Motorhomes come in three basic classes with a 4th style that didn’t get it’s own class letter. No doubt you have heard of the most common Class A and Class C motorhomes, yes there is also a Class B (also known a conversion van). In addition to the three classes there are the 5 star hotels on wheels more commonly known as bus conversions.

In future articles I’ll go over some of the advantages of each class of motorhome, but for today I’ll be going over some of the basic questions a prospective buyer might have about determining what class a motorhome is.

Bus Conversions – Picture something the size of a greyhound bus, only with style! Custom paint jobs, entertainment centers built in, I’ve even seen one where you can slide a small car like a Miata between the front and rear axel and store it under the coach instead of towing it. Most of these are rolling palaces.

Class A – The most luxurious of the three classes, but usually a little less so than the Bus Conversions. These can be constructed on commercial truck chassis, but are more often constructed on a chassis that is specially built for this purpose. Like the bus conversion these are big and take a little more practice to drive. Parking can often be a problem, even in many RV parks.

Class B – Van conversions. These often have raised roofs to allow shorter people to stand relatively comfortably. While you wouldn’t think you could get much camper in such a small space, you would be surprised. I’ve seen ones with a small combination bathroom / Shower, kitchen, fridge, microwave and a dining table that doubles as the bed. Little tight but you have the advantage of being able to go anywhere with it that you could take a normal van.

Class C – This is the cab over style. Frequently this is built on a Van or Pickup frame. The driver and passenger seats have their own doors that allow easy access in and out of the vehicle. While these can still be rather large vehicles, they are normally smaller than the class A motorhomes. One disadvantage is the lower visibility that you get from the smaller front windows.

Well, this is a starting point. While I’ve barely scratched the surface on these 4 styles you should be able to at least tell the four apart. In future articles I will go into much greater detail on the advantages and disadvantages of each.