A motorhome (or coach [1] ) is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle (RV) which is as the name suggests, like a home on wheels. [2]
A motorhome (or coach [1] ) is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle (RV) which is as the name suggests, like a home on wheels. [2]
Motorhomes usually have sleeping spaces for two to eight people. Each sleeping space is either fixed or converted from another part of the motorhome's interior, usually a fold-out sofa. A kitchenette area contains cooking equipment. The type of equipment included differs depending on the motorhome make and model, but generally a kitchenette has a stovetop, oven, refrigerator, and sink. More luxury models may also provide a microwave. A small bathroom with a shower, sink and toilet is usually also located in the motorhome. On smaller motorhomes, the toilet may be of the "cassette toilet" type, which is a kind of portable toilet or container-based toilet. The toilet sometimes swivels to provide extra room and can be accessed from outside the motorhome for easy emptying. [3] Larger motorhomes usually have a separate shower cubicle.
A motorhome also has a cab area with a driver and passenger seat. These seats often swivel to become part of the living space. A dinette area provides a table and seating space typically used for eating meals. A lounge may also be included, consisting of either a U-shaped sofa located in the rear of the motorhome or a side lounge.
In the United Kingdom and the United States, the word motorhome is commonly used. On occasion, other synonyms are used, such as motor home and motor caravan.
In Germany, a motorhome is referred to as a Wohnmobil. In Sweden, the term husbil means motorhome. In France, a motorhome is called a camping-car. In Italy, the term camper is used to mean motorhome in general, and the term motorhome refers to Class A motorhomes in particular. [4] Spain and Portugal use auto caravana or auto-caravana. In the Netherlands and in Poland, the term camper is used.
In Australia and New Zealand, the term campervan is frequently used for smaller vans, either with a low top or high top that do not have a toilet and shower. In New Zealand, the term housebus is frequently used for larger motorhomes.
In some countries, the proprietary name Winnebago has been largely genericised to refer to any motorhome.[ citation needed ]
The origins of the motorhome date back to 1910, when the Pierce-Arrow motor company introduced the Touring Landau model at the Madison Square Garden auto show. [5] [2] The Pierce-Arrow's entry was specialized for the camper in mind—providing cargo compartments for camping equipment and even an on-board toilet. [6] In the 1920s, individual builders and manufactures began to convert panel trucks and buses to be used for camping. Designers patterned these "housecars" after airplanes, boats, and buses. [7]
RV production was halted during World War Two and would not resume for the domestic market until the 1950s. [8] When production did begin again, designers began grafting trailer bodies onto truck or bus chassis. [7]
Raymond Frank gave these housecars their contemporary name of “motorhome". Following a pattern common in RV history, in 1958 Frank designed and built his first motorhome so his family could take vacations to Florida and the mid-west; it was 27 feet (8.2 m) long and mounted on a Dodge chassis. Soon afterwards, other campers took an interest in the design and asked Frank to build them one too. By 1960, the Franks had sold seven motorhomes, and decided to open Frank Motor Homes, Inc. the next year. With the stylish fiberglass construction and contemporary color palette, the Frank motorhomes became an acceptable option for 1960s suburbanites who wanted an RV but scoffed at the travel trailer. [9]
Soon other firms began to manufacture these mainstream motorhomes. In 1958, one of the most recognizable names[ citation needed ] in motorhomes was launched—Winnebago. [10] Under the direction of John Hanson, Winnebago began to produce nearly all of their motorhomes' components other than the chassis. In ten years, Winnebago had grown from 415 employees to 1,252 in 1969 with over $3 million in sales. [11] While Winnebago was the market leader, other companies were also growing. In 1969 a total of 23,100 motorhomes were sold. [12] While the gas crunch of the 1970s drove many manufacturers out of business—including Frank Motorhomes (then known as Travco) [13] —today, the motorhome market continues to be strong. In 2014, 43,900 motorhomes were sold in the United States. [14]
Motorhomes can be roughly categorized into three categories:
There are many different motorhome layouts available with each manufacturer offering a range of options. One layout innovation that started in 1999 was the development of a slide out or slide room. As seen on the floor plan of the Thor Motor Coach, a slide out is an area that increases the square footage living space of the motorhome. [2] These slide out(s) extend to allow for more living space while parked and retract while driving. As with most innovations, the original slide outs were considered a luxury item, whereas they are now standard on most of today's[ when? ] motorhomes.[ dubious – discuss ]
Campsite, campground, and camping pitch are all related terms regarding a place used for camping. The usage differs between British English and American English.
A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans, fifth-wheel trailers, popup campers, and truck campers.
A caravan, travel trailer, camper, tourer or camper trailer is a trailer towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent. It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places where none is available. However, in some countries campers are restricted to designated sites for which fees are payable.
The Volkswagen Transporter (T4), marketed in North America as the Volkswagen EuroVan, is a van produced by the German manufacturer Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles between 1990 and 2004, succeeding the Volkswagen Type 2 (T3) and superseded by the Volkswagen Transporter (T5).
A campervan, also referred to as a camper, caravanette, motorhome or RV in North America, is a self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation. The term describes vans that have been fitted out, whereas a motorhome is one with a coachbuilt body.
A recreational vehicle park or caravan park is a place where people with recreational vehicles can stay overnight, or longer, in allotted spaces known as "sites" or "campsites". They are also referred to as campgrounds, though a true campground also provides facilities for tent camping; many facilities calling themselves "RV parks" also offer tent camping or cabins with limited facilities.
A dump station is a place where raw sewage may be entered into a sanitary sewer system in a safe and responsible way. Dump stations are often used by owners of motorhomes, campervans, recreational vehicles or boats that are equipped with toilet facilities and a sewage holding tank, also known as a blackwater holding tank. The holding tank can be safely emptied at a dump station. Greywater holding tanks can also be emptied at a dump station.
Airstream is an American brand of travel trailer easily recognized by the distinctive shape of its rounded and polished aluminum coachwork. This body shape dates back to the 1930s and is based on the Bowlus Road Chief, an earlier model of the all-aluminum travel trailer.
The Travco motorhome was an aerodynamic Class A recreational vehicle built on a Dodge chassis from 1964 until the late 1980s. The Travco design originally emerged as a 1961 model called the "Dodge Frank Motor Home" and marketed with the assistance of the Chrysler Corporation, with many Travcos being sold with Dodge branding. 131 were produced the first year, with an average price tag of $9000. The Travco/Dodge Motor Home design and fiberglass body were refinements by Ray Frank to the original Frank Motor Home, a conventional box-type design based on the Dodge chassis and built in Brown City, Michigan from 1958 to 1962. Ray Frank, founder of Frank Industries, also coined the term "motorhome" and went on to develop Xplorer Motorhomes. Frank has been inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame & Museum as the father of the motorhome.
In North America, the term truck camper and its abbreviation TC are generally used to refer to any recreational vehicle or RV that may be carried in the bed of a pickup truck. In North America, this RV type is sometimes known as a slide-in or cab-over.
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is an American manufacturer of motorhomes, a type of recreational vehicle (RV), in the United States. In 2018, the company expanded into motorboat manufacturing with the acquisition of Chris-Craft Corporation. Winnebago has also manufactured light-to-medium utility vehicles as well as other products. The company is named after Winnebago County, Iowa, where it used to be headquartered. The county is named after the Native American tribe who have historically lived in the area. During the 1970s and 1980s, Winnebago Industries depended on Native American history and traditions in naming their products, for example "Chieftain" and "Brave." They also used Native American iconography and patterns in their designs and period advertisements.
The Volkswagen California is a campervan based on the mid-sized Transporter panel van, developed by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) and sold since 2003. It is the first campervan designed and built in-house by VWCV Special Business Unit, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
Xplorer Motorhomes are small Class B motorhomes built on a van chassis. It was the designer and builder of the first production motorhome. Ray Frank, the creator of the Travco Motorhome, saw his Frank Industries sold and renamed Travco in the early sixties. He began Xplorer Motor Homes in 1967, seeing a market for small, garageable motorhomes based on Dodge vans. The roofs and back walls were removed and extended with fiberglass domes, and some models had dropped floor areas that created six feet or more of standing room.
Tourism Holdings Limited usually called 'THL' and formerly known as The Helicopter Line is a New Zealand tourism company that has been listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange since 1986.
Holiday Rambler Corporation is an American corporation which primarily manufactures recreational vehicles. It was founded in 1953. In 1961, Holiday Rambler's introduction of aluminum body framing ushered in a new era of lighter, stronger and more durable recreational vehicles (RVs). This aluminum frame (Alumaframe) became the standard for lighter and stronger RVs for 40 years. Holiday Rambler was also responsible for many firsts; built-in refrigerators, holding tanks and aerodynamic radiused corners. As Holiday Rambler moved into motorhomes, they were the first with tag axles and the kitchen slide-out revolutionized "interior engineering" in the field. Holiday Rambler was sold to Harley-Davidson in 1986 and later in 1996 to the Monaco Coach Corporation where its future, then under Navistar International Corp., was difficult in 2010 as it was for most motorhome manufacturers.
A pop-up camper is a type of towed recreational vehicle that can be collapsed for easy storage and transport. When set up, this type of trailer provides a large amount of interior space when compared to its size when collapsed. Its relatively affordable price makes it a popular choice for some RVers and its small size contributes to easier towing than many other types of RVs.
The Winnebago LeSharo is a Class B (low-profile) recreational vehicle that was assembled by Winnebago Industries from 1983 to 1992. Though also using a cutaway van chassis like larger motorhomes, the LeSharo was designed to optimize fuel economy with an aerodynamically-enhanced exterior.
The term recreational vehicle (RV) is often used as a broad category of motor vehicles and trailers which include living quarters for designed temporary accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, caravans, fifth-wheel trailers, popup campers, truck campers and Park Model RVs.
EarthCruiser started as an Australian company that designs and manufactures off-road recreational vehicles and truck campers for expedition and overlanding. The company was founded in 2008 by Lance Gillies and Michelle Boltz after the couple could not find a suitable overland vehicle for undertaking the Great Sandy Desert. EarthCruiser's motto is, "Go Further, Stay Longer."
Media related to Motorhomes at Wikimedia Commons