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Tent trailers are a type of recreational vehicles (RV) that can be used as traveling or camping shelters and even as full time homes. RVs are very popular among families who go on regular camping trips every summer and are also the preferred type of dwellings by some who do not have a traditional permanent home. People who use this vehicle as a permanent dwelling often purchase one of their own from previous owners or directly from manufacturers. Campers, meanwhile, either buy them or rent them from camping supplies companies.

Aside from tent trailers, recreational vehicles can also be in the form of truck campers, folding camping trailers, motorhomes, park models, toy haulers, travel trailers, hybrid trailers, fifth wheel travel trailers and toterhomes. Each type of RV has its own features and purpose and each has its own pros and cons. Truck campers are comprised of camper shell units that can be attached to the chassis of a pickup truck. Folding camping trailers, also called pop-ups, are light-weight units with collapsible sides for storage and towing. Motorhomes, on the other hand, are units built on commercial truck chassis, a conventional van or a pickup truck.

Park models, another common type of RV, have the same basic features as all kinds of trailers. They are designed for occasional relocation and require a highway movement permit when they need to be moved. A special towing vehicle is also needed to relocate this type of vehicle. A toy hauler, meanwhile, is designed to function as a living space and a garage for storing things such as ATVs and motorbikes. Unlike toy haulers, travel trailers serve more as living quarters rather than as storage vehicles. They have rigid sides for towing and have a bumper or frame hitch. The nearest in built and design to the travel trailer is the hybrid. It is a combination of travel trailer and folding trailer which can feature pull-out tent sections or walls that can be lowered over the bottom of the vehicle for towing. The fifth wheel is also much the same as a travel trailer but is equipped with a special hitch in the truck bed.

The advantage of using or living in these recreational vehicles is that there will be no need to rent a motel or a hotel room if you happen to be a state-hopping person. They are also equipped with cooking equipment so that food can be prepared inside and there would be no need to eat at restaurants. The main disadvantage is that RVs have low fuel economy and some bigger models are hard to drive. There is also the problem of towing costs, not to mention the hassle involve in towing.

Given the pros and cons, there are still a big number of people who prefer to live or travel in tent trailers and other types of RVs. For some, the idea of having some sort of home wherever they go is comforting. It is also a form of adventure to leave the safety of a static dwelling and travel around the country carrying your shelter and basic necessities with you.

There is a changing tide in the travel industry. Traditionally massive package holiday companies have block booked villas, hotels, flights, tours and coach transfers from and to the airport. Every detail of ones holiday was catered for by the tour operator. Two weeks in July with bacon and eggs by the pool. The situation is however changing and the trend is towards independent travel.

The independent traveler is on the scene and with the arrival and growth of the internet individuals no longer need accept a tin sardine holiday. The arrival of cheap airlines has helped persons make considerable savings by booking early and travelling in the low season and in the middle of the week. There has been more and more one way tickets purchased. The modern traveler wants more flexibility and will often extend or shorten their trips depending on how much they are enjoying themselves.

The reliance on packaged holidays has caused severe pressures on the infrastructure and environment of holiday hot spots like the Algarve and Majorca, Spain. Their ability to monopolise the accommodation market and dictate pricing has not only created ghost towns that are virtually deserted for most of the year, it has also conned thousands of people with misleading real estate opportunities and created a housing bubble and surplus as well as unnecessarily spoiling miles of coastline.

There are huge benefits in renting holiday villa accommodation with the owners direct over accepting a tin sardine holiday. There are fewer middle men taking their hefty commissions for renting the villa, apartment or hotel room to you. Often these savings are passed on meaning your holiday can be cheaper. You get to choose exactly which property you are renting. Rather than rely on massive companies often poor investigation and selection procedures you can personally speak with the owner of a rental property and satisfy yourself that the arangement is of superior value and high standard.

The idependent traveller has far greater freedom to change their plans and discover spontaneously. The trend towards independent travel has colossal benefits for the environment and local economies. Instead of profits being siphoned off into the already inflated bank accounts of mammoth corporations, small businesses and the local economy get a bigger slice of the pie. The season is extended as independent travelers take advantage of lower prices and less competition in the shoulder and low seasons.

Independent holiday makers travel further afield and to more diverse locations off the beaten path. Instead of large concentrations of people arriving in a single location in July or August the independent traveler will venture elsewhere reducing the environmental footprint and helping the economies of more rural economies.

In the traditional package holiday situation tradition and culture were at best artificial spectacles such as a flamenco night in Tenerife and at worst local people have felt exploited and tourists unwelcome. The mammoth companies keep sending the tourists and in locations such as Majorca where the package still rules restaurant proprietors needn’t worry about reputation or providing value for money because tomorrow a new load of pale faced tourists will be arriving.

By travelling independently one has far more freedom. Free to choose, free to move, free to travel onwards, to follow ones intuition, to enjoy and interact with the local people, to see the real culture and to travel in a more environmentally sustainable way that benefits the local people and their economy.