Hi all,We are a family of 4, and my two girls are 12 &9. We had a 2018 jayco whitehawk 29BH for 2 years and sold it a year ago but now find ourselves living in Utah this year. Military move in April 2021. We are back in the market for a camper but we are leaning towards an affordable class A with bunks.I know NOTHiNG about class As. Budget is under $90k which seems very doable for low mileage used ones.Been doing a lot of research and there seem to be floor plans with a queen or king bedroom in the back and also have bunks too. Mainly been looking at the Thor ACE 30.2. Any others you recommend?Any tips from anyone I should think about? I know my whitehawk was in 5 or 6 times for warranty work so I want to be as selective as possible in now ensuring that I get one that has a good reputation for quality..Is the 6.8 v10 a good engine?

You may have better luck finding bunks or a similar arrangement if you look for a class C rather than a class A. Very generally speaking, class A's are frequently designed for a (retired?) couple, while class C's more frequently for a family. That is of course a generalization and not always true, but the trend is there; and it is more pronounced for diesel pusher class A's.The ACE is not a high-end motorhome by any stretch, but if you get a used one (so any initial manufacturing defects/warranty work has been taken care of) that's been well-cared for and is in good condition, it ought to be reasonably reliable and sound, at least not really worse than any comparable model--nor likely to be much better, for that matter.The Ford 6.8 V10 engine is a very reliable engine, and runs smoothly. It tends to be high-revving as truck engines go, and probably seems a bit more so than it is since it has two more cylinders than most, but if you let it go it produces sufficient power and will do acceptably well keeping up with traffic on the highways. It does tend to be a bit on the thirsty side. For a gas powered class A motorhome, you don't have a whole lot of engine or chassis options, to put it mildly.If you do get bunk beds, make sure they are long enough for however tall your daughters are likely to be in a couple years. Many RV bunk beds are pretty short.

I had a Thor ACE 29.3 for a season and a half. Traded as we found out it did not have enough storage for extended trips. Heres my thoughts, yes the ACE is rated as a starter MH. With that being said all of the components i.e. frig, stove, plumbing are the same in it as in all other MH. Its the workman ship that leave alot to be desired.These are my neg. comments about the ACE. The black tank was only 29gal and the bath sink drained into it. This caused the tank to need emptying very often. It also was plumbed that a 90 angle was at the bottom of toilet so everything had to turn right away. This caused a poop mountain at the base of the toilet.I always had a problem with the water supply getting to the bath side of the camper. My kitchen was on the long slide as was the water inlet. For some reason the water line to the bath would kink, never did solve the problem. Dollars for dollars the ACE was a good unit, drove nice enough power to deal with mountains. Things I would look at, storage inside cause not much outside. The large room slide can become problems make sure it works and learn about how to work it. Its important to keep the motors insink.Good Luck safe travels

Many manufacturers of gas class A motorhomes have offered models with bunk floorplans over the past 10-15 years. Take a look at the Winnebago Vista 35B. It’s nice in that it has a bath and a half. Your daughters are getting to an age where you will appreciate that. There are usually used ones available well within your price range.

DrewE wrote:You may have better luck finding bunks or a similar arrangement if you look for a class C rather than a class A. Very generally speaking, class A's are frequently designed for a (retired?) couple, while class C's more frequently for a family. That is of course a generalization and not always true, but the trend is there; and it is more pronounced for diesel pusher class A's.This is not true. Perhaps 15 years ago that might have been the case, but not now. There is an entire segment of entry and mid level Class A's for families and each brand usually has a few bunk models some with bath and a half designs. To the OP, being a former ACE owner I wouldn't look there. They are great little entry level MH's but if you are looking for quality, you probably want to start further up the food chain. $90k is a healthy budget and I am sure you can find something like a Winnie a few years old in that price range. That said, if you are just looking for a weekender you can save a lot of cash on a used ACE. but if you are going to spend any sort of time in it and want quality I would look elsewhere.

We have owned our Winnebago Sightseer 35J (bunkbed model) Class A since fall of 2006 and it's been a great rig for our family and still with our kids having moved out. I see the various years of the 35J listed online at pretty decent prices. We only had a coupe issues; fridge and converter both died under warranty and were replaces/upgraded. One thing I appreciate about the Winnebago line up is the detailed owners manual and the fact you can still download manuals as well as plumbing & electrical diagrams.

Motor coach with bunks recommendations for family

Mike_W
Explorer
Sep 13, 2021
jlrmfc21 wrote:
I think we are going to put an offer in. :-)

and based on the market's very hot asking prices, i'd love to know what you end up paying...yeah, i feel weird asking. But I'm close to retirement as well and they market is still very high. trying to get a feel to see it it is softening a bit.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Sep 12, 2021
jlrmfc21 wrote:
I think we are going to put an offer in. :-)

Sounds good. Please Post some pics when all is final!
jlrmfc21
Explorer
Sep 11, 2021
I think we are going to put an offer in. :-)
AllegroD
Nomad
Sep 11, 2021
dodge guy wrote:
As long as it is used the way you state there is no issue with buying a DP. The problems come from when it sits unused for months on end. I’m not talking storage, but just unused which is when the problems creep up.

^^^ What dodge guy said. You are only 4 years out from retirement. On top of that, buy what you want for retirement.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Sep 11, 2021
As long as it is used the way you state there is no issue with buying a DP. The problems come from when it sits unused for months on end. I’m not talking storage, but just unused which is when the problems creep up.
jlrmfc21
Explorer
Sep 11, 2021
Taking the family to look at the allegro RED 38QBA tomorrow. It has 54k miles, two owners, and they are asking $125k.

I looked at it a week ago and seems like a nice coach.

We aren’t in the position to full time yet as I’m a couple years, 4, out from retirement abs my two girls are 12 and 9. We love the floor plan and think this would be a great coach.

Would it make sense to buy a diesel pusher like this when we will only be using it for long weekends and maybe a week or two a year? I’m more concerned about it sitting a lot not being used and the maintenenace? When I retire in 4 years, we plan on doing 2-3 month roads trips with our girls so I’m weighing if it makes sense to go ahead and buy a nice coach or by a smaller decent class C now and then trade up in 4 years.?.?.?.?

Any other input is greatly appreciated!
AllegroD
Nomad
Sep 10, 2021
willald wrote:
I won't argue that the diesel definitely has its advantages, not the least of which is how quiet it is being in the back. However, things changed a bit when Ford came out with the new F53 chassis and 7.3L big block V8 a year or so ago.

Before plunking down the $100k or more extra it costs for a diesel pusher.....One really owes it to themselves to test drive a gasser motorhome built on the newer F53 chassis with the 7.3 gas big block V8 and improved suspension setup.

It is a significant improvement over the old V10 chassis, and definitely closed the gap some with the diesel pushers. Engine is quieter, and body roll is noticeably less.

Having owned, driven a Georgetown built on a 2012 F53 V10 chassis for 9 years, and now own a 2021 Newmar built on the new F53 chassis....I'm here to tell you there is a huge difference, and Ford has come a long way.

Exactly why I said that it depends on their type of travel. I agree that the newer Tiffins are better built, well insulated and the chassis rides nice. Worth the consideration. What I did not talk about is floorplan. That is one of the first things we looked at when deciding on any coach, as well as how well it was organized and made.
willald
Explorer II
Sep 09, 2021
AllegroD wrote:
Let me first state that we have owned a 2013 Open Road 36LA and now a 2019 RED 37BA. Both have their advantages and IMO which is best is up to how you use it. The Open Road, with the V10 is a beast and gets 7 mpg. Great for the lower cost. The RED is a 360 so it gets up the mountain but some down to 50mph. It gets about 9 mpg. We went to the RED, as it is our retirement rig. We believe we should have gone to it earlier. Reason is, we will be traveling more and wanted the quieter front end. It is a much smoother ride and handles curves and corners better. It has air ride....

I won't argue that the diesel definitely has its advantages, not the least of which is how quiet it is being in the back. However, things changed a bit when Ford came out with the new F53 chassis and 7.3L big block V8 a year or so ago.

Before plunking down the $100k or more extra it costs for a diesel pusher.....One really owes it to themselves to test drive a gasser motorhome built on the newer F53 chassis with the 7.3 gas big block V8 and improved suspension setup.

It is a significant improvement over the old V10 chassis, and definitely closed the gap some with the diesel pushers. Engine is quieter, and body roll is noticeably less.

Having owned, driven a Georgetown built on a 2012 F53 V10 chassis for 9 years, and now own a 2021 Newmar built on the new F53 chassis....I'm here to tell you there is a huge difference, and Ford has come a long way.
AllegroD
Nomad
Sep 09, 2021
jlrmfc21 wrote:
AllegroD wrote:
Tiffin Allegro Open Road 35QBA & 36UA.

Yes we have been looking at those too.

Is it worth it to buy the 38qba with the diesel if I can get a used one for almost the same price???

Let me first state that we have owned a 2013 Open Road 36LA and now a 2019 RED 37BA. Both have their advantages and IMO which is best is up to how you use it. The Open Road, with the V10 is a beast and gets 7 mpg. Great for the lower cost. The RED is a 360 so it gets up the mountain but some down to 50mph. It gets about 9 mpg. We went to the RED, as it is our retirement rig. We believe we should have gone to it earlier. Reason is, we will be traveling more and wanted the quieter front end. It is a much smoother ride and handles curves and corners better. It has air ride. The exhaust break and 6 speed Allison is great in the mountains. One of the problems of the RED is that it has 2 15kw AC with heat pump and 1 13.5kw AC. While this sounds good, this almost mandates a 50amp shore power connection, as 30 amp will not run 2 of the AC. We have an 8kw gennie and that will run 2 AC.

I can not say that diesel is better, without the details of year and packages. If things were equal, I would lean to the diesel.

Good luck in your research.
jlrmfc21
Explorer
Sep 08, 2021
AllegroD wrote:
Tiffin Allegro Open Road 35QBA & 36UA.

Yes we have been looking at those too.

Is it worth it to buy the 38qba with the diesel if I can get a used one for almost the same price???

Forum Discussion

Motor coach with bunks recommendations for family

About Motorhome Group

Related Content

Family Motor Coach Rallies

Motor home?

Family (wild) Camping

Large family tow vehicle

Recommendations for books on Motor Home systems