In North American English the term recreational vehicle and is generally used to refer to an enclosed piece of equipment dually used as both a vehicle, a temporary travel home or a full time home.

In British English the term recreational vehicle is little used; terms covering some of the vehicles classified as RVs in North America are camper van and caravan, the term motorhome (see below) is also used.

RVs are intended for everything from brief leisure activities such as vacations and camping, to full time living (for which they are often parked in special trailer parks). RVs can be rented in most major cities and tourist areas.

Categories

There are different classes of vehicles generally labelled as RVs:

Truck camper
a camper shell unit that is affixed to the bed or chassis of a pickup truck.

Folding trailer
also known as a pop-up, a light-weight unit with sides that collapse for towing and storage. Suitable for towing by many vehicles.

Travel trailer
also known as a caravan, a unit with rigid sides designed to be towed by some larger vehicles with a bumper or frame hitch.

Hybrid trailer
a blend between a travel trailer and a folding (tent) trailer. One type has rigid sides and pull-out tent sections (usually beds) while another type's top section of walls and its roof can be lowered over its bottom section to reduce its height for towing.

5th wheel trailer
designed to be towed by a pickup or medium duty truck equipped with a special hitch in the truck bed.

Park model
designed for only occasional relocation, these will require a special tow vehicle and often need special permits for travelling on public roads.

Toterhome
an uncommon term indicating a motorhome built around a semi truck chassis (such as a Freightliner). This type of motor home allows the pulling of large and heavy trailers.

Toy hauler
a motor home, 5th wheel or travel trailer, it is designed to be part living space, and part garage for storing things such as motorcycles and ATV's.

Features

Many RVers stay at RV parks, most of which feature electrical, water and sewer service (full hookups), as well as cable television and wireless Internet. Amenties often include swimming pools, gamerooms and even destination-resort activities such as horseback riding. Others prefer staying at locations in remote rural areas (called boondocking), and still others at public campgrounds with minimal facilities.

Advantages of RVs include not having to move ones things in and out of motel rooms, not having to rent multiple motel rooms, sleeping in a bed one is comfortable with and the fact that preparing food saves money compared to eating in restaurants. At the same time, an RV provides more organized living space and better protection from the weather than a tent. Children also tend to like RVs.

Disadvantages of RVs include low fuel economy for the motorized RV or tow vehicle, lack of maid service as experienced in motels (maid service is available at a few high-end resorts), and larger RV models can be hard for the novice to drive or tow.