Motorhomeor travel trailer?  If you are venturingout to buy your first RV, or maybe just an upgrade, you have probably alreadyasked yourself that question.  There aremany advantages and some disadvantages to both. Mostly you need to decide what you want to use your RV to do and whereto go and your decision should not be a difficult one. 

            A motorhome can offer you a littlemore mobility than a travel trailer.  Ifyou travel extensively or are a ?full-timer? a motorhome has more of what youare looking for.  In a motorhome you willalways be in your ?home? even if traveling down the highway.  Passengers always have full access to beds,kitchen, bathroom, couch.  However, 5^thwheelers, when parked, have a much larger living space because of theirslide-outs.  Most travel trailers and 5^thwheelers have slide-outs that almost touch when in travel mode.  They open to allow a large and comfortableliving space when parked.  Motorhomesthat have slide-outs are a bit confining when on the road. 

             External storage room is another important decision factor.  5^th wheelers and Class Amotorhomes generally have large external storage compartments but othertrailers and Class C motorhomes generally lack such large storage areas.  Maintenance of your RV is going to be lesswith travel trailers and 5^th wheelers.  Motorhomes have a few more ?systems?, whichmeans more things that could malfunction. Also, if you have engine trouble with a motorhome, your whole home isstranded.  With travel trailers thetowing vehicle can be exchanged or replaced. Another small, yet important,contrast is height of motorhomes vs. travel trailers.  Trailers are closer to the ground, only 1 to2 stairs, whereas motorhomes are about 3 to 5 steps above the ground.  

            The comfort levels of motorhomes andtravel trailers are tied if comparing them while both parked.  However, while in-motion and during travel amotorhome takes the cake.  Travelers canuse all the amenities of the motorhome while in motion.  A travel trailer with slide-outs may not evenbe accessible while in travel mode. 

Price,which is one of the most persuasive decision factors, is not as easilygeneralized to motorhomes vs. travel trailers. An average motorhome is generally going to cost more than an averagetravel trailer but there are many exceptions. There are so many different amenities, luxury levels, and sizes to bothcategories that price is always circumstantial. Of course, the larger the travel trailer you get the larger the towingvehicle will have to be, a crucial factor to keep in mind. 

            Last, but not least; safety factorsof motorhomes vs. travel trailers.  Dueto the fact that drivers and passengers are protected by the steel frame of atruck around them, travel trailers are ranked higher in crash protection.  However, it is also true that travel trailersare more likely to be involved in crashes. It is fairly common for travel trailers to jack-knife in the road orbecome overturned.  Motorhomes are nottoo often involved in crashes except sometimes problems with their vehicle intow.