A "Camper" is a "Camper, and a"Trailer" is a "Trailer"!

[OHVtime]

I was raised camping. The family station wagon and a tent. Great times! My dad eventually bought a 1/2 ton GMC truck and bought a 6 ft "Love Bird" slide in "Camper". Dad upgraded the truck but stayed with the "slide in" and sold the Lovebird for a 10ft Weekender "Camper". In later years mom and dad sold the truck and camper and bought a Class A. When I started my family we got a truck and slid-in Camper. Then we had a Class A for a while. Now we have a truck with a bumper pull Toy Hauler. All this said, I have been around camping/RVing a long time and have "spoken" RV for a long time. In all this time, we, family, friends, have always referred to a truck bed "slide-in" RV as a "Camper". When we say "Camper" that means truck bed "slide-in". When we say "Trailer" that means "bumper pull" and when we say "5th wheel", well......that has always seemed to be universally understood by everybody what we were talking about.

Please know that I'm just teasingly poking fun here. I was born and still live in California. (please don't hold that against me, but to many of you that probably explains a lot) But out here in my neck of the woods, we refer to the different types of RV's as I mentioned above. However, I have noticed that folks from other areas of the US and other country's refer to RV's differently. Many use the term "Camper" universally. Kind of like "Kleenex". Then there's the term "Caravan".

This is intended to just be a light hearted look at what we all call RV's but when I hear the term "Camper" referring to a "Trailer" it is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. But the burden is mine when I her it and whatever we call them, all of us can instantly relate to the experience of "camping" with all of its trials and tribulations, fun and adventure. That said, whatever you call it, we are all brothers and sisters in the experience and "Happy Camping" in whatever you want to call it.

[drdarrin]

You’ll get over it. Selective hearing can be an asset, sometimes.

I like the terms “rig” and sometimes “unit”. What are they? Whatever you happen to have. The important part is they all contain similar components, work in similar ways and while all of us experience problems that are new to us, we are seldom the first to have the problem.

So, welcome to the community and happy camping, glamping, or whatever term floats your boat.

[Isaac-1]

I too have noticed a trend at referring to any type of self contained RV as a camper. I don't know when this started as I too had always heard camper being used to refer to things that were put on the back of pickup trucks ranging from simple shells to fancier jack up camper inserts throughout the southern US.

[Old-Biscuit]

Grew up camping be it a pup tent, full tent, popup, truck shell, slide in, bumper pull and 5vr we was camping

That makes me a 'camper' out 'camping' in some sort of 'camper'

[ElvistheKing]

Here camper (short for campervan) or motorhome refers to any self propelled "RV" (RV being a term almost never used except when referring to American imports): A, B or C, which also is rarely used, "coach built" would refer to C class, there are very few A classes.

Caravan is a travel trailer (travel trailer is never used) and represents the vast majority of units so much so that the largest camping club has only in the 6 months added "Motorhome and" to "Caravan Club".

5th wheels are like hens teeth, truck campers even rarer (not sure I've ever actually seen one if I'm honest).

You see the odd trailer tent floating around as well.

[Scarab0088]

Just bring up the question...What makes an RV into a "coach"?

Or, how can the term "camp trailer" be explained?

And finally, why is there such a thing as a "Class B-plus"? What is that, exactly?


And
Safe travels

[Ernie Ekberg]

I just have an old bus

[Fiesta48]

My 41' Class A Diesel Pusher has been called a "Camper" several times. My come back is "it's a little more than camper".
RV means a Recreation Vehicle. That also includes: motorcycles, atv, boats, site seeing airplanes, some trucks, some cars, Oh Ya, all popups, campers, TT, 5ers, A, B, C motorhomes. Remember vehicle refers to something that has wheels and possibly an engine.

[petrel]

No matter what rolls out of the driveway, we went camping.
No matter what leaves the dock, we went fishing.

If someone cares to know specifically what we slept in or how we got to the fishing hole, I figure they will ask.

[MisterT]

as an insurance agent, and a MotorCoach owner myself, I found a recent discussion with an insurance underwriter very 'enlightening'.... on this subject, anyway...

the quoting tool on their website listed 'Campers' and 'Trailers' as their choices, though their front page touted that they insured ALL TYPES of Recreational Vehicles, including Motorhomes. I called and asked why the 'drop down list' of choices did not include motorhomes.... they commented that it was considered a 'Trailer' and to just choose that name instead. ????


makes no sense to me !

[RV Pirate]

So let me throw another log on the fire... Motorhome vs motorcoach.. what's the difference?

[NITEHAWK]

When asked what we have by someone who is merely killing time and is really not knowledgeable about what a Class A, B, C, Super C, 5th wheel, toy hauler, etc is we merely say we have a "camper". Then, if they profess interest or ignorance, we show them a "business" size card with a picture of the coach on it. This usually gets reactions like "WOW"!! How long is it, etc.
For those who don't need to know we just say "camper" when they ask.

[okcnewbie]

Originally Posted by Fiesta48

My 41' Class A Diesel Pusher has been called a "Camper" several times. ......

I agree with all those people. They are all just "Campers". They spend much of their time in campgrounds.

Rvtrader does seem to agree with the OP as far as their categories go. Ex, Truck slide in (camper), No engine (trailer), 5er, MH

[barmcd]

Originally Posted by OHVtime

I was raised camping. The family station wagon and a tent. Great times! My dad eventually bought a 1/2 ton GMC truck and bought a 6 ft "Love Bird" slide in "Camper". Dad upgraded the truck but stayed with the "slide in" and sold the Lovebird for a 10ft Weekender "Camper". In later years mom and dad sold the truck and camper and bought a Class A. When I started my family we got a truck and slid-in Camper. Then we had a Class A for a while. Now we have a truck with a bumper pull Toy Hauler. All this said, I have been around camping/RVing a long time and have "spoken" RV for a long time. In all this time, we, family, friends, have always referred to a truck bed "slide-in" RV as a "Camper". When we say "Camper" that means truck bed "slide-in". When we say "Trailer" that means "bumper pull" and when we say "5th wheel", well......that has always seemed to be universally understood by everybody what we were talking about.

Please know that I'm just teasingly poking fun here. I was born and still live in California. (please don't hold that against me, but to many of you that probably explains a lot) But out here in my neck of the woods, we refer to the different types of RV's as I mentioned above. However, I have noticed that folks from other areas of the US and other country's refer to RV's differently. Many use the term "Camper" universally. Kind of like "Kleenex". Then there's the term "Caravan".

This is intended to just be a light hearted look at what we all call RV's but when I hear the term "Camper" referring to a "Trailer" it is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. But the burden is mine when I her it and whatever we call them, all of us can instantly relate to the experience of "camping" with all of its trials and tribulations, fun and adventure. That said, whatever you call it, we are all brothers and sisters in the experience and "Happy Camping" in whatever you want to call it.

You wouldn't like it at our house. Katherine calls all RVs, regardless of type a trailer, even our 40' motorhome.