class c or tow trailer, which is better?

pnichols wrote:

I'm honestly very curious as to where a TT will go that a small C on the rugged ton and a half E450 chassis - with it's wheelbase at only 139 inches, or 158 inches at most - will not? Specific examples would be appreciated.

IMHO, towing a TT comfortable enough to live in when it's fairly cold, or fairly hot, or raining for several days ... will not go places where a small well-set-up self-contained C cannot. Also, the vehicle towing the trailer will never have the traction that having a C's weight on it's rear drive wheels provides - even considering that the way less heavy tow vehicle might be a 4X4. We take our 24 foot E450 Class C offroad whenever necessary ... when the DW is in the hunt trying to find rocks!

I don’t have a C and have only test driven them. But my feeling is I would no way want to try and take it where I take my 16’ TT. I imagine if someone was absolutely determined they could get even an A pretty far back in, but I don’t think it would be a wise idea and they’d likely do it only once.

If you’re rock hounding I’m guessing you’re in lower elevations with minimal trees and possibly some fairly rough and rocky roads. Most of my camping is back on forest roads and trails in heavy forest and even a C’s height would be a problem considering saws are verboten. If I go far back in my neighbors are typically tents, PU’s, small TT’s like mine, PUTC’s, and the rare 4wd B. And depending on the area often some full TC’s. You won’t find a FW, A, C or a TT approaching 25’ for miles.

Without dragging out my NF maps I can’t name any specific roads. But I can assure you that there are a plethora of mountain roads you won’t want to take you RV on and I’ve spent 50 years wandering around them. Some I’d be hesitant to take my TT on, too. The heavy rear axle can be an advantage on good ground, but if it‘s in the forest and gets wet you’re as likely to sink up to your axles as anything. I’ve done that in my 4wd and I usually wait until the middle of the night when the ground freezes and then drive out. Or I jack the truck up to clear the rut and push it sideways off the jack. And repeat. And I don’t think I want to do that with anything bigger than my truck.
So even I would like a C for the destination driving we’ve been doing too much of for the last year plus. But when I consider costs it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me because of where I prefer to camp just doesn’t work for a C. But I can tow the TT destination driving. Which comes back to the repeated statement that how you want to use an RV is key to what will work best for you.