Newbie - Class C Motor/Brand questions...

"1. Is mileage on a Class C equivalent to what you'd see on a daily driver truck or car?"

No. Not even close.

There's a 31' Winnebago Class C a couple sites down, on a "Workhorse" (modified Chevy) chassis. They're good, but rare. The newer Chevy "4500" is also good, but very late model and rare.

The Ford E-Series is good and very common. Chevy has a bigger cockpit and a little better handling. Ours is 31' on Ford E450. Good, strong powertrain and a rugged chassis. 2008 and newer is best, 2005-07 is next, then 2000-2004, then 1997-1999, all V10's. From 1992-1996 they looked the same but had 460 V8's. All E350 till 1996 (I may be a year off on that) then the E450 came out but was called "E Super Duty" for a few years. Door jamb label: If GVWR is 14050 or 14500 it's E450.

Towing our Corolla, our 31' on E450 gets 8 MPG at 60-65 on the open road. About typical. Shorter ones do a little better. Chevy does a little better. By that "little better" I mean not more than maybe 1 MPG.

Both the Ford and Chevy chassis are good designs, largely comparable though with some unique strengths and weaknesses. With a little bit of care, either one will generally outlast the house part of the motorhome in most situations.

As far as mileage, I would not generally even start to be concerned with the chassis under 100k miles. The Fords often get over twice that when used in other vehicle types such as shuttle busses, etc., and I think the Chevys do likewise. Most commonly the mileage on motorhomes is rather on the low side anyway.

For the Ford chassis, the newer ones are generally a little better, though there haven't been too many significant changes since around '97 or '98 or so. The oldest ones will have a four speed transmission and this can be recognized by the labeling of the shift lever: it will have a switch for "O/D Off" rather than "Tow/Haul". Besides the transmission changes, there have been improvements to the engine; in particular, the early versions have a somewhat marginal design where the spark plugs screw into the head with barely enough threads, and so have a bit of a tendency to eject spark plugs if they aren't installed and torqued with care. Getting one with the five or six speed transmission will avoid this weakness.

Your fourth question is probably the best one. I would pay as much attention as possible to the condition of the unit, particularly the house part, and not worry too much about details of the chassis; that's where you're likely to run into big problems. Water leaks are the biggest concern, and the cabover area is one common place for them to occur (but not the only possible location). Look carefully for discolored ceilings, for blistering or delamination in the walls, for soft spots particularly in the corners of the ceiling and the walls or on the roof surface. Some would say run away from the slightest sign of water damage or intrusion; I don't go quite that far, depending on your budget, but do pay careful attention to it and be prepared that it's usually worse than it first appears if there is any. If it's at all extensive, do run away unless you specifically want to restore an RV; it doesn't take too much to greatly compromise the structure of most motorhomes.

Have the seller demonstrate that all the appliances and systems are working properly. Make sure the fridge cools, the water heater heats, the air conditioner and furnace work, the generator starts and runs well and doesn't stumble under load, etc.

Check how new the tires are (based on the DOT date codes). Most tire manufacturers recommend a professional inspection annually after around seven years, which involves dismounting the tires to check the inside as well as the outside, and replacement in any case after ten years; most RVers replace after seven years or sometimes fewer. Usually the tires will age out of service before they must be replaced due to treadwear. A new set of (six) tires for a class C is an expense of $1000 or more, depending on the deal you get on tires--usually more for brand-name tires. A blow out can cause extensive damage, besides the obvious danger of causing a crash.

Check the weight carrying capacity of the motorhomes you look at. Some class C's have very little payload available. Some (quite old ones) were above the chassis weight rating empty when they left the factory, but you probably won't run into one of them.

Hi make sure the wheel base to length ratio is no lower than 50%. 55% on a 26 foot E-450 is ideal and makes it feel as if you are driving a regular but *large* car.

As already noted there is not to much difference in the in the 2 main chassis that the Class Cs are built on the Chevy Chassis will give you a bit more advantage in ride and comfort and the cabin is larger.

The longevity of both is a matter of good maintenance if properly cared for 200000 miles is not out of the question, just look at any Rental Fleet there are many happy owners that have had no problems with high mileage RVs.

There is a direct correlation in the length of the RV and the Occupant and Cargo Carrying Capacity (OCCC) of the rig. In general, the longer the RV the less weight of people and stuff it can carry. The OP has noted that they will be carrying four people in most cases and possibly more at times with the extended family. Remember in most Class C and some Class A motorhomes, it is not the space you have available, but rather the weight that the chassis has available to carry things (including people). Options like leveling systems and slideouts add weight and decrease OCCC.

If buying used, check the date codes on the tires. Suggest that you by new tires if older than 6 years. Make sure all appliances work.

Good luck and have fun.

PghBob wrote:
There is a direct correlation in the length of the RV and the Occupant and Cargo Carrying Capacity (OCCC) of the rig.
Good luck and have fun.

Inverse correlation actually. By the numbers, our 31' Jayco is labeled by Jayco as weighing 11,160 and that's what we're registered at. So with GVWR of 14,050 right at 2900 to work with.

But full LPG and water, along with 06 occupants (154# each...?) reduces it to less than 800 for "all that stuff." like groceries, clothing, camp chairs and so on so forth.

Part of why we're glad to have a 31 with no sides. I'd have to guess that each slide adds about 500# to the coach's basic weight.

I can't tell you what the coach really weighs empty, but I can tell you we're right at 13500 with just two of us and all our heavy packing with supplies, tools and parts, spare tire, etc. That and just under 18000 towing the Corolla.

And that's where wheelbase comes in again! A 31' had better have a wheelbase of 215-220" or so. If not, the rear axle will be overloaded. Equally bad, the front axle won't be bearing its share of the weight, and steering/tracking start to suffer.

Shorter coaches with "rear queen bedrooms" suffer worse from this. The designer puts the rear wheels where the floor plan dictates, not for weight distribution. People complain the coach won't stay in lane, then weigh it and find it's front-light and rear-overweight.

So, go weigh any coach you're interested in, at a truck stop on the CAT scale. You'll know the carrying capacity you have to work with, and can make sure the axle loads are balanced. Front should be 1/3 of loaded weight or around 75-pct of its capacity. Bring a tire load to inflation chart along, and adjust tire pressures accordingly, right there at the truck stop. You may find it drives better on the rest of your test run.

j-d, your correction is accepted.

^^^ Thanks, I don't think anybody was misdirected.

Your observations are spot on. I remember when we got our first coach. Only 24-ft but it was on the earlier E350, less GVWR than they have now. I used it to cart computers around for my job, and even picked up a cargo shipment for a friend. All on Very Old Tires... The coach was on an extended "loan" at the time, then we bought it from the folks. I think it was first trip out under our ownership, blew a rear tire. Early morning, cool road surface. Still blew. Tore out the wheel well trim. All that contributes to "knowing better" about some of this stuff.

If you buy a used rig, try to buy one that is some three to five years old. The roof AC, fridge, fresh water pump and awning will have some 5 or more years of service life remaining before needing repairs/replacement. Tires, brakes and engine cooling system may need replacement/servicing. The 12 volt electrical system includes the converter/charger, one or two house/auxiliary batteries, a house battery disconnect switch/latching solenoid that must be in good condition to operate the electronic appliance controls, fresh water pump, furnace fan, alarms, and interior lighting. Battery(s) must be good/newish, and converter charger must be working properly to keep battery(s) charged when rig is plugged into shore power. You must periodically check electrolyte levels in battery(s) and add DISTILLED water to cover the plates as needed as well as keeping connections clean and tight. You should have brake fluid flushed and replaced to avoid brake fade. Have front flexible brake lines replaced, they can fail internally causing possible loss of steering control.

If you buy new, make sure everything works before signing sales contract and that all promises by salesmen etc., are written into the contract parts and labor. Don't buy an extended mechanical warranty package, they are expensive and full of loopholes.Expect that dealer service department fixes will take two weeks or more before you can take off on your first touring/camping adventure. Try to buy from a dealer with a good reputation for after sale service.

Take time to educate yourselves and pick the brand, length, and floor plan that suits your needs and desires. IMHO, you should buy a rig with a rear bedroom with RV queen bed having access on both sides. Kids can sleep in the overhead and on convertible sofa or dinette cushions. Kids will lose interest in motorhoming at some point. If you are going to share a motorhome, have clear agreements on paying for repairs and maintenance as well as usage schedules.