RVs and campers may be a more ideal way to travel for small business owners whose companies have a more down-home appeal, such as couples who sell crafts at various county fairs or farmers who enter livestock in competitions. Campers give these small business owners the opportunity to take their homes with them, so to speak, as they travel. While this may not be suited to everyone, there are many who find the idea of a camper much more appealing than a slew of hotel stays while they travel.

There is a variety of campers for sale and what you buy depends upon your needs and desires. Campers pricing and costs are also very important in deciding which option fits your budget. Consider the following:

1. A truck camper has less drag and, therefore, costs less to transport.

2. A camper for a car, also known as a pop-up camper, is the next step up from a tent and ideal for infrequent camping needs.

3. Smaller RV campers that hitch to your truck, known as fifth wheels, are perfect if you want a home away from home while you travel.

Action Steps
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Purchase truck campers for transport ease

Truck campers are temporary living quarters that fit in the bed of a pick-up truck. The living area, which will typically include a sink, a small stove, a sitting area with small table and a place for a television, sits inside the truck bed and may hang over the sides a bit. The sleeping area rests over the cab of the truck and is about the same size as the living area, with a lower ceiling space. You should choose a model recommended for your specific truck to get optimal usage.

I recommend: Adventure RV Center offers many makes and models of truck campers ranging from $12,000 to $35,000. East End Campers also has a variety of brands, including Bigfoot truck campers, for $25,000 to $32,000.

Consider using pop-up campers for one night trips

A pop-up camper folds down for easier transportation. Pop-up campers attach to a trailer, usually as one cohesive unit, which you can pull by a vehicle of practically any size, even a small car. Basically, you expand a pop-up horizontally and vertically once in the desired location. Depending on what amenities you go with, new models can range from $5,000 to $20,000. You can find used pop up campers for as little as $500 if you look hard enough.

I recommend: Find a pop-up camper dealer near you through the camper dealer listings on Pop Up Times. Consider something like the Forest River Rockwood series. According to Labadie Motors, the MSRP on these models ranges from $6,000 to $9,000.

Invest in used campers or fifth wheels to save money

Fifth wheel campers are trailers pulled by a truck. You must install a special hitch to the truck bed and mount the camper over the rear axle of the truck, so that the truck supports a lot of the camper's weight for travel. These campers are ideal for individuals who go camping a few times a year for a week or two at a time. Depending on your specific camping desires, fifth wheels can come fully loaded and range in size from 19 to 40 feet long.

I recommend: Coachmen Industries has several fifth wheel models ranging from $28,000 to $48,000. Search for used fifth wheels for sale within your region on UsedRVs. A used fifth wheel can cost from $15,000 to $70,000, depending on the manufacturer, amenities and seller.

Truck campers and pop up campers (also known as a car camper) make business travel easier and often less expensive. Size, price and features all factor into which campers work best for which businesses. Learn about the advantages of each model before choosing a camper or fleet of campers.

Whether you want a camper for a car, like a pop up camper, or a camper for a truck, commonly called a truck camper, a little research before you make your final choice helps you make the best selection for your business. Using the three questions below as a guide will get you started.

1. What kinds of new or used campers can you find?

2. Which campers fit your needs the best?

3. Where can you get new or used campers?

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Look at available campers for sale

Before you can choose you should compare campers for price, size, and ease of transport and use. Don't worry right now about finding a camper close to your business; concern yourself instead with browsing the market for all new and used campers for sale. You can narrow your search by location and price later.

I recommend: RVTrader has listings for new and used campers across the United States. You can find used truck campers as well as used pop up campers; they also have a used RV Buyer's Guide. Sundown Online has an RV site that lists used campers and has a feature that lets you sort by size, so you can advance directly to pop up campers and truck campers by looking for the smallest size campers.

Test campers you think might fit your needs

Before making your decision, you have a responsibility to try out the merchandise. You don't want to buy a truck camper only to learn that your tallest employees travel better in a pop up camper.

I recommend: Rent a pop up camper before you buy. You can rent pop up campers at RVRentalsofAmerica.com. If you want a truck camper, you may not be able to rent one but you can find an RV show through LCMC. These shows let you explore the latest models.

Buy campers locally

Your Internet search for RVs and campers probably yielded campers for sale from Alaska to Key West, but now that you're prepared to buy you should probably make the purchase close to where you live and work.

I recommend: If you want to buy a new camper, Traveling USA breaks down dealers by state. For used RV campers, RVs.com lets you search by location, price, size and model.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  There aren't many places that let you rent truck campers, but don't let that dissuade you from buying one. It may seem brazen, but pay a visit to your local campground and talk to the people you see using truck campers. Most campers love to talk about their vehicle of choice and may even invite you in to take a look.

Campers are a great way for your RV customers to travel while maintaining a sense of home. RVs and campers come in all shapes, sizes and colors. From the simplest camper for a car or camper for a truck models to the fancy self-contained units, outdoor lovers can find a car camper or a truck camper to satisfy their needs.

While some campers can be quite expensive, there are plenty of models of used campers for sale. So, help your customers find a model that’s right for them. As you consider the various campers types and styles to keep in stock, you need to evaluate what your customers plan to do with the camper. Ask yourself following questions:

1. Where does my customer plan to travel with the camper? Some models of campers adapt of off-road locations much easier than others.

2. How big a camper do my customers need? They don’t want to pay for space they don’t need. Also consider the size of the vehicle that must pull the camper to its destination.

3. Do they want a basic camper or a luxury model? There’s a style to suit every need.

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Offer pop-up campers to get a taste of camping

If they want to get close to nature without a lot of expense but don't want to sleep in a tent, a pop-up camper is a good option. These trailers are light and your customers can pull most models with a car. Pop-up campers come in a variety of sizes and configurations.

I recommend: Coleman has a variety of pop-up campers. Many of its pop-up campers have external options, such as grills and cooking surfaces, that allow more living space at the camping destination. Camping World has a number of used pop-up campers for sale on its website.

Provide truck campers for camping beyond the basics

Truck campers have a very utilitarian design yet allow users more space than they would get with a pop-up camper. Truck campers are pulled with a bumper hitch or a fifth-wheel hitch. There are also smaller models that slide into the bed of the pickup.

I recommend: Select from the large selection of campers for sale from Berryland Campers. Compare campers from its models, or shop for used campers on its website. The fifth-wheel truck campers available at Trailside RV Center provide another room above the bed of the truck.

Stock self-contained campers for luxurious accommodations

These motor homes and RVs can be quite large and quite elaborate in their décor. The Class A motor homes are the fanciest of the group, but many of the Class B and Class C motor homes are affordable.

I recommend: Choose motor homes from Lazy Days RV Center. Its RV campers come in a variety of sizes and styles. The large selection of campers at Bigfoot RV allows a variety of floor plans.

Campers come in a myriad of shapes and sizes. Depending on your company's needs you may find one style preferable over another. But if you're not an avid recreational vehicle camper yourself, then you may find all the choices a bit bewildering. One way to figure out what sort of camper will work the best for your business's needs is to learn some of the basic terms used in describing the types of campers.

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RV

An RV, which is short for recreational vehicle, is another word for any of the many types of campers available. Recreational vehicles are used for business as well as recreation. All such vehicles come with certain comforts, such as a bed and sink, that make the vehicle a temporary home away from home.

I recommend: RV-Coach Network explains what constitutes a recreational vehicle. Scroll down the page to find the term in the glossary.

Class A, B and C motor homes

Class A motor homes include some of the largest vehicles, comparable in size to a bus. Class B motor homes bear a strong resemblance to oversized minivans. Class C motor homes are built on the frame of a truck's body.

I recommend: The Changin' Gears website from Charlie Kerekes explains the three classes of motor homes. The website also has photos of each motor home class as well as longer articles (with descriptions) of each class of motor home.

Truck campers

Truck campers fit in the bed of a pickup truck. They are also called pickup campers or slide-on campers.

I recommend: Traveland USA and the RV-Coach Network explain truck campers in greater detail. The RV-Coach Network also has drawings of truck campers.

Pop-up campers

A pop-up camper is also called a tent camper or a folding camper. These campers fold flat for towing and storage but unfold (usually with the aid of mechanical cranks) into larger campers. Cars and trucks can tow a pop-up camper.

I recommend: Camping Earth describes different types of pop-up campers. This website also discusses the pros and cons of pop-ups.

Fifth wheel campers

Fifth wheel campers are built to go behind a pickup truck. They get towed in the bed of the truck.

I recommend: Haw Creek has an article that describes and defines fifth wheel campers. This website also has photos of fifth wheel campers.

Toad or dinghy

A toad, also called a dinghy, is a recreational vehicle towed behind a car or truck. Not all motor homes can get towed behind a vehicle while some are made to be towed. Others may get towed with certain modifications. Don't confuse toads with fifth wheel campers. Fifth wheels work only with trucks while any camper towed behind a vehicle is called a toad.

I recommend: Les Doll explains toads on his website. Scroll down the page to find the term in the glossary.