We bought our 2020 Holiday Rambler Admiral 28A a few months ago; equivalent to the Fleetwood Flair 28A. The 28A and 29M floorplans appealed to us for the exact reasons the OP mentioned. Easier to drive for the DW, less rear overhang, easier to find sites in State and National Parks, and comfortable for short trips for the 2 of us soon-to-be-empty-nesters.
The OCCC on ours is a paltry 1,200 lbs. Built on a 16,000 lbs F53 chassis; the 18K chassis would have been preferable but would have (of course) increased the price.
I figure we'll just make sure we only take what we need on each trip, rather than filling it with 'just in case' and seasonal stuff that just adds weight. Not much basement storage anyway in the 28A.
We did not buy it with the intention of full-timing; weekends away and the occasional week here and there. The towing capacity is massive (7,000 lbs) so a loaded toad will be easy.