Help Appreciated With Class C Search

If your friend is interested in something in that price range and size and would be open to buying an Ex Rental.

Camping World RV Sales have a lot of them in that price range that are low in mileage. As most EX Rentals are well maintained.

We did a lot of shopping on RV Net. Looking at what was out there and prices. clicky

Its gives you an idea of whats out there ect. We found no area where prices were better. The big thing most people want is a walk around bed. They seem to care less about the kitchen, inside storage or setting areas. We found that rigs like ours were not in big demand. We were looking for a nice kitchen, bath, inside storage and places to set. The fact she has some idea what she is looking for makes it all a bit easier. We have stuck to smaller rigs because we love the back country and high country. Any thing much bigger than ours means we can not go there.

With her $45,000 budget she's very close to a new MH in the 24' range. Camping World is frequently advertising Thor Freedom Elite 23U (24'6" on a Ford) for $49,995. Thor(and others)make models a foot or so shorter which should be a little lower in price. They would seem to meet all her needs.

THANK YOU tatest and snowdance. I have talked to her about all of the information I have received and continue to receive here, but she is concerned that a salesman will begin contacting her through this contact point. I have passed the information on to her.

QUESTION: My experience is that prices vary in different parts of the country. What is your experience as to lowest and highest areas of the country.

Please continue to write. This lady has a dream. I appreciate everyones help.

Tatest about covered it. We were looking for about the same a few years back. Found a 2000 Jamboree 23b on a Chevy. You can look at and show her our pics in sig. Give her some ideas. These were made in Jamboree and Tioga. The Jamboree had more drawers and cabinets than the Tioga for some reason. We love ours.

In the era I was looking, late '90s to 2005, I found short rear kitchen C's (or B+) from the following vendors:

Winnebago (usually 22 in model number)
Coachmen
Phoenix Cruiser
Gulfstream (became Conquest a year or two before getting out of MH business)
R-Vision (Trail-Lite brand) (some were rear door)
CoachHouse
FourWinds (including Chateau/Dutchmen clones, now simply Thor Motorcoach)

Almost bought a rear kitchen Gulfstream, but my wife liked the larger Winnebago with permanent rear queen. Bedroom more a priority than kitchen.

I think Fleetwood and Forest River had at least one short rear-kitchen model, but was not seriously looking for those brands after I saw construction details.

Can't help with model numbers, or even model lines, as those keep changing year to year and I haven't kept catalogs since purchasing.

A lot of C's with '24' in model numbers will be 25-26 foot, longer in Chevy than in Ford. Model numbers under '22' will likely be 24 foot or less on the Ford chassis, sometimes slightly over on Chevy.

$45,000 max pretty much means used.

Examples, from 2004 vintage catalogs and Winnebago's previous models site:

c.2004, several years before, the short rear-kitchen Winnebago was Minnie 22E and Minnie 22R, one having the kitchen a little more forward for a larger bathroom.

c.2006, the entry line with no slides became Outlook, still carried 22E and 22R floor plans.

c.2008, the Outlook became upscale, Access was entry model, short rear kitchen model was 22B, a new arrangement.

2010 model year, Outlook was gone, Access upgraded, and models under 24 foot gone.

Rental companies will have some of these shorter models, but if Winnebago the model line will be Chalet, their rental special.

Jayco sold a model 23U in their short-lived low-cost, no-options Escapade line.

Gulfstream's short rear-kitchen model was usually numbered 6211, might be a Ultra LE, a Yellowstone LE, depending on model year. Gulfstream's BT Cruiser brand (no overhead bed) offered three rear kitchen models, but only the 5211 was no-slide and under 24 foot long.

Like Winnebago, Fourwinds/Chateau/Dutchmen offered two small rear kitchen floorplans, 21RB giving you more bath, 22RK a bigger kitchen against the back corner. By 2006, only the 21RB remained.

Forest River had a rear-kitchen model 2200 in the Sunseeker line, but actual length was greater than 24 foot, even on the shorter Ford chassis.

Fleetwood's short rear kitchen model in the Tioga and Jamboree brands was Model 23E. Overall length 23'10" on Ford.

Phoenix Cruiser in 2004 was making a rear kitchen at 21' (with or without slideout). Their 23-footers had a rear bath, kitchen forward of that.

Chateau Citation (a B+) had 21BC and 23BA with rear bath and kitchen just forward.

If willing to look at ex-rentals, CruiseAmerica's current model called "Compact" is rear kitchen, no slides, but also no couch, dinette only, which looks to convert to a single bed.

I don't think anybody made a rear corner bed in combination with a rear kitchen, the bath almost always occupies the other rear corner, with the kitchen forward of the bedroom/bath area. Most of the rear corner bed models I've seen have '23', '24' or '25' model numbers and are well over 24 foot long, the shortest about 24'8" on Ford, 25'6" when built on the Chevy, and some exceeding 26 foot in length.