What's your RV style? (Part 1: motorhomes)
‘You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy an RV, and that’s pretty close,’ said someone at some point, prompting a wave of inspirational travel quotes superimposed on soft-focus travel images. And yes, buying an RV is a huge step towards having some of the best times of your life. But before you take that leap and head out into paradise, have a think about what vehicle might best suit you.
Here are some questions to ask yourself: Do I really need a hot shower daily? Can I live without my plasma? Can my car tow things? What’s a fifth-wheel? Where will my dog sleep? Can you cook bacon in a microwave?
And look at you, lucky-duck! You’ve arrived at this post, where we’ve have compiled a little rundown of the types of RVs you’ll likely be looking at, and why they might – or might not – be right for you. What a stroke of good fortune!
Part 1 of this guide looks at Class A, B and C motorhomes. For campervans, towables and other miscellaneous RVs, check in on Part 2.
Fancy-pants
Look, there’s no shame in admitting that you wear silk jim-jams, even when you’re camping. And sure, a chef’s kitchen is a necessity if you’re constantly whipping up hors d’oeuvre to share around the campground. What we’re trying to say is, you are allowed to love luxury and still enjoy the great outdoors.
For you, we suggest a Class A motorhome, which is, as its name suggests, the biggest and most bedecked RV option on the market. Expect plush lounge suites, huge flatscreens, a complete bathroom with shower and flushing toilet, a queen-sized bed, and a double-door, stainless-steel refrigerator to keep your bottles of Cristal cold.
These palaces on wheels are big – think a bus, or a semi-truck – and usually have multiple slide-out compartments to make extra space for you and your fellow travelers (and all of those mod-cons we mentioned earlier). So if you’re travelling with a family, or if you’ll be on the road for a long time, it’s definitely worth a look. The Class A does come at a price – the most basic model comes in at around $70,000, and at the other end of the scale, you could be up for $1 million plus. But hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it.
Smaller, but perfectly formed
If you’re a little nervous about driving the equivalent of a bus around the US (or if your particular roads aren’t paved in gold), the Class B motorhome (also called a campervan) might be a good option. Strangely, it’s not the middle size between Class A and Class C – it’s the smallest of the three. The Class B is basically a large van, with standing room inside but certainly not enough room for a hot tub (if that’s something that’s important to you, see ‘Fancy-pants’ above). The basics are included, such as a functional kitchen, living room and bathroom.
This is a great vehicle in terms of maneuverability and parking (absolute beachfront spot, anyone?), and the fuel economy is much better than some of the larger options. If you’re planning on taking the family, it’s probably best to trade up – you won’t have much room to move here. But if you and your sweetheart are up for adventure by day and a cozy cocoon by night (ooh er), give this little beauty a go – it’s ideal for a trip where the outdoors is more important than the indoors.
All in the family
The Class C motorhome is the model that comes between Class A and Class B (good alphabetting!) in terms of size. If you’re a traveling family that needs extra floor space in your motorhome, this is a fantastic option. After you’ve exhausted yourselves exploring, gobbled up your delicious camp dinner and played a game of Canasta or two, boost the kids up to the sleeping area above the cab, fold the dining table down into a bed for the pets, fluff up the comforter on the full-sized bed at the back of the van, and Bob’s your uncle! Plenty of space for sleeping!
We also recognize that you might be a lone wolf who enjoys sleeping in a different bed for most nights of the week, in which case the Class C is also perfect for you. But we recommend playing Solitaire rather than Canasta, in this instance.
When not in sleeper mode, these motorhomes have a dining room, kitchen, living area, and the ability to tow a car, so you can leave the kit and caboodle parked while you explore the surrounding areas. Perfect!
We know you’re waiting with bated breath for the next installment of our (frankly, spellbinding) RV guide. We will have it up on the site for you in no time!