RV is the acronym for Recreational Vehicle. They are also called by other names such as motor caravan and motor home. RVs are used for practically everything: for camping, as a vacation vehicle or as a mobile home and even a mobile office. Obviously, RVs are no longer just for recreation although the popular name stuck.

Uses of Recreational Vehicles
The use of recreational vehicles offers a few advantages. Traveling is less expensive. You do not have to worry about where to stay for the night as with the RV, you are just at home. Theres flexibility and a sense of freedom of being on the open road. You can go anywhere and anytime you feel like it. You can travel light or bring along some amenities that will make your travel more comfortable.

RVs are used primarily for traveling, hunting and the like. Todays RVs are increasingly being used as homes. These are not just homes for those who cannot afford proper houses; they have become bigger and equipped with everything people need for comfortable life. This is why even the adequately provided are sometimes opted to live in them.

Types of Recreational Vehicles
There are several types RVs. Theres the Class A motor home built on a chassis of a commercial truck or chassis of a bus. In 1989, the introduction of slide-outs in the configuration of motor homes drastically changed the RV industry. It permitted room much wider than the road.

The class C motor home is the newer type. Like the Class A, the chassis is based on a commercial truck but with a cab section attached. The cab is ordinarily van-based, even though, sometimes a pick-up chassis is also utilized. These motor homes are distinguished by a cab profile, containing a bed or recreation section.

The bus conversion is another RV type. It is actually a typical passenger bus installed with luxurious furnishing necessary for comfortable living on the road. Bus conversions are usually the biggest motor homes in the market.

Theres also the Class B camper van. This is built using the typical van chassis with either a built-in coach at the back or a raised roof line. Another type of RV is the popular truck camper with back wood enthusiasts and hunters. The truck is converted into an RV by letting a camper temporarily go into the chassis or bed of the truck.

Features
A typical RV carries a table, beds, and areas for preparing foods as well as supplies and a storage section. Bigger models are provided with all the necessities found inside a home. This would include living areas, a master bedroom, refrigerators, full bathrooms and so much more. Some of the more elaborate ones have slide-out sections, awnings, satellite TV, internet even a garage for a car or motorcycle.

Manufacturers
There are many RV manufacturers. Some would even cater to people in need of inexpensive RVs. Some also cater to people who take their RVs seriously. One of the latter is Cool Amphibious Manufacturers which builds amphibious RVs at very steep prices. Featherlite Luxury Coaches offers an RV equipped with a treadmill, marble floors, and other high luxury features.

The Winnebago Industries is the maker of Winnebago, arguably the most popular RV in the market. In fact, Winnebago has become a sort of a generic word for all RVs and people would call all an RV a Winnebago although it is manufactured not by Winnebago industries but by another manufacturer.