It is much easier to level up and set up a motorhome than a travel trailer.
What 'stuff' do you plan to bring along? My plan was to tow a car, and bring along about a week's worth of food, and a 100 gallon fresh water tank is really nice to have when camping a week in the desert. That weight is 800 pounds of water, and I am really happy that I found a RV with a 2,700 pound cargo rating. That can only be found in class A motorhome.
If you are looking at 30' long RV, then the curb weight will be very close to the GVWR. Ford E-450 chassis has a 14,050 pound GVWR, and many in that length curb weight with a small slide are around 13,000 pounds. This leaves only 1,000 pounds for passengers, food, camping supplies, clothing, and all important 35 gallon water tank - that weight is around 300 pounds. Of course 35 gallons will not last a week with two people taking daily showers, 100 gallons will last me 2 weeks, by myself.
But if you only want to camp long weekends, then that will work out great. Many times I would leave work at 4 pm, drive home, get in the RV and take off. Drive about 3 hours on my way to wherever, and stop for the night at a Home Depot parking lot. In the morning, I could get up and arrive early at the campground, and enjoy the day.
IT only takes me about 10 minutes to put away the awnings, raise the automatic leveling jacks, and move the RV from one location to another. I camp a lot in the desert, or Federal campgrounds, without electric or water hookups.
What do you plan on doing? If you plan on being in full hookup campgrounds, then carry only 10 gallons of water with you, and weight might not be a problem at all.
Have you watched someone hitch up a travel trailer? Does it sound like 'fun'? Do you already have a truck, or will you need to buy one? For me, while working, it makes more sense to have the class A motorhome, it sets up quickly, easy to back into a site, ect. Can park at a Home Depot, or other places without attracting attention. For some this does not matter, but I would hate to have someone arriving at a RV park at 10 pm, or 1 am, and then leave early in the morning, waking the neighbors each time. OR some that live way up north, the campgrounds are closed for winter, and buried in snow much of the winter, so going to a campground on the way someplace is out of the question.
The Class A Ford F-53 chassis has a 362 HP V10 with 3 valves per cylinder. I think it also has a larger transmission, the newer years changed from 4 speed (1998 - 2005 or something) to 5 speed, and now I think it is 6 speed transmission.
The class C Ford E-450 chassis has only 305 HP and I think has a 4 speed transmission until recently, then changed to 5 speed about 4 or 5 years ago. No sure on the year they changed to the more powerful transmission. IT was the more powerful diesel truck engines that required updating and stronger transmission. The smaller HP gas engines did not tend to overstress the transmissions.
My motorhome is a 1997 Fleetwood Bounder 30E without a slide out. It has a 17,000 GVWR, 14,300 curb weight from the factory, and 460" Ford engine rated around 225 HP at a reasonable 3,600 RPM. It actually makes a little more HP, I changed the exhaust system, and normally do run around 4,000 RPM in the mountains. I also tow a car, so I have something to take out sightseeing. The advantage of my older 27' class C was I could drive it around sightseeing. However it was not able to tow a car, and I wanted to tow my dune buggy on a trailer back then.
Have a great time looking at RV's and hopefully you will find something that you enjoy!
Fred.
