RV caravans and road trips: how a convoy works

Updated 4 Oct 2026

A hosted road trip is a convoy you drive yourself: you bring or borrow the vehicle, and a named host plans the route, the stops and the evenings. You do the driving, they do the planning, and you arrive each night somewhere other people are already setting up camp.

What a hosted road trip is

On hosted/trips, Road trips covers anything where the group moves together and each traveller drives: RV caravans · motorcycle tours · car rallies. The host has worked out the route, booked or chosen the overnight stops, and planned what happens along the way. You keep your own wheel, your own pace inside the day, and your own bed if you travel in an RV.

It is different from a coach tour, where someone else drives and you look out of the window. Here you are in charge of your vehicle the whole time, and the group is the company you keep at every stop.

How a convoy usually runs

Every host runs things their own way, but most convoys follow a similar rhythm.

1. A morning briefing. The host goes over the day's route, fuel stops, road conditions and where you're sleeping that night.
2. Driving in small groups or at your own pace. Some caravans travel nose to tail. Many let you leave within a time window and meet at the next stop, which is calmer on busy roads.
3. Planned stops. Lunch, a sight worth seeing, a fuel top-up. These are often booked or scouted ahead.
4. Arrival and setup. You park, level up or unload, and settle in.
5. Evenings together. A shared meal, a campfire, a ride-out for the motorcycle crowd, or simply chairs in a circle.

Some trips have a second person at the back of the convoy to help anyone who stops. Others rely on phones or two-way radios to stay in touch. If that matters to you, ask the host how they handle a breakdown or someone falling behind.

Your vehicle: bring it or have it provided

The first thing to check on any road trip listing is the vehicle.

• Bring your own: you drive your RV, car or motorcycle. Ask whether there are size limits, for example on RV length, since some campgrounds and roads can't take larger rigs.
• Provided: the host arranges the vehicle, often a rental RV or bike. Ask what's included · who pays fuel · what insurance comes with it · what happens if it breaks down.
• Either: you choose. Prices often differ between the two, so check which price you're looking at.

Whichever it is, make sure you're comfortable driving that vehicle for several hours a day. If you have never driven an RV of that size, say so to the host. They will have heard it before.

For RV caravans: hookups, explained

RV campgrounds offer different levels of connection, and caravan listings often say which to expect.

• Full hookups: water, electricity and a sewer connection at your site.
• Partial hookups: usually water and electricity, without a sewer connection. You use a dump station before you leave.
• No hookups (dry camping): no connections at all. You run on your tanks, batteries, solar or a generator.

Many caravans mix all three across a route. A night of dry camping somewhere remote can be one of the highlights, but your rig needs to be ready for it. Ask the host which nights are which, and whether generators are allowed where you'll be staying.

What the price usually covers

There is no standard package, so read the listing closely and ask. Common inclusions are campground or hotel fees · planned group meals · entry to sights on the route · the host's time and planning. Common extras are fuel · tolls · your own meals on free days · vehicle insurance · any rental costs. Every host sets their own deposit and cancellation terms, so ask what they are before you pay.

Questions to ask the host

1. How many vehicles usually travel together?
2. How long are the driving days, in hours rather than miles?
3. Do we drive as one convoy, or meet up at each stop?
4. What happens if my vehicle breaks down on the road?
5. Are there size or age limits on vehicles?
6. Which nights have hookups, and which are dry camping?
7. Are pets welcome, and are there any rules for them?
8. What are the deposit and cancellation terms?

Booking through hosted/trips

Every trip on hosted/trips has a named host, and you book directly with them on their own site. hosted/trips takes no bookings or payments, and no cut of what you pay the host. The list is ordered by soonest booking-closing date, so you see trips before they close, and you can re-sort by earliest, latest or price. Nobody can pay to move up, and sponsored spots are always labeled.

If nothing on the list fits yet, set up a trip alert and you'll get an email when a new road trip is listed.

Find a trip

Browse road trips, or look at camps and gatherings if you'd rather drive to one place and stay put. You can also see everything on hosted/trips.