Class A (Motorhomes)

These are the largest motorhomes. They resemble buses in shape and size. As a rule, they are equipped with diesel engines, and a large family can travel and live inside. Inside there is all the necessary equipment for life, including washing machines and dishwashers. The autonomy of the class is impressive, the dimensions allow for the installation of 300−500 liter water storage tanks.

Class B (Camping Van)

These are compact motorhomes in all-metal vans based on light commercial trucks. These are usually chosen by couples or young families with one or two children. It won’t fit anymore. The engines of such motorhomes are almost always petrol. This is an economical option for light vacations. The autonomy is small, but you can easily enter cities, park without problems, and use a car every day.

Class C

This is a medium-sized motorhome, with a characteristic feature that defines belonging to its class. They have a so-called "alcove" - a sleeping place above the cabin. This is the most popular class and the golden mean in choosing a motorhome for traveling to the USA. The length of the "C class" is 7−10 meters, the engines are usually gasoline. Travel autonomy is also average.

Pickup Campers

Pickups are very popular in the USA and a whole class of motorhomes has been invented for them, which is placed in the back for the duration of the trip. Pickup Campers are usually mounted on powerful four-wheel drive pickups, so with such a motorhome you can drive off the asphalt, drive off-road and drive into wild places. The modules for pickups are also fully autonomous and are suitable for 4-6 travelers in terms of living space. In terms of autonomy, the class can be as good as the C class, and there is often everything you need on board, including electric generators.

Trailers

Trailers in the USA are many types of residential trailers, depending on their size. There are very compact Folding Camping Trailers, and there are huge Fifth-wheel trailers. The trailer must be towed by car and, in this regard, there are pros and cons for travelers. However, trailers are great for long-term camping trips with everything connected. A significant portion of the population in the southern United States lives in trailers all the time.

American mobile homes are well equipped from the factory. The car will always be equipped with an automatic transmission.

Class A and C often have sliding walls, which significantly increase the living space in the parking lot.

License category for driving a motorhome in the USA

If in Russia and Europe the car category depends on the weight, then in the USA it depends on the length of the motorhome. If it does not exceed 12 m, then category B will be enough. It turns out that even a large motorhome can be operated with ordinary passenger rights. Some states have their own special requirements, so this should be clarified before traveling.

Camping and parking in the USA

There are many special parking lots, but during high season it is worth booking places in advance, especially if you want to visit national nature parks. There are campsites with full motorhome connection (electricity, water, sewerage), and there are with partial. In almost all states, it is not allowed to park outside of campgrounds for overnight stays.

A few words about prices

Rental of motorhomes in the USA costs from 150−400 dollars per day, trailers are cheaper, but the service is not very popular. Camping sites cost from $ 20−100, sometimes more expensive. The service may vary. Somewhere you can stand next to a large amusement park, restaurants and cafes, a laundry room and a swimming pool, and somewhere there will be an ordinary fenced-off area with a small set of basic services.

The classification of European mobile homes looks somewhat different. Basically, motorhomes differ in body shape, but only slightly in size.

Premium integrated motorhomes, liners

Practically, this is an American A-class. If there are quite a lot of them in the USA, then in Europe they are rare visitors to campsites. Many European campgrounds are simply not able to accommodate such large motorhomes. Standard parking spaces are not allowed. It is almost impossible to rent this type of motorhome in Europe, although in the USA it is welcome. The basic vehicles in this class are truck versions of Mercedes, Iveco, Man with diesel engines. You will need category C rights to manage it.

Integrals, semi-integrals

Motorhomes based on light commercial trucks Fiat Ducato, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, etc. Sleeps 4−5, length 6−8 m. Most often in the passenger category B, but there are also heavy versions up to 4.5 tons. Together with the alcove motorhomes, semi-integrals are the most popular class in Europe.

Alcove motorhomes

They look like an American "Class C" with a bedroom above the cabin, but still smaller and lighter. It can accommodate 4−7 people inside. The category of rights is B or less often C. The most popular class of motorhomes in rental stations. The base cars are also Fiat Ducato, Citroen Jumper, Ford Transit, etc.

Castenwagens

They are also gaining popularity in Europe, where everyone likes to save money. These are compact motorhomes for 2−4 people, similar to the American "Class B". The all-metal van doesn’t have much space, but its size makes it easy to park and drive fast on the autobahn with little fuel consumption. Inside there are all basic amenities including shower, toilet, kitchen, heating, sleeping places. Almost always, the category of driving rights is passenger.

Vans

An even more compact class of mobile homes based on VW Transporter, Mercedes V-class, etc. Often has a raised tent roof with a sleeping place. In recent years, in order to save money, such cars have been kept as the only ones in the family, both for every day and for travel. Inside there is a kitchenette, sometimes a mini shower, refrigerator, heating. The beds have to be laid out from the passenger seats. Sometimes vans have a modular structure, where you can remove some of the internal equipment, such as the kitchen, and leave it in the garage until your next trip.

Caravans

A huge number of caravan trailers are produced in Europe. There are very compact ones for two, and there are huge two-axle ones for a large family or company. They differ in size, equipment, finishes, and construction technologies.

Camping and parking in Europe

There are a lot of campsites in Europe, both in cities and in nature, near rivers, lakes, attractions, parks. They differ in size, services, and prices. There are automatic campsites where you need to pay for the parking days yourself through the device at the entrance. As a rule, there is always an electricity connection, but water filling/sewage draining points may be shared at the entrance. The cost of daily parking is from 10−200 euros, depending on the amenities and location.

An important difference between European motorhomes is portable toilet cassettes with a volume of about 20 liters, instead of large built-in tanks from American ones (100−200 liters). You can drain the cassette into any gas station toilet or into a large bio toilet (blue stall), but emptying the tank of an American motorhome will be more difficult.

Comparative characteristics of rental motorhomes in the USA and Europe

Conclusions

Motorhomes from the USA and Europe generally fulfill one task — to provide you with travel comfort. Most likely, for the same money in the USA, you will have a bigger motorhome, more comfortable and with more autonomy. At the same time, he will be more voracious. But if you compare fuel prices, there will be no difference in money. A liter of gasoline now costs about $ 1 in the United States, but in Europe diesel already costs more than 2 euros.

A full connection at a campsite in the USA takes all the worries of maintaining a motorhome off your hands, but there are technical subtleties there, too. You need to do everything right, so listen carefully to the instructions and read the manuals for the motorhome.

In Europe, you will most likely have to roll a motorhome to drain sewage to a special place and take out a toilet cassette once a day or two.

When traveling with a motorhome across Europe, everything will hint at the great and rich history of this continent. Castles, palaces, ancient cities, architecture, art, theaters. Beautiful nature is everywhere from the Scandinavian countries to Italian Sicily and from Warsaw to Lisbon. It’s not for nothing that Europe is called the "Old World", the concentration of interesting places and parking is simply off the charts.

In the USA, you will find a more modern look, but at the same time, stunning and special nature. Get ready to drive many kilometers and see large-scale views of canyons, Great Lakes, rivers, forests at the end of a long journey, or maybe you will be drawn to Las Vegas or New York to see and feel American civilization and life in a modern way.