fugawi wrote:
We are based in Las Vegas and will travel mostly in the southwest US on short trips. There are some dirt roads that we would like to explore. Some, while pretty free from vegetation, do have decent grades and sometimes rutted surfaces that may be difficult for traction. In addition, a little extra clearance would be helpful.
Also, while we don't plan to travel in snow or rain, it would be nice to have a little extra traction in case we end up in that situation.
I like the idea of the Winnebago Revel, but we really want two decent-sized beds. I haven't seen a 4x4 Class B that pulls off the two beds, thus the corner bed and cabover bunk of a Class C.
I hope Winnebago or others push the 4x4 chassis to models with just a bit more room and sleeping capacity.
They way you want to use a Class C reads very close to the way we use ours here in the Southwest when going to and camping in remote areas rockhounding.
We have a relatively short (24 foot) Winnebago Itasca cabover bed Class C that we specifically bought new because it was built on what I call an "overkill" chassis ... the Wnnebago optional Ford E450 van chassis - which is not usually required for only a 24 foot Class C, weight-wise.
Here's just some comments on it and our use of it - not in any particular order - that may be of use when you are shopping:
1. The E450 chassis has a slightly wider rear stance than the Ford E350 (and probably wider than the Mercedes 3500 and other chassis brands, too) - to provide better stability on sideways slanted roads, highway curves, and in high cross-winds.
2. The E450 has just plain more rugged construction -> larger brakes, a lower rear differential ratio, a larger diameter drive shaft, a larger rear differential ring gear, and - perhaps most important of all - a thicker steel frame for better end to end platform rigidity to help prevent twisting of the frame (and consequent twisting of the coach structure) on rutted roads.
3 . On only a 24 foot Class C, the E450 chassis provides load carrying capacity higher than what you could probably ever load it to - just in case you want to carry a lot of stuff with no concerns - like we do.
4. The under-loaded E450's frame sits higher than a lighter rated chassis would. This provides better ground clearance for all underside components attached to the coach structure, such as drain plumbing, built-in generators, built-in propane tanks, battery boxes, etc..
5. For our chassis year, the E450 had hydraulic boosted power brakes instead of vacuum boosted brakes as on the E350 ... however both Ford chassis may be hydraulic now.
6. From the rear tires on back, our coach walls immediately begin a straight upward slant to the rear bumper- thus providing a somewhat improved rear departure angle than other, or longer, Class C motorhomes. Many Class C coach walls go straight back horizontally aways from the rear duals before starting their upward slant to the rear bumper ... thus offering two more places to scrape when going across desert road washouts.
7. We do not need any wheels in the rear to prevent bumper/frame dragging when going into parking lots or driveways ... or when going across desert road washouts at an angle.
8. I use different tires (215/85R16) than what came stock on it (225/75R16). These tires have the same load rating, but they are taller to provide a bit more ground clearance for everything. These tires also have a narrower treadprint ... which provides slightly better traction on snow and ice that's over a hard road surface (due to more pounds per square inch of rubber contact) ... but this also provides a bit more tire to tire sidewall clearance between the rear duals so as to help prevent wedging of rocks in between the rear dually tires.
9. All of our exterior cabinets, the generator, the propane tank, and the drain plumbing are mounted up high at, or close, to frame height. There is nothing hanging down visibilty when viewed from the outside.
10. The automatic entrance step recedes back and winds up at coach wall height - it does not hang below the coach wall when retracted.
11. The E450's lower rear differential ratio is great for very slow speed crawling on washboaded or rutted dirt and gravel roads.
12. A Class C can have a pretty decent (i.e. relatively low) center of gravity even though it may "look high". It's heavy items such as it's propane tank, it's fuel tank, it's black tank, it's grey tank, it's built-in generator, and all of your stuff in exterior storage cabinets - all contribute to a low center of gravity - probably a lower center of gravity than most truck campers (especially when compared to 4X4 truck campers with their lifted bodies).
13. Washboarded, rutted, and rocky roads MUST BE driven ultra-slowly .. but it can be done carefully with a small Class C so as to prevent structure twisting, high centering, coach structure scraping, or excessive washboard pounding. Our records so far are A) ~25 miles (each way) at 7-10 MPH to camp and rockhound at a desert site in dry weather on a severly washboarded gravel road that was otherwise wide and flat, and B) crawling rock by rock in our 2WD Class C on a rough 4X4 road in Death Valley going to/from a remote campsite in dry weather - after traveling several miles as in A) to reach the 4X4 road.
14. Do not get a Class C with slides. Slides inherently weaken the coach's wall structure and can get damaged from rough road travel and maybe leave you stranded if stuck in the extended position.
15. I believe that some of the top manufacturers - such as Coach House and Lazy Daze - build (or used to build) even their small Class B+ and C models exclusively on only the Ford E450 chassis for the additional ruggedness and overall dependability in all situations.
Just the right Class C setup can be used carefully in dry weather to get way out there. But once out there: There is no substitute for being able to eat lunch in the desert heat with air conditioning, giving the dog a bath with the outside shower and then drying her/him off with a generator powered hair dryer, or watching movies in the evening in complete comfort ... and then going to sleep in up to two queen beds and one full bed in a small Class C with a dinette, a rear corner bed, and an overcab bed. :)
