Coachman Freedom Elite 21QB
Looking for our first RV. Our requirements include the following: 1. Overall length limited to around 24' 2. Queen bed needed. Do not want to sleep over the cab or on the sofa. 3. Storage capacit...
Forum Discussion
Those four small Class C rigs you have on your list are a great starting point.
Here are a few things to consider or ignore, per individual preference:
1) Do you want a floor plan with a permanent non-cabover queen bed, or a non-cabover queen bed you have unfold and make up each night? A permanent non-cabover queen bed in short Class C lengths will limit the models you can choose from.
2) Which is more important to you - inside storage or outside storage? Good outside storage may require a Class C with a step-up in the floor between the cab and the coach areas. Some Class C designs try to provide good outside storage by even having a step-up within the main coach flooring near the back.
3) If you would like a Class C with at least one cab seat that can be made to swivel to the back, later, by installing an after-market seat bracket - then a step-up in the floor just behind the cab area will make it just about impossible to use this after-market approach to get a cab chair that swivels.
4) Look for large tank capacities to keep tank emptying and tank refilling to a minimum while on RV trips.
5) Make sure that the exterior step into the coach is an automatic one.
6) Make sure that the heating system has multi-ducts.
7) Make sure that the air conditioning system has multi-ducts.
8) Make sure that at least one roof vent has a muilt-speed, reversible fan in it.
9) Make sure that the kitchen sink cold water faucet has a built-in filter for it.
10) Make sure that the coach battery(ies) have a convenient switch that completely disconnects them (for complete isolation) from any circuits in the RV.
11) Make sure that the dinette - or other main seating - has firm enough cushions in them.
12) Make sure that the cab's outside mirrors are remotely adjustable from the driver's seat.
13) Check to see if the rear tire wheel wells are lined with steel so that a blowout back there doesn't damage the coach structure.
14) Make sure that there is a spare tire included and stored nicely somewhere .... along with a long-handled lug wrench for removing the lug nuts.
15) Make sure that the Class C has a built-in, and strong, roof access ladder for easy roof maintenance, waxing, and repair of caulking and plastic items over time.
16) Check to see if the water pump is easily accessible. These sometimes fail and are fairly inexpensive to replace ... but can be a bear to gain access to.
17) If possible, insist upon a one piece fiberglass roof structure that is crowned ("not flat"), and has rolled over edges all along the length of each side.
18) If it has a built-in generator, have the generator started up to check inside/outside noise and inside floor vibration from it. Pass up a Class C in which it's generator is for the most part unusable due to it's noise and/or vibration resulting from a poor installation by the RV's manufacturer. A built-in generator is too expensive to have one that you can't, or don't want to, use due to a poor installation.
19) Check to see if the coach battery storage area has room for two batteries in case you'd like to increase your battery capacity later.
20) Check to see where the bathroom sink empties - into the black tank or into the grey tank (there is a reason to have it empty into the black tank instead of the grey tank).
21) Make sure that the coach living area has several 120 volt AC receptacles and several 12 volt DC receptacles
22) Look for steel slides on all interior drawers, and latching mechanisms for the drawers that operate by gravity instead of levers, springs, etc..
We learned of the above considerations - and many more - after we had already purchased our 24 foot Class C. Unfortunately, information sources like this forum were not available back then.
Good luck in your search!
Here are a few things to consider or ignore, per individual preference:
1) Do you want a floor plan with a permanent non-cabover queen bed, or a non-cabover queen bed you have unfold and make up each night? A permanent non-cabover queen bed in short Class C lengths will limit the models you can choose from.
2) Which is more important to you - inside storage or outside storage? Good outside storage may require a Class C with a step-up in the floor between the cab and the coach areas. Some Class C designs try to provide good outside storage by even having a step-up within the main coach flooring near the back.
3) If you would like a Class C with at least one cab seat that can be made to swivel to the back, later, by installing an after-market seat bracket - then a step-up in the floor just behind the cab area will make it just about impossible to use this after-market approach to get a cab chair that swivels.
4) Look for large tank capacities to keep tank emptying and tank refilling to a minimum while on RV trips.
5) Make sure that the exterior step into the coach is an automatic one.
6) Make sure that the heating system has multi-ducts.
7) Make sure that the air conditioning system has multi-ducts.
8) Make sure that at least one roof vent has a muilt-speed, reversible fan in it.
9) Make sure that the kitchen sink cold water faucet has a built-in filter for it.
10) Make sure that the coach battery(ies) have a convenient switch that completely disconnects them (for complete isolation) from any circuits in the RV.
11) Make sure that the dinette - or other main seating - has firm enough cushions in them.
12) Make sure that the cab's outside mirrors are remotely adjustable from the driver's seat.
13) Check to see if the rear tire wheel wells are lined with steel so that a blowout back there doesn't damage the coach structure.
14) Make sure that there is a spare tire included and stored nicely somewhere .... along with a long-handled lug wrench for removing the lug nuts.
15) Make sure that the Class C has a built-in, and strong, roof access ladder for easy roof maintenance, waxing, and repair of caulking and plastic items over time.
16) Check to see if the water pump is easily accessible. These sometimes fail and are fairly inexpensive to replace ... but can be a bear to gain access to.
17) If possible, insist upon a one piece fiberglass roof structure that is crowned ("not flat"), and has rolled over edges all along the length of each side.
18) If it has a built-in generator, have the generator started up to check inside/outside noise and inside floor vibration from it. Pass up a Class C in which it's generator is for the most part unusable due to it's noise and/or vibration resulting from a poor installation by the RV's manufacturer. A built-in generator is too expensive to have one that you can't, or don't want to, use due to a poor installation.
19) Check to see if the coach battery storage area has room for two batteries in case you'd like to increase your battery capacity later.
20) Check to see where the bathroom sink empties - into the black tank or into the grey tank (there is a reason to have it empty into the black tank instead of the grey tank).
21) Make sure that the coach living area has several 120 volt AC receptacles and several 12 volt DC receptacles
22) Look for steel slides on all interior drawers, and latching mechanisms for the drawers that operate by gravity instead of levers, springs, etc..
We learned of the above considerations - and many more - after we had already purchased our 24 foot Class C. Unfortunately, information sources like this forum were not available back then.
Good luck in your search!
