Traveling
The basic difference is that you tow a travel trailer behind a truck, while a motor home is self-powered. It's like a bus; you drive it instead of tow it. Hooking up and unhitching a travel trailer takes time and practice to master. But with a travel trailer you can unhitch and use your pickup to make local trips in the area, while with a motor home you'll need to tow a small vehicle for such trips.
Gas Mileage
Motor home RVs tend to get low gas mileage, often less than 10 miles per gallon. With a trailer RV, you can get much better fuel economy depending on the type of vehicle and engine you tow with and the size of the trailer. A small trailer, for example, or a diesel engine, may improve your fuel economy substantially.
Amenities
Motor home RVs tend to offer more amenities and more space. With compete kitchens, dining areas, couches, entertainment centers and separate bedrooms, they're popular among many who like to camp in style. It's important to note, though, that there are large travel trailers that do offer luxury on the scale of motor home RVs.
Cost
There's a big difference between the cost of a brand new luxury motor home RV, which can cost well over $100,000, and a small travel trailer that may cost as little as $10,000 to $20,000 brand new. The prices of some motor homes put them out of reach for many campers.
Article Written By Lynn Anders
Lynn Anders has more than 15 years of professional experience working as a zookeeper, wildlife/environmental/conservation educator and in nonprofit pet rescue. Writing since 2007, her work has appeared on various websites, covering pet-related, environmental, financial and parenting topics. Anders has a Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies and biology from California State University, Sacramento.
