A vs C HELP

Rick Jay wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:

The one issue the A folks simply do not talk about is safety as the C's win that one hands down.

Do you have a link to any sort of statistics that support this claim? I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just read this statement quite a bit on these forums, but have yet to see anyone offer any proof.

In fact, from the few members here who have been unfortunate enough to be involved in a front end collision, the driver and passengers in the (Class A) motorhome have faired quite well.

Airbags have little benefit on a vehicle which weighs, on average, 5-10 times more than the vehicle they are most likely to hit (family car). In a collision with another vehicle, momentum is your friend, and the bigger vehicle has the most momentum.

Most vehicles on the road, should they hit the front of the class A, will have their heads right in line with the frame rails of the class A, and be underneath the Class A driver/passenger. The van chassis of the Class C's put their driver about the same height as the other cars on the road, so in that case airbags may help you.

Now, if you're going to play "chicken" with a concrete delivery truck or loaded 18 wheeler, all bets are off. But, of course, in that situation, airbags won't help you either.

~Rick

Rick, I'm sorry you do not believe in air bags... for me it is "honest politicians. :B

The fact remains that air bags save lives and reduce injuries dramatically and the fact that A's do not come with them seriously diminishes the safety of the occupants in a crash. Your momentum theory does not hold water, or in this case air. Would stepping on the gas to increase momentum improve the survivability in a crash? Yes I'm kidding, but the fact remains that more momentum at impact just exacerbates the damage to all of those involved.

In a one on one head on between an A and a passenger car I agree the lighter car may get the worst of it but the front end of that A is no place I want to be. In a C you have the reinforced steel cage/chassis surrounding the engine, with the impact from any direction, cushioned by air bags.

Sitting up front in an A there is precious little between you and the impact except that huge windshield. Yes, you are a little higher but that doesn't necessarily make you any safer and if you hit anything bigger than a Camry you are in serious trouble. There are lots of considerations when choosing between A and C but as I pointed out and this thread confirms, most folks with A's do not talk about safety much. Floor plans and storage seem to take precedence.

I think A's are amazing and most are well built. If my needs were best met by an A I would not hesitate to buy one but IMHO they cannot match a C for safety. When it comes to A vs C there are many other factors to consider and safety is just one of the many, hence this thread. As noted.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C