C's less trouble than A's ?

OP, you are absolutely correct. Class Cs are cheaper to maintain. I had a 2002 class A gasser. Loved the floorplan. But everything under the floorplan cost more to maintain or fix. As an example; When the Allison started to drip oil. I had to go to an Allison certified repair center. For way over $700 they remounted the oil fill tube, changed to the “better” oil and maybe replaced a filter. Any Ford dealer could remount the oil fill tube for a fraction of that cost. I also like two steps to get in & out. Plus I have a driver’s door I can just slide out of for gas stops. Even the cab over I did not want turned out to be a great sun shade and storage area.

All RVs will have water leaks if the exterior seals are not maintained.

Chainwright wrote:

At first I had my heart set on a Class C Seneca and Dynamax Corp Dx3. Big class C's. But then I found out that not all RV parks accept Class Cs, so we went with a Class A so that no one can turn us away.

Really? I've never heard that before. We're newbies. What were their reasons for turning you away?

those of you worried about the length of a BIG class A should be aware there are shorter versions. :)
my first RV was a 25 ft Class A. very "nimble".
bumpy

I have owned RV's since the seventies. Camper's ,class A's & C's.I figure $600 to $1500 a year in maintenance. The gas C's are not less to maintain than the A's.

akrv wrote:
I have owned RV's since the seventies. Camper's ,class A's & C's.I figure $600 to $1500 a year in maintenance. The gas C's are not less to maintain than the A's.

That may be the case for the coach part of a motorized RV, but not the chassis part of a motorized RV.

The Ford E350, E450 and Chevy 3500, 4500 chassis under a whole bunch of very small Class A gassers, Class B, Class B+, and Class C RVs has got to be a lot easier to find a garage to maintain them than the plethora of stripped commercial truck chassis types under the common Class A diesel and gas rigs.

For me, the maintenance/repairs between a Class A and a Class C is about the same. I do most of my own maintenance. If anything, the Class A is easier to work on. (mine is a 30' Ford F53 chassis) I've always got better fuel mileage in the Class C but the extra basement storage, greater liquid capacities, (fuel, water, waste, propane) higher gross weight, and greater towing capacity of the Class A make it a no brainer choice for me.

Chum lee

When I go to the class A forum there seem to be more posts regarding problems than in the class C section.

My alternator died on our class B+, my friends alternator died on his class A. Guess who's was cheaper to fix and easier to find a shop to fix it. Yep, my class B+. We were both on the road at the time.

Replacing tires? Class C/B+ is about 30% cheaper than a Class A (smaller tires). The list goes on. Our Class B+ with fiberglass roof has never leaked and it is 10yrs old. I know that some class C's with the big overhang have had some leak issues but so have my friends with class A's. Oh, and mpg on the Class C/B+ is about 1 to 2 mpg better than most class A units.

We have looked at Class A's and love some of the floor plans and the design, but they are taller, wider (than our B+), and on our budget we could not justify it. Maybe if we were full timing, but our B+ does everything we need and as someone said (as we get older) its easier to get into the B+ with either the front door or fewer steps to get into the house side.

Maintenance on our Class B+ over 10yrs: Replace water heater, replace tires, replace alternator, replace house and engine batteries, replace fire extinguishers, fire alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, propane alarm, and had the king pins replaced on the front end (they had some play in them).

Those are my observations. Others may have different perspectives or experiences.

ThisNewOldRV wrote:

Chainwright wrote:

At first I had my heart set on a Class C Seneca and Dynamax Corp Dx3. Big class C's. But then I found out that not all RV parks accept Class Cs, so we went with a Class A so that no one can turn us away.

Really? I've never heard that before. We're newbies. What were their reasons for turning you away?

There are some (comparatively few) high-end exclusive resorts with such policies. Part of being exclusive is excluding class C motorhomes (and usually trailers of any sort) at those places.

Of course, a large class A may not be accepted at a few other campgrounds simply by virtue of it being too long for any of the sites. You pay your money, take your choice, and hopefully have a fantastic time with whatever you decide on.

The vast majority of campgrounds and resorts don't really care what sort of a rig you have so long as it's safe, in reasonably decent shape, and you behave yourself. A few of your neighbors may be snobs (or slobs), but that's pretty much unavoidable. I suspect if I had a Prevost with gold plated faucets I could eventually find someone who askance at me because they were plated and not solid gold. As it is, I'm happy with my quite plebeian class C, warts and wear and all, and get to comfortably camp in wonderful places using it.

ThisNewOldRV wrote:

Chainwright wrote:

At first I had my heart set on a Class C Seneca and Dynamax Corp Dx3. Big class C's. But then I found out that not all RV parks accept Class Cs, so we went with a Class A so that no one can turn us away.

Really? I've never heard that before. We're newbies. What were their reasons for turning you away?

There are quite a few RV parks that have Age Restrictions on the Rig (usually 10-15 yrs) and Length restrictions. Some ONLY accept Class A's. I guess they're targeting a certain "class" of people. Naturally they won't come out and say it. Also, from what I learned it's a way of keeping out that what they consider "Rif Raf." The 1st CG I visited told me there was an age restriction, I asked why, he said that the wiring on the older rigs presented fire hazards. Ok guys, don't shoot the messenger, it wasn't my CG.
Many Nat'l parks have length restrictions, I think no more than 30ft.
I'm just a person that doesn't like to be turned down/away for any reason whatsoever. I decide where to lay my hat not the other way around. As a Retired Vet THAT is what I fought for. I guess I'm very sensitive. LOL

OP, you own a Diesel. The routine maintenance will be more than any kind of gassers. Be it a class A or C. Your driving comfort level is much higher in a DP. That has to be worth it to you.

I admit to reading the Class A forum from time to time just to feel better about my class C cost and driving comfort wise when I feel cramped in my camper while at a place for several days.

Driving the C it is so nice to have a cold cab area in the summer via the Ford AC unit. While the window is shaded by the cab over. I remember the hot days in the class A with the corner fans on. The console AC on. The generator running so the two coach AC units could help keep the drivers area cool while the sun just pours in through that huge window while heading south.