Small RVs

Vans

Van Conversion

Van conversions rule! Known as class B's, they're as maneuverable as vans, since they are vans. Couples and even small families can live in them for weeks at a time. They can be built with a marvelous array of amenities, including toilets and showers. If you start with a class C you might not see how you could shrink down to a van. But if you start with tent camping a van could be all you'd ever want.

They're not cheap, though. A fully-equipped one would cost over $100,000.  Still, they can function as a family's second car and they get better fuel mileage than any full-size RV.  Maintenance is the same as for a car and most people can store them at home.

Tent Trailers, Pop-Up Trailers, and Pop-Up Campers

 

Instead of putting serious money into a camping vehicle they'll only use on weekends and vacation trips, many people opt for one of these cost-effective units because they offer a compromise between car camping and RV camping: many of the comforts of RVs and minimal inconvenience and cost.  Besides beds and rudimentary cooking equipment, they even can be outfitted with toilets and showers.  For some people, just being up off the ground makes them worthwhile.

The pop-up campers require a full-size pickup truck and both trailers require a fairly heavy car, truck, or SUV to tow them, but if you have a need for such a vehicle anyway it's easy to justify one of them.  But there aren't any rules about this: even motorcyclists can pull pop-ups.