What RV is Right for You? Part 2 – Motorhomes

You’ve been waiting all week for this, haven’t you?  If you missed the first part of this series (types of trailers), stop for a bit and go read it.  Or look at the spreadsheet.  Whatever.  I don’t know your life.

Today we’re going to delve into the wonderful world of motorhomes and their nonsensical class system (similar to India’s caste system, only not at all in any way).  There is one super-important thing to remember when you’re thinking of full-time motorhoming – if your motorhome goes into the shop, your whole house goes into the shop.  Not so with trailers.  If you’d like the easier set-up/take-down though, motorhomes are the way to go.  And we’re off!

Motorhomes

Class A

Are you well-off?  Do you eat desserts made with edible gold leaves?  Do you love being the biggest thing on the road?  Do you love having a huuuuuge windshield with an awesome panoramic view?  Hey-hey!  Have I got the motorhome for you.  Class A motorhomes are the biggest you can get.  These are the flat-fronted beasts of the RV world. 

Living space: Class As have two or more slides (read part 1 if you don’t know what that means), so there is plenty of room to stretch your legs.

Storage: Interior storage is pretty good due to their large size, and their exterior storage is the best money can buy.  Go ahead, bring that baby grand (but not really; that would be a very stupid idea).

Versatility: Unfortunately due to their awesome exterior storage, these have really low ground clearance.  They’re safer if you stay on paved roads or very nice dirt roads.  And since they’re tall (like a 5^th wheel) you have pretty bad height clearance as well.  Once again, look out for short bridges and low branches.

Driving: High wind resistance, not the best visibility (if you choose to tow a car, get a camera), and kinda noisy if you get a “gasser.”  If you’ve got the money for it, spring for a diesel.  Their rear engines are quieter, more powerful, and longer-lasting. 

Gas Mileage: 8-10 MPG.  But you should have been expecting that.

Extra Needs: If you decide to tow a vehicle (colloquially known as a TOAD), make sure you get brake and light hook-ups along with your hitch.

Set-up/Take-down: Da best!  Since these are top-of-the-line, you just press a button, your jacks do the work, and you’re ready to play.  Unhitching your TOAD can be a pain though.

Costs: 50k-80k new, and these can get up to 800k if you’re insane.  Keep in mind that motorhomes will need more maintenance than trailers as well, so there’s some more cost.

Extra Tidbits: It’s hard to grocery shop with a class A.  TOADs are a smart idea.

Bus Conversions

I love this idea.  It’s kinda the hipster rage among RVers.  Pretty much you take an old bus (Greyhound or school are the most popular), gut it, and build a house inside.  Since it’s so popular, you can buy them pre-made or you can get creative and make your own. 

Living space: Technically these are class A motorhomes, but they don’t have any slides.  Still rather roomy due to their width and high ceilings though.

Storage: Depends on the type of bus you convert.  Greyhound buses usually have some exterior storage, while school buses don’t.  Interior storage is pretty good for both, and you can always fabricate extra shelving or something.

Versatility: Greyhounds need to stay on the pavement, but are welcomed into RV parks.  School buses can go pretty much anywhere (beast!), but some RV parks don’t like their aesthetic, so they might not let you in.

Driving: You might need a commercial driver’s license for these.  I’m not totally sure.  They do have high wind resistance/poor height clearance and everything that comes with a class A.  Greyhounds tend to be quieter, school buses tend to be louder.

Gas Mileage: 6-8 MPG.  Yeah…

Extra Needs: You’re probably going to want a TOAD and a generator.

Set-up/Take-down: Park on level ground.  That’s pretty much it, unless you install hydraulics or something.

Costs: These are a great deal – pre-made run from around 15k-25k, but if you can build your own it can be 10k or less.  The shells usually cost around 5k, and the remodel fees are up to you.

Extra Tidbits: It’s a bus.  It’s made to last forever.  So these are tough, safe, long-lasting, and awesome.  If you do break down though, it’s expensive.  Not many places are equipped to fix buses.

Class C

Trust me, I know my alphabet.  I know B comes after C.  Whoever made up motorhome classes didn’t know that though.  Class Cs are the motorhomes with the little bitty beds above the cab.  You know the ones.

Living space: Imagine a tiny apartment.  Like, in New York or something (not Hollywood’s NY though, where every waitress can afford a 3-bedroom).  That’s what you get with a class C motorhome.  Lots of them come with slides, so these can be pretty roomy.

Storage: Interior and exterior storage are both pretty good, but not as great as a class A.

Versatility: These have better height and ground clearance than class As, but they’re not as versatile as trailers.  You can drive these in town, but it’s a hassle; best to bring a TOAD.

Driving: Again, better than the class A but not great.  Get a camera if you have a TOAD.

Gas Mileage: 10-12 MPG (hurrah!)

Extra Needs: Same as a class A.

Set-up/Take-down: Same as a class A.

Costs: 50k-80k new (up to 140k).  Also need maintenance more than trailers.

Extra Tidbits: You can’t tell from this segment, but this is the kind of motorhome The Man and I would get.  Big enough for a tiny family, small enough that you can boondock a bit (long-term camping).  These are safer than class As and the cost difference between gassers and diesels isn’t as severe, but diesels are harder to find.  Try to find them.

Class B

Like Chris Farley, you too could live in a van down by the river!  These are often called van conversions or camper vans.  Why they’re B and not C, I’ll never know.  Because I’m too lazy to look it up. 

Living space: No, it’s seriously a van, guys.  Have you ever heard of a “wet bath?”  Your toilet and sink are INSIDE your shower.  Inside.  You shower over your toilet.  These do have tall ceilings, so you can usually stand up okay, but there aren’t any slides.

Storage: You’re going to find minimal interior storage and little-to-no exterior storage.  Remember in “Flight of the Conchords” when Jemaine lived in a storage closet?  You can experience that first-hand with a camper van.

Versatility: Here’s where they start to get awesome.  Where can your van go?  Your class B can go there too.  No TOAD needed.

Driving: Can you drive a van?  You can drive a class B!

Gas Mileage: Class Bs are vans.  Can I say this enough?  You’ll get the same mileage as a van.

Extra Needs: None!  You’ve got the super-van!

Set-up/Take-down: Park on level ground.  Bam.  Go play.

Costs: If you buy a new class B it will cost 40k-80k usually, but it can cost up to 125k.

Extra Tidbits: This is the smallest and safest motorhome.  If it’s just you, why not go for it?

Now that you’ve read both parts of this series, it’s pretty easy to see that there’s no one perfect answer for which RV you should choose.  A single person would have different needs than a family.  Someone living full-time would have different needs than a weekend camper.  Some people love luxury, some people want the bare minimum. 

Before buying an RV, talk to RV owners, test drive some RVs, maybe rent one you like for a week.  The RV Consumer Group (RVCG) has ratings listed for different makes, models, and years at www.rv.org; definitely check that out before purchasing.  Do your own research, figure out what you like, and, most of all, have fun!