What types are there?
Description of all types of motorhomes.
Trailer
In this model of motorhome, the connecting link is considered to be a trailer. This option assumes a stationary rest and minimal road travel. Thanks to a wide range of models, it is possible to choose a suitable trailer house on wheels with the necessary dimensions and functionality.
The photo shows a compact trailer type motorhome.
Tent trailer
It is a tent that requires self-assembly. The trailer has no insulation, so it is suitable for recreation only in the warm season. When assembled, the dimensions of the structure are no more than 1 meter.
The trailer contains sleeping places, and other auxiliary areas are under the awning. A trailer tent motorhome is sometimes also equipped with a stove, sink or heater.
The advantages of such a motorhome are that it is mobile, has a small size and a low price, unlike other campers.
The disadvantages include a small capacity of no more than 4 people and the need to constantly unfold and fold the awning when stopping.
The photo shows a motorhome with a large tent.
Residential trailer
Mobile housing equipped with a toilet, shower, heater, necessary furniture and equipment. Another name is a caravan.
Advantages of a caravan: the structure can be detached at any time and you can continue traveling by car. A caravan has a low price and provides an opportunity to save money on staying in a motel.
The disadvantages include poor maneuverability, as well as a low speed of 80 to 90 kilometers per hour. You cannot stay in it while driving on the road, and many cities in Europe do not allow trailers to enter.
Motorhome or camper
A hybrid model that combines housing and a vehicle. Such a motorhome looks like a regular bus or minivan on the outside, but has a whole apartment inside. Even small types of campers are equipped with a TV, satellite dish, bicycle racks, etc.
When driving, all communications operate due to the car battery, and when parked – from external electrical sources.
Alcove motorhomes
Distinctive features of a motorhome include a superstructure located above the driver’s cabin. This alcove is supposed to accommodate an additional double bed. The motorhome has a capacity of up to seven people.
In the manufacture of a residential module with walls, floor and roof, panels are used that help improve thermal insulation. In addition, such a residential module is wider than a standard minibus, which allows you to increase the interior space of the alcove motorhome.
The advantages of this model are that it can differ in a large number of planning solutions. The presence of a cozy and warm double bed that can be closed with curtains is also an advantage.
Disadvantages: the motorhome has a peculiar appearance, poor maneuverability and is very high, which makes it difficult to drive in some places.
The photo shows an example of an alcove-type motorhome with a canopy.
Integrated houses
Belongs to premium and business class campers. Externally, it looks like a bus with a driver’s cabin and a body part of an individual configuration. Since the car cabin is integrated with the living module, the interior space increases. The capacity of such a motorhome is from 4 to 8 people.
For the production of semi-integrated models, a serial chassis is used, on which a residential compartment is mounted. The most popular brands of motorhomes are Ford, Fiat, Renault, Mercedes and many others.
Pros: due to the side and panoramic windshield, a good view opens up, sufficient capacity, the higher the speed, the lower the fuel costs.
Cons: high price category.
Residential minivans
They are a residential minibus that has a high roof. Due to their compactness, they are considered the most maneuverable of all types of mobile homes.
A camper van requires a living space with the necessary equipment and furniture. Due to the lack of space, a bathroom is rarely built in. Basically, a minivan can accommodate only two people. The Kastenwagen can act as a regular minivan in everyday life, and on the weekends it can be transformed into a comfortable camper.
Advantages: good maneuverability, the possibility of daily use as a standard car.
Disadvantages: little living space, small capacity, insufficiently high level of thermal insulation.
The photo shows a motorhome in the form of a residential minivan.
Pros and cons
The positive and negative aspects of living and traveling in a trailer.
No need to depend on travel agencies, worry about buying train or plane tickets and spend money on a hotel room.
Rest becomes more comfortable, as at any time you can cook food or take a shower.
Camping is not available in all countries.
Photo of the interior of the house
The layout of the house on wheels most often provides for the presence of a bedroom, a kitchen, a dining segment and a bathroom. Depending on the area of the residential module, the elements are located in different rooms or in one room. Below are photographs showing the inside of the camper.
Bedroom in a mobile home
There are separate and transformable beds. The first type is a stationary bed for one or two people, which occupies the aft part of the motorhome.
The photo shows a double bed inside the motorhome.
A transformable sleeping place is a fold-out sofa or chairs from the dining group that turn into a double bed.
The photo shows a trailer-tent on wheels with a fold-out sleeping place.
Cooking and eating area
A full-fledged area includes a gas stove, sink, built-in refrigerator, separate freezer, as well as shelves and drawers for storing utensils.
There are 230 volt sockets near the stove. Electricity is supplied only if the motorhome is connected to the network. The refrigerator can operate from the mains, battery or gas.
The kitchen unit can be angular or linear. The kitchen is supposed to be located in the stern or along any of the sides.
The photo shows the design of the kitchen and dining area in a trailer on wheels.
Bathroom
The only separate room, equipped with a sink, shower and bio-toilet. A small camper may not have a shower.
What does the house look like from the outside?
A motorhome-trailer has a simple appearance, which is easy to make with your own hands. With the help of welding skills, an ordinary old trailer can become a tourist camper on wheels for comfortable travel.
An equally ideal option is a motorhome based on a Gazelle minibus. The vehicle has an optimally sized body, which allows for a spacious living compartment.
The photo shows the exterior of a motorhome on wheels based on a truck.
For a house on wheels with increased cross-country ability, a Kamaz is used. Thanks to the roomy body, it is possible to organize several rooms inside. The only downside is that the truck is not designed to carry people, so it will be necessary to additionally sheathe and insulate the wall and ceiling structures.
Recommendations for arrangement
A number of nuances:
- To organize the light, the motorhome must be equipped with a battery and a control panel for power supply.
- You can heat the motorhome with several types of heaters, for example, autonomous or gas. It is better to give preference to a gas cylinder, which can also be used for cooking.
- An important point in the arrangement of the camper is the general ventilation system. In the kitchen area above the stove, an extractor hood should also be installed.
- The motorhome should be equipped with compact pieces of furniture. Folding structures with wall mounting, folding beds, pull-out tables and other elements are suitable.
Selection of unusual houses
There are cool and exclusive motorhomes, distinguished by high functionality and comfort. Such models are a luxury item. They have a spacious living space and a salon with the best types of materials. Expensive motorhomes are equipped with modern video and audio equipment, solar panels, a retractable terrace and a fireplace, as well as a bar and a jacuzzi. In the lower part of some houses, there is a cargo compartment and an automatic platform for placing a car.
An interesting solution is considered to be a floating motorhome. When an electric motor is attached to the trailer, it turns into a boat or a miniature motorboat for fishing and boating.
The photo shows a floating house on wheels combined with a boat.
The largest camper van is a five-story ship, made specifically for an Arab sheikh to travel through the desert. The caravan has a balcony, a terrace, 8 bedrooms with separate bathrooms, 4 garages for cars, and a water tank with a capacity of 24 thousand liters.
The photo shows a spacious camper van made from a bus with a cargo compartment for a car.
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