Greetings,I usually hang out at the TC forum where there is lots of friendly advice. I have a friend who will be retiring next July who is interested in buying a used Class C. Since I am retired and have more time I offered to find out what his options were given his specific wants. He and his wife would like the following:28' class CAbility to tow a small U-Haul type trailer with his and her HarleysPlus later on tow possibly a small SUV in lieu of the trailer Honda CRV or similarQueen size bed in the rear with a door inside$15-$20k budgetFord chassis with V10 Triton engineThey plan to visit the in-laws in February and while there in Arizona, will check out the for sale boards at the many RV snow bird areas. Which brands are worth checking out for quality and reliability? Which would offer what he lists as wants? Are there years to avoid? What other criteria have I missed? Thanks a lot, these are special folks I want to help.

"Queen-sized bed with a door"Do you mean a door to the bedroom, or a door to the outside?? If the former, then just about ANY 28' C will work.Our 2004 28' no-slide Gulf Stream Conquest has been an awesome entry-level MH. Feels "spacious" and bright; and is small enough to be nimble. Is almost identical to the Four Winds 5000. When we ordered ours, we said we needed to tow 5000# (a car hauler with Ed's drag race truck), so they beefed up the frame to accommodate the extra weight.I'm assuming you'd be looking in the age range similar to ours: one thing to check is whether the tires have been replaced? Even if the tread looks great - age is still a factor, especially if it's been sitting in the sun.A 28 footer is a common rental size: if looking at a rental, be sure to check the roof carefully since many end up at NASCAR races, being used as a "group viewing platform". The rental companies say "we don't have ladders" - and *I* reply "Go to any race and watch the guys who bring a stepladder along"...LOL!Good luck with the search!

Deb and Ed,What is the model number of your Gulf Stream?

As edited above; Door to the inside. I forgot to ask if he wanted slides. I think his wife would as she wanted a larger unit than 24'. I will ask. How many slides do they have usually? And, for what purpose other than extra room? Thanks for your help.

Jayco has made a few 28 class C in the last couple of years

After 6 years, 75,000 miles, 48 states, and 6 Canadian Provinces on our 22' 1999 Four Winds, We bought one of THESE last May..We LOVE it and at $49,911 for a new 2014, you CANNOT beat the price. We have already put more than 5,000 miles on it in the last 6 months.PM me if you want more details.Tim

Class C 28' suggestions | Good Sam Community

19 Replies

mlts22
Explorer II
Jan 01, 2014
Stephanie21 wrote:
I'm new to this forum or any forum on RV you refer to the stickies at the top of the page.... what are these?? Thank you,
You commented on the Tioga Chevy being a foot longer than a Ford, giving the driver more leg room. That is such good info. to know, we were about to drive several hundred miles to look at a used Ford... my husband is tall and good sized, I think we should look for a Chevy! Thank you.

If you are concerned about legroom, I'd probably recommend taking a look at a recent (NCV3 model) Sprinter based "C" like a Forest River Solera. The reason is that there is no doghouse whatsoever. Of course, you will pay $10,000-$20,000 more for the Sprinter chassis, but it might be worth the added cost for a comfortable drive, and the Sprinter based rigs do hold their resale value fairly well. Of course, 24 feet is as long as a Sprinter based rig will get, so if looking for something longer, this might not be the way to go.
IAMICHABOD
Explorer II
Dec 31, 2013
Stephanie21 wrote:
I'm new to this forum or any forum on RV you refer to the stickies at the top of the page.... what are these?? Thank you,
You commented on the Tioga Chevy being a foot longer than a Ford, giving the driver more leg room. That is such good info. to know, we were about to drive several hundred miles to look at a used Ford... my husband is tall and good sized, I think we should look for a Chevy! Thank you.

The stickies are at the top of the page under where it says TOPIC
Just scroll down and click on one like FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Class C's

There is a lot of info there most really dated but still some good info.

If Your Husband is tall by all means look for a Class C on a Chevy chassis. They are larger up front with more legroom, and at 6' 6" I need all of that room.

For a comparison of the two just CLICK HERE

Good Luck and if any more questions just ask... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Stephanie21
Explorer
Dec 31, 2013
I'm new to this forum or any forum on RV you refer to the stickies at the top of the page.... what are these?? Thank you,
You commented on the Tioga Chevy being a foot longer than a Ford, giving the driver more leg room. That is such good info. to know, we were about to drive several hundred miles to look at a used Ford... my husband is tall and good sized, I think we should look for a Chevy! Thank you.
BobandShaz
Explorer
Dec 31, 2013
What smaller gas powered Class A
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Dec 31, 2013
Another factor to consider is where it was stored? Our Gulf stream has been lucky enough to always be stored indoors - therefore, has not had the effects of sun and weather to cause problems. It's 10 years old and still looks like new.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Dec 31, 2013
tatest wrote:
These are useually non basement, with smaller outside storage bins.

This was the biggest difference we saw between manufacturers. Our Gulf Stream has terrific basement storage, including a tall pass-through at the back and a 3/4-width x 3' compartment in the front. It was the deciding factor that made us buy that particular unit.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Dec 31, 2013
Free Range Human wrote:
Deb and Ed,

What is the model number of your Gulf Stream?

Hmm... I think it was a 6280?? It's officially a Gulf Stream Conquest LE - we suspect it was built to be a rental??
wbwood
Explorer
Dec 31, 2013
Thor chateau has a 28z model. We almost got it, but liked ours better. For $20k, you probably are going to have to go at least 7-10 years old or older. The sales price of the 28Z brand new was $69k I believe.
Bordercollie
Explorer
Dec 30, 2013
Read over the Stickies at top of first page in this forum. There are a least five requests for advice on buying new or used rigs per week. Most of these threads warn buyers not to buy anything with water damage, be wary of very low or very high mileage rigs, make sure everything works properly and get independant estimates for repairs/upgrades needed befor buying. 27-28 foot rigs have RV queen size beds normally with access on one side. Shorter rigs have less comfortable sleeping in the overhead or convertible sofas or dinettes.
If buyer is not equipped and skilled in auto mechanics, RV electrical, plumbing and RV body works he should buy a 3-5 year old rig or new rig that needs nothing. All rigs are trucks full of appliances and need basic maintenance by the owner and professional repairs and installations over time.

We have a 2004 Fleetwood Tioga 26Q similar to Ichabod's, no slides, not "needed" for two, but nice when they don't leak and extend/retract properly. This is a short a rig as I'd recommend mostly for the rear bed/bedroom, no climbing up and down ladders. Most rigs with rear bedrooms also have overhead beds for kids and small convertible dinette beds.
IAMICHABOD
Explorer II
Dec 30, 2013
I have a 2006 Tioga 26Q that may fit what you want and also be in your price range. As seen in My Profile Just look arround for one in the years 2002 thru 2008

It is 28 ft long, on a Chevy Chassis, but the ones on a Ford are about a foot shorter. The extra length of a Chevy means a lot more leg room in the cockpit area.

It also has a ton of storage room in the rear,that is one of the many reasons that I bought it, along with the other reasons that I have in the CLICKY in my signature.

Good Luck in your search and I hope that this has helped.