How big is too big? How small is too small?

Golden_HVAC wrote:




Bigfoot has started making their class C line on both the F-550 and Dodge 5500 series truck chassis. So if you really wanted 4 wheel drive, you might want to look into the Bigfoot. They have some models in the 31' range, with a 19,500 GVWR should have plenty of cargo capacity, and enough overhang that you will not get the rear axle underwater while launching your boat.


Fred.

I looked at the Bigfoot web site and I don't see any indication of them selling a MH on a F550/5500 Ram. I know Born Free is now offering this option in a 31 and 33'

LaunchnRetrieve wrote:
Just curious.
When it comes to class C how big is too big and how small is too small?
I would be towing a 20 foot ski boat instead of a toad so I would need something that is easy to drive around town, in and out of campgrounds, on and off boat launch ramps.
I also imagine that I will want slide out(s).
Not sure what else to ask at the moment.

Who will be using the RV? You. You and a buddy. You and a spouse. You, spouse, and children. ???

Will you just be using it for camping/boating trips? Or will you also be using it as a tourist (e.g., going to new towns/cities to sightsee)?

How long will you be staying in it at one time? A weekend. A week. A few months. ???

All those will have an impact on how much space you need in the RV. Then you can work all that into the hitch/towing/cargo weights needed.


I agree with others on the front hitch. If you can drop the boat using the back hitch great, but if you get to a place and realize you can't, then you've got yourself an option.

I too tow a 20' Ski boat (4800 lbs gross) and have had a 30' class A and now a 26' Class C. I have never had a problem at any ramp launching or retrieving the boat. The new to us 26' class C is ideal for us though, simple driving around campgrounds with boat attached because of the tighter turn radius.

Only thing I do not like about launching is I never trust the park brake. One of us always stays in the driver seat while the other launches or retrieves the boat, no exceptions to that rule. I have done this at least a hundred times over the last 10 years with out a problem.

ron.dittmer wrote:

Richmcm wrote:

rjstractor wrote:

ron.dittmer wrote:
I would think this would open opportunity for a wider selection of motor homes to choose from, actually ideal for boat launching regardless of the motor home. This because the axle is real close to the ball. And in most cases with the load on a motor home, the front axle is under-loaded with lots of margin to weigh it with a boat trailer in a boat ramp parking lot. It won't sag much at all.

Good points, and also good points about the long overhang. To play devil's advocate, the flip side of a long overhang is that the drive wheels stay dry, and with 2/3 of the coach weight on the drive wheels, backing down the ramp gives you much better traction than nosing down. With the hitch on the front, it would be easy to get the front wheels wet (and the engine if your're not careful) in order to get the boat far enough into the water to launch.

I agree that the longer overhang has been benificial in launching our boat. In the lake we usually use the boat the overhang is needed to lauch the boat in and out ot the water. Our recent trip to a campground/marina we arrived at a full moon low tide and needed every inch of the overhang to launch the boat. A front hitch would have put the engine in the water.

So in that case the overhang worked to your benefit. But not every boat ramp is the same. It is good to have some options pending the particular boat ramp. I have seen some crazy boat ramps.

You are correct. I have seen many crazy boat ramps also and many of them would not alllow enough room for a MH boat combo to even access them. I only feel comfortable taking the boat, with the MH to already checked out areas that the combo will work. If a front hitch works for MH owners in waters and ramp areas that are in their desired areas then I would do the same.

Richmcm wrote:

rjstractor wrote:

ron.dittmer wrote:
I would think this would open opportunity for a wider selection of motor homes to choose from, actually ideal for boat launching regardless of the motor home. This because the axle is real close to the ball. And in most cases with the load on a motor home, the front axle is under-loaded with lots of margin to weigh it with a boat trailer in a boat ramp parking lot. It won't sag much at all.

Good points, and also good points about the long overhang. To play devil's advocate, the flip side of a long overhang is that the drive wheels stay dry, and with 2/3 of the coach weight on the drive wheels, backing down the ramp gives you much better traction than nosing down. With the hitch on the front, it would be easy to get the front wheels wet (and the engine if your're not careful) in order to get the boat far enough into the water to launch.

I agree that the longer overhang has been benificial in launching our boat. In the lake we usually use the boat the overhang is needed to lauch the boat in and out ot the water. Our recent trip to a campground/marina we arrived at a full moon low tide and needed every inch of the overhang to launch the boat. A front hitch would have put the engine in the water.

So in that case the overhang worked to your benefit. But not every boat ramp is the same. It is good to have some options pending the particular boat ramp. I have seen some crazy boat ramps.

It's a pretty personal decision. We went from a 25 ft. 5th wheel to a 30 ft. Class C with 2 slides. It's pretty nice and great size. I have no desire for bigger and really wanted a little smaller but very difficult to get a permanent bed you can walk around, a dinette, a couch and full refrigerator smaller than about 30. So it's not so much the size as it is the amenities you want. Also, bigger starts to eliminate some camp sites.

On this note of the front mounted hitch.

While I was looking for my recent motor home I found one just like the one that I bought,see signature,and it had a front mounted hitch.

I asked the owner why. He was an avid fisherman and being retired he would go 2 or 3 times a week. He saw others that did it with P/U trucks and liked the idea. He had a hard time seeing the boat when backing and had to get out and see if it was deep enough to float and once he did submerge the rear of the RV to get it launched,tires were wet and spun when leaving,giving him a sinking feeling.

With the front mounted hitch and a 2 FT extension he could see where the boat was going and could put it in where he wanted,never getting the front submerged, and keeping the rear tires on dryer land with better traction,he said that some of the ramps that he used were very steep.

He did say it took a bit of learning so he practiced in a shopping mall parking lot,said he got a lot of funny looks but could,after a little practice,do S patterns and put it anywhere he wanted,a plus on a crowded boat ramp.

He did say a few times he got applause after a successful launch and a lot of questions.

rjstractor wrote:

ron.dittmer wrote:
I would think this would open opportunity for a wider selection of motor homes to choose from, actually ideal for boat launching regardless of the motor home. This because the axle is real close to the ball. And in most cases with the load on a motor home, the front axle is under-loaded with lots of margin to weigh it with a boat trailer in a boat ramp parking lot. It won't sag much at all.

Good points, and also good points about the long overhang. To play devil's advocate, the flip side of a long overhang is that the drive wheels stay dry, and with 2/3 of the coach weight on the drive wheels, backing down the ramp gives you much better traction than nosing down. With the hitch on the front, it would be easy to get the front wheels wet (and the engine if your're not careful) in order to get the boat far enough into the water to launch.

I agree that the longer overhang has been benificial in launching our boat. In the lake we usually use the boat the overhang is needed to lauch the boat in and out ot the water. Our recent trip to a campground/marina we arrived at a full moon low tide and needed every inch of the overhang to launch the boat. A front hitch would have put the engine in the water.

ron.dittmer wrote:
I would think this would open opportunity for a wider selection of motor homes to choose from, actually ideal for boat launching regardless of the motor home. This because the axle is real close to the ball. And in most cases with the load on a motor home, the front axle is under-loaded with lots of margin to weigh it with a boat trailer in a boat ramp parking lot. It won't sag much at all.

Good points, and also good points about the long overhang. To play devil's advocate, the flip side of a long overhang is that the drive wheels stay dry, and with 2/3 of the coach weight on the drive wheels, backing down the ramp gives you much better traction than nosing down. With the hitch on the front, it would be easy to get the front wheels wet (and the engine if your're not careful) in order to get the boat far enough into the water to launch.

I have been pulling our bass boat for years now with our 26 foot Winniebago Aspect 26a on a Ford E450 v10 platform. It works great in most situations. I have plenty of beef to pull the boat and the MH is fine to drive and park in most places except inner cities. The overhang works great in most ramp sitiuations we have run across. Of course there are some ramps I would not even put my boat in period. You just have to check each one out. We usually already know where we are headed at this point in time so we have cut that issue out. We have not stayed in the MH for months at a time yet so we will see how that part works out in the near future. We have one large slide that really opens up the living space. We love the outdoors so if we had a half a month of rain I am not sure I would stay in the MH the whole time. I would not consider to put a front bumper hitch on our MH since backing up and launching our boat has not been a problem at all. Good luck!