For those of us who have a mobile home, it is quite obvious that there is a difference between a motorhome and a caravan. But the fact is that people who don't have a motorhome or caravan often say the wrong thing, as if it's more or less the same thing. And it's not uncommon for me to be asked "But what's the difference between a motorhome and a caravan?". So I thought we should clear this up once and for all ...
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ShareA motorhome is a car
Yes, you can hear it in the word itself. A motorhome is a car. It has an engine and a steering wheel and you can drive it. Not so complicated really, is it? Of course, there are many different types of motorhomes. Here are the most common ones:
- Fully integrated motorhome - Front part and living area are built in one piece
- Semi-integrated motorhome - Front part and living area are built separately.
- alcove car - An alcove with bed space protrudes above the driver's cabin
- "Ploughboy" - A camper van/van fitted with a camper van.
There are also a lot of other types of motorhomes: American motorhomes, camper vans, campers (removable attachment to a pickup truck), off-road motorhomes and different types of home-built motorhomes. So motorhomes can look like many different things. What they have in common is that they are a vehicle that you can live in. Not so difficult, right?
A caravan is a wagon
Yes, you can almost hear it in the word ... A caravan is a trailer that you can live in. There is no engine and no steering wheel, and when you need to move around, you simply have to hitch the caravan to a car.
There are of course lots of different types of caravans as well, but I won't go into that as I don't know much about caravans. I can say that modern caravans are incredibly comfortable and of a high standard. There are of course both large and small caravans, there are retro caravans and there are American trailers.
What to choose - motorhome or caravan?
Whether to choose a motorhome or a caravan is of course a matter of taste! There are many similarities, but also some significant differences. You can drive much faster with a motorhome than a caravan, and it is also easier to stop in city car parks etc. with a motorhome. On the other hand, once you have parked your caravan, it is very easy to set off on errands and excursions in your car.
For our personal part, a motorhome is best and all of you who call it a caravan from time to time - you are forgiven! (I'm probably wrong about a lot of other things that I don't understand.) But you may have to put up with me correcting you sometimes ... 😉 .
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Geddfish says:
A lot of information on the differences!
I guess I can call myself "well-informed" because my husband was so interested in both caravans and motorhomes and we did a lot of research. However, we chose the caravan. - And was sometimes asked about our "motorhome" 😉.
However, we dreamed of a Plåtis too, to have two variants. Easy. I think the alcove car looks so cosy with the sleeping loft!
Snowy hug!
04 March 2016 - 9:48
Aila says:
"Yes, you can almost hear it in the name."
Wonderful post. Experiencing the same thing...
But maybe it's difficult if you don't have one yourself, who knows?
Bye....
04 March 2016 - 9:49
Ama de casa says:
Yes, yes, yes. I already knew that, but what's the difference between a motorhome and a tent? 😉
"We actually had a caravan for a short while when I was little. Among other things, I remember travelling to Jakobstad in Finland with my family. But then it became a summer cottage instead 🙂
04 March 2016 - 10:07
Tohmas says:
The question is why it is called "caravan" when it is a cart !
According to Wikipedia:A cart is a simple type of vehicle that has only one wheel axle (or two interacting wheel axles in close succession), and has no propulsion system of its own and is therefore pulled or pushed by someone or something. A trolley needs support legs or support wheels when it is parked on its own. If it has at least two axles and essentially supports its entire weight on them, it is a cart.
04 March 2016 - 10:50
Johan Persson says:
It also surprises me that some people say "caravan" when they mean motorhome. And vice versa.
I am most familiar with caravans myself, but I can say that I find it difficult to decide what would suit me best. As I said, a caravan is very flexible because you can connect and disconnect the caravan and travel around with the trailer. At the same time, it is a little more comfortable to drive a motorhome because it is more mobile. If you make a mistake, just turn around, which is easier said than done with a caravan. Whether it's a caravan or a motorhome, I prefer smaller models.
Thanks for interesting post:)
04 March 2016 - 10:53
Comsi Comsa says:
I was a caravan owner many years ago so I knew the difference 🙂 .
Happy Friday!
Hugs ♥
04 March 2016 - 11:03
Ditte says:
Have not owned a caravan or motorhome, but if I were to choose an alternative, it would be a motorhome because it feels easier and smoother. And then possibly on site rent a smaller car if I want to make several shorter movements in the local area.
Including bicycles is also an idea.
04 March 2016 - 11:11
Steve says:
Caravans and motorhomes are rather like "apples and pears". Can I say that already in the 60s travelled around with a caravan.
So my "camping furnished" WV bus that I travelled around Europe with three friends in 1970 would today be labelled "Plåtis". But I didn't know that.
04 March 2016 - 11:38
admin says:
Geddfish, interesting that you experienced just the opposite - i.e. that people asked about your caravan but talked about "motorhome"! I find it a bit difficult to understand that it should be so difficult to see the difference, but apparently it is 😉.
Aila, interesting to hear that you experience the same thing! I don't understand that it can be difficult to see the difference, but maybe I'm making the same mistake with something else, which I'm not familiar with... 😉 .
Ama de casa, haha, you have to think about that difference... something with wheels maybe...? 😉
Thomas, what an interesting comment! I really hadn't thought of that at all. Linguistically, you seem to have a point! But caravans have a wheel at the front too?
Johan, yes, I am always so surprised. I find it difficult to understand that it would be easy to mix things up, but as I said, I might make the same stupid mistake in a completely different context... Motorhomes and caravans have different advantages, of course. We will continue with a motorhome. Sometimes we have thought about a smaller one actually, but so far we stick to FREEDOM 😉.
Comsi Comsa, for everyone who has or has had a motorhome/caravan it is obvious, but apparently not for others. Wishing you a nice weekend!
Ditte, many people bring bikes or maybe a moped. We have actually managed without. Often we manage to park within walking distance, and when that's not possible, we've taken the bus 😉.
Steve, VW-bus is a small chapter of its own and they seem to be quite popular today. If you're talking about one, you'll probably want to specify that it's one, so I think you'll say it's a VW bus actually 😉.
Alexandra, I've thought it was strange too, but since so many people say the wrong thing or ask, I've come to realise that it's apparently not at all obvious to people who don't have or haven't had a motorhome/caravan....
04 March 2016 - 13:12
Alexandra says:
It was strange... Not knowing all kinds of motorhomes and caravans is no problem, but not being able to distinguish between a motorhome and a caravan was strange!
04 March 2016 - 12:37
Anette says:
Yes, that's a funny thing NOT! Have stopped correcting people when they say caravan about our motorhome, but it's like you say, we may say wrong about something else, but it's a little annoying... Now I'm going to pack the house, no right, the motorhome? May be a little trip this weekend too, even if the weather does not show itself from its best side, luckily you have something to warm yourself with in the RV, sorry, the motorhome?
04 March 2016 - 14:12
Henny says:
I usually explain that the difference between having a caravan and a motorhome lies mostly in how you want to use your "vehicle". If you want to stay in one place for a long time, the caravan is preferable, but if you want to move often, perhaps to a new place every day, the motorhome works best. Easy to just pack your stuff in and go, and just as easy to just stop the engine and put the coffee on in your new place (do you know that I own a Plåtis myself?).
04 March 2016 - 18:24
Matts Torebring says:
We often feel sorry for caravaners. They arrive late one evening, perhaps in pouring rain. The caravan has to be backed in, the car slips in the wet grass, it has to be level and the support legs have to be cranked down. Then it may not even be warm in the carriage, fetch water, take off wet clothes, the children cry and want to sleep. Then the gas for the boiler runs out, at twenty past two in the morning.
We sit in the motorhome and almost laugh. We did that for 27 years before we knew better. Thanks to the motorhome, it is the spice of life.
04 March 2016 - 19:35
AktivaDagar-Camilla says:
Lovely post ? greetings from a caravan... (I've checked, it has no engine... ?)
04 March 2016 - 20:44
admin says:
Anette, haha what a funny comment! Yes, I know, I also find it a little annoying, but I try to be understanding 😉 Wish you a nice weekend trip despite the weather!
Henny, I'm probably thinking the same as you. Motorhomes and caravans have slightly different uses.
Matts, haha, yes, we recognise that they struggle for a long time with tents and hammers and have themselves when we have been sitting and eating dinner and having a good time for a long time. .... But if they are going to stay in the same place for a long time, it may be worth it. And then they simply go away with the car 🙂 Each one becomes blissful on his thing, as my mother usually says 😉.
Active Days-Camilla, haha, how lucky you were to check... just in case 🙂.
04 March 2016 - 20:46
Britt-Marie says:
I have followed your blog with great interest and the posts of the last few days have made us discuss whether camping has lost its "geek" label in recent years. We belong to the generation that has been involved from the childhood holiday week in a fully packed car and small tent, via caravan holidays with small children in Sweden and around Europe, followed by a few years with teenage children on a seasonal site and later in a caravan on the west coast. Now the caravan has been replaced by a wonderful motorhome life where you can enjoy life both far away and close by. On the other hand, we spent two wonderful weeks in a small dome tent in the wilds of Botswana two years ago and we wouldn't have traded those nights for a fancy lodge for anything.
In other words, camping is probably the ultimate way to travel if you're a bit enterprising and want to experience life outside the hotel garden...
Now we are looking forward to taking the motorhome out of the wood and heading down to Normandy and Brittany in May.
Thanks for a great blog!
With kind regards Britt-Marie and Lars in Falköping.
04 March 2016 - 21:36
admin says:
Britt-Marie, thank you so much for your comment! Very nice to hear about your experiences with different types of camping and travelling. We believe, just like you, that camping at least to a large extent has lost any geeky stigma. There are so many different ways to camp, and you often get close to nature and have experiences that you don't get otherwise. Botswana sounds fantastic! Wish you also a nice trip to Normandy and Brittany. We liked this part of France very much, even though we were there in December when it was cold. If you want to see our travel tips in those areas, click on "travel tips" in the menu and choose "France".
04 March 2016 - 21:45
BP says:
Hahaha! Can't help but laugh here. Well, not at your excellent description of the differences, but the first thing I thought of is: the difference is probably crystal clear when you try to pocket park a caravan;-).
04 March 2016 - 22:58
ullie says:
oh now I probably wrote wrong about the motorhome on another comment how did I come to that comment then? =) yes I love motorhomes in any case
05 March 2016 - 0:13
admin says:
BP, haha, well then it's probably noticeable 😉.
Ullie, your comment arrived! It ended up under the previous post: http://www.freedomtravel.se/2016/03/hitta-restips-och-stallplatser-pa-bloggen/
05 March 2016 - 0:20
Rolle o Carina says:
Caravan is good but Motorhome is best, we know after having a caravan too!
Take care......
05 March 2016 - 8:43
Ezter says:
Can't understand why you can't see the difference? For me, a motorhome is not an option. We are seasonal travellers and you need all the space. If we had been interested in driving around, we might have considered a motorhome, but not as it is now! It's good that you can have whatever you want. Or camp if you want to 😉 .
05 March 2016 - 22:47
Eva says:
Oh what a nice blog! I have never been on holiday with any of these 2, but I have been hungry 🙂 thank you for a nice blog with lots of goodies 🙂.
nice Sunday
06 March 2016 - 11:38
admin says:
Rolle and Carina, you who have tried both can compare! 🙂 But then, of course, there are different tastes and tastes ...
Ezter, no, I don't really understand that either, but it's very common for people to say wrong actually. If you are seasonal, I understand that a caravan is best for you!
Eva, thank you, great to hear that you like our blog! Hope you get the chance to try a motorhome or caravan holiday at some point!
06 March 2016 - 13:58
biggeros says:
For me it would probably be a motorhome if I had a choice. So much information you have. Thank you, very interesting!!!
06 March 2016 - 19:06
admin says:
Biggeros, motorhome is not bad! I'm glad you enjoyed the post!
07 March 2016 - 0:06
Maria says:
You can already tell from the word and the appearance which one is which? I don't understand how it can be so difficult 😀.
09 March 2016 - 19:27