RV vs travel trailer

[Koolau]

We put 215,000 miles on a Class B (Roadtrek) RV in 12 years. Our last trip was in September 2019 because of the Pandemic.

The big advantage I found with that size is it can go anywhere a car can... well, except height -- no parking structures or drive-thrus.

Ours had everything a big RV has -- shower, refrigerator/freeze, queen bed, generator, propane, etc.

The Class B RV is limited in space, however, and if there are two of you, it can be a strain for some.

Anyway, bottom line is: it doesn't matter what you buy the important thing is the adventure. We visited every state and I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

Friend who beat me out the door at Megacorp decided to full-time in an RV. He sold the house and off they went. When he stopped back through months later, he liked to say "A 45-year married couple sold their 3000 SF house to live in a 180 SF RV and drive all over the country. What could possibly go wrong?" YMMV

 

[old medic]

We are boondocker's welcome hosts. I can stay for free at thousands of locations across the US and Canada, in the security of somebody's yard. We have hosted 20 families on their travels.

You get to WNC we got a spot for ya..

 

[Badger]

There is a city park here by the ocean that has 300 sites in a wooded environment. Tent site is $20.25, RV site is $33.75, and a cabin is $33.75. Cabins have a screened front porch, fan, and air-conditioning. No beds just bring you sleeping bag and air mattress. That being the case if I was interested I would forego buying an RV and just rent a cabin. I kind of like the idea of a little cabin in the woods. I could camp for the same cost as an RV without having to buy the RV.
Just another option.

Cheers!

Cheers!

 

[folivier]

Jackjester that is only one's opinion. In our travels we always towed a vehicle which allowed us to go where we wanted and leave the motorhome parked and set up. We typically stayed for a month whenever we stopped and explored from there. And it takes only a couple minutes to hitch and unhitch the toad. Just 2 arms, couple cables, and away you go. No weight distributing bars to hook and adjust, etc. But that's the beauty of RV traveling. Once you decide how you want to travel you buy what fits your style best. Safe travels!

 

[punkinhead]

Buying an RV is rarely a sound financial decision just like boats and airplanes. You don't buy these things to save money. The places my wife and I like to travel don't have hotels and cabins & AirBnBs with vacancies are difficult to find. And don't count on $33.75 cabins. $150-$300/night is more typical.

 

[ElizabethT]

I've been surprised from people posting at the expense of campgrounds, for RV's it's not like I remembered from the old days with a car and tent.
Now it costs as much as a cheap hotel, and once you add in the extra gas due to 10 miles per gallon, it's not much different than simply driving farther per day and staying in a hotel.

If you can park in the wild, for free, then an RV makes economic sense.

So a couple of thoughts. Firstly, RVing for many of us is a lifestyle, not something we do simply to save money. We get to travel amongst our own stuff, and it puts us front and center with nature in a way no hotel or motel can possibly do. And secondly, while it is still economical as compared to hoteling/moteling/VRBO'ing, that is not necessarily the same as being cheap. As just one example, our most recent RV trip to Malibu placed us atop a bluff with sweeping views of the ocean, and within two miles of the town's center, for $100 a night (full hookups). A quick Google search shows ocean viewing hotel rooms in Malibu start at about $1,200 a night. So definitely economical in comparison, even if not necessarily cheap.

I could give 100 other examples based just on our own travels, but if forced to pick just one, it would be last summer's meander through the Pacific NW, where we were enthralled by our $55 a night, full hook up location, at the Port Townsend marina in WA. We were literally just a few feet from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where we enjoyed watching sea planes, dolphin, ships and every type of marine bird during our stay. I would offer that getting that close at that price would be virtually impossible otherwise, even with the cost of the gas to get there. (We get 18 mpg when towing, as compared to 20 mpg when we aren't.)

 

[skyking1]

ElizabethT, that is a lovely spot in PT. Here is a nearby county campground, one of those hidden gems that most people overlook. It is that first picture in my post above. We were parked at that picnic table shown in this link. It had power for $25 a night, and overlooked the sound and shallow bay where we watched osprey catching fish.
https://jeffersoncountywa.myrec.com/info/facilities/details.aspx?FacilityID=9911

The lower campground is out on a spit, so you are surrounded by water. It is a dead end, and often you have that to yourself. It was fun watching the boats coming through the Indian island cut from Port Townsend bay.

 

[Cobra9777]

We put 215,000 miles on a Class B (Roadtrek) RV in 12 years. Our last trip was in September 2019 because of the Pandemic.

The big advantage I found with that size is it can go anywhere a car can... well, except height -- no parking structures or drive-thrus.

Ours had everything a big RV has -- shower, refrigerator/freeze, queen bed, generator, propane, etc.

The Class B RV is limited in space, however, and if there are two of you, it can be a strain for some...

We went the Class B route. We've only had it 4 months. It's a 2022 PleasureWay Ontour 2.0, which is just over 19 ft long. We wanted to be able to drive/park anywhere a regular car can. Yet it has all the comforts of home. The obvious tradeoff is space and storage. But that fits well with our minimalist lifestyle. At home, we just park it in the driveway alongside our other 2 vehicles.

We like to move around a lot when traveling. We enjoy biking, hiking, and other outdoor activities in beautiful places. We also like visiting small quirky towns and exploring historical sites, as well as unique shops and restaurants.

We joined Harvest Hosts. We really enjoy staying at those places for a night in between other destinations. We might also join Boondockers Welcome at some point.

Plan is to take longer trips, up to a couple months, with no particular plan other than a direction. We want to explore lots of the western US at a very leisurely pace, especially the National parks in Utah.

Anyway, Class B seems to be the right fit for us based on how we travel and what we like to do. It is definitely small, and pricey. But so far, the van is holding it's value a lot better than the stocks I sold to acquire it.

 

[skyking1]

Congrats, Cobra. right now I have a long term guest and have my site marked off, but we will start hosting again soon, and we are close to Mount Rainier national Park. Of course, one of the huge advantages of your rig is the ability to use the relatively small campgrounds inside the national parks. Those sites top out at 27' maximum, so you have the ideal rig for staying at Cougar Rock or Ohanapecosh in the park itself.
Most national park campgrounds were built and designed for tent or small trailer camping. The road loops have too tight corners for many larger rigs, the sites are too short.
It is the same at Olympic National Park. Your rig will rock at Kalaloch!

 

[ElizabethT]

Congrats, Cobra. right now I have a long term guest and have my site marked off, but we will start hosting again soon, and we are close to Mount Rainier national Park.

We stayed at Packwood's one and only RV park during our first visit to Mt. Rainier in 2014, and then again last summer. The RV park is one of the worst maintained we've ever stayed at, BUT it was close to one of the park's entrances, it provided full hook ups for $33 a night, and we could see Mt. Rainier from our site. Plus it was nicely close to a terrific coffee shop, and a terrific brewery.

 

[skyking1]

Packwood is a cool town in general.
I worked two summers in the park itself, rebuilding Stevens Canyon Road.
Here I am removing the foot thick concrete from under that entrance you speak of, without harming the structure or the massive 2' tall granite curbstones.

It was business as usual in the outside lane.

We had the road closed about 1/4 mile past this booth.

The federal inspector emailed me this picture a year after, we are putting some drain rock and pipe under the "ampitheatre", a dry stacked massive wall that had chronic settling problems. it was the bottom of a 2000' long slide chute that they built the road across.

My office at reflection lake for one summer.

 

[youbet]

I guess DW and I are more open minded about our domestic vacations. We absolutely love camping of all types. We own a hard-sided pop-up and are camped on an island in the Mississippi River right now. It’s an Army Corps facility near lock and dam 13. Fabulous! We’ve also rented or travelled as guests in most other types/sizes of RV’s and had a ball in them all. When younger, we loved canoe camping (often fly-in) in northern Minnesota and in Canada.

When we get back next week, we’re leaving for a couple of weeks of fishing in far NW Minnesota staying in a rented cabin. We don’t like to mix camping with fishing and love how well renting a cabin or a lodge room works! American plan is great, but sometimes we cook for ourselves.

We’ve got reservations for some “urban camping” with some of our favorite entertainment coming up too. Love the downtown hotels, urban dining and entertainment and all that even though we live in the city!

Trailers, tents, motor homes, motels, cabins, lodges ……. It’s all good. OP, squeeze in as much as you can and enjoy your FIRE!

 

[ElizabethT]

@skyking1 - I could happily RV-wander around western WA for the rest of my life. Well, in July and August that is . . .

 

[skyking1]

Any time after July 5 and up to October, Elizabeth. I learned about July 5 from commercial banner towing, it seemed we had a 50/50 chance of a miserable day of flying on the 4th

 

[corn18]

We have only had trailers. Not because we wouldn't love to have a Class A,B,C but because we always have a truck to do truck things so it makes sense to just add a trailer behind it. We started with a pop-up (loved that thing), then a hybrid TT, then a giant TT and now a giant 5er. Love(d) them all.

If we didn't already have a truck, I'm certain we would be in a Class A or C with a toad. My wife would love to be in the camper rolling down the road with access to a bathroom. She has to stop every 3 miles to pee. And the pets would be happier rolling down the road in the camper vs. the truck.

So my recommendation is to get something and start camping. It is our favorite thing to do.

 

[Still Learning]

Initially we did a lot of tent camping with friends and then migrated to weekend and summer cruises on boats after we purchased our house. Recently retired and sold our trawler last year and purchased a Ford Transit passenger van with medium raised roof for road travel. Conversion work to a camper van included independent portable power and AC systems so our dog would be comfortable when we were away and all the accommodations of our prior cruising boat. For the three of us it has been very comfortable, easy to drive with plenty of storage. The completed conversion weighed the same as the original version because the passenger seat frames were quite heavy so the fuel economy remained the same. Completed two road trips for 10K miles this year and just connected our fishing boat to do some local travel in New England.



Agree with others that there is no one best path, simply enjoying the adventure was our goal.

 

[Carinya]

The answer to your question is a no brainer for me. A Trailer is way better than a motor home. With a trailer you set up at a home base camp site and Un Hitch. Set up things like dishes and chairs and tables and stuff and you can easily travel for your adventures In your tow vehicle. If you want to go to a forest service trailhead to go hiking you can easily do it; most likely a motor home won’t fit. You need to do some grocery shopping you easily go in your tow vehicle. Or visit the local town for dinner or tourist activities. Why take your “home” every where you go. Hitching up and down is an easy 5-10 minute process with the backup cameras most tow vehicles have these days.

It wasn't a no brainer for us and we spent a while researching, renting units & trying things out. But the reasons listed here are why we went with a trailer.

 

[Rambler]

What makes a big difference is what you intend to do with the rig. Do you want to “camp” in state/nat’l parks? Or do you intend to stay in RV parks? Do you intend to park and stay for a while with no need to move the vehicle? Or do you intend to explore? Is it safe where you intend to go? We started with a 35’ trailer, and had it for two years. I had to upgrade my truck to tow it since the tongue weight was too heavy. It was also too big for state/nat’l park camping. We then moved to a very nice diesel pusher. It was also too big for “camping” but was great for RVing (staying in RV parks). We also had to tow a car to get around. After nearly 7 years, we decided to downsize and get a 25’ class C on a Mercedes chassis. It drove great. It was easy to park. It was just…too…small…for my wife. She likes big rigs. We had it for 4 months and traded for a 38’8” class A gasser. In hindsight, we should have kept it because it was great for state park camping. But, we didn’t have space for two rigs. We like both camping AND RVing. The RV has a washer/dryer. The class C did not. If you like both “camping” and “RVing”, you’ll want to be careful to choose something in-between a big rig and a small rig. The one thing that we REALLY appreciate about the motorhome is that if we have to stop somewhere for the night, or even if it were in a state park campground, we’d be able to just get in the driver’s seat and go, should something untoward unfold. As long as we weren’t hooked up, its easy to escape. You cannot do that with a trailer.

 

[NW-Bound]

... our most recent RV trip to Malibu placed us atop a bluff with sweeping views of the ocean, and within two miles of the town's center, for $100 a night (full hookups). A quick Google search shows ocean viewing hotel rooms in Malibu start at about $1,200 a night. So definitely economical in comparison, even if not necessarily cheap.

I could give 100 other examples based just on our own travels, but if forced to pick just one, it would be last summer's meander through the Pacific NW, where we were enthralled by our $55 a night, full hook up location, at the Port Townsend marina in WA. We were literally just a few feet from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where we enjoyed watching sea planes, dolphin, ships and every type of marine bird during our stay. I would offer that getting that close at that price would be virtually impossible otherwise, even with the cost of the gas to get there. (We get 18 mpg when towing, as compared to 20 mpg when we aren't.)

Ah, this reminded me of the time we got lucky and scored a slot for our class C and the toad in Kalaloch Beach in the Olympic Park. It was April, and early in the season, else one should not even bother to stop by unless he has a reservation made way in advance.

Even then, the reason we got the spot was pure luck. The spot was on a bank above the beach and overlooking the ocean, with a path to clamber down to the beach. It was so perfect and the reason people passed it up was because their vehicles could not fit. When I detached the towbar from the toad, I could snuggle it up against the 25' motorhome and they together barely fit. Just beautiful.

In an earlier trip a couple of years earlier, passing by Kalaloch in the summer and without a reservation, we were fortunate to get a spot to park at all, and it was nowhere near the water.

On this early April trip, we spent time in a couple of Oregon RV parks, and got a waterfront site for $12 or so. Later in the summer, you are lucky to get anything.

The reason we traveled early that year was that we wanted to visit Death Valley. And the campgrounds there are partially closed down every year in early April because of the heat. You can visit year round, but when people stop coming in April, you know how high the temperature is already.

 

[youbet]

The one thing that we REALLY appreciate about the motorhome is that if we have to stop somewhere for the night, or even if it were in a state park campground, we’d be able to just get in the driver’s seat and go, should something untoward unfold. As long as we weren’t hooked up, its easy to escape. You cannot do that with a trailer.

Is there really that much difference? With a travel trailer, you'd just walk out the door, shut it behind you, and get into the tow vehicle and leave. In the situation you describe, the TV is still hitched to the trailer and the trailer isn't hooked up to facilities.

 

[NW-Bound]

Is there really that much difference? With a travel trailer, you'd just walk out the door, shut it behind you, and get into the tow vehicle and leave. In the situation you describe, the TV is still hitched to the trailer and the trailer isn't hooked up to facilities.

Perhaps Rambler thinks you can get jumped in the short walk from the trailer to the tow vehicle.

One can carry a defense weapon just in case. The problem is when you go to Canada. It's a criminal offense to bring arms. They don't even allow pepper sprays, while bear sprays are OK.

 

[folivier]

But if they're 2 of you (which there usually is) one can drive the motorhome and the other can drive the toad to a safe area to hook up.
But we've pulled up to a few campgrounds with pull through sites and sat comfortably in the motorhome until the torrential rainfall ended. On our Alaska trip a couple times we pulled into a rest area in the rain, spent the night, and drove away the next morning without having to go outside in the cold rain.
And there are other reasons to leave a campsite early and quickly. Bad weather, flooding, noisy neighbors, etc.

 

[pb4uski]

Perhaps Rambler thinks you can get jumped in the short walk from the trailer to the tow vehicle.

One can carry a defense weapon just in case. The problem is when you go to Canada. It's a criminal offense to bring arms. They don't even allow pepper sprays, while bear sprays are OK.

I have a plastic flare gun with flares that look like small shotgun shells that I usually keep in the camper (inherited from my father). I always figured that might do in a pinch if I needed a lethal weapon, but I really don't think that I'll ever really need it.

 

[travelover]

You guys must camp in rougher campgrounds than I do. Mostly I see old people in motor homes with blind, trembling Chihuahuas.

 

[ElizabethT]

You guys must camp in rougher campgrounds than I do. Mostly I see old people in motor homes with blind, trembling Chihuahuas.

Yes, same here.