There is a distinct choice between camper types, with travel trailers being more fitting for some and motorhomes fitting other tastes more closely. There is not a cut-and-dried answer to which is best because how you use the RV determines what works best for your family. Travel trailers are more robust, but deciding which is your best choice comes down to how you answer these questions.
Where Will You Camp?
Travel trailers tend to be a little more robust than a motorhome and make a great fixed camp at your travel stops. On the other hand, a motorhome is an all-in-one residence, restaurant, and gear storage. If you enjoy mingling with other people and visiting major attractions, motorhomes are the way to go.
Easy Access or Off-Road?
If you dream of getting off-grid and in touch with nature, motorhomes may be difficult to maneuver into tight places or along winding mountain roads. You can buy a travel trailer with heavy-duty suspension and large tires that go almost anywhere, but you cannot reduce the weight or change the suspension of a motorhome.
What Will You Do?
Motorhome living areas are accessible while the vehicle is in motion, which means passengers can remain a little more active. Travel trailers are off-limits when they are in motion, but trailers make an excellent base camp when the family wants to explore an area in the tow vehicle. Having a parked campsite is also beneficial to families with pets. It allows the people to visit locations where their pets may not be allowed without leaving the pet in an uncomfortable environment.
Cost Considerations
Considered alone, a travel trailer is much more affordable than a motorhome. It contains a living area and perhaps a storage unit on the back, compared to a motorhome that has living and driving built into a single unit. However, if you have to purchase a towing vehicle for your trailer, such as buying a fifth-wheel trailer that requires special equipment, the cost of that vehicle has to be considered as part of the RV investment. Because you are then buying 2 vehicles of different types the cost could very easily surpass that of a motorhome.
Fuel Cost
Motorhomes are not known for getting great gas mileage. Travel trailers require a tow vehicle that begins with a much higher range per gallon, diminishing as the load of the trailer increases. This can save you hundreds of dollars on a long excursion, or on a trip where the trailer is often parked and the vehicle used as transportation without the cost of pulling a residence along.
The choice between a motorhome and travel trailers leans toward the camper trailer being a more robust option. Motorhomes excel in luxury and convenience if that is your primary goal, but a towable camper is the most applicable for most other applications. The final decision will depend on your own preferences for RV travel, and what you need your RV to do.
