Are you one of those people who got hooked on watching van dwellers live their life to the fullest in their humble van? And you finally come up with the idea of owning one? Before buying your first motorhome, let me first tell you the differences between an RV and Camper Van to know what’s best for you to have.
What is the main difference between an RV and a Camper Van? When we say RV or recreational vehicle, it is the motorhome that can be driven by itself and comes with some of the facilities and appliances you can also find in a typical home. In contrast, camper vans or “campers” are trailers that are being towed behind a truck or car.
Buying an RV or Camper Van is not like buying food that you crave. First, you will have to learn the pros and cons, their different features, and all other things you need to know. Then, of course, picking one is not as easy as one to three. With so many options and classes to choose from in the RV world, it can be complicated to know the best motor home for you. But with this article, you will understand more of each one’s unique features and advantages. Enjoy!
Differences of RV and Camper Van
RV or Recreational Vehicle
When we say RV, we always think about its vast size and luxurious type that all RV fans wish to own. But, indeed, if you own an RV, you wouldn’t want to live in a typical home because the RV itself can be your simple bungalow, modern house, or even your mansion!
An Rv will give you a home-like feeling that offers almost all of the amenities you can find in a regular house like a kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living rooms. Aside from that, it also comes with TVs, leather sofas, and other things you will need to call the RV your home. And what’s best about purchasing an RV is that it is made for a big family!
Although RV can give you the best of the best, it also has downsides that you must know before purchasing one. First, since an RV is vast, it might be too big for some roads you’re going to take. So, please check the routes you’ll be taking to get to your destination. Another one is if you decide to stay on campsites, I’m afraid your RV can give your neighbours a headache for it can either block the view in your campsite or block parts of the driveway. Same thing if you are going to take a ferry.
Brace yourselves, people, because to have this beast that’s about 10 to 14 feet tall, 8.5 feet wide, and between 20 to 45 feet long, you will need to have $10,000 and $300,000 in your savings, and it can be more costly when it comes to its fuels, insurance, parts, and taxes.
Camper Vans
Now let’s talk about camper vans. When we say camper vans, it is usually smaller, and it needed to be towed by a towing vehicle to put it in motion.
Travelling with a camper van is perfect whether you are travelling solo or with your travel buddy. You can quickly drive and park your campervan smoothly because it can fit into any road, and since some of the camper vans have fixed heights, you’re not going to have a problem storing it when you want to ride a ferry.
You won’t also be worrying about going to campsites because you have the standard size of a motorhome that won’t block your neighbour’s way. And usually, a camper van can cost cheaper when it comes to its fuels, insurances, taxes, ferry charges, etc. The only downside is that camper vans can be a bit cramped inside, and some don’t come with a bathroom, but you can surely add one and be creative to put a toilet or even a shower with the camper van’s tiny space.
Different Types Of RVs: Prices, Features, and Sizes
In this section, what we will be talking about are the different types and features of an RV that make it unique from a camper van. I hope this will help you choose what kind suits you and your family’s ideal RV.
The Beast Of All RV
The first one will be the Class A motorhomes, also known as the beast in the RV world that offers buyers a luxurious style of a motorhome. Perfect for short and long vacations, it is defined by the large flat iron in front and has 1-2 slide outs to give you more rooms in your RV to feel more comfortable and at ease while on the road.
A Class A motorhome can be from 24ft to 45ft long. That’s an enormous size! You also have two engine options—the diesel engine you can find at the back and the gas engine in front.
Since Class A is the largest RV, it is widely known as the king of storage that will be very helpful if you have that many things to store, such as pillows, books, tools and many more.
Class A motorhome is more on the home-like side and offers all the amenities in a typical home, and if you are blessed enough with more money, you can have the Class A motorhome with two bedrooms and two bathrooms that fit for a big family.
This beast tends to look more like a bus but costs $50,000 to $200,000 and up. But I’m sure that’ll be worth your money.
Class B: Easy To Store And Easy To Drive RV
Identifying a Class B RV is simple because it looks like a van on the outside, it doesn’t have slide outs, and its standard size can be from 17-24 ft long or 21 to 24 feet long. In addition, Class B Rv is smaller than Class A, so it would probably fit into any road. Finally, Class B would also be perfect for easy maneuver because it is simple to operate, drive and park.
You also won’t be worried about storing it in your garage since it was designed like a regular van that you can bring anywhere but with some facilities like a kitchen, a bedroom and a bath and toilet.
Class B motor homes have a hitch to tow with less capacity than what you can find in Class A and Class C motor homes. This type can accommodate 2-3 people and can cost between $50,000 to $100,000.
Have Both Class A and Class B With Class C RV
If you want to be in the middle, you can achieve it in Class C RV because it combines Class A and Class B’s features and size. It can be distinguished by the box behind the chassis or frame of the motorhome or vehicle.
Class C motorhome measures about 20-30ft long and can cost $50,000 to $100,000 if it is new. While if you’re going to purchase a used one, it will be only around $30,000 to $70,000. It is the motorhome perfect for a family with four members that want an affordable RV.
Class C RV has more space in its living room, and it also offers better gas mileage with the most prolonged diesel power.
Different Types Of Camper Vans: Prices, Features, and Sizes
Let’s move on to the camper van’s types and features that make it different from an RV aside from just classifying them as non-motorized.
You’ll Never Go Wrong With a Travel Trailer Camper!
Let’s start the hunt with the travel trailer camper. It is the most popular type of non-motorized vehicle or a vehicle pulled behind a towing vehicle.
If you don’t like stairs, a travel trailer will be like a bungalow style in a typical house, with secure walls and doors to protect you while on the road. It also has slide-outs to give you more space inside and amenities available in a regular home.
A Travel Trailer camper is perfect for many people or families because it can have two or more bedrooms to accommodate you all.
Talking about its price, a Travel Trailer Camper costs about $24,000 and is 8 feet in height, 24 feet long and 7-8 feet wide.
If you are a solo traveller but still wanted to push through with a travel trailer, the good news is that there’s a cute mini travel trailer for you! It is a more compact type for solo travellers and can be easily towed by your small car.
I hope you got the answer in your head about what a travel trailer camper is with all the characteristics above.
Pop-Up Camper Trailer: The Camper You Can Bring Anywhere
Let’s talk about the most compact and light type of camper van. This camper is called Pop-Up Trailer Camper. It can be anywhere between 8-16 feet long and is affordable of all kinds with an average price of $10,000-$20,000.
A Pop-Up Trailer Camper is also known as the folding trailer camper that lets you collapsed its specific part either at the back area or in front for easy storing so it can fit anywhere like in your garage. It is a budget-friendly type that offers minimal home amenities like a small kitchen, bedroom, small bathroom, and extra sleeping areas.
Unlike big trailers or RVs with massive sizes and heavier weight, the pop-up trailer camper is more straightforward to maneuver than the full-sized ones.
Remember, if you want a pop-up trailer, be informed that although it is a folding trailer, it can still be tight or compact inside, giving you limited space to move, especially if you have someone with you.
Usually, a pop-up trailer camper doesn’t come with an air conditioner or a heater, so you’re going to be one with nature. However, you can have your heater during winter and a portable AC or fan to help you during summer, and it will be enough to enjoy your trip still.
The Beast In Camper World
If the motorized world has its beast, the non-motorized world has it too! And it is called the Fifth-Wheeler Camper.
Fifth-Wheel is the largest of all kinds of camper vans; it will offer you more space, just like what Class A has. Usually, it measures from 22ft long to an enormous size of 40 ft long! It also has 1-3 slide outs to give more ample space for everyone.
When it comes to campers, the fifth-wheeler is the one who will surely give you a more comfortable home-like feeling with its luxurious amenities like big and complete appliances in the kitchen, living room with pieces of furniture and even a fireplace. You can also have Sleeping quarters and a variety of floor plans with bunkhouse models designed to be either your hobby place or office. Even though this beast is huge, you can easily tow it with your truck or pick-up.
Affordable or what we call second hand Fifth-Wheeler costs between $10,000 to $20,000, and Luxurious Fifth-Wheeler is about $50,000 and up.
Have Your Own Garage With Toy Haulers
Toy haulers possessed all the attributes of the three types (motorhome, fifth-wheel, and travel trailers) with the advantage of having an expansive garage at the back for your baby’s toys, your motorcycle, floaters or other things that you use for outdoor activities.
Suppose you don’t have that much to store. In that case, you can convert the garage at the back easily to what you wanted it to be, maybe your office, terrace where you can enjoy your coffee or another sleeping quarter when you have a visitor or your family has a new member. The garage has protective wall panels, water and oil resistance to avoid accidents.
If you’re wondering about its size, a toy hauler measures approximately 21ft to 40 ft long that can accommodate 8-11 people with an average price of $12,000 – $250,000. So what do you think about the child-friendly toy hauler?
Know What RV or Camper Is The One For You
The difference between the RV and a camper is not that hard to tell because you can classify the other as motorized and the other one as non-motorized. But when we talked about its types and features, that’s where the competition would begin.
Each type has unique features such as a garage at the back, slide-outs, enormous size, house-like and a mini trailer for a solo traveller. But keep in mind that when buying a motorhome, you should consider many things like who will live with you in your RV and how much space your family needs. How many things you’ll bring with you while in your RV, what type of appliances you will want in your motorhome and many more.
To top it all, although there are features that one doesn’t have and picking one could be overwhelming, be wise in choosing and always think about what you need while on the road.
Having a big or small motorhome doesn’t matter as long as you are satisfied with the feeling it can give you while on your adventure.
Leave a comment below if this article helped you choose only the best RV or Camper for you and your family.
