Friday, August 22, 2008

 

What Type of RV is Best For You?

We have been camping or RVing for over 30 years now and for the last three years we have been Full Time RVers. During that time we have owned almost every class of RV on the market. One thing we learned quickly is there is no best type. At least not that someone else can decide for you.

All RV's have advantages and disadvantages. Whatever you choose is very much a personal choice based on your individual preference, needs and budget. What we have learned and share with you now, is our opinion of what type of RV is best for certain types of camping.

Tent Camping

Although not an RV, tent camping is great fun especially if you have children. There is something special about tenting and campfires with children and we had great fun tenting with ours. You can buy a good tent at almost any sporting store and many department stores.

Obviously you will need something to cook on. We found the propane gas camp stoves better than the liquid gas. Since there is host of things like pots, forks and the like we found it best to keep a plastic Marvelcomics (ours was wood) called a "Chuck Box". In your chuck box keep all your camping stuff Evel Knievel vintage commercials when you go tenting The Invaders put the Chuck Box and tent in the car and go.

Pop Ups and Hi-Lo Type

When the children were young we probably had more fun in our POP Up than any other camper. They are well equipped and unlike a tent, you sleep off the ground. They are very easy to tow and store. When you set them up, Star Trek the Movie are really roomy and a very good choice for family camping. They come in all types, canvas sides and hard sides that either snap together or rise up like the Hi Lo type.

Travel Trailers

Travel Trailers come in many sizes. They are the least expensive of the "hard side" RVs. Most are spacious and well equipped. They do require a tow vehicle which is a drawback if you do not own one for the trailer size you want. Travel Trailers use a special hitch that causes the RV and tow vehicle to share the load. This eliminates the rear end sag of the tow vehicle. In our opinion Travel Trailers are great for summer vacations and weekends, but are usually not equipped for cold weather. Therefore, they are not usually used for winter or Full Time RVing. Most models have slide out walls that increase the living space.

5th Wheels

5th Wheels are so names because of the wheel type hitch mounted in the tow vehicle. The hitch is a scaled down version of a commercial truck hitch. Again you need a tow vehicle and usually a good size one to boot. Because of the way a 5th Wheel hitches to the tow vehicle they are easier to tow and maneuverable. They are very roomy and are used by Full Timers who sometimes camp in cold weather. We travel in a 5th Wheel and have spent winters in Nebraska and Connecticut, both states noted for their cold weather. However, not all 5th Wheels are set up for Four Season Camping. If you are going to use the RV in cold weather be sure to check with your dealer first. Most 5th Wheels have slide out walls that increase the living space. Options include Fireplaces, Washer & Dryer hookup, and may other luxuries.

The issue with 5th Wheels is the tow vehicle. You can almost count on at least a good Ton or larger Pick Up to tow it. The factors to how big a tow vehicle is the RV Pin weight and overall RV and truck weight.

In my opinion the 5th Wheel is the best all around RV you can buy.

Motorhomes

Motorhomes also come in many sizes, from vans to 45ft monsters. They come in two types, class A and Class C. Class A is a bus type and a Class C has a truck front. These are also broken into two types, Gas and Diesel engines.

Motorhomes are great on the road as the passengers can move about and a rest stop gives an easy pit stop. Motorhomes are easier to set up than other RV's. Most have self leveling hydraulic jacks so when you pull into a RV Park you push a button and all is leveled. No boards under the wheels and no unhitching from the tow vehicle. Since most Motorhomes come stock with generators and large holding tanks they are more self contained than other types of RV.

The question often arises as to what is best Gas or Diesel. Only you can answer that but when you add a diesel engine you also add thousands to the price. They are more powerful and seem to run forever, but you will have to decide if the extra cost is worth it.

Motorhomes are very well equipped and the higher priced ones are luxurious indeed. The price for these units is not for the faint hearted and often cost more than a house.

Large motor homes require a vehicle that can be used when the Motorhome is parked at the RV Park. There are several ways to tow these vehicles from towing equipment to trailers. The towing of the vehicle is a science in itself and probably will require a chat with the dealer.

With any type of RV, visit dealers and RV shows and look at the different types and sizes of the units. After a while you will begin to develop a preference for a particular type of RV.

Another thing you might consider is buying a used or less expensive unit with plans to trade it for your dream RV after a year or two. After living the lifestyle for a while you'll have a better feel for the kind of RV that will suit you best.

In short what is best - Our opinion only

Leon Freeman
Copyright 2007 S&L Consulting LLC

Visit us for more RV information at allaboutusatravel.comallaboutusatravel.com


# posted by dovnl @ 7:27 AM 0 comments

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