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What are the types of RVs?
Class A - The largest of the RVs, from 30 to 40 feet long, built on a 3-10 ton truck chassis or custom undercarriage. Class A motorhomes are usually feature rich, and can sleep up to 8 people. They can be quite expensive, usually $100,000 and above.
Class B - Generally referred to as "van conversions," they are built upon a van chassis without changing the length or the width of the van, and are usually less than 20 feet long. Class B motorhomes sleep 2 to 4, and usually cost around $40,000 and up.
Class C - Smaller versions of Class A motorhomes, Class C motorhomes are usually between 20 and 30 feet, and sleep up to 10 people. This class of RV is built on a large van or truck chassis, and can cost $50,000 and up.
Fifth-Wheel Trailers - Large travel trailers that extend over the bed of the tow vehicle and connect to it using a horizontal (fifth) wheel-shaped plate which connects to a special hitch in the bed of the tow vehicle. This towing arrangement makes for easier handling, and requires a specially-equipped tow vehicle (usually a full-sized truck). Costing from $15,000 to $150,000, fifth-wheel trailers can generally sleep up to 6 people.
Travel Trailers - Sort of a catch-all for trailers, anywhere from a single occupant box on wheels to a 30 foot trailer equivalent of the Class A motorhome. Many have the same features as the Class A motorhome, and can cost just as much. Generally, travel trailers can sleep up to 10 people, depending on the size. Cost: $10,000 to over $100,000.
Pop-Ups - Also called "folding trailers," "tent trailers," or "camping trailers," these are lightweight trailers designed to be towed by a mid-sized car and stored in a regular garage or yard. They are essentially tents of varying rigidity on trailers, with most of the same features (kitchenettes, stoves, generators, etc) as other motorhomes. Pop-ups typically sleep up to 6, and can cost anywhere from $3,500 to $25,000 or so.
Campers - Also known as "truck campers" or "slide-on campers." They are camper bodies placed onto the bed of pick-up trucks (the tailgate is usually removed from the truck). These models are particularly popular with hunters and weekenders, and are quite easily put on and taken off of the trucks. Campers can sleep 2 to 6, and can cost from $5,000 to $30,000.
All of these vehicles can feature toilets, stoves, running water, generators, refridgerators, slideouts, televisions, and electrical systems.
Do I need a special license to drive any of these vehicles?
Generally, no. Some states do require a special class of license only for the largest types of RVs, but for the most part if you are licensed to drive a car, you can drive an RV. You do not need a CDL to operate an RV.
