Considering move from class A to C

Go rent a Class C for a couple of days to try it out. Make sure you find one with two A/C units. One wont' do it in AZ.

I have a 40' DP and I don't find any stress in driving it. I would think a Class C might give you more stress in the wind and big trucks because you don't have the weight to help control you.

What do you find stressful about driving your DP?

Bill

I don’t have a DP. I have a 30 foot gasser on Ford chassis. The handling, noise, and rough ride are starting to take a toll on the old guy.

Bill

When I drive slower (60 ish) my class A gasser is fine. When I give it more gas, it raises my tension level. Slow down and keep the A.

x2 on renting one if possible. I suspect the handling, roughness of ride, and noise are not going to be a whole lot better--nor worse--than your current motorhome, assuming it's halfway reasonably well sorted. The sensations are a little different, mostly due to the lower driving position in a class C, but the overall characteristics should be similar.

Class A's tend to be more maneuverable than class C's of a similar length, mainly in terms of how tightly they can turn.

Another senior citizen here and a former Class A owner,if you are looking to buy a Class C.

I would suggest that you look into one on a Chevy Chassis there you will have none of the heat problems from the doghouse,a larger cockpit area,better handling, and a much smoother riding RV.

ezgoin wrote:
I don’t have a DP. I have a 30 foot gasser on Ford chassis. The handling, noise, and rough ride are starting to take a toll on the old guy.

Bill

I had a 2016 26.5' Sunstar gasser, and we traded it in on a "diesel puller" Winnebago Navion after one trip out in the class A. The Ford class a F53 chassis w/V10/6spd power plant's noise, heat, and terrible fuel economy made our decision easy for us.
The Navion is probably our forever RV, unless MB comes up with a better chassis than the Sprinter 3500 with the 3.0L V6 turbo-diesel.

If you're thinking to downsize, I'd see how small you can go. We all have a tendency to carry too much, I have a few hundred pounds of excess stuff on the back axle right now! Very impressed by Europeans who come here with their rigs and what they can fit/ need. I agree with the MB/ Sprinter chassis and fitting into 1 parking spot - why not ?

IAMICHABOD wrote:

I would suggest that you look into one on a Chevy Chassis there you will have none of the heat problems from the doghouse,a larger cockpit area,better handling, and a much smoother riding RV.

Why Chevy? What's the matter with a Ford engine/chassis?

x2, rent one of each, Ford and Chevy then decide.

I found the A to have a little more visibility than the C. The A chassis has more comfortable upgraded drivers seat choices, the C cab is size restricted.

Vision: The A chassis is has a smooth outside sidewall where the C is a narrow van cab and rv portion sticks out often blocking your side/rear vision, creating a blind spot. Especially when making turns, yielding to traffic, you sometimes have to adjust your angle of approach. Its just something to have to get used to.

Ford vs Chevy: If you want a certain floorplan and it only comes on a Ford then have no choice.
I have driven both Ford/Chevy on the highway and backroads in fleet trucks and the Chevy's were easier to drive with less need for suspension upgrades as many Ford owners try to improve the ride and drive quality.

Fords need to be correctly aligned and are sensitive to handle better. I have found the urban roads today are in dire need of being resurfaced. I have to align my Ford 24 ft C more often due to potholes. As it falls out of alignment I can feel it start to wonder and get banged around by crosswinds. A good alignment brings it back on track.

Another thing that was recently mentioned on this forum was a little more rear overhang ground clearance on the Chevy. Clearing driveway aprons etc.

You might not like the amount of leg room on a Class C (specifically a Ford chassis), especially on the passenger side -- it's very limited.

Also, we found that our former Class C had it's own quirks as far as handling, driving in windy conditions, etc.

And, FWIW, fuel mileage is no better on a gasser Class C than a gasser Class A, if that's a consideration.