2008-2011-Class C construction comparison
I just retired and am looking for a 2008-2011 Class C. So far Jayco, Winnebago and Fleetwood look nice in the 29-31 ft range. Has anyone prepared a spreadsheet comparing construction details of these ...
Forum Discussion
For what it's worth when shopping here's some "quality construction" and "quality design" considerations:
- Are all drawers on steel slides that have simple and fullproof gravity locks so they won't open when going down the road?
- Are the wheel wells steel lined to help control damage from tire blowouts?
- Is all internal wiring nicely bundled and clamped down (pull out drawers and look in behind them)?
- Can you easily get at the water pump?
- Does it have a winterization system built-in (i.e. plenty of shut-off valves in the water lines and the extra water lines for winterization)?
- Does it have heated tanks?
- Does it have room in the battery compartment for at least two large batteries?
- Are outside storage cabinets steel lined with carpeted floors?
- Is the generator installed in a place and in way such that it's sound is deadened enough to actually be pleasant to run for hours on end and is the generator powered by fuel from the main engine's tank?
- Is the roof one piece?
- Does the one piece roof have rolled-over edges instead of joints along the edges?
- Does it have a strongly built and strongly mounted roof access ladder?
- Does it come with built-in curtains to block off the cab area?
- Is all outside plumbing mounted up high so that none of it is visible when looking horizontally across the under-carriage of the rig?
- Is the generator mounted up high so that none of it is visible when looking horizontally across the under-carriage of the rig?
- Is the fresh water system capacity (including the waterheater) at least 45 gallons?
- Is the gray tank capacity at least 25 gallons?
- Is the black tank capacity at least 35 gallons?
- Is the propane tank filled capacity at least 15 gallons?
- Is there an outside cabinet capable of carrying long items such as shovels, beach umbrellas, fishing poles, etc.?
- Can you fully stand up in the shower?
- Are there roof vents in both the back and front areas of the coach - with one of them having a powered and reversible fan - so that you can maintain good ventilation throughout the coach's interior?
- Do the roof vents come with vent covers so that you can have them open in the pouring rain (even in wet weather you need ventilation inside ... without having to open a side window)?
- Is the floor only partially carpeted or not carpeted at all (it's difficult to get road grime out of carpets)?
- Can the batteries be checked without leaving the coach (in case of electrical problems in bad weather)?
- Is it easy to get at the back of the toilet to replace the toilet valve should it fail when on a trip?
- Is at least one interior 12V receptacle heavy duty so voltage drop is not too bad when using a heavy-draw 12V item?
- Does the coach's interior have "plenty" of 12V and 120V outlets ... everywhere?
- Is the dash radio piped throughout the coach's interior?
- Does the freshwater system have a built-in filter?
- Does it come with a spare tire ... and is the spare easy to get at?
- Does the awning come with a secondary safety lock so that it can never ever unfurl in high cross-winds on the open road?
- Is it's cruising range at least 450 miles (gas stops too often are a nuisance)?
- Does the built-in battery charger/converter have 3-stages for proper battery care?
- Is there a vented fan above the cooktop just for the cooktop so that you don't have to use a roof vent when cooking?
- Is the outside step automatic (a manual step is a REAL PAIN)?
- Does the outside step retract well up out of the way instead of hanging down where it can get hung up?
- Is there a battery boost switch on the dash?
- Is there enough of the vehicle's weight on the front tires (otherwise on-road handling will be poor)?
- Are all construction diagrams, systems' diagrams, and parts lists available online for the rig you're interested in?
- Where is the automatic battery charging solenoid (which engages when the engine is running) and how hard is it to get at for replacement?
- Can the driver's and passenger's seats be tilted nicely back for comfort when going down the road?
- Are the outside shore cable and sewer drain hose stored in there own exterior enclosed cabinet(s) that keep them up high out of the way and the weather?
- Are all drawers on steel slides that have simple and fullproof gravity locks so they won't open when going down the road?
- Are the wheel wells steel lined to help control damage from tire blowouts?
- Is all internal wiring nicely bundled and clamped down (pull out drawers and look in behind them)?
- Can you easily get at the water pump?
- Does it have a winterization system built-in (i.e. plenty of shut-off valves in the water lines and the extra water lines for winterization)?
- Does it have heated tanks?
- Does it have room in the battery compartment for at least two large batteries?
- Are outside storage cabinets steel lined with carpeted floors?
- Is the generator installed in a place and in way such that it's sound is deadened enough to actually be pleasant to run for hours on end and is the generator powered by fuel from the main engine's tank?
- Is the roof one piece?
- Does the one piece roof have rolled-over edges instead of joints along the edges?
- Does it have a strongly built and strongly mounted roof access ladder?
- Does it come with built-in curtains to block off the cab area?
- Is all outside plumbing mounted up high so that none of it is visible when looking horizontally across the under-carriage of the rig?
- Is the generator mounted up high so that none of it is visible when looking horizontally across the under-carriage of the rig?
- Is the fresh water system capacity (including the waterheater) at least 45 gallons?
- Is the gray tank capacity at least 25 gallons?
- Is the black tank capacity at least 35 gallons?
- Is the propane tank filled capacity at least 15 gallons?
- Is there an outside cabinet capable of carrying long items such as shovels, beach umbrellas, fishing poles, etc.?
- Can you fully stand up in the shower?
- Are there roof vents in both the back and front areas of the coach - with one of them having a powered and reversible fan - so that you can maintain good ventilation throughout the coach's interior?
- Do the roof vents come with vent covers so that you can have them open in the pouring rain (even in wet weather you need ventilation inside ... without having to open a side window)?
- Is the floor only partially carpeted or not carpeted at all (it's difficult to get road grime out of carpets)?
- Can the batteries be checked without leaving the coach (in case of electrical problems in bad weather)?
- Is it easy to get at the back of the toilet to replace the toilet valve should it fail when on a trip?
- Is at least one interior 12V receptacle heavy duty so voltage drop is not too bad when using a heavy-draw 12V item?
- Does the coach's interior have "plenty" of 12V and 120V outlets ... everywhere?
- Is the dash radio piped throughout the coach's interior?
- Does the freshwater system have a built-in filter?
- Does it come with a spare tire ... and is the spare easy to get at?
- Does the awning come with a secondary safety lock so that it can never ever unfurl in high cross-winds on the open road?
- Is it's cruising range at least 450 miles (gas stops too often are a nuisance)?
- Does the built-in battery charger/converter have 3-stages for proper battery care?
- Is there a vented fan above the cooktop just for the cooktop so that you don't have to use a roof vent when cooking?
- Is the outside step automatic (a manual step is a REAL PAIN)?
- Does the outside step retract well up out of the way instead of hanging down where it can get hung up?
- Is there a battery boost switch on the dash?
- Is there enough of the vehicle's weight on the front tires (otherwise on-road handling will be poor)?
- Are all construction diagrams, systems' diagrams, and parts lists available online for the rig you're interested in?
- Where is the automatic battery charging solenoid (which engages when the engine is running) and how hard is it to get at for replacement?
- Can the driver's and passenger's seats be tilted nicely back for comfort when going down the road?
- Are the outside shore cable and sewer drain hose stored in there own exterior enclosed cabinet(s) that keep them up high out of the way and the weather?
