A vs C HELP

Great topic! I've been in a heavy research phase for our 1st RV (we work from home & will be full-timing) and thought we had finally decided on a middle-end Class A (Entegra Cornerstone 45) until last week. On our way out of the Pomona, CA RV show (after spending 8 days & endless hours there!) to process all the info we'd been compiling, my girlfriend spotted a funny looking coach and suggested we look inside while we were there. I was blown away by what I found..

Welcome to the "Super C". Unlike every Class A we'd seen, because that big diesel engine (600hp, 2050ft/lbs...) resides under a hood instead of under the floor, I didn't have to slouch down to avoid my head hitting the ceiling (I'm 6'6") inside! Plus I understand the maintenance & repairs are way cheaper and faster. And unlike a Class A, you have some form of crash protection due to the engine and frame being in front of the coach. A 40,000 lb tow capacity VS. 15-20K lbs.! Steel roof & aluminum side walls VS. fiberglass. 3 entry doors instead of 1.

The overall build & construction felt worlds better & more solid than any A we'd seen under $2M million dollars. And based on the many floor plans offered (we can even create an individual one) the living room area can be every bit as open & continuous as a Class A within the same 45' footprint. It had an auto leveling air suspension, heated floors, washer/dryer 1.5 baths. And as a bonus, because of the ceiling height (93" VS. 84") ALL the cabinets were taller, resulting in bigger interior storage space. We also get BIGGER water tank capacity (150 gal fresh, 72 Blk AND 72 gray). The cherry on top was that this Super C was substantially less then the A's we were considering (although our custom build will be slightly more than the show unit).

The few downsides to us were the smaller basement storage & no pass thru (the drive shaft runs through the coach), you lose about 5ft of interior space due to the engine out front, and there's no "rock star bus" effect & big panoramic windshield (although I already dig the tough, beefy truck driver look & stance and we hear it drives better than a Class A when we're on the road with the big over the road guys)...

I've been studying these Super C's and love everything it offers. We're super excited about our change of plans & future home. Best of luck - JB

Most folks tend to like what they have. Had this post originated in the C Forum the responses probably would be overwhelmingly in favor of C's vs what we are seeing here. Posted in General RV'ing would more likely get you a more balanced response. i have a small (24') C but have spent some time in and alongside a 40' DP.

The one issue the A folks simply do not talk about is safety as the C's win that one hands down. The A's do not have air bags and this for me at least, is a huge issue. That big windshield in the A's comes with several problems, it lets in a lot of heat and light that is not always easy to mitigate and god help you in a front end collision.

Serviceability gives a nod to the C's as well as virtually any Ford dealer can work on the E-350's/450's while A's require a higher level of specialization. It usually comes down to a floorpan you can best live with followed by storage and towing capabilities. C's are easier to drive and park, A's haul and stow more stuff.... the choices are endless. Good luck!

:C

I have had 2 Cs, 2 As and also now a B. I also have driven buses for 50 years. There is very little difference from 33-38' in driving. The smaller buses were yellow and the bigger ones were 45' Van Hool. A good Class A will not have the problem of a roof leak in the upper bunk. I would get one with hung walls rather than one with laminated walls. There is no chance of delamination if they weren't laminated in the first place.

yep, I always "assume" that any C either leaks in the overhead, has leaked in the overhead, or will leak in the overhead. just because you stick a "super" in front of it won't change that.
bumpy

DW and I spend 3-5 months a year in our 32' A like OP plans to.
We've had an 18' C, 28' C, and now a 32' A (22000#)
What I noticed going from the C to A:
Cab space in A is usable so going from 28'C to 32'A we gained about 9-10' interior space, not just the additional 4'
A has pass through garage and holds so much more
22.5" tires are expensive but carry a LOT of stuff!
Front window is panorama on the A versus covered up and lower on C
If I were looking at 32' A vs C, would not consider C again.
hope that helps

we tow less than 5000# so super C is not necessary

We liked the Class C and Class A types. The ride in our current Class A diesel pusher is awesome, but the annual expenses are to be considered, even if you do most of your own work. Once the kids are on their own, I would bet that we will downsize to a Class C. We loved our 24-25 Foot Tioga and there were 5 of us and a golden retriever inside. Storage...well that was an issue, but not with a basement. Good luck!

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

You're talking about living in something for months at a time. I don't recall anybody ever saying "I just have too much space in this motorhome" when they were living in it for months at a time. I have a 35 foot class A. The longest I've been out in it is two weeks. It is a perfect size for taking the one and two week trip. If I was going to full time, or be on the road 3 or 4 months out of the year, I'd want at least a 40 footer.

fishhogg,

Keep doing your research and ask questions on this forum. :) The floorplan is most important. I think for extended trips, the Class A has a more livable interior space, much better view when driving and parked, and generally speaking, better outside storage and larger holding tanks.

Even as a family of 6, we chose our first (and only) RV to be the Class A in our signature (36' gas, dual slide, dual sofa). After researching for a couple of years and numerous solicitations for input on this forum, we realized that the Class A was best for us. That's counter to the traditional "Class A's are for couples, Class C's are for families." adage. Yet, we thought it would work best for us, and here we are 10 years later and are still happy with our decision. (Even more so now that it's paid off! :) )

Knowing what I know now, the only recommendation I might make is to buy a slightly used newer model to save some $$$. In our case, the dual sofa layouts in a gas Class A are extremely rare, so we bought our rig new. If we were looking for a diesel pusher, we would've had more options for that floorplan, but wifey doesn't like diesel, and they were more than we wanted to spend.

Good Luck in your search.

~Rick

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