Motorhome vs Towable Trailer: Pros and Cons

There’s a whole universe of Recreational Vehicles (RVs) out there, but most of them fall within two major categories – Motorhomes and Towable Trailers.

Motorhomes are in the nature of a bus, truck or van, which have a living space inside them. On the other hand, Towable Trailers have no engine/motor of their own. We need to attach them at the back of our SUV or some other vehicle and tow them along.

But which one would be a better choice for you?

In this article, we will shed light on their various pros and cons from various vantage points, for people who prefer a weekend gateway, as well as for those who are looking for long hauls of off-grid living.

Let’s start comparing them on various parameters.

Table of Contents

• Purchase Cost
• Fuel Cost
• Flexibility
• Maintenance
• Intra-connectivity
• Driving

Purchase Cost

Needless to say, that motorhomes cost much more than towable trailers. Even when you add up the cost of the truck or SUV that you will be using to tow the trailer, it will be a better deal expense wise.

Though some higher-end towable trailers may be more costly than entry level motorhomes. But you get the idea.

Apart from the initial cost, you will have to spend recurrent money on insurance and maintenance of motorhomes. If you already have a SUV or a truck, it will mean that now you have two vehicles to maintain and pay insurance money for (and bear the attached paperwork headache). Motorhomes also have to be inspected every year, every 3 years or every 5 years (depending on the state you live in).

Note

Definitely Class B and C motorhomes are a bit cheaper and easier to maintain than Class A motorhomes. But they are more suited for short-term stay and camping. If you intend to live full-time in a RV, these small spaces may start looking very confined and very uncomfortable pretty soon.

Fuel Cost

In general, you will get much less mileage on a motorhome than in case of a towable trailer. Though exceptions are always there – for example a Class B motorhome can provide you pretty good mileage. But in general, it’s safe to say that owning a motorhome will lead to you spending a lot more on fuel.

Note

It will also depend on the kind of fuel your RV uses. Diesel is more expansive than gas.

Flexibility

Using a towable trailer gives us some flexibility, both regarding our living conditions and the way we commute.

You can park your trailer at a place and detach the SUV or truck. You need not carry it along with you for every single trip – say to a local market, or to another scenic location. Your friend, son or brother may make the day trip and come back, without having the rest of the group to tag along.

With motorhomes you are always stuck with the full package. Either all will go along, or no one will. Imagine the fuel cost that you will have to bear even if you just want to go shopping, and the traffic/driving nightmare that comes with large vehicles. You will probably load some bikes or motorbikes with you in the motorhome to get that kind of flexibility. Or you may hire cabs for such errands, if the location is not too remote.

Maintenance

Anything that has a motor will obviously need a lot of maintenance. A motorhome has so many moving parts that need to be regularly serviced and checked. Most of them also have generators and battery bank. So, a lot of complicated systems.

Maintaining a towable trailer is definitely much easier than maintaining a motorhome. It has no engine or transmission and so is much easier to repair and service.

In fact, you don’t even have to maintain it much when you are not travelling. You just need to maintain your SUV or truck, and doing that is also much easier than maintaining a motorhome. Just try to find out how many mechanics in your area are comfortable in servicing a SUV or a truck and how many can handle a motorhome. You will get a clue!

Moreover, if you live full-time in a motorhome and it breaks down, then you will be left without a home till the time it’s being repaired. In case of a towable trailer, you can live in your SUV or truck while your trailer is being repaired/serviced, and vice-versa. Though this point is valid only for people who are living or are planning to live full-time in a RV.

However, if your SUV/truck that is towing your trailer breaks down at the middle of the road, you will have two rigs to be towed off the freeway instead of just one.

Note

If you are not going to use your RV on a regular basis (which is often the case with many), then you would be better off with a towable trailer. Many people take a motorhome, and then after a coupe of trips it’s left abandoned at the corner of the house for months – the batteries die, tyres get eaten up, etc.

Intra-connectivity

In motorhomes the driver cabin is connected to the living quarter behind it. So, anyone can move between the two at any time, even when the motorhome is moving.

However, in case of towable trailers we cannot move between the SUV/Truck and the trailer while it’s moving.

Though it’s not a big deal, but small things do matter to some people. Imagine you are sitting beside the driver and want to check something on your laptop that is in the trailer behind you. You will have to stop the whole thing and then make the transfer. What if you forget to bring the power cord along? Oh oo!

And what if you have kids who use the washroom a bit too often. Or maybe you just want to grab a drink from the refrigerator behind you. You are definitely not going to stop for all these small things again and again, and will prefer to defer them for as long as possible. But it will be a bit of a buzz kill.

If you ask me, motorhomes are more comfortable when you are travelling – so definitely prefer them if you are into 2-3 days trips, where you will commute a lot. Towable trailers are more comfortable overall if you intend to stay at a particular place for long.

Driving

Though both motorhomes and towable trailers attached at the back of your truck/SUV will be pretty similar lengthwise (both are going to be pretty long that is!), however the hinge/fifth-wheel allows us to turn more comfortably. Motorhomes, especially the long ones, may prove a bit more difficult around the turns.

However, backing up with a towable trailer attached at the back of your vehicle may not be possible. So, if you are stuck, say at a gas station, you may have no other option left but to unhook the trailer.

One more small thing to keep in mind is security. In motorhomes two people may sit at the front, on seats having seatbelts. The rest of the group has to be in the living quarter behind, probably on the bed or couch. This is a bit less safe than if they were sitting at the back seat of your SUV or truck.

But overall, comfort-wise motorhomes are much easier to drive than towable trailers attached at the back of your vehicle. If you are planning to make long trips on a continuous basis, than you will be much better off with motorhomes.

Winding Up

If you plan to live full-time in your RV, then we would suggest you to go for towable trailers. They are more spacious, cheaper, easier to maintain and provide a lot more flexibility. You are also going to get a lot more options to choose from in case of towable trailers and may even get them custom made.

These truck and towable trailer combo are also arguably less taxing on the environment than big gas guzzling motorhomes that have a huge carbon footprint.

So, towable trailers are a very economical and environment friendly way to explore the off-grid lifestyle. It’s an alt-home that is easy on your pocket as well as the environment.

However, we are not against motorhomes either. If you can afford them and they are more in-line with your style, definitely go for them. However, make sure you get a motorhome with enough space.

If your aim is only a short-term camping, then stakes are not that high – you cannot go wrong with either of these options. Just chose the one that suits your needs more.

Pro tip

You may rent motorhomes and towable trailers and live in each of them for a few days. Nothing can teach you more that experiencing the stuff yourself. Spend a few days in both, learn the nitty-gritties and get to know the differences yourself. Choose the one that’s more to your taste.