Generally an American term recreational vehicle refers to motorised campervan designed for providing temporary accomodation or dependant on the features of the vehicle permanent accomodation.
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 or travelhome are also commonly 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 of Motor HomesThere 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
can also be known as a pop up camper, they are designed to be light weight and because of such can be towed by a large variety of vehicles.
Travel Trailer
also known as a caravan, this is a seperate trailer and is towed behind a vehicle while already fully erect.
Hybrid Trailer
is a mix of a travel trailer and a folding/pop up trailer. This means its top section or walls will extend outwards creating more space, and can be folded down for transporting.
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 Homes
are designed to be relocated only very few times as they are designed to suit all the needs for more permanent residence, because of this you will need a specialist vehicle to move the home.
Toterhome
this kind of motorhome usually describes a vehicle that has been built around the chassis of a lorry or freightliner, they are very large inside usually and can be used to pull large trailers behind them.
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 the parks that focus more on tourist trade may include extra activities depending on the local area. However, you may want to stay at a more remote location with minimal facilities, these more rural camp sites are designed for those after a quiet get away.
There are plenty of advantages to using a motor home for your holiday, for example you don't have to move your things from one hotel to the next, and you can also save yourself money on things such as meals if your rv has cooking facilities. They also provide a more organised space to live and more protection against the weather than a tent would.
Disadvantages of RVs include low fuel economy for the motorized RV or tow vehicle, you, and larger RV models can be hard for the novice to drive or tow.
