Motorhome vs Camper Trailer – Which is best for your outdoor lifestyle

This is a question that comes up a lot, so let’s address it right now.

Everyone is unique and everyone has different preferences, so there’s no real definitive answer for this question, but there are 3 areas to consider that should help you make up your own mind as to whether a motorhome or a camper trailer is best for your outdoor lifestyle.

These are Comfort, Cost & Convenience.

Comfort

Camper trailers generally have a bed which sits on top of the main body of the trailer. The rest of the camper trailer comprises of canvas walls and roof, and in some fancier models, a hard floor. You can usually fit 2 adults on the bed, but as for chairs you will need to supply your own.

A motorhome, on the other hand, not only has beds, but built in reclining couches, ie the driver and passenger seats. Depending on the size of the motorhome, you will often also find built in couch seats and even dining chairs.

Cost

Motorhomes usually cost considerably more than a camper trailer, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars, so that’s often the first thing that catches people’s attention.

However, once you’ve bought a camper trailer, you now have to buy a vehicle to tow it. This is where you spend those extra tens of thousands of dollars because some vehicles cost about as much as some motorhomes anyway.

So consider all the hidden costs when making a decision, because it will make a huge difference.

Convenience

A camper trailer is convenient in that it can be left behind at your campsite while you go off and explore nearby tracks, beaches, towns, etc. But this also presents certain risks, such as having to leave belongings behind with potentially no one to keep an eye on things while you’re away from camp.

The convenience of a motorhome is that, no only does it eliminate the need to leave valuables and belongings behind, but it’s a hundred times easier to park.

Parking a trailer or caravan requires a lot of practice and patience, and some people who have been doing it for years still manage to knock things over or smash tail lights in the process.

With a motorhome, you just pull up to the spot and you’re done. Then when it’s time to leave, you just hop in and drive off.

A camper trailer requires a lot more time and effort when it comes to travelling days, as everything needs to be put back in the trailer, and the tent part needs to be folded back down.

Obviously, there are countless makes and models of both motorhomes & camper trailers, so there will never be one single answer that covers every situation. But once you know what kind of trip you will be doing, ie. off-road tracks, beach towns, caravan parks, etc. then you can begin to weigh up some of the pros and cons above and decide what’s best for you.

So as long as you remember comfort, cost & convenience, you should be able to make a good decision with confidence that you’ve covered the 3 biggest differences between a motorhome and a camper trailer.