features, which allows for more living space inside the RV, and some have multi-level living spaces.
Fifth-wheel trailers are the Class A of the towable RVs. They are large, measuring between 20 and 40 feet, and very spacious. Because you don't need a cockpit area, the entirety of the fifth-wheel trailer is dedicated to living space. You can have a full-sized kitchen and two bathrooms, and they can accommodate up to eight people for sleeping. The Telluride by Starcraft provides five floor plans and is incredibly modern and sleek in its design.
Travel trailers vary widely in size and are sometimes also called "campers." They can be as small as four feet or as long as thirty-six feet. They are lighter than the fifth-wheel trailers, and small travel trailers can be towed by smaller vehicles. They can be as spacious as a fifth-wheel trailer, such as the Starcraft Mossy Oak Ultra Light which features six floor plans and can sleep from three to nine people. They feature full bathrooms, kitchen areas, and living spaces.
A small travel trailer can sleep one or two people, and they have very limited amenities, including a small cooktop and sleeping area, and often no toilets or sinks.
Sport utility trailers, also called "toy haulers," allow people to tow not only their living quarters but their favorite motorized toys, such as their jet skis or ATVs. They are generally between 20 and 36 feet long, with living quarters in the front and a cargo section for the motorcycles or jet skis. This section has a ramp, which can also convert into a party deck, like the Jayco Seismic model. These RVs don't make you sacrifice your vacation adventures for garage space.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to an RV, you have a variety of choices and customizations to choose from to best fit your lifestyle and adventure plans. A good RV dealer can help you find the right RV for your vacation and road trips.
