Advice on a Class C sizes..... 26' or 31'
Looking at Class Cs in this size range. Want one slide. We want to be able to use it as sight seeing RV when we want to go sight seeing, weekend trips, and to also tow and launch our boat. 26'...
Forum Discussion
I've been following this with interest and wanted to offer a few remarks.
Remember that a goodly portion of a given model year's Class C RV production is usually on a chassis that is one model year earlier. For example, that 2006 Jayco could be on a 2005 Ford chassis. Although there may have been minor refinements, those two specific model years are all but identical. No reason to choose one coach over another because of the chassis year. But if a 2008 Jayco was on a 2007 Ford chassis, there ARE significant differences. Capacity goes from 14050 to 14500. Admittedly not much, but nearly all that increase (400 pounds) is on the front axle and the longer Class C's approach max on the front axle. So maybe... For me, the bigger difference is that the brakes are larger. The improvements again are mostly on the front axle. Important to many, a 2008 and newer chassis has the "dump truck grille" that makes it look current. Hard to tell between 2008 and 2016. Easy to tell between 2007 and 2008, again, I'm saying Chassis.
Take it to a truck stop and pay the $10 to weight it on their CAT scale. That'll give you an idea of weight and how you might load it. Our Jayco is same size (31') and same wheelbase (218") but does not have any slides. Slide could bring your front axle loading close to max which is 4600. Ours was at 4500 loaded for travel and both of us in front seats. Seeing that, I replaced the whole front axle assembly (axles, brakes, radius arms) with a 2012 axle that's rated 5000. Such a project may not be everybody's cup of tea, but it was inexpensive and not all that difficult.
In all your looking, bear in mind that the floorplan must fit the family and how the coach is being used. Jayco tends to have pretty good floorplans.
Remember that a goodly portion of a given model year's Class C RV production is usually on a chassis that is one model year earlier. For example, that 2006 Jayco could be on a 2005 Ford chassis. Although there may have been minor refinements, those two specific model years are all but identical. No reason to choose one coach over another because of the chassis year. But if a 2008 Jayco was on a 2007 Ford chassis, there ARE significant differences. Capacity goes from 14050 to 14500. Admittedly not much, but nearly all that increase (400 pounds) is on the front axle and the longer Class C's approach max on the front axle. So maybe... For me, the bigger difference is that the brakes are larger. The improvements again are mostly on the front axle. Important to many, a 2008 and newer chassis has the "dump truck grille" that makes it look current. Hard to tell between 2008 and 2016. Easy to tell between 2007 and 2008, again, I'm saying Chassis.
Take it to a truck stop and pay the $10 to weight it on their CAT scale. That'll give you an idea of weight and how you might load it. Our Jayco is same size (31') and same wheelbase (218") but does not have any slides. Slide could bring your front axle loading close to max which is 4600. Ours was at 4500 loaded for travel and both of us in front seats. Seeing that, I replaced the whole front axle assembly (axles, brakes, radius arms) with a 2012 axle that's rated 5000. Such a project may not be everybody's cup of tea, but it was inexpensive and not all that difficult.
In all your looking, bear in mind that the floorplan must fit the family and how the coach is being used. Jayco tends to have pretty good floorplans.
