Why are the RV classes "A" - "B" - "C" ?

The only such letter-designation that means anything related to the letter is the first one "awarded": the "Class C". "C" stands for "Chassis", as in Chassis mount camper- first described as such in the early sixties when the first mfr's pulled the bed off a pickup and permanently installed a "living space" there. The point of "Chassis mount" was to differentiate from the traditional slide-in camper.

There was no such thing as a Class "A" or "B" at the time....those designations didn't exist at all until some smart Advertising Genius figured out that calling something a "Class A" would make it seem more valuable to a gullible public. And at least according to the number of posts we see on here that say folks are "moving UP" from a "C" to an "A", it seems to have worked pretty well.

Anyway, they started using "Class A" for anything that was a ground-up build, having no relation/visible connection to any known vehicle. As anyone that's ever tried to work on one knows...;)


"B"s came about because- well, there was this unused letter between "A" and "C", so what the heck? :)

Dieter_Heinzer wrote:
I fully know the difference between the three main classes of RVs, I was recently asked why the respective classes are the letter they are. I can't think of a logical reason where the nomenclature originated, but I'm sure there is some basis.

Please enlighten me! :)

Thanks,

I wish the gov. would keep things this simple.

RVIA came up with those designations. Someone outside that industry association, not party to discussions of the committee that did the work, would be just guessing at the "why" of it. Before the letter classifications RVIA was using the terms Motorhome, Campervan, and Minimotorhome for what became A, B, and C, respectively.

In other countries, different names are used for the same types, different in each language, but all three types are usually distinguished from each other on the same criteria used by RVIA, relationship of construction to chassis type. The French distinguish two types of "C": Capucine and Profile. A Profile here is unofficially B+ although some manufacturers apply it also to a widened campervan.

Why is that the name, is like why is my name Thomas and your name Dieter? Somebody responsible for naming made that choice, needs no apparent logic. So many times in Asia, I would see a name in characters, try to interpret meaning, the person would say "my name does not mean that, it is just a name."

tatest wrote:
RVIA came up with those designations. Someone outside that industry association, not party to discussions of the committee that did the work, would be just guessing at the "why" of it.

Do tell...
Is that by way of saying that you yourself are an insider that was present during the deliberations?

Hi,

From what I have heard, class C started out as a Chassis mount camper on a pickup frame, this was before vans where in production. Econoline production did not start until around 1955. Until 1972, the Econolines did not have enough GVWR to carry much of a RV, and in 72 they started to be built with V8 302" engines and automatics in pretty much all of them.

Class A was a frame with a RV built into it, or a bus conversion.

Class B's started to be built once the vans where strong enough to carry the RV conversion.

However in the early days the RV sales places normally did not give a though to the GVWR of the vehicle or the curb weight. Many where over the GVWR even before leaving the factory.

I never could guess why the fifth wheels where called a fifth wheel, until I was watching a show about carriages. The round steering coupling the solid front axle with the bottom of the front of the carriage is called a fifth wheel. It is the shape of a wheel, and allows the front axle to turn under it. Trucking companies kept the name, and it was used in the big rigs too.

Fred.

A C is because you Could have bought an A.
A B is because you want it to Be an A.
And an A is because you sit back and say Ahhhhh while looking at your new A.

At least that's the way I heard it......:B....Dennis

Thanks all for your contributions! I find the first most informative and the last most enjoyable. Happy New Year and may this year bring you all many joyous hours of RVing.

When I was a small boy, back in the 50's, I would observe my daddy greasing the 5th Wheel on his semi.......and then.....stick my fingers in the grease.

I always thought it was because D, E & F were already taken !!!:B

There needed to be some way to identify the different types and and that was easy.