Motorhomes are a great way to travel. You have the freedom to get away whenever you want without having to book airline flights, rental cars, or lodging. You may already be sold on buying a motorhome, but maybe you’re trying to decide which type is right for you. There are three different classes of motorhomes, each with their own distinct features. Our Wilkins RV team in New York invites you to look into what each type has to offer so you can decide which type is right for you.
Class A Motorhomes
Class A motorhomes are constructed using heavy-duty frames built on a motor vehicle chassis specifically designed for a motorhome, commercial truck, or bus. This makes the frames on a class A motorhome similar to that of an 18-wheeler truck. They also have large wheels capable of carrying heavier loads. Class A motorhomes can operate on either gas or diesel fuel and typically achieve 8 to 10 mpg.
In a class A motorhome, you’ll usually find two areas known as slide-outs, which are designed to provide you with more living space. They’re luxurious and high quality and provide the most room of any of the motorhome types. The interior of class A motorhomes features large, roomy living quarters and ample storage. They can sleep two to four people and have a bedroom in the back of the motorhome, with additional sleeping areas provided by fold-down couches in the main living area.
A class A motorhome may be the right type for you if you’re seeking a motorhome with ample space that combines high luxury with residential features that add a home-like environment to your traveling experience. This makes it excellent if you have a large family, you’re a retiree, you often travel with your friends, or you want to travel with the comforts of home. Many class A motorhomes have premium interior upgrades, like leather seating, marble countertops, and hardwood floors. However, they’re not a good choice if you plan to drive down tight roads or visit campgrounds with size limitations.
Although the specific features depend on the model you choose, here are some of the amenities you can expect to find in a class A motorhome:
- Full kitchen, with a stove and full-sized refrigerator.
- Designated dining area.
- Multiple sleeping spaces.
- Enclosed master bedroom with a door.
- Living room with various seating options, including couches.
- Entertainment center.
- Full bathroom with a toilet, sink, shower, and bathtub.
- Multiple closets.
- Extra passenger seating.
- Electric awning.
- Slide-out deck.
- Slide-out storage on the exterior.
- Built-in exterior tables, grills, and other camping equipment.
Class B Motorhomes
Class B motorhomes look similar to vans, so much so that they’re often known as camper vans or van conversions. The difference is that class B motorhomes are designed to be tall enough for an average-height person to stand up inside. Class B motorhomes offer a living area, a kitchen, and a bathroom, but they’re compact due to the motorhome’s length. As a space-saving measure, it has a wet bathroom — a shower that takes up the whole room, a sink, and a toilet.
Some class B motorhomes will have slide-outs to provide more living and sleeping space. These are most often found in fancier and larger class B+ motorhomes, including regular class B upgrades. An advantage of a class B motorhome is that due to its smaller size, it’s the least expensive type of motorhome, and it also gets better gas mileage than the other motorhome types.
They’re also the easiest to drive, and their compact size means you don’t have to tow a car, as you can drive and park your class B motorhome almost anywhere, including a standard public parking space or on a typical driveway.
However, their convenient size and maneuverability does come with some drawbacks. Because they’re smaller, the interior is cramped and only provides a little storage space. You’ll also have to detach the hook-ups from a class B motorhome every time you exit a camping area. However, if these aspects are acceptable to you, and you love the convenience of traveling to more places, even within a more crowded city environment, a class B or class B+ motorhome may be the ideal choice.
Although the specific features depend on the model you choose, here are some of the amenities you can expect to find in a class B motorhome:
- A sleeping area, most often convertible, that you can tuck away into a wall when not in use to provide more space.
- A kitchenette.
- A small dining area.
- A small bathroom.
- A small amount of storage space.
- A solar setup for boondocking.
- Off-road capabilities, such as upgraded trail tires or four-wheel-drive options.
Class C Motorhomes
Class C motorhomes are medium sized and have a distinct appearance due to their over-cab sleeping area. This area provides:
- An additional sleeping zone.
- Extra space for the living area.
- A kitchen.
- A larger bathroom.
- Storage.
Most class C motorhomes have sleeping space for four to eight people. They can tow a separate car you may need for sightseeing or running errands in crowded areas, such as within a city. Most can also pull a small boat instead of a car.
The drawbacks to a class C motorhome are that you need to attach a car so you can navigate in certain areas, such as a city, and it’s virtually impossible to find a large enough parking space in a downtown area. They get worse mileage than a class B motorhome but slightly better than the large class A types. If you have a large family or are traveling with a group and want to tow a vehicle behind you, a class C motorhome could be the right choice for you.
Although the specific features depend on the model you choose, here are some of the amenities you can expect to find in a class C motorhome:
- Multiple sleeping spaces.
- Full kitchen.
- Dedicated dining area.
- Full bathroom.
- Extra seating for passengers.
- Closets and storage space.
- Slide-out deck.
- Built-in awning.
- Outdoor storage.
Whichever class of motorhome you prefer, you’ll find it at Wilkins RV. If you need help determining which type of motorhome is right for you, we’re happy to help you decide on features and styles. Call us at 833-202-5733 or complete our secure online form. With seven locations across New York, there’s a Wilkins RV near you to handle your RV needs.
