Misuse of the term RV

[m.hony]

Don't y'all just hate it when people misuse RV to mean motorhome, such as my brother is trading his fifth wheel for an RV. Or, when you tell someone you have a trailer they respond by saying, "My grandparents had an RV." meaning a motorhome. They are all RVs, from teardrop trailers to pop-ups to million dollar Prevost buses. They are just different categories of RVs. Most of us on the forum have travel trailers. The most common term here is "bumper pull camper". It ain't actually attached to the bumper...
Some on the forum have a motorhome, called a "driving camper" around here...
My point is RV or Recreational Vehicle applies to all campers, whether it is a tent trailer, travel trailer, fifth wheel, Class C, Class B or Class A motorhome.
My grandfather thought my SUV was an RV...not exactly, but I don't really know why because it is recreational at times.
What is it that recreational vehicles are recreating?
It's kinda the same thing as misusing the term album to mean a 33 1/3 RPM record, as in do you have Journey's greatest hits on album, cassette, or CD...
They are all albums, just different formats. The term album could mean more than a collection of songs. It could be a photo album...

[Aage]

Dunno if I could say it bothers me. I think it just indicates someone that isn't as "into" RVs as we are.

It's my belief by the way, that the term "album" or better yet "record album" started with 78RPM records: they were often bought as a collection of records in an album, much like a photo album. The records held in "pages" that were sleeves, each with a hole in the middle of the page so that the record labels could be read.

Haven't you seen those around your grandparent's home, or in "antique" stores?

[SStar]

I think this could quickly turn into an uphill discussion, according to Wikipedia a vehicle is a non-living means of transportation. A trailer would only qualify if you ride inside it.
I'm sure I have too much time on my hands these days.

[AWCHIEF]

To me an RV is a self propelled motor home type vehicle. Travel trailers are pulled by another vehicle. Simple, but works for me.

[Jim Clark]

I don't hate it, in fact I don't really care.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, yes it sort-of bugs me too; RV doesn't just mean motorhome. I think some people use it trying to one-up-you with their motorhome [RV] versus your trailer. But while we're at it, the word quality bugs me too. People don't understand that the word quality, by it's self, means nothing. People assume that when the word quality is used that it means good, but it can mean bad, terrible, poor, excellent, Etc.

[overlander63]

It doesn't bother me.
What does bother me is people calling their ATVs, jet skis and dirt bikes RVs.

[Protagonist]

Aren't semantics wonderful? So many different ways to verbally make a distinction of us versus them.

If you've got a trailer, call it an RV if you want. Or not, as the mood strikes you. Here on the Airforums, there are Airstreamers, and everybody else, and that's all the distinction we need.

[MrUKToad]

RV? Mine's a caravan. Oops! There go those cultural differences again :~)

[moosetags]

To me, an RV is something that you take along with you to sleep and live in that has it's own wheels. Whether it is towed or is self-propelled doesn't matter. I have found that when people refer to an RV as being only a motor home, they are usually not RVers.

Brian

[field & stream]

"When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean --- neither more nor less."



Humpty Dumpty,

Through the Looking Glass (1871)

[vswingfield]

I always thought that the term "RV" developed because "camper" didn't sound fancy enough.

[polarlyse]

Mine is not an RV. It's an AIRSTREAM. Call the others anything you want but you can't call them an AIRSTREAM.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by polarlyse

Mine is not an RV. It's an AIRSTREAM. Call the others anything you want but you can't call them an AIRSTREAM.

Boy, you obviously don't read classified adds.

I've seen everything from any aluminum camper to Chrysler Airflows referred to as Airstreams.

So you can call them Airstreams.

BTW, I agree with you.

[eubank]

We hear the misuse from time to time when folks call in for reservations. We ask for the type of RV they have (for space allocation). When the response is "RV," then we know they're not too familiar with relevant terminology.


Lynn

[DanielB]

I hate it now the way people use the term "on point". "Hey come to the party... everything is going to be on point".

I guess people adapt words and phrases to fit whatever it is they are into.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by DanielB

I hate it now the way people use the term "on point". "Hey come to the party... everything is going to be on point".

Haven't heard that one. Guess I'm not on point. But I am getting tired of people saying they're ready to "pull the trigger" whenever they make a decision. Oddly, even a person I know to be staunchly anti-gun, who would never— ever— pull a real trigger, verbally "pulls the trigger."

[SStar]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Haven't heard that one. Guess I'm not on point. But I am getting tired of people saying they're ready to "pull the trigger" whenever they make a decision. Oddly, even a person I know to be staunchly anti-gun, who would never— ever— pull a real trigger, verbally "pulls the trigger."

I agree, but now it's time to pull out all the stops and get our ducks in a row.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by SStar

I agree, but now it's time to pull out all the stops and get our ducks in a row.

Well at the end of the day, you're right on point.

[cameront120]

Unless I'm using it for business, they're all RV's. My motorcycle, trailer, boat, bicycle are all recreational vehicles. Hell, if I'm going downtown for a movie, even the city bus is a recreational vehicle.