What is an American Motorhome?

An American Motorhome is a very complex vehicle, it is commonly known as an RV (Recreational Vehicle). Firstly it is made up from hundreds of components from various manufacturing industries throughout America and as we all know, the Americans like every thing BIG. The shortest American Motorhome is around 24’ and the longest is over 45’, however the UK has size limitations and therefore the largest Motorhomes cannot be registered in the UK.

There are several classes of Motorhome being A, B and C Class vehicles. The B & C Class are normally US van mounted vehicles, with the body fitted to the rear of the cab.

The cab on these vehicles is not part of the living accommodation and therefore you do lose a fair amount of liveable space. These vehicles are generally between 3.5 and 6 ton and although they are between 24’ and 30’ long, they are easy to drive.

For most people these are weekenders or vacation vehicles.

The A Class vehicle is a different animal altogether.

The smaller A Class Motorhome is based on a lorry chassis and on all of these the driver is actually within the vehicle itself. The A Class uses every piece of space imaginable. You can, when you have finished driving, simply turn the driving seat around and it becomes a lounge chair.

For these vehicles, the entrance door is normally set behind the front wheels and the chassis is usually a Ford or a Workhorse.

Around 1994 the Americans decided to expand the living and bedroom areas on these vehicles and therefore developed an item called the slideout. A slideout is the part of the vehicle that extends the actual living accommodation once the vehicle is parked up and can extend the Motorhome in width by up to an average of 4’. This is operated simply by pushing a button.

In 1994 it was a privilege to have even one slideout, here in 2008 we are up to four slideouts. Lounge, kitchen and two in the bedroom area. There is also the very latest full wall slide, this is where the entire side of the coach extends out between 18” and 3’, with two further slides extending out from the opposite side of the coach.

What about the weight?

The thing to remember is that slides add weight. Most Motorhomes that have slides will be over 7.5 ton and this brings you into ensuring that you have the correct driving category on your driving licence.

Have I got the correct license?

To view our guide to licenses please click here.

What does it run on?

Most of these vehicles range in length from 28’ to 36’ and many of them are used for extended touring and full time living. Most of them are petrol driven and are fitted with Triton V10 or Vortec V8 engines. There are a small amount of diesel engines and during 2008/2009 a new breed of diesel engine is being introduced with lower emissions.

LPG conversions are available throughout the UK but having this option fitted needs serious thought. You have to way up the benefits against the cost of installing it, at around £4,000.

If you intend to travel mostly in the UK the LPG conversion can pay for itself over a three year period, however this is not the case if you intend regular travel in France and Spain. Petrol is considerably cheaper in Europe and LPG is not readily available in Spain at present.

What do I get for my money?

All American Motorhomes will have a luxurious bedroom with queen size bed, extensive storage areas, a microwave, hob, fridge freezer, large TV’s, DVD, luxurious lounge and bathroom, with the choice of dining room options being a table and chairs arrangement or a booth layout with bench seats, making up this luxury vehicle.

With children in mind, some of the latest editions have bunk bed arrangements. These are relatively new to the American Motorhome market but certainly allow children to be put to bed, whilst leaving the main bedroom and lounge area still usable.

The ultimate A Class – The Coach

As the words describe, it is based on a coach chassis. These are normally Freightliner, Spartan or Dynamax and instead of a Coach body it has a Motorhome body powered by Cummins or Caterpillar engines.

All the manufacturers in America with the exception of one, use this standard coach chassis however the Monaco family use their own factory built chassis known as the Roadmaster Range.

The Coach is clearly distinguished by the entrance door being situated ahead of the front wheels. All of these vehicles ride on air and therefore the ride is a lot smoother. The other big advantage is the turning circle, which is on the majority of vehicles, between 50 and 56 degrees which makes the turning of these vehicles very simple.

However all of these vehicles will be over 7.5 ton therefore please ensure you have the correct driving licence category in place before contemplating buying one of these vehicles.

Whichever RV you end up choosing the one thing that is guaranteed is it will bring you a whole new way of life.