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Buying a motorhome is quite possibly the biggest investment a person will make in their lifetime, other than the house they are living in and maybe your daughter or son’s college tuition. But before you invest in one, you should do some serious research since it is such a sizeable outlay.

It is always a good plan to learn about the mechanics of owning and driving an RV. You should also look into the types of motorhome that exist to find just the right one for your situation.

But let’s back up just for a second to that first decision you need to make. “Is RV’ing for me?” should be the first question you answer before you start considering making the purchase.

How can you find out how well a motorhome will match up to your wants? Our best advice for you in this regard is to rent a motorhome and take it with you on vacation! You will certainly know whether or not you want to own a motorhome by the time you get back home. Even a short trip lasting only 4 to 7 days can help you and your spouse, if you have one, to decide whether or not you can handle the steering, parking, and operating demands of a motorhome. Some people may decide RV’ing is not as fun as it appeared at first, while others will love it.

Motorhomes come in three “classes” — A, B, and C. Class A motorhomes are constructed in one of three ways. They can be constructed on a commercial bus chassis, a commercial truck chassis, or a chassis that has been specially designed for a motorhome. Class A motorhomes are also the largest sized vehicles of the three classes and can be 20-45 feet in length.

Depending on your budget, a Class A motorhome can be had for 50,000 dollars on the low end. If you have the ability to spend more, you can specialize your motorhome; be aware, though, that some customized RV’s can raise the total to a million dollars. Even though many people will not go this route, it’s good to realize the costs that can build up.

You will find that most Class B motorhomes are built on a van chassis and have a roof that has been raised. Many have been turned from vans into motorhomes. Many people would think of them as a spruced up version of the van. If your roof is high enough, you might even be able to stand up inside the vehicle!

You should plan on a Class B if your trips include only one other person and are usually only about a week long or less. You can buy a Class B for a starting price of 30,000, but expect a lot of variance as far as pricing goes.

The Class C motorhomes are the final class we will consider. Usually, a Class C will be built on the chassis of a truck and the van will be joined with a cab section. This cab area can be based on either a truck or a van, with truck-based cabs leading the field.

One of the most noticeable features of Class C motorhomes is the cab-over section where sleeping room is found. They are often called “mini-motorhomes”.

By now, you have a good grasp of the three basic styles of motorhome available. Have a great time choosing your RV!

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