Newbie Question

There is no right answer. There is no right size.

In the end, you have to consider the pros and cons of each size. What works for one poster would be unacceptable for another. How do you want to use it? Do you plan on spending all day cruising around the city and then heading back to the park for the night? Do you plan on stopping while on the road and then settling in at the park? Do you plan on setting up the sewer when you camp or just do a dump at the end of the stay? Your particulars, and what you will be comfortable with, will identify the right length.

For me, I love the 21 ft length. It works well for the way I use my RV. I sleep in the cabover bunk with no problem. If I want to go into town, I just drive off (I dry camp mostly).

I'm new here, so don't yell at me. We bought a new 24C because it fits on the side of our property, thanks to our new city code, We can not park vehicles taller then 7 feet of 21 feet long on the streets over 12 hours. Yes you can purchase a permit from the city, for a small fee. But I did enjoy reading all the responces. Thanks for your time.

ron.dittmer wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:
If you buy a 22 footer it will be 24'. if you want a 22' C you have to buy a 19.... just saying.:B

Yes, when shopping, you need to be carrying a 30 foot tape measure with you. What is stated, and what is measured are most often quite different. I think the difference is because of how the rig is measured. Some brands are measured inside to inside, from the back wall to the front wall of the cab-over bed. Others like our unit is measured from the most protruding features, the rear spare tire cover, to the front bumper cover.

In my case, I think the length of the house part is what they got the model name from, 28A. Of course the engine extends quite a bit beyond that and probably the rear bumper is not included in the 28.

Desert Captain wrote:
If you buy a 22 footer it will be 24'. if you want a 22' C you have to buy a 19.... just saying.:B

Yes, when shopping, you need to be carrying a 30 foot tape measure with you. What is stated, and what is measured are most often quite different. I think the difference is because of how the rig is measured. Some brands are measured inside to inside, from the back wall to the front wall of the cab-over bed. Others like our unit is measured from the most protruding exterior features, the rear spare tire cover to the front bumper cover.

We bought a 24' MH that had a jack-knife sofa for us to sleep on. I didn't want to drive a longer MH. After a year and a half, we gave up trying to make the bed comfortable. It also involved set-up each night. We sold the MH and bought a 28' one with two slides and a walk-around queen. It is not any more difficult to drive. The new one also has a queen bed over the cab which is great to have in a C. My advice is to rent or drive a slightly longer MH before you buy. If you are uncomfortable, buy a shorter one. We do not have a toad. We rent a car when we stay for a greater length of time. We also carry two bicycles. By the way, we are leaving tomorrow morning for a three week trip to UP, MI and then down to southwest WI to see some relatives. I will rent a car in the UP.

If you buy a 22 footer it will be 24'. if you want a 22' C you have to buy a 19.... just saying.

:B

22' 22' 22 feet. If you can look at a 24" than you should at least consider 22. RVing is very different over/under that number. A parking space is generally 22' long. We (22' Pleasure Way Pursuit) can park right at the events we visit not in a CG miles away. No need for a pick-up(5th wheel) or toad(MH). No leaving our amenities behind, I am ALWAYS a short walk from the comfort and convenience of our unit. Remember that number!

This is my first time posting on a forum so forgive me if I'm doing something wrong. My wife and I just went through the same dilemma. small R.V. with tow vehicle? or bigger? well we found a previously rental unit 32 footer with 20,000 miles clean as new for about 15,000 cheaper than a 25' or 26' new. It has a 5,000 hitch on a ford 450 chassis, so we can pull a small boat our Honda on a dolly. we figure we will do what ever to get around because we are weekend worriers and somone in our group is pulling a trailer or has a tow vehicle if we need to get somewhere. I think renting a couple of motorhomes before buying may be a good idea. Happy Camping!

Typically, we use our RV to go to events where the things we do are at the place where we are camping. So there is no need to go off-site very often. So we have never considered a tow vehicle.

Also, we usually boondock so there are no hookups to connect/disconnect, and we don't have any slides, so if we need to leave site we just hop in and go.

A Class-C, even a long one, will generally park in any standard parking spot, provided you can back in and let the "tail" hang off the edge of the parking lot over the grass. Of course you have to make sure you can clear the curb and don't back into a light pole or other obstacle. But the wheelbase is just a van, so if a van can park there generally you can, too, as long as your "tail" can hang off the parking lot.

Adding to j-d here with personal experience.

Our 2007 E350 with 6.8L-V10 engine weighs 9200 pounds (10,200 loaded up) with the house on it's back. If we didn't tow a vehicle, I feel the smaller 5.4L-V8 engine would offer plenty of power to benefit from a 10-15% gain in fuel efficiency, and more than a $1000 savings in the purchase price. When we don't tow, we have more power than we really need. In-fact, I wonder if the 5.4L-V8 would be adequate even when towing. How fast do you want to climb up that steep grade anyway? We would never dart around in traffic with either engine. If in a hurry, a motor home is the wrong vehicle of choice.

I do think our aerodynamic shape, low height, and narrow width all help a bit with my experience.