Travel at ease with Motor Home
Motor homes, also known as recreational vehicles, are an ideal
way to experience travel comfortably and economically. Popular
with road trippers and frequent domestic travelers, motor homes
usually include a kitchenette, bathroom, sleeping areas, living
areas, and amenities that make the vehicle a complete mini-home.
Designed to be transportable, most motor homes possess diesel
engines for powerful yet affordable capabilities. Interiors can
range from economical to luxury, putting motor homes well within
anyone's reach.
Motor homes make camping hassle-free, with no need to pitch a
tent or walk long distances for a restroom. There are also motor
home sites across the country designed exclusively for
overnighters to rest while refueling and emptying the sewage
tank of their motor homes. While motor homes may be an
entertaining option for some, others make it more of a way of
life, and the huge number of groups and clubs in existence are
an excellent introduction to becoming a "full-timer".
Different Types of Motor Homes
There are many makers of Motor Homes, with ultimately three
different models to choose from. Class A Motor Homes are
described as a bus-type custom body on a truck chassis. Class B
Motor Homes are normally conversion vans. Class C Motor Homes
contain a custom body on a van or pickup chassis.
There are three different types of motor home engines to choose
from. These include a front-based gas engine, a rear-based
diesel engine (known as a "Diesel Pusher"), or a "bus
conversion." A bus conversion is a special kind of diesel pusher
that comes from a modified greyhound bus. It is quite expensive
and is only necessary if you require thousands of miles of
weekly travel, month after month. Diesel engines are noisier and
more expensive when it comes to maintenance, but they are also
more durable and have better fuel economy than a gas engine.
Although diesel engines are noticeably slower in terms of
passing acceleration when compared to a well-built gas engine, a
diesel engine will probably be have extra torque, something that
could come in quite handy if you are towing another vehicle.
Which Motor Home to Choose?
When purchasing or renting a motor home, it is important to
consider the differences between the different class types.
Class B conversion vans are nice because they are short and can
be parked almost anywhere. On the downside, these conversion
vans are usually limited in terms of comfort and space
available. The vehicle may contain a miniature style toilet,
shower, storage facility, and water container. Because of this,
living for long periods of time in a Class B motor home may
prove difficult and uncomfortable.
Class C Motor Homes are quite well designed for families. They
are basically two bedroom apartments on wheels with one bedroom
in the rear, and the other in the front, over the van cab. Class
C models are the safest because of their designers (Ford and
GM), and they do offer a very natural, car-like driving
position. The biggest complaint about Class C models is that the
two front seats are on a different floor level than the rest of
the unit and they can't swivel around. This becomes problematic
when the vehicle is parked.
Class A Motor Homes are like a one bedroom apartment on wheels,
with the bedroom in the rear of the vehicle. The biggest
advantage to a Class A model is the feeling of openness that it
provides. In contrast to Class C models, the front seats do
swivel around. This means that when parked, the drivers can
become part of the living room. And, because of the height of
the driver's seats, an excellent view of the road and traffic is
available. The biggest complaint that consumers usually have
about Class A model motor homes is usually related to safety.
Because they are built out of aluminum and fiberglass, the motor
home is less durable in the event of an accident. Many Class A
motor homes also lack air bags, which increases the chance of
injury in an accident.
Roger B. White traces the evolution of motorized houses on
wheels from a farm couple's 1916 wood-and-canvas sleeping
compartment on their automobile chassis to the Johnson's Wax
Cherokee-red housecar featured at the 1940 World's Fair, to
today's luxurious interstate cruiser. White interviewed camping
families, historians, camping-organization spokespeople, RV
manufacturers and travel-club members. The author understands
the American lone affair with the vehicle; he is a
land-transportation historian at the Smithsonian Institution's
National Museum of American History. There is an entire world
out there to be discovered and what better way to discover it
than in the comforts of your own "hotel on wheels." A Motor
Home, or RV (Recreational Vehicle), is perfect for anyone who
enjoys traveling in comfort and at their own pace. In addition
to covering hundreds of miles in a day, with a Motor Home, you
can sit back and read a book, watch a movie, play with the kids
or pets, sleep, cook dinner, or take a hot shower.
Motor homes are great for camping, road trips, and simply
living in style. If you are interested in buying a motor home,
definitely take the time to do some comparison shopping and
research, as these mobile units can get expensive and come in a
large variety of styles. Following is a list of basic motor home
types with brief descriptions.
"A" Class: This means a complete motor home body mounted on a
chassis provided by a truck manufacturing company. "A" Class
motor homes give true meaning to living on the road.
"C" Class: A custom motor home body mounted on a conventional
chassis and cab. On top of the cab, there is usually a bed or
storage area.
5th Wheeler: These are towed motor homes that usually have a
section that extends over part of the tow vehicle.
Converted Motor Homes: There are limitless numbers of motor
For more information on motor home and rv please visit the Motor
home and rv resource center.