Imagine sinking into a leather sofa across from a roaring fire, a college basketball game on a wide-screen TV with sounds of screaming fans from multiple speakers.

Is this the living room you’d love to have? One may be rolling beside you at 65 mph.

If your last experience with a recreational vehicle included uncomfortable, undersized beds and a bathroom the size of a phone booth, it’s time to take a second look.

They’ve been supersized and upgraded.

In many cases, RVs today replicate and exceed the comforts of home.

“Everything you have at home, you can take with you,” said Tom Huggler, publicist for the recent Grand Rapids Camper Travel & RV Show at DeVos Place. “Sunken living rooms, stone fireplace, a TV that disappears in a cabinet …. it’s pretty cool, isn’t it? ”

Even if most of us can’t afford one of these rolling land yachts, the recent show certainly whetted appetites for a mobile palace — or a high-end vacation on wheels.

Recreational vehicles as a group are categorized as motor homes, fifth-wheel trailers, travel trailers and folding camping trailers (what used to be called pop-ups).

New models can be found for $4,000 to more than $400,000, depending on what you get and the extent of bling. Hundreds of RV parks have been built across the U.S. to accommodate a surge in popularity.

Nearly 8 million U.S. households own at least one RV, a 58 percent rise since 1980, according to a 2005 survey by University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center.

Who’s buying them? Think baby boomers — ownership rates extend across a 40-year span from age 35 to 75, the study found.

“The similar features you have in your home traditionally haven’t been in RVs,” said Bruce Ter Veen, sales manager for General RV Center in Wayland. “Now, it’s like a condo on wheels.”

We’re talking about tile flooring, French doors, fireplaces, his and her sinks, full-size refrigerators, kitchen islands and wine racks. You also will find high-tech gadgets from big-screen flat-panel TVs and push-button awnings to iPod ports, satellite radio and bunk beds with individual DVD screens and headsets.

Unlike new car dealerships, many RV centers let customers rent vehicles, hoping the experience leads to a purchase down the road. Fold-down campers typically rent for $400 a week, while a 39-foot motor home that seats 11 and sleeps six rents for more than $3,000 a week.

High-end appointments are becoming popular in entry-level folding campers right up to the big guys. Ranking top on the list is the flat-screen TV.

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