Depending on your needs, a travel trailer can be anything from a sleek and roomy 27-foot Airstream to a small functional 13-foot Scamp. Travel trailers come with a range of amenities; the larger ones typically have a private sleeping area, roomy dining area that converts to a bed, a galley kitchen and a bathroom. Smaller models typically do not have bathrooms, with just a sofa and table that convert into sleeping areas. Large travel trailers typically take a full size pickup or four wheel drive to haul, while some small travel trailers, like the Scamp, can be towed with a smaller SUV or a small pickup.
Designed for more safety on the road, a fifth wheel camper requires a full-size truck equipped with a special in-bed hitch, where the front of the camper rests in the pickup bed. Many camper enthusiasts claim fifth wheel hitches are the safest way to tow a camper, because the weight distribution makes them easier to drive and maneuver. While not quite as spacious as some of the behemoth RVs and pull-behind campers on the market, fifth wheel campers typically sleep up to six people and include kitchens, bathrooms with showers, entertainment centers and all the creature comforts of the bigger campers. This type of camper is great for someone who already owns a full-size pickup and wants easier handling than a standard travel trailer might provide.
Not to be forgotten are the small and economical pop-up campers, which offer many of the same amenities as small trailers, but with collapsible walls that can be put up and down. The typical pop-up setup includes two beds on either side with a kitchen and eating area in the middle of the camper. Advantages to having a pop up camper versus another type of camper include being able to swap out your towing vehicle easily and being much more economical in terms of gas and initial investment. The major disadvantage is having to set up the walls every time you want to camp.
Another less expensive and often the most mobile choice among campers is the truck camper that sits entirely on top of the truck bed, with wheels of its own. Since a full size pickup is typically required to safely mount a truck camper, one of the advantages to these types of campers is being able to take your home to places that other RV's and campers can't reach. To make them even easier to take into the back country, some companies such as Alaskan Campers make truck campers with a low profile, or one that "pops" in the same manner as a pop up camper. Truck campers are one of the more affordable choices among new campers. Typically, truck campers feature a galley kitchen, a "master bedroom" in the loft above the truck's cab and a convertible table/bed.
