In North America the term recreational vehicle and its derived acronym, RV, are 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 other parts of the world, particularly Australia, the term may be used to refer to a sport utility vehicle, also known as an SUV. This article discusses the North American usage.

RVs are intended for everything from brief leisure activities such as vacations and camping, to full time living. RVs can be rented in major U.S. and Canadian cities.

There are different classes of vehicles generally labelled as RVs:
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*Truck Camper - a camper shell unit that is affixed to the bed or chassis of a pickup truck.
*Folding Camping Trailer - also known as a pop-up, is a light-weight unit with sides that collapse for towing and storage. Suitable for towing by many vehicles.
*Travel Trailer - 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.
*Fifth Wheel Travel Trailer - designed to be towed by a pickup or medium duty truck equipped with a special hitch in the truck bed
*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.
*Park Model - designed for occasional relocation and will require a special tow vehicle and a highway movement permit
*Motorhome ("Winnebago", a product of Winnebago Industries that dominated the market for many years, was long a synonym for a motorhome, but this usage has faded in recent years.)
:Class A Motorcoach - constructed on either a commercial truck chassis, a specially designed motor vehicle chassis, or a commercial bus chassis. Sizes run from 26 to 45 feet.
:Class B Campervan - built using a conventional van, to which either a raised roof has been added or had the back replaced by a low-profile body (compared to a Class C). Sizes run from 19 feet to 24 feet.
:Class C Motorhome - built on a truck chassis with an attached cab section, which is usually van based, but may also be pickup truck based or even large truck(freightliner) based. Size can vary from 17 feet to 34 feet.
*Toterhome This is not a common term but when used indicates a motorhome built around a semi truck chassis such as a freightliner. This type of motor home allows you to pull large and heavy trailers while having all the conveniences of a large motor home. Large motor homes not built on a semi truck chassis can also be capable of pulling heavy loads.
A minimal RV typically contains beds, a table, food preparation and storage areas. Larger models add full bathrooms, refrigerators, living areas, master bedrooms, etc. Some RVs are very elaborate, with satellite TV and internet access, slide-out sections, and awnings; many RVs can cost (new) from less than $10,000 to $200,000 with some costing over that.

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. While others prefer staying at locations in rural, remote areas, called Boondocking and still others at public campgrounds with minimal facilities.

Also many RVers stay at city parks, county parks, state parks, and national parks. The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service United States Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also offers camping, often at no cost to the camper.

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.

Some believe that people who live in RVs do so because they lack funds for more conventional housing. However, an increasing number of people are opting to sell their homes and live full time in their RVs. Some return to home ownership after several years while some few bounce back and forth between owning a home and going RVing full time. For these, mostly retirees, RVing is a life style choice not a financial decision.

Similarly, RVs — specifically, trailers which strongly resemble travel trailers, but usually with fewer amenities — have been used to temporarily house victims of natural disasters. A notable example is Hurricane Katrina; the federal disaster relief agency FEMA has ordered large numbers of such trailers to house victims of the storm in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Some people craft their own RVs out of cars, vans, schoolbuses, and buses.

Elkhart, Indiana, is known as the "RV Capital of the World" because it is home to many RV manufacturers, including, Forest River, Heartland RV, the Damon Corporation, Four Winds, Hy-Line, Keystone, Monaco, Sun Valley, and Travel Supreme. Many other manufacturers, including Dutchman, Gulf Stream, and Jayco, can be found in the nearby towns of Goshen, Middlebury, Nappanee, and Wakarusa. In 2005, these locales experienced a boom because of the large number of trailers ordered to house Hurricane Katrina victims.

References

External links

*RV Hunter Classifieds , Free RV classifieds and directory links
*RV.NET , Serving Enthusiasts of the Open Road
*RV Forums , An online RV community
*MotorhomeFacts.com , UK Motorhome Community & Discussion
*Go RVing US , all about RVs and RV travel
*Go RVing Canada
*RV Rental Association , RV Rental Locations
*RV Resources , RV directory links
*The winter RV FAQ
*RV Consumers Group A 501C3 non-profit involved in RV quality
*Caravan Insurance UK specialist insurance for caravans, motorhomes, trailer tents and other recreational vehicles
*RV St-Cyr Quebec : For information on all types of RV + Destination + etc.