What’s The Difference Between a Motorhome and a Campervan?

If you are new to self-drive holidays you probably are confused at the different terms used to describe these vehicles. Words or terms such as winnebago, motorhome and campervan can all be used to describe the self propelled caravan.

Other Terms Used Mainly in  America 

To further complicate things the Americans use the term RV (Recreational Vehicle) so lets remove this term from the list. An RV  is an umbrella term popular in North America used to describe motorised vehicles used for camping. So the term RV can be used to refer to either a motorhome or a campervan.

Lastly what is a  Winnebago? This is in fact a brand name of a popular American manufacturer of RV’s. Indeed so popular the brand name Winnebago is now interchangeable with RV and can also be used to refer to any recreational vehicle.

Confused?  Yes so we have created the following definitions and an infographic to help you understand the key differences between a Motorhome and Campervan .

Motorhome – These are built on an existing chassis of a truck or bus. They are designed to serve as self-contained living quarters for recreational travel with a divide between the cab and the living quarters and comes with Bathroom Shower and kitchen facilities.

Campervan – These are small vans that have been refurbished and in some case the roof extended or is extendable to allow standing when parked, they tend to be smaller than a motorhome with no divide between the cab and the living quarters. Shower and Toilet are also absent in most cases.