Figuring out what type of camper is right for you is no easy task. There are many different options out there when buying your first travel trailer, van, or RV; feeling overwhelmed is expected. With any big purchase like this, it’s essential to put in the time to figure out what best suits you and the type of travel you’ll be doing. Don’t let anyone make you feel rushed into buying anything!
For those struggling to figure out what type of camper is right for them – rest assured you’re not alone. We’ve been there! We struggled too and know how hard buying your first travel trailer, van, or RV can be! We know it’s… exciting too!!
After going through the process ourselves, we wanted to share what we learned, and provide insights to help guide your decision-making.
We entered the market for our first camper with some advantageous previous experience. Both our families had one type of camper or another. Jessica’s family owned both a Class A motorcoach and a decked-out family travel van (the predecessor of today’s #vanlife mobiles). Growing up, Sean’s family started with a C Class RV and later transitioned to Toy-Hauler style travel trailers.
We’ve rented a few RVs and travel trailers over the years. So before buying our first travel trailer, van, or RV, we were already familiar with different types. This experience helped us a lot when trying to determine what kind of camper was right for us.
If you don’t have any experience and are entering this adventure fresh – fear not! We’re here to share our experience, to help you figure out where to start, propose some effective decision making questions, provide information about the many camper options out there, and list the pros & cons, and more!
What type of camper is right for you?
Buying your first Travel Trailer, Van, or RV!
How many different types of campers are there?
Once you start shopping around for your first travel trailer, van, or RV, you’ll find there are many variations of each. Here, we’re going to provide a general overview of the different types and classes of campers.
Types of campers
Travel Trailer Camper
The first and most important thing to recognize about travel trailer campers is they are not mechanically self-propelled. They require a capable tow vehicle. The size and power of the tow vehicle needed will depend on the size and weight of the trailer towed.
Travel trailer campers are diverse and come in many sizes and styles. We’ve included the main ones to be aware of below.
Standard Travel Trailer
We’ve all seen them on them road. They come in various lengths and styles and are all bumper/tongue pull. Meaning, they are connected to the tow vehicle with a ball hitch from the bumper.
Toy Haulers
These are an evolution of the travel trailer that merges a travel trailer with a cargo trailer. Toy Haulers double as a “garage” to let you bring along all your big kid toys like ATVs and dune buggies.
Fifth Wheel (Gooseneck) Trailer
These tend to be the largest and heaviest towable trailers out there. They require a particular type of truck-bed tow hitch connection and best towed with a heavy-duty dually truck (two rear wheels on each side).
Pop-up or Foldable Trailers
Designed to tow in a small compact form, but once at camp fold open to accommodate you and your guests. Classic pop-ups usually feature canvas sides and are manually cranked open and unfolded. Newer models feature hard-body sides and different shapes like an A-Frame design. The compact size and lightweight design mean smaller vehicles can tow these trailers.
Classic and Vintage Travel Trailers
A classic travel trailer is generally accepted to be between 25 and 35 years old. Whereas, a Vintage travel trailer is 35 years old and older.
Teardrop Trailers
These are usually the smallest type of travel trailers available. It’s like towing around a compact version of your bedroom, complete with a kitchen in the trunk. Since teardrop trailers are so small, smaller vehicles can tow them with ease.
Camper (Conversion) Van
We consider a camper van, as in the #vanlife variety, to be a conversion van. A conversion van, as the description suggests, is a van that began as a transporter or service vehicle, but later was built out for camping. These vehicles do not have built-in freshwater, or wastewater tanks. Nor do they come with any power system, only what’s in the cockpit and under the hood.
No two conversion vans are ever quite the same. Some have dining areas, some have kitchens, some have showers, and some even portable toilets. The storage and layout is always different. Owners build or modify them tailored to their wants and needs.
There are only two limits regarding what you can do with a conversion van, (1) your imagination, and (2) your budget.
Lately, #vanlife has caught many people’s attention with all the creative and charming designs seen in photographs. Beware though, the cost of buying and building out a van can be very expensive! Note they can be purchased done up and ready to use.
The Wide World of RV’s (Recreational Vehicles)
RVs, commonly referred to as motorhomes, are the ultimate travel vehicles! They combine all the comforts of home with self-powered mobility. RVs come in three primary classes: A, B, and C.
Class A
These are the big dogs on the road! They often resemble celebrity tour buses from the outside and on the inside are quite luxurious. Class A motorhomes (or motor coaches) are the ultimate retirement mobile.
Class B
These RVs are the smallest of the three classes and commonly referred to as sleeper vans or camper vans. Class B RVs, while small, are packed with all the amenities (kitchen, shower, toilet, etc…) of the larger rigs but on a smaller scale. They are more fuel-efficient and much easier to navigate. The smaller size also lets them get places other RV’s can’t. These differ from conversion vans because Class B RVs start their lives ready for camping – straight off the assembly line.
Class C
If a Class A is too big, and a Class B is too small than a Class C is just right. These drivables are smaller than Class A’s while including all the same amenities and comfortable interior living space. Class C RVs are recognizable on the road because they all have an over-cab sleeper that makes there side profile kind of look like the letter “C.”
Where to start… when deciding what type of camper is right for you?
Whether you’re entirely new to travel trailers, camper vans, or RVs, the best way to figure out what you like is to see some in person. Stop clicking through photos online and trade those virtual tours for an in-person experience.
We get it! We were there too. We thought looking at campers online would help us determine what type of camper was best for us. Instead, it only caused further indecision. We’d see a great camper van and think we had made our decision. Then, we’d find a charming trailer and exclaim, “that’s the one!” We quickly realized looking online is a passive shopping experience and didn’t help us figure out what was best for us.
Local RV Dealers
Seek out your local RV dealers and walk the lot! Check out as many different types of campers that you can. Get inside them and spread your arms out. Open the drawers cabinets, fridge, and all storage compartments. Lay on the bed. Sit at the dinette. Try to visualize yourself and your family in there.
Don’t fret the sales team! When you arrive, just let them know you’re not buying anything on this visit, and you’re only interested in seeing what’s out there. Most salespeople will be happy to let you wander around on your own or show you around answering any questions you have.
RV and Camper Shows
Visiting an RV show is the best way to see all the different types of campers available. Check to see if there’s an upcoming RV Show in a town near you and go! They are a ton of fun! Also, if you’re adverse to salespeople than this is perfect for you, because no will bother you unless you ask them a question.
Before buying a travel trailer, van, or RV… Rent one!
If you are utterly new to campers, renting one is a great way to get acquainted with traveling and living out of one. Pick one, or one of each and experience what you do and don’t like. This will help to identify the features most important to you.
The best resource we’ve found for rentals is RVshare.com. We’ve rented several times through RV Share and can assure you it is a safe and reliable experience. Also, check out Outdoorsy; they have a diverse selection of rentals.
Questions to ask yourself before buying your first travel trailer, van, or RV.
What is my budget?
What is my reason for buying a camper in the first place?
How do I plan on using my camper?
Where do I want to take it?
What type of travel will I be doing?
How long will my trips last?
How much space do I really need?
Do I have a capable tow vehicle?
What is the largest trailer or RV I am comfortable maneuvering?
How will I store it when I am not using it?
What is the cost of storage?
When shopping for a travel trailer, van, or RV, there are several items to consider…
For travel trailers, is a single axle or a dual axle better?
For safety and load-bearing, a dual axle is better. With a dual axle, if a tire blows out, there is still one tire left to support the trailer. A tire blow out on a single axle can cause severe damage to a trailer.
How much ground clearance does the camper have?
For most campers, the bottom belly has various exposed components such as the freshwater and septic tanks. These components are not impact-proof, and a camper with too low ground clearance is susceptible to damage when traveling on rough dirt and gravel roads. If you plan on doing off-road travel, the higher, the better.
Fresh Water Tank
The amount of freshwater you can hold in your camper will ultimately determine how long you’ll be able to boondock camp (with no hook-ups). There are a lot of opinions about the minimum size freshwater tank a camper should have. Based on our experience, for two people, a 25-30 gallon tank is pretty good. In a camper, you should use fresh water sparingly. A good rule of thumb we learned from Burning Man, is a gallon per person per day. Also, while it should be safe, we never drink the water in our freshwater tank anyway.
To slide out or not…
Many campers feature mechanical slide-outs that can open once parked. Having them provides a much roomier interior. However, there are some drawbacks. Slide-outs add more weight, the mechanical components can malfunction, and when the slide-outs are in, it makes the camper very cramped.
Storage Costs
At some point, you’ll need to store your camper. Don’t overlook this. Factor in storage costs when evaluating campers. The bigger the camper, the bigger the storage cost.
Registration and Insurance Costs
Every camper must be registered and should have insurance. These costs vary significantly. Some states calculate registration costs by vehicle weight! Insuring drivables is always more expensive than towables.
To decide what type of camper is right for you, weigh the pros and cons.
Travel Trailer Pros vs. Cons
Pros
- trailer can be detached and free up tow vehicle to drive around
- cheaper to insure
- cheaper to register
- Tow vehicle maintenance is easy and familiar
- easy to live out of
- full of amenities
- lots of storage in the trailer and tow vehicle
- can easily be used as a tiny house on a piece of property
- integrated freshwater system (tank, heater, pump)
- integrated wastewater system
- Wired for electrical
- AC (usually standard feature)
- furnace (usually standard feature)
- water heater
- indoor kitchen
- fridge
- suitable for 2 or more people
Cons
-
requires a tow vehicle
-
learning curve for driving a trailer
-
no access to your stuff while on the road
-
challenging to park
-
difficult to get around in a city
-
makes for a long vehicle on road
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wear and tear on your tow vehicle
Conversion Van Pros vs. Cons
Pros
-
easy to maneuver – anyone can drive it
-
fits into a parking space
-
build-out to suit your personal wants/needs
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can be stored in a driveway (sometimes in a garage)
-
inconspicuous travel
-
simplified and streamlined camping
-
can get to campsites others can not
-
good ground clearance
-
#vanlife image
Cons
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small – limited space
-
you have to pick and choose your amenities
-
expensive buying a new vehicle
-
expensive registration
-
expensive to insurance
-
can be costly to build-out
-
time lost building it out
-
minimal storage
-
no integrated freshwater system
-
no integrated wastewater system
-
no separate electrical system
-
no AC
-
no furnace
-
no hot water
-
Most cooking is done outdoors
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no fridge
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2 people max (maybe small kids)
RV (Recreational Vehicle) Pros vs. Cons
Pros
- all in one camper and vehicle
- full of amenities
- comfortable and roomy
- lots of storage
- access to stuff while on the road
- integrated freshwater system
- integrated wastewater system
- indoor kitchen
- shower
- toilet
- AC
- furnace
- water heater
- room for the whole family
Cons
-
large size
-
very expensive to buy
-
very expensive to insure
-
very expensive to register
-
not well equipped for off-road travel
-
requires a large space to store
-
your only mode of transportation
-
specialized mechanics to service vehicle
-
very expensive service fees
-
very expensive fuel costs
-
limitations to camping outside
-
campgrounds
A common question when buying your first travel trailer, van, or RV…
“Should I buy new or used?”
Based on our experience, to get the most value for your dollar – you are better off buying a used camper. It’s a fact that new campers depreciated significantly once driven off the lot. For some campers that depreciation can be as high as 20%!!! I don’t know about you, but that hurts.
Buying used isn’t easy, though. It will require a considerable amount of work on your end to track down precisely what is you’re looking for. You may also end up having to settle for something a little less than perfect. In our opinion, though, that leaves room to make it your own!
For additional savings, buy your travel trailer, van, or RV from a private party. In most states, private party transactions aren’t subject to tax. After pricing out a few campers at your local dealer, you’ll see how much these savings on taxes can be!
Resources for buying used Campers:
What type of camper was right for us?
Before buying anything, we spent weeks educating ourselves on the types of campers available and went out to see countless campers in person. Eventually, we identified what was most important to us.
- We wanted something small, just for the two of us.
- We wanted our camper to be capable of getting to campsites both on and off-road.
- We wanted something to comfortably travel with our two little dogs, Tootsie and Ozzy.
- But, most of all, we wanted something unique with a bit of character, or one we could make out own.
The reasons we bought a travel trailer!
In the end, we settled on a 17′ Casita travel trailer.
Here are the reasons why:
- We already own a perfectly good tow vehicle. (Ford F-150)
- It has air conditioning to keep our dogs (and us) comfortable in the heat.
- It has a bathroom with a toilet and shower.
- It’s small and compact design will allow us to go just about anywhere.
- It’s the perfect balance of unique and functional for us.
- It has room for improvement, but not immediately necessary.
We know it is difficult to figure out what type of camper is right for you, and we are here to help if you have further questions. Before buying your first travel trailer, van, or RV – do the research. Identify what matters most to you and how you’ll be using it.
Please feel free to ask questions in the comments below.
Wishing you happy camper hunting and many new memories on the road!
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