Gas Class A

Freeway Flyer 05 wrote:
I am thinking we should be pretty happy with a gas Class A. We are tied to our home town until our mom passes, she is 91 and going strong, so no full time diesel pusher.

And the very first post is "Why I have a DP". Classic.

People (present company included) write about what they own/owned and generalize from there. For example, the guy who said his Damon has limited carrying capacity. His Damon was 37 1/2' long. IMHO, WAY too long for a Class A. Very little CCC and probably drove horribly too. My current 2001 31' Sea View has over a ton of CCC. Ergo, Class As need not have low CCC.

My first Class A was a gasser (2004 National RV). Our second one was a DP (2001 Newmar Mountain Aire). Our third and current is a gasser again (2001 National RV Sea View).

What have we learned?

• I never want a Class C. Before purchasing our current Class A, we looked at used Class Cs and were incredibly disappointed. For example, for similar pricing we found a Class A with greater carrying capacity, more storage, better floorplan, and 50A electrical (2 ACs) -- and levelers (many Class Cs don't have them and they are expensive to add).
  
• I never want another DP (unless I come into a lot of money). Our 2001 Newmar was generally a joy to drive and ride in while our first RV (2004 Sea Breeze) was difficult to drive, loud, and uncomfortable. However, our DP was VERY expensive to repair. Since it was about 20 years old, expensive things (e.g., radiator) needed replacement. Yearly "tune ups" were also pricey.
  
• 3rd time's the charm. So far. Our 3rd RV is a 21-year-old, 31-foot, Ford V10, one owner gasser. One owner who didn't drive it much and appears to have kept it in storage when not driving. We lucked out. It's EASY to drive. The V10 has plenty of power. It's comfortable, not an air bag ride, but comfortable. Finally, despite the up front engine, it's not loud. Go figure.
  

Conclusion: If you can, test drive because YRMV.