Plot

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are forced to go on an RV holiday in the southwestern United States, despite regarding such things as slow, uncomfortable and pointless. Pushed to breaking point within 24 hours, the hosts decide to take matters into their own hands by each buying a used RV.

The trio are sent to Nevada for a holiday in an RV (Winnebago Chieftain) but after just 5 miles they decide it is terrible (43 mph, bad interiors, 1972 design, with a small toilet and nowhere to dump the excrement). They decide to separate and each buy and modify their own RVs. May gets the Ford F550 National Tropical (36 feet long, with a pub in the back), Clarkson's RV has a jet ski at the back, and a flying bridge on top (but the seat gets extremely hot), huge bathroom inside (the toilet has no tank and flushes directly to the road below), AC works, but the dash is all broken. Hammond modifies a truck, with a bike at the back, spartan accommodations, but powerful V8 upfront, but can only do 15 mph on an incline.

They drive on roads and across the desert, putting their creations through several challenging conditions. Clarkson's RV starts backfiring and he sees mysteriously suited guys on the side of the road, which the rest can't see. Clarkson's RV also has a high idle speed of 48 mph, and he cannot break without pressing the accelerator. The camp at night at an RV campsite. Hammond's view includes a sand compound where dogs take a dump. May opens his pub and dispenses drinks to the locals. Clarkson reckons that since there is nothing nearby the campsite than a scrapyard, that all the campers are into wife-swapping. At night May and Clarkson burgle Hammond's tent on the back of his lorry. At the breakfast at May's pub, they discuss the annoying thing about living in a RV camp, such as hearing people having sex next door.

While in Nevada, the presenters have a go at certain activities, firstly going dune buggy racing (in 28-inch suspension vehicles). Clarkson chooses Jakes Fabworks JF5U (2.4L Chevy engine, sequential gearbox, made from the beetle originally, 16 inches of suspension at front and 18 at the back), May drives the Alumi Craft Class 10 (doesn't have a windshield), and Hammond drives a plastic green pickup truck (2L engine, Ford Eco Boost with turbo, 300 BHP). May does a lap in 57.8 secs. Clarkson 58.5 secs. Hammond gets a ricochet rock into his helmet and doesn't complete his lap.

They get back on the road and Clarkson's RV starts leaning to one side, dangerously. That night they decide to camp in open wilderness. The find a spot near a lake, but Clarkson's jet ski falls off and he barely brings his RV to a stop. May wants to write poetry but Hammond keeps buzzing around in his bike and Clarkson in his jet ski. As May goes to sleep, Hammond reckons he is between Area 51 and Roswell and sets up an alien greeting set up with loud lights and speakers aka "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Meanwhile Clarkson keeps seeing the strangely suited man in every location.

Then the trio heads to the Spring Mountain race complex in a selection of American Cars - Clarkson reviews the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (front engine, 6.2L supercharged V8, 755 BHP, 715 torques, 0-60 in 2.8 secs, has a BAS (big Ass Supercharger), 13 radiators and runs on fuel that's not even available in California anymore), Hammond tests the Jeep Grand Cherokee Track hawk (6.2L supercharged V8, 700 BHP, borrowed metals from the aeronautical industry to strengthen the drive-train, 0-60 in 3.5 secs, 180 mph, 2.5 tonnes off-road car, 4 wheel drive), and May drives the Cadillac CTS-V (6.2L supercharged V8, 640 BHP, 200 mph). Hammond suggests a drifting competition, which none can accomplish, and May's car gets stolen by a guy who claims he is a "drifter".

That night Hammond and Clarkson visit Vegas and bring the party to their campsite. May is cross and doesn't make breakfast for them. May decides that they will visit Red Lake, which means Clarkson can drive it from his flying bridge. He takes a cleared path, while Hammond and May take a direct but rougher route. Hammond's bike falls off and May drives over it. Clarkson's bathroom and May's pub are destroyed. May's windscreen is destroyed, and Clarkson makes fun of it, so when his jet ski falls off, May drives over it. Due to the bumps, Clarkson's flying bridge controls don't work, and he has no brakes or gears. So, he must get down in a moving RV to regain control but can't since his hatch is jammed. So, May and Hammond must get Clarkson's RV in a pincer and apply brakes to get it to stop. Then Hammond must into Clarkson's RV through the side window (via window in May's RV) to the driver's seat to put it in neutral. and while coming back, he gets stuck in May's window.

The trio conclude that RVs are not good and head to the demolition derby. The strangely suited guy shows up as the driver of one of the RVs. Hammond's truck goes out first, then May and Clarkson manage to defeat the RV of the strangely suited man.