Types of caravans
The towed kinds, the driven kinds, and the words for each.
You tow a caravan behind your car. A campervan or motorhome has its own engine and drives itself.
This page defines full-height caravans, pop-tops, hybrids, camper trailers, fifth wheelers, campervans and motorhomes.
Updated . 7 min read • Buying Guide
You tow a caravan behind your car, while a campervan or motorhome has its own engine and drives itself.
Australia's towed types are full-height caravans, pop-tops, hybrids, camper trailers and fifth wheelers; RV is the umbrella word for all of them, towed or driven.
- Towed - caravans, pop-tops, hybrids, camper trailers, fifth wheelers (your car's braked towing capacity decides which)
- Driven - campervans and motorhomes (the vehicle and the accommodation are one machine)
- The umbrella word - RV, recreational vehicle (covers every type here, towed or driven)
Every type, one line each
The standard tourer. Solid walls, full standing height, ready to live in the moment you unhitch.
A caravan whose roof lowers for towing and storage, and lifts at camp.
Caravan comfort in a smaller, tougher shell built for rough tracks.
A trailer that folds out into its living shape when you set up camp.
A large van that hitches to a pin in a ute's tray instead of a towball.
A van conversion you sleep in: bed and kitchen inside a standard van body.
A purpose-built home on a truck or bus chassis, with full standing room throughout.
The first split is how the thing moves. Everything towed needs a car that can pull it; everything driven is its own vehicle, number plate and all. Every other difference on this page sits under that one.
Caravans, pop-tops, hybrids and camper trailers
A full-height caravan has solid walls, a fixed roof you can stand under, a kitchen, a bed and usually a bathroom. You unhitch, wind down the legs and it is ready to live in. Makers rate these vans as on-road, semi off-road or full off-road. The rating describes the chassis, suspension and clearance, not the body style.Off-road vs semi off-road covers what those ratings change.
A pop-top is a caravan whose roof section lowers for towing and lifts at camp. The lower profile cuts wind drag on the highway and lets the van fit under a standard garage door or carport. The trade is a minute of set-up at each stop and soft gusset walls where the roof lifts. Pop top caravans compared lists every one on our site.
A hybrid keeps a caravan's hard walls and solid roof in a smaller, lighter, tougher package aimed at rough tracks. Many use a lifting roof or fold-out beds to keep travel height and weight down. The word is applied loosely across the market, so treat it as a starting point and read the individual van's specifications.
A camper trailer travels as a low trailer and folds, winds or flips out into its living shape at camp. It is the lightest towed option, which opens it to cars that could not pull a caravan. Set-up and pack-down time at every stop is the price of that.
A fifth wheeler is a large van that hitches to a pin mounted in a ute's tray rather than to a towball. The hitch puts part of the van's weight over the ute's rear axle. That is why the type can run bigger than a conventional caravan. They are common in North America and a small niche in Australia.
The number that matters for anything towed
Every towed type carries an ATM, Aggregate Trailer Mass: the most the loaded van is rated to weigh. Your car's braked towing capacity has to clear it, with ball weight and GCM checked alongside.Caravan weights explained walks through all the terms, and the tow calculator runs the check on any car and van pair.
Campervans and motorhomes
A campervan is a van conversion: a standard van body fitted out with a bed, a small kitchen and sometimes a compact bathroom. It drives like the van it is, parks in a normal space and doubles as an everyday vehicle for some owners. The living space is the trade: cooking, sleeping and storage share one small room.
A motorhome is purpose-built accommodation on a truck or bus chassis. It has full standing room, a separate bathroom, a proper kitchen and real storage. The cost is size, and taking your accommodation with you every time you drive. Many motorhome travellers tow a small car behind for exactly that reason.
Because the vehicle and the accommodation are one machine, the towing questions that shape caravan buying do not arise. The buying decision instead runs on the vehicle side: engine, chassis, service network and licensing for the largest sizes, which vary by state.
The pairs people ask about
Caravan vs motorhome
A caravan is towed and a motorhome drives itself. A caravan stays at camp while your car does the day trips, and the same car is your everyday car at home. A motorhome is one machine to buy, insure and service, with the accommodation aboard on every drive. To decide between them,answer three questions that point you to a type.
Caravan vs campervan
Same split, smaller scale. A campervan parks anywhere a van parks, and you sleep where you stop. A caravan has more living space, and you leave the accommodation behind while you explore.Compare a caravan and a campervan side by side.
Hybrid vs camper trailer
Both aim at rough tracks and light towing. The hybrid keeps hard walls and arrives closer to ready; the camper trailer folds flatter, tows lighter and asks for set-up time at every camp. Weights overlap between the two types, so compare each van's ATM.
Pop-top vs full-height
The pop-top trades a minute of roof-winding at each stop for lower towing drag and a van that fits under a garage door. The full-height van is ready the moment you stop and seals harder against weather and dust. Overhead storage also differs, because the pop-top's lowered roof line leaves less room for overhead lockers.
Comparing the towed kinds?
Every checked range on the site lists its type, published weights and prices side by side.Browse the catalogue and filter by the type that fits, or start from what your car can tow.
Type questions, answered
What does RV stand for?
Recreational vehicle, the Australian umbrella word for anything you travel and sleep in, from caravans to motorhomes. When a listing says RV, read on to find which type it means.
What is the difference between a campervan and a motorhome?
A campervan is a van conversion, with the living space inside a standard van body. A motorhome is purpose-built on a larger truck or bus chassis, with full standing room, a separate bathroom and more storage.
Is a camper trailer a caravan?
No, though both are towed. A caravan arrives at camp ready to use, while a camper trailer folds or winds out into its living shape after you park.
What is a hybrid caravan?
A hybrid sits between a camper trailer and a full caravan, with hard walls and a solid roof in a lower, lighter body. Makers use the word loosely, so read each van's own specifications.
Can my car tow any of these?
Each towed type carries an ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass), the most the loaded van is rated to weigh. Your car's braked towing capacity has to clear it, so check the actual van against your actual car.
Found your type?
See every checked range of that type with published weights and prices, or check what your own car can tow first.