Class C vs a smaller Class A

Class A offers a panoramic view from the front seats.
Class C offers lots of shade from the overhang.
I like the roominess of the class A
I like the driver and passenger door on the class C and the fact that the van it's based upon is crash tested.

Class A offers a panoramic view from the front seats.
Class C offers lots of shade from the overhang.
I like the roominess of the class A
I like the driver and passenger door on the class C and the fact that the van it's based upon is crash tested.

You have a lot of good answers.
In our C the passenger can easily move from front to back.
Never a good idea while moving regardless of class.
I have found the best service is from independent trucking centers.
They will work on either as the see both in other forms.

My suggestion would be to rent one for a short trip of each if passable
and see how it works for you. Take your time in making a decision.

Our in-laws had several different styles and sizes of each when they were living. We decided that a small C fit us best for what we wanted to do.

People have gone both ways on your question and are happy with choice. I'd say the C is more service friendly, has the cab doors, and may be collision safer. I'm very happy with my shorty.

The A may have extra chassis capacity, be more open in the front, and have not have cabover issues. To me the bigger they get the better the A looks.

Best to look at a variety and research quality if that's important to you.

We like the "free to move about the cabin" in our class A. When we were motorhome shopping the class C's we looked at did not give us that ability.

The most obvious difference:

Class C - has an extra bed/storage area in the cabover area
Class A - has extra "living area" due to the full open cab-to-house transition

One thing to consider it the F450 frame. As your rig extends in length, there is less and less available carrying capacity. It seems like F450 rigs really work nicely at 26 - 28 feet tops, but then (if you can afford it) the larger units tend to go to Medium Duty Truck frames.

Once you accept that leap, there is many very beautiful Super C's that might work very well for your needs.

There are a number of threads here (in both the class C and A forums) on the pros and cons of both styles. Unsurprisingly, class C's are generally preferred in the Class C forum, and class As in the class A forum.

On the whole, I think it's far more important to see what fits your needs and wants and usage rather than getting hung up on the fairly minor distinctions between the classes. Typically, but certainly not always, class C's tend to be set up more for family use and class A's for a couple. Find something with the floor plan and features that are important to you and enjoy it, whatever it may be. (Also be aware that, particularly in the Class A's, there are significant differences between the higher end diesel pusher units and the lower-end front engine gas models—perhaps greater, in many practical respects, than the difference between a front engine class A and a class C.)

In terms of service, the class C typically is a little bit easier to get chassis service done on since it's basically a standard van front end and the Ford vans are everywhere. Neither one is super convenient for chassis service; engine access is not a prime consideration in either case. Frankly, the chassis and drivetrain are likely to be among the most reliable parts of the motorhome (assuming proper routine maintenance is done).

The class A chassis is often somewhat higher capacity than the class C's, which often translates into somewhat more cargo carrying capacity or tow capability. You do, of course, have to verify such things for the particular units you're looking at.

I quite appreciate having a driver's door on my class C. Many class A's don't have one, so you have to walk halfway down the coach to exit at gas stations etc. If you're spending a lot of time traveling rather than staying in one spot for a few days at a time, that may be a consideration.