Which Is Best: Class A Motorhome or Travel Trailer?

In the past few years, we have been fortunate enough to rv full time in both a pull camper and Class A (no...not at the same time!). Coincidentally, both were the same age and length, too...which was completely unplanned but makes comparing both experiences a bit easier. There were pros and cons to both camper types.

Of course, the type of rv to buy (fifth wheel, Class A, B and C motorhomes and travel trailers, to list those most commonly used by fulltimers) depends on what meets an individual's needs and preferences, first and foremost. Some people will always stay with their favorite camper style, and the story ends there.

Our personal RV story, on the other hand, was one where we had no clue what we were doing when we spontaneously decided to walk away from everything and head straight into a home on wheels. We truly didn't even have the knowledge that all of these rigs had different names...weren't they all recreational vehicles???

Because we are living the simple life on a tight budget, our critiques are based more on practical matters and function...not decor, gadgets and other extras more modern rvs come with. Also, both of our homes had bathrooms with showers, bedrooms, kitchen and living areas...so they are quite equal in size....we have no personal bias in that regard. We honestly have enjoyed both styles for various reasons.

If you are unsure of which route to go, then our comparisons should help you make that final decision...so here we go.................

So let the games begin...in this corner, we have a '93 Fleetwood Bounder Class A, 30 feet in length. In the other corner, we have a Canadian brand, '93 Award Travel Trailer of the same dimensions...now lets compare...

1. SETTING UP - There is no match here. There is nothing like the ease of just pulling into a site with your motorhome. If it is raining, who really cares? With the pull camper, you have to unhook and, in our experience, spend a lot more time stabilizing and leveling. This is even more of an issue if your site doesn't have septic. You will need to reconnect and pull the trailer to the dump station every time the black and gray water need dumping.
2. GAS MILEAGE - As a general rule, the Award (pulled by a Nissan Frontier pickup truck) did better than the Bounder...but it depends what type of vehicle you are towing it with. If your truck gets bad mpg without lugging 5,000 pounds around, in will only get worse! Don't expect great gas mileage no matter which recreational vehicle you choose.
3. COST EFFECTIVENESS, IN GENERAL - Leaving repairs out of the equation, which we fortunately haven't had to contend with much, as frugal rvers living only on cash in hand, it saves us money to just have the Class A. Now we only have one vehicle to insure, maintain and repair....having two was hard to manage, financially...and there was always the risk of one or the other breaking down. We prefer to focus all of our finances and attention on one camper, one set of tires to purchase, one license/registration fee, etc. If we do get another car in the future, it will be just a cheap, liability-only vehicle, to get around town in.
4. MOBILITY - This one is a tie! As for the travel trailer, it was very convenient to have your vehicle right there, at all times. If your home broke down on the highway, you could drive to get help (unless it was your car that broke down, that is trickier). Pulling a vehicle with a large motor home makes terrible gas mileage even worse, and you are limited to the size you can pull. That said, a truck plus 30 feet of length behind it makes for a really, really long "train" to try and park vs the compactness of the Bounder...though the downside is it does feel like you are driving a bus, which some people might shy away from. It's definitely a personal preference, but we enjoy having it "all in one" - and you don't have to worry as much about winds and sway on the highways...just feels sturdier to us when driving.
5. ROOMINESS/CAPACITY - We have found that the ability to turn the captain's chairs around to face the living room makes us feel like we have gained an extra room. No doubt, both being the same length, our current home feels much larger inside...though both were laid out identical. We've also found that we have larger water tanks, extra standard perks such as a built-in generator so we can go boondocking with ease, a nicer septic dumping system instead of the external/messy one we had previously, larger propane tanks, two air conditioners instead of one...motorhomes, even old ones like ours, seem to come with more "everything."
6. INSURANCE - We aren't experts in the world of insurance for rvers, but we got a lot better coverage once we purchased the motorhome. The trailer was seen as "separate" and, if our car broke down but the trailer was fine, towing would not be covered to move it. Now it is like having car, rv and renter's insurance all in one package. We feel a lot more secure and less afraid of tragedies while traveling.

Our overall decision to sell our Award trailer and purchase the Class A was not easy to make. But in the end, we decided that having one rig to maintain, more space inside, larger capacity tanks, the ability to boondock, ease of pulling in a campsite and better insurance outweighed the better gas mileage and convenience of having our truck close at hand. Whatever you decide, really think it through if you plan to be a full time rver...and don't forget to look into Class C's and 5th wheels, too!

Happy Trails, Jim and Robin