C's less trouble than A's ?

One item that the C class needs to be researched before you purchase is how the overhead cab is srtucturally constructed.

My C is a Coachmen and the whole unit has a frame made from aluminum tubing, this also applies to the overhead, most units are sometimes framed with wood and eventully that part starts to move over time from the forces excerted by the bouncing of the weakly supported cab portion nailed insted of welded and inproperlly engeneered structure, althoug I have seen bad engineered units with cracked and poor welds, the cab portion should be constructed as a long span bridge with vertical anchor points.

My unit is a 2001 a I am diligent about redoing the caulking seams once a year, it is cheaper to do all the seams at once, only leak was when a bird stuck the center marker light and shatered the plastic, that night we had a small leak, replaced all the marker lights next morning.

I have had more trouble with the water heater (replaced new), the refrigerator (replaced cooling unit new), air conditioner it finally quit (replaced new), after all this years the fuel pump gave up, that was replaced by the Ford dealler in Sanra Fe as they say they will have to take my RV from my cold body.

At 24 feet length I have axcess to more places than a lot big A classes, for me the parks that only take A's and no C's or are big resorts with idiots in them boasting how many millions they spent on their modified grey hound buses are people not worth my time, I prefer to spend my time with the coyotes, snakes and critters rather than a bunch of snobs.

navegator

A V10 will be easier on a Class C is easier and cheaper to maintain than a diesel engine. Even my diesel truck is even more expensive to maintain than my 450 Ford Class C even when I do the maintenance of both. I cannot imagine how much costly a DP maintenance will be-not for me. Most leaks can be prevented with preventive maintenance. Also Class C are easier to drive than Class A.

We have owned 2 Class C motorhomes & 4 Class A motorhomes including one diesel pusher. As has been mentioned, the diesels are far more costly to maintain (think 26 qts of oil vs 6 qts among other things). Many fast oil change places will service Class Cs with the Ford V-10 or Chevy V-8 at a much cheaper cost than what a dealer charges to service a Class A motorhome.

We are perfectly happy with our current Class C motorhome which we have owned far longer than any of the other motorhomes. Some folks just seem to require the larger space of a Class A motorhome with their expansive front windshields but the Class C cutaway van chassis with factory air bags is much safer going down the road. "To each his own"!

Lots of good stuff about class Cs. So why do so many swear by Class A DP over a Class A gasser?

I'll relay a comment from a guy by himself in a big A parked at a rest stop in Jasper Park by Talbut Lake. He had an engine water leak, possibly water pump failure. No phone service there but he had driven his towed to get service and called for repair. The nearest service for his rig was at Edson, about 2 hours away. A large tow truck was coming to get his A.

He said we were smart to be driving our 20 foot class C which would be much easier and cheaper to fix.

I haven't bothered to check whether anybody has mentioned it yet, but driving/sitting in a captains chair in a class a with open space around you is much nicer/relaxing/etc. than crammed into what is basically a pickup truck cab.
bumpy

Chainwright wrote:
Lots of good stuff about class Cs. So why do so many swear by Class A DP over a Class A gasser?

Mostly it's due to their greater comfort, for several reasons. The engine noise in the driver's area is much lower (in no small part because the engine is a lot further away). The suspension system generally is based on air bags, rather than leaf springs, which makes for a softer, smoother ride in general. Usually the chassis is heavier duty overall, allowing at least the possibility of more solid construction, larger tanks, more cargo carrying capacity, etc. Many also find the comparatively low engine speed of a diesel far more agreeable than the pretty high-speed operation of the Ford V10.

In a lot of ways, it's like comparing a school bus to a city transit bus (or even a Greyhound bus).

Class C equals Truck and Van

Class A equals Bus, Motorhome, Coach. and $$$. Just seems everything in a Class A costs much, much more, from engine maintenance to tires.

When it comes to repairs, must any mechanic can tackle a Class C, but when it comes to a Class A, they need to be specialized, so they say.

I had a gasser class A. It was cheap (relatively speaking) to own compared to a diesel. We had some great times in the motorhome. I suspect that a diesel would feel a little better in the mountains. We have gone to a travel trailer because I wanted even less maintenance than a motorhome. I spent about two hours getting the TT ready for our big December trip (annual). That same job would take me two days on the motorhome (two oil and filter changes, lube job, flush radiator, scrub the exterior down, touch up this and that and all the house related checks and maintenance). Granted the TT is 7 months old but, there's just a lot less to do. Until such time as I can really start taking a lot of long road trips I'll stay with the travel trailer.

If the time comes for me to trade to a motorhome I'll strongly consider a class C.

Regarding the DP vs Gasser question. We went to many RV shows before buying our Class C. The one thing that struck me hardest when we were looking at some Class A gassers, is that they would have been overweight (OCCC) with just the four adult members of our family on board, not counting clothes, food, and stuff. Yes, these rigs were "well equipped", but dangerous in my view. So Class A gassers generally have a lower OCCC than the DPs. One positive for the gassers, at least in PA, is that if the GVWR is lower than 25,000 pounds, no CDL is required. Generally, in PA, a CDL is required for most DPs registered in the state because the GVWR is over 25000 pounds. Good luck searching for your rig.