Find the Right RV Type

Before we bought our most recent RV, we looked at nearly every single type of RV on the market.  Salesmen came and went; they tired of us after they realized that we weren’t really sure what we wanted.  We liked our 28 foot fifth wheel for our weekend trips, but when we went full-time we found that there wasn’t enough space for everything, especially since I needed an office space. We didn’t want anything longer than 35 feet since that can limit some of the campsites that you can fit into. Some of the issues we found with the units we looked at:

• Not enough bedroom closet space
• No extra room for the dogs
• No office space
• No receiver hitch for our bikes
• Not enough outdoor storage
• Weird/ awkward layout in the living space, TV situated perpendicular to couch instead of across from it
• Hardly any kitchen counter space 

To save you some of that same trouble, this is our best guide to choosing the RV that is right for you.

If you aren’t familiar with the different RV types, you can see our page that lists them here. 

If you just aren’t sure what type you will be happiest with, we’ve tried to break it down here.  At the end of the article/checklist, we have a nice summary by RV type – jump ahead if you’d like.

The first thing to consider is how you will be using your RV.  To get the thought process going, consider this list of important things:

Do you want a towable or a motorized RV? This was something we thought we had figured out. We wanted to have a smaller vehicle to tow behind a Class A or Class C so it would be easier to get around to local places once we arrived at a destination. But then we couldn’t find the right layout in those options, at least not in the length of units we were looking at.

• Towables – fifth wheels or travel trailers – will require a lot of truck to tow these!  Think about the size and cost of truck you will need. We have heard some stories from folks who thought they had a big enough truck and bought a towable RV, just to find out that their truck couldn’t handle the RV that they bought. After shopping for Ford F-350s, we ended up with a used Ford F-450, which has a better turning radius than the F-350. 
• Motorized – Class A, Class C or Super C.  These can have really nice layouts, but in my opinion you have to get the biggest, longest units with lots of slide outs in order to have a nice layout that works well for full-time RVing and working.  If you opt for a motorized RV, then you’ll likely also need a car to pull behind, or a “dinghy”, to drive around also.  This takes a little research, since some vehicles need to be on a trailer for towing, some can be towed with the rear wheels down using a dolly, and some can be towed all 4 wheels down or flat-towed ( a lot of Jeeps can be flat-towed).

Are you a weekend or vacation traveler or will you be living in it full-time?

• Weekend Travelers
  • Storage isn’t as much of an issue
  • Fun options like an outdoor TV or outdoor kitchen might be good to consider
  • Something smaller and easier to maneuver might work for you
• Full-time Travelers
  • Think about storage. It can seem like an RV has lots of storage space, but really think about the things you will be bringing with you and where they will fit. 
  • Indoor kitchen space may be more important since you won’t always have nice weather allowing you to grill outside.
  • Chances are you’ll need a larger RV to fit this lifestyle 

How many people are you traveling with?

• Extra sleeping space may be needed. Consider a unit with a bunkhouse or a sofa sleeper. Some dining sets have benches that fold out into an extra bed.
• Entryway space is something to think about. Where will your shoes and coats go when you come in?  This becomes more important the more people you have traveling with you. In our first RV, which was a fifth wheel, we removed one of the chairs from the back near the door and put in a shoe bench and some coat hooks.  

How many pets will you be traveling with?

• Dogs or cats traveling with you need their own space too. Many layouts in class A and class C RVs didn’t have extra spaces where dog beds and dog dishes could go. In my opinion, fifth wheels and travel trailers have better space for pets. Motorized units with bunkhouses have some extra room for pets also, but we couldn’t find the right layout for us in these units.

Do you need office space?

• I work remotely, so a space that could be dedicated for working was a must.  Even if you don’t work remotely, if you’ll be RVing full-time, it’s nice to have a space for a computer. This seemed to be something that salesmen didn’t really understand fully. They said things like “you can just use the dining room table”. Can I, though? Then I would need to tear down my computer and extra monitor if I want to use my dining table. I found that units with a bunkhouse or rear living space work well for an office.  We ended up getting one with a rear living space and I use the extra sofa sleeper and a portable computer desk for my office.  It’s nice because it’s not in anyone’s way during the day when I’m working. 

What are you comfortable driving?

• If you’re comfortable driving something 45 feet long, then you certainly will have less trouble finding the layout you want. However, you may have some trouble finding campsites that can fit your rig and your tow vehicle or dinghy.  Are you comfortable backing up a trailer or fifth wheel? This is something that took us some practice. 

What is your budget?

• I suppose there are some people who aren’t worried about cost, but I am not one of them! I think most of us have a budget we need to work within. Find your maximum dollar amount ( including truck or dinghy) and make it clear to the salesman that it’s your maximum.
• Think about extra things like fuel, insurance, roadside assistance programs, repairs (tire replacement happens pretty often if you’re full-time).  Check our page about budgeting for more tips.

Do you have extra motorized vehicles you want with you – ATVs, motorcycles, etc ?

• Toy haulers are available in fifth wheels and travel trailers as well as some Class A and Class C units 
• Toy haulers are also a good option if you want to customize something since the rear space is open to allow room for “toys”

What type of places do you envision staying at?

• If you plan on boondocking often, check the holding tank capacities. You may also want something that is solar ready. 
• Staying at national parks and some state or county parks can mean that the sites are smaller and roads are narrower. These parks can be older and we’re set up to accommodate smaller campers.  
• If you plan on staying mostly at private parks with full hookups, then you don’t need to worry as much about rig size and holding tank size. 

How much storage do you need?

• Indoor storage for clothes, kitchen gadgets and dishes/glassware, toiletries, towels, cleaning supplies, laundry hamper or basket, hobby items (we have golf clubs, a telescope, a drone, some books and a few games), electronics, etc.
• Outdoor storage for a grill and supplies, chairs, bug zappers and/or sprays, hoses and connectors, electric cable, tools, laundry basket, hobby items (this is where we keep golf clubs and telescope), hammock, gas fire pit, etc.

Will you be doing a lot of cooking indoors?

• For full-time RVing, kitchen space is extra important. You can’t grill out all the time! Check counter space and remember that you’ll also need space for a dish drying rack. I like a single sink so I can fit larger pans. We chose a unit with a kitchen island and that gives us extra counter space AND extra storage space.

Power requirements

• 30 amp and 50 amp are available now at most parks, especially newer ones.  Some parks charge more for a site with 50 amp hookup. There is a campground we stay at in the summer that still only has 30 amp sites.
• Smaller or older units will most likely be 30 amp.
• Larger RVs with 2 air conditioning units will be 50 amp. Consider possible additional cost to get the 50 amp sites.

Do you have bicycles or other items that you want to attach to the rear of the RV?

• Rear bumpers on many/most RVs aren’t made to handle much weight.  We’ve seen folks who put a bike rack or other heavy item on the rear bumper and heard horror stories of the bumper breaking away and falling off in transit, along with anything that was attached. Know the weight capacity of the bumper before attaching a rack of any kind to it.  
• Look for a unit with a receiver hitch. We put this on our list of must-haves, but then ended up buying something that we really liked but didn’t have a receiver hitch.  Our ebikes are almost 50 lbs. each, plus the weight of the bike rack.  We had to rig a receiver hitch using extra components to transfer the weight and torque of the bikes and the bike rack to the actual I-beam frame of the camper.

Weight and towing capacity 

• This is mentioned above, but it’s important enough to mention again. We have heard so many stories about people who already have a truck and then purchase an RV that’s too big and heavy (include cargo in your weight calculations) for their existing truck to tow safely.  Salesmen won’t necessarily help you out with this, so make sure you research towing capacity before you go ahead and buy a truck or an RV.  

Even with everything we had mapped out above, we still ended up getting something different than we thought we wanted!  So we didn’t get everything we wanted, but are much happier with a little bit bigger (not too big) fifth wheel and a bigger truck with a better turning radius. U-turns in the truck don’t scare us anymore, and this setup is much more stable and easier to handle. 

Pros and cons by RV type:

Make a list of “must haves” and “nice to haves” and send it to your salesman.

• Length
• Type (Class A, fifth wheel, etc )
• Budget
• Weight limits
• Holding tank capacities desired
• Required sleeping space
• Power requirements, 30 or 50 amp. Solar ready?
• Space requirements like office space, room for pets, large entryway, etc.
• Needs like a receiver hitch or bumper with large weight capacity for bicycles, etc.
• Storage space requirements (we listed a large bedroom closet), both inside and outside
• Kitchen space requirements (we needed more counter space)
• Features such as fireplace, awning lights, outdoor kitchen or TV

I sure hope this helps you when you are RV shopping ! Please share any ideas you have with use below.