Road trips offer ultimate freedom.
There is no better way of escaping the stress in your daily activities than heading out on the open road.
However, most road trip lovers wonder whether it’s best to use a car or a motorized RV for a road trip.
So, Is It Better to Use a Car or Motorized RV For a Road Trip?
This depends on the trip. If you are looking to take a road trip to the national parks or a tour of the forest, a motorized RV might be the best option compared to a car. An RV allows you to camp with all the convenience of home for just a fraction of the cost of a hotel, restaurant, or park.
This is the same for tours along the coast or any rural destination. On the other hand, if you are taking a trip to urban areas such as NYC or San Francisco, you might want to leave your RV home and instead use a car.
These urban areas have few RV parking spaces, and the few RV facilities are relatively expensive as a hotel room. Also, you might have to park your RV in a distant location. So, in such situations, a car is best for a road trip.
Read on for the pros and cons of cars versus motorized RVs so that you can make a better decision for your upcoming road trip.
Four Pros Of Travelling by Motorized RV
1. Home On the Road
A motorized RV will make you feel like you have a home away from home.
You will carry your home with you anywhere, allowing you to enjoy each bit of the journey.
Motorized RVs have beds, kitchens, toilets, and seating spaces.
The larger it is, the roomier and the more comfortable is the kitchen and toilets. However, you cannot say the same about a road trip by car.
2. More Economical
Traveling with your home in a motorized RV means you won’t have to worry about finding shelter or food.
You will bring your own shelter and basic needs wherever you go to a trip destination, which is particularly convenient when traveling as a group.
When you have stacked up food in your motorized RV and cook your meal, you will more likely spare your travel budget for other things like leisure and entertainment.
3. Offers More Autonomy
Motorized RVs are perfect for exploring the countryside where the roadside amenities are challenging to find.
You can park them anywhere on camping sites or laybys in most destinations.
The thought of sleeping in the breathtaking trip destinations without going to the nearby town to find a hotel.
4. Better For a Group Road Trip
Traveling by car accommodates five passengers at best, and the longer journeys can be oppressing and tiresome.
On the contrary, motorized RVs can take more passengers and offer them sufficient space, so they don’t experience the negative effects of being confined for a longer time in a car.
Kids will particularly have extra space and won’t be forced to remain seated for a longer time.
Three Pros Of Using a Car For a Road Trip
1. Meet New People
When traveling by car for road trips, you will have to get lodging accommodation.
Hostels, hotels, and bed & breakfasts are places where you will interact with various people from all areas of the globe.
However, when traveling with a motorized RV, you will often stay and interact with the same people you are traveling with or other travelers.
This will ruin the local-experience part of the road trip.
2. More Convenient and Fast
Road tripping with a car is quicker and more convenient, particularly in urban areas. Some city streets or parking spaces are unsuitable for bigger motorized RVs.
Ultimately, a car is easier to drive and park compared to a motorized RV, is harder to drive in the streets of busy cities, and the parking’s limited.
3. Cheaper To Rent
A medium-sized motorized RV during the summer season goes for around $150 per day without including the extra cost of rental fees or mileage.
On the other hand, a car rental goes for only $50 to $70.
Therefore, traveling by car is much cheaper unless you decide to stay in an expensive $100 hostel or spend high on food.
Tips For a Safe Road Trip in Your Motorized RV
1. Driving Safety Tips
If you are an inexperienced RV driver, you must practice before taking the RV on a road trip.
Another tip is to always communicate with fellow motorists using your headlights, turn signals, eye contact, and others.
Remember that RVs are slower to accelerate and decelerate compared to other cars on the road; hence best to maintain a significant cushion space at all times.
2. Take Note of Your Size
Road mishaps can happen because the driver is unaccustomed to an RV’s weight and size.
For instance, someone might drive under an overpass without sufficient clearance because of forgetting the vehicle’s height.
It’s also important to remember the RV tonnage when loaded or unloaded.
This is particularly essential when crossing small bridges with levied weight restrictions.
3. Proper Maintenance
Maintenance is the key whether you are using a car or a motorized RV for a road trip.
Always thoroughly inspect the road, including inspecting headlights, belts, towing equipment, tire pressure, oil, turn signal, and fire extinguisher.
Scheduling your monthly, quarterly, and annual maintenance is an excellent way to ensure a healthy and safe vehicle.
After the touring season, store your RV properly, so your RV continues to function smoothly over the years.
4. No High Speeds
High speeds can increase stress levels and decrease safety.
Things occur quickly at high speeds, and you have no time to think about them and react accordingly.
There is no specific speed that is appropriate for each RVer or RV.
Most states have maximum speed limits of 75 to 80 MPH, although this does not mean you have to drive fast.
5. Make Weather Adjustments
Extreme rain, wind, ice, and fog can make driving an RV or car dangerous.
You should hence check out the weather forecast on your road trip route so that you can delay travel whenever necessary and identify good places to stop and wait for the weather to be more travel friendly.
You can use GPS or Trip Planner apps to plan safe RV routes.
6. A Proper Roadside Assistance Plan
Anything can go wrong during a road trip.
A reliable roadside assistance plan is hence important when going for a road trip with an RV.
Select a plan that best suits your plan but ensure a reliable, solid plan for roadside assistance.
Knowing that if anything goes wrong, you have the resources and means of communication to get you out of a bind will keep you calm in case anything happens.
Bottom Line
Hopefully, we have answered your question.
Ultimately, a motorized RV provides more privacy and autonomy while giving you more control over your daily expenses.
They are best suited for traveler road trips with families and big groups on a road trip.
However, if you are out-going or adventurous, you would prefer the meetup opportunities and freedom provided by a road trip in a car, especially in urban areas.