RV
The short answer
An RV is a self-propelled motorhome or a caravan you draw behind a car. Weight, height and the licence class decide which roads you can take, which pitches you can book and whether the combination is safe, so work from measured numbers rather than a brochure.
Choose the smallest category that covers how many people travel and how often you move, confirm your licence class covers the laden weight, and check the lowest height limit on your route before you book anything.
Motorhome types
Sixteen categories, from a 900 kg towable to a 12-metre coach, each with its real trade-offs.
Class A motorhome (coach-built)
Biggest interior inside the biggest footprint.
TypeClass B campervan (motorhome)
Van-based, goes anywhere, small footprint.
TypeClass C motorhome (over-cab bed version)
The over-cab bed: mid-size with two sleeping levels, at a price.
TypeTouring caravan (travel trailer)
The dependable caravan you tow behind the car.
TypeFifth-wheel trailer (North America)
A big-rig-style caravan that sits over the pickup's bed.
TypePop-up / folding caravan
A soft-sided tent you can tow behind almost anything.
TypeToy hauler (garage caravan)
A garage on wheels for motorbikes, quads and electric bikes.
TypePickup camper (slide-in)
A pop-top cabin that slides into the pickup's bed.
TypeStreamlined aluminium caravan
The aluminium egg: low drag, strong resale value.
TypeOff-road or expedition RV
Suspension, ground clearance and 400 litres of fresh water.
TypeEuropean campervan (Womo / Kastenwagen — German)
Compact, bus-legal, park nearly anywhere.
TypeTiny / lightweight caravan
Under 1,000 kg, towed by a petrol car.
TypeStatic caravan / lodge (holiday home)
Not for towing: a holiday home that stays on one pitch.
TypeBus or van conversion (skoolie)
A bus interior rebuilt from the shell up.
TypeAccessible or wheelchair-adapted RV
Step-free entry, roll-in showers, ramps and wheelchair restraints.
Guides
Buying, licensing, weights, power, water, heating, maintenance, packing and route planning, the nine guides people come back to.
Driving licences and towing rules around the world
What you may drive and draw, class by class, in the US, the EU, Australia, China and Japan.
GuideThe RV weight budget: how to load without over-loading anything
Kerb weight, GVWR, payload, tongue weight and axle load — the arithmetic that decides whether your outfit is safe.
GuideMotorhome electrical systems: a mains supply, batteries, inverter and solar
Twelve volts, 120 or 230 volts, watts and amp-hours — how to size a power system that matches the way you travel.
GuideWater systems and how to winterise an RV
Fresh, grey and black tanks, how much water a trip really uses, and how to drain an RV properly before the cold weather.
GuideHeating and cooling: a gas fired heater, a boiler, a diesel heater and air conditioning
How an RV stays warm off-grid and cool on a hot pitch, and what each system costs you in fuel, power and noise, and how much of it works off-grid.
GuideRoute planning for tall, wide and heavy vehicles (British and continental roads)
Height limits, width, length, gradients, altitude power loss and fuel — the numbers that decide which roads you can use.
GuideThe RV maintenance checklist that prevents most roadside breakdowns
Tyres, bearings, seals, roof, awning, battery and gas — what to check, and how often, before setting off rather than after.
GuideCampsite types and how the booking system works
Dry, electric and full serviced pitches, wild camping rules, membership networks and how not to arrive to a full site.
GuideWhat to pack for an RV, and what to leave at home
A working list of equipment that earns its weight, and the things that are usually regretted.
GuideHow to choose a first motorhome or caravan without wasting money
Budget, who travels, how often you move and where you go — the four questions that decide the type.
Destinations
Regions and routes, with the limits that actually decide whether your motorhome can get there.
American West: BLM land, national parks and the Pacific Coast
May to October; high-altitude roads close in winter
North AmericaAlaska: the last frontier road
June to early September
North AmericaCanadian Rockies: parks, glaciers and alpine passes
Late June to September
North AmericaBaja California and the Mexican Pacific
November to April; summer is extremely hot
EuropeThe Alpine route: Austria, Switzerland and the Dolomites
June to September
EuropeAtlantic Europe: France, Spain and Portugal
May to September
EuropeNordics and Iceland: fjords, ring road and midnight sun
June to August
OceaniaNew Zealand: South Island loop and the North Island coast
November to March (summer)
OceaniaAustralia: the Outback and the Great Ocean Road
April to October; winter is the safe travel season
AsiaJapan: compact rigs on a dense island network
March to May and September to November
AsiaWestern China: the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet routes
May to October
AfricaMorocco and the Atlas: North Africa in a campervan
March to May and September to November
This site in your language
Every language is a complete station, translated and adapted for the region rather than machine-rendered.
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Common questions
Direct answers, in the order people usually ask them.
Do I need a separate driving licence to drive a motorhome in Europe?
If the vehicle’s real operating weight stays at or below 3,500 kg and it carries no more than 8 passengers, an ordinary category B licence is normally enough. Above that you need a heavier category.
Can I tow a caravan on an ordinary car licence in the US?
It depends on the state and on the combined weight. Most states allow ordinary car towing up to a state limit, and require an endorsement above roughly 5 to 6 tonnes of gross combination weight. Confirm with your state DMV.
What exactly is the auto-combination in the EU?
A category B holder drawing a braked trailer where the car and the trailer each weigh up to 3.5 tonnes and the combined weight is up to 4.25 tonnes, subject to conditions and a short theoretical course.
Is the driving licence the limit when towing?
No. The hitch rating, the towing vehicle's kerb and tongue weight, and the caravan's brakes limit you before the licence does.
What is meant by payload on an RV?
GVWR minus the real kerb weight. It is the mass of everything you add: people, luggage, water, battery and gas.
How much tongue weight should a caravan have?
Typically 5 to 15 percent of the caravan's total weight, and it must stay within both the hitch rating and the vehicle's tongue-weight limit.