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Uses for Recreation Vehicles
Whether it's for a weekend getaway or a moderate duration trip or even longer term stays for work or pleasure, an RV provides convenient accommodations, outstanding comfort, and abundant amenities to the RV enthusiast. Some use an RV as a comfortable way to spend quality time in the outdoors with family and friends. Some use an RV as their "condo on wheels" while they tour our great country and bordering countries as well. And some use an RV as a more permanent abode when they explore places in more depth or have mobile work assignments. However an RV is used, there are several different types and many different models that have appeared over time to satisfy various traveler needs while on the go.
Types of RVs
According to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), an RV is a motorized or towable vehicle that combines transportation and temporary living quarters for travel, recreation and camping. There are several types of RVs that fall into three general groups - motorized, towables, and mountables. The motorized group is divided into Class A, Class B, and Class C. The towables are fifth wheels, travel trailers, and pop-up campers. The mountables are most often truck campers, but can also be chassis mounted, using pickup trucks or utility trucks as the base. Some models within the motorized and towables groups are called 'toy haulers' because of their ability to carry ATVs, motorcycles, small boats, and sometimes cars within the RV itself. Some large towables are also referred to as 'park models' because they are usually left in an RV park or resort for extended periods of time. For a more technical definition of the various types of RVs, look at the Canadian RV Association (CRVA) descriptions.
Be sure to refer to the section About Buying for more detail on how to choose the type of RV that will best suit your needs.Pros and Cons of RV Types
Note that by definition, most all RVs are usually self contained with seating, sleeping, galley, and toilet areas suitable for use while dry camping. The differences are in the size, features, luxury, comfort, and capacity of various models.
| Motorized RVs | ||
| RV Type | Pros | Cons |
Class A |
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Class B |
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Class C |
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| Towable RVs | ||
| RV Type | Pros | Cons |
Fifth Wheel |
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Travel Trailer |
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Pop-Up |
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| Mountable RVs | ||
| RV Type | Pros | Cons |
Truck Camper |
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Towing Food For Thought
Towables and mountables obviously require a suitable tow vehicle for best performance and safety. Care must be taken when selecting a tow vehicle to make sure it is not overloaded by the RV. Tow vehicles are rated two ways - towing capacity and payload capacity. Towing capacity - which is different for trailers and fifth wheels/ goosenecks - identifies how much weight the tow vehicle can pull and stop within safety limits selected by the manufacturer of the tow vehicle. Payload capacity - which includes passengers, fuel, cargo, equipment, and any weight placed on the tow vehicle by the RV such as hitch weight - identifies how much weight the tow vehicle can carry without causing damage to the tow vehicle's suspension or axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the tow vehicle is the maximum weight that should ever be carried by the vehicle and includes the weight of the tow vehicle along with the payload. In addition to the GVWR, there are Gross Axle Weight Rating/Front (GAWR/F) and Gross Axle Weighting/Rear (GAWR/R) that should not be exceeded. And lastly, the load rating, carrying capacity, and air pressure of the tires and wheels must be adequate to support the load on the axles. The Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of the tow vehicle includes the GVWR of the tow vehicle plus the weight of the RV being pulled.
All towables and mountables have a payload that is placed on the tow vehicle. Travel trailers and pop-ups place a load on the hitch attached to the bumper or frame at the rear of the vehicle. Fifth wheels place a payload on the hitch in the bed of the truck over the rear wheels and is thus somewhat safer that rear attachment. Mountables place the entire load on the bed of the truck. Always check the capacity of the hitch and payload of the tow vehicle when purchasing either the tow vehicle or RV to make sure the combination will be safe on the road. The weight of the RV plus the weight of the tow vehicle plus the weight of any other cargo, fuel and passengers must not exceed the GCWR of the tow vehicle or stopping the rig will become a problem. If the weight does exceed the GCWR, sooner or later you will find out the hard way when you try to stop in an emergency or try to slow the rig down when descending a long hill. And always play it safe and use auxiliary braking systems on the towables when possible, whether your state requires it or not.
Note: It is the responsibility of the owner and operator of the tow vehicle to make sure the tire ratings, GAWR, GVWR and GCWR of the tow vehicle and RV are known and not exceeded. Weigh your vehicle and RV configured to travel to find out how much each weighs and how much they weigh together. It only costs a few dollars and will make everyone feel more at ease.You must also make sure the capacity of the hitch is correct for the trailer being towed.
| Hitch Class Capacity/Rating Table | |||||
| Class* | SAE I | SAE II | SAE III | SAE IV | V |
| Hitch Types** | WC | WC | WC,WD | WC,WD | WC,WD |
| SAE WC GTW*** | 2,000 | 3,500 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 12,000 |
| SAE WC TW*** | 200 | 350 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,200 |
| WD GTW | N/A | N/A | 10,000 | 14,000 | 17,000 |
| WD TW | N/A | N/A | 1,000 | 1,400 | 1,700 |
| Receiver Size | 1-1/4" | 1-1/4" | 2" | 2" | 2-1/2" |
| Hitch Ball Size | 1-7/8" | 2" | 2" | 2" | 2-5/16" |
| Hitch Ball Shank Size | 3/4"-1" | 3/4"-1" | 1"-1-1/4" | 1"-1-1/4" | 1-1/4" |
| Attaches To | Bumper, Frame | Bumper, Frame | Frame | Frame | Frame |
| *SAE Class I - IV from Pub. J684 | **WC=Weight Carrying; WD=Weight Distributing; ***GTW=Gross Trailer Weight; TW=Tongue Weight | ||||